
ESPN, Turner Sports Lead 42nd Sports Emmy Awards; TNT's NBA All-Star Game, NBC's SNF Take Top Honors Key tech awards go to CBS's Super Bowl LV, ESPN's College GameDay, MLB Network Showcases Statcast 3D By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor
Wednesday, June 9, 2021 - 10:55 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
ESPN and Turner Sports walked away with the most trophies at the 42nd Annual Sports Emmy Awards last night, with nine and seven, respectively. The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) presented awards in 46 categories during the live-streamed virtual ceremony, including trophies to TNT's 2020 NBA All-Star Game for Outstanding Live Sports Special, NBC's Sunday Night Football for Outstanding Live Sports Series, and CBS Sports/Nickelodeon's NFC Wild Card Game for Outstanding Live Sports Series.
In the technical categories, CBS Sports' Super Bowl LV was named Outstanding Technical Team Event, ESPN's College GameDay won Outstanding Technical Team Studio, and MLB Network Showcase's Statcast 3D received the George Wensel Technical Achievement Award. Among other key live-production categories winners were NBC's Sunday Night Football for Outstanding Live Event Audio/Sound, CBS Sports/Nickelodeon's NFC Wild Card Game for Outstanding Live Graphic Design, and Riot Games/YouTube's League of Legends World Final for Outstanding Esports Coverage.
ESPN (ESPN, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes) led all network groups with nine Sports Emmys, followed by Turner Sports (TNT) with seven, Fox Sports Media Group (Fox, FS1) with five, and NFL Network with four. Three awards apiece went to CBS Sports, HBO Sports, MLB Network, and NBC Sports Group.
Here is a full list of the 2021 Sports Emmy Winners along with sizzle reels for the winner in key categories.
OUTSTANDING LIVE SPORTS SPECIAL
2020 NBA All-Star Game on TNT (TNT) The #SportsEmmys Award for Outstanding Live Sports Special goes to @NBAonTNT. pic.twitter.com/WhZOEbPuhm
Sports Emmys (@sportsemmys) June 9, 2021
OUTSTANDING LIVE SPORTS SERIES
Sunday Night Football (NBC) The #SportsEmmys Award for Outstanding Live Sports Series goes to @NBCSports @SNFonNBC. pic.twitter.com/KEqJ3Ilbx4
Sports Emmys (@sportsemmys) June 9, 2021
OUTSTANDING PLAYOFF COVERAGE
NFC Wild Card Game: Chicago Bears vs. New Orleans Saints (Nickelodeon/CBS Sports) The #SportsEmmys Award for Outstanding Playoff Coverage goes to @cbssports @nickelodeon. pic.twitter.com/Y1vXtKnk5i
Sports Emmys (@sportsemmys) June 9, 2021
OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL TEAM EVENT
Super Bowl LV: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (CBS) The #SportsEmmys Award for Outstanding Technical Team Event goes to @CBSSports @NFLonCBS. pic.twitter.com/AhnlJubVi7
Sports Emmys (@sportsemmys) June 9, 2021
OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL TEAM STUDIO
College GameDay (ESPN) The #SportsEmmys Award for Outstanding Technical Team Studio goes to @ESPN @CollegeGameday. pic.twitter.com/7gFZ6NskpG
Sports Emmys (@sportsemmys) June 9, 2021
THE GEORGE WENSEL TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
MLB Network Showcase: Statcast 3D (MLB Network) The #SportsEmmys George Wensel Technical Achievement Award goes to @MLBNetwork. pic.twitter.com/CAZt7s58Iu
Sports Emmys (@sportsemmys) June 9, 2021
OUTSTANDING LIVE EVENT AUDIO/SOUND
Sunday Night Football (NBC) The #SportsEmmys Award for Outstanding Live Event Audio/Sound goes to @NBCSports. pic.twitter.com/Vuyv1DJc5x
Sports Emmys (@sportsemmys) June 9, 2021
OUTSTANDING LIVE GRAPHIC DESIGN
NFC Wild Card Game: Chicago Bears vs. New Orleans Saints (Nickelodeon/CBS Sports) The #SportsEmmys Award for Outstanding Live Graphic Design goes to @cbssports @nickelodeon. pic.twitter.com/n3OwHOr25P
Sports Emmys (@sportsemmys) June 9, 2021
OUTSTANDING ESPORTS COVERAGE
League of Legends World Final: DAMWON vs. Suning (YouTube/Riot Games) The #SportsEmmys Award for Outstanding Esports Coverage goes to @leagueoflegends @riotgames. pic.twitter.com/lCwWRbmHrg
Sports Emmys (@sportsemmys) June 9, 2021
ADDITIONAL SPORTS EMMY WINNERS: OUTSTANDING STUDIO OR PRODUCTION DESIGN/ ART DIRECTION
NASCAR Race Hub (FS1)
OUTSTANDING EDITED SPORTS EVENT COVERAGE
NFL Game Day All-Access: Super Bowl LV (YouTube/NFL Films)
OUTSTANDING EDITED SPORTS SPECIAL
SC Presents: 2020 - Heroes, History and Hope (ESPN)
OUTSTANDING EDITED SPORTS SERIES
The Shop: Uninterrupted (HBO/Uninterrupted/Frehand)
OUTSTANDING STUDIO SHOW - WEEKLY
Inside the NBA (TNT)
OUTSTANDING STUDIO SHOW - DAILY
SportsCenter (ESPN)
OUTSTANDING STUDIO SHOW - LIMITED RUN
Inside the NBA: 2020 NBA Playoffs (TNT)
OUTSTANDING STUDIO SHOW IN SPANISH
SportsCenter Deportes (ESPN Deportes)
OUTSTANDING INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE - EVENT COVERAGE
NBA App: Season Restart (NBA Digital)
OUTSTANDING INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE - ORIGINAL PROGRAMMING
NBA on TNT Tuesday (TNT)
OUTSTANDING DIGITAL INNOVATION
NBA on TNT: AT&T 5G Holovision (TNT)
OUTSTANDING SHORT SPORTS DOCUMENTARY
Blackfeet Boxing: Not Invisible (ESPN+/ESPN/ESPN Films)
OUTSTANDING LONG SPORTS DOCUMENTARY
Rising Phoenix (Netflix/HTYT Films/Passion Pictures/ Misfits Entertainment/Ventureland)
OUTSTANDING SERIALIZED SPORTS DOCUMENTARY
Outcry (Showtime/Bat Bridge Entertainment)
OUTSTANDING SPORTS NEWS/FEATURE ANTHOLOGY
Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel (HBO)
OUTSTANDING SPORTS JOURNALISM
Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel (HBO)
OUTSTANDING SHORT FEATURE
Sunday NFL Countdown: The Big Mo Show (ESPN)
OUTSTANDING LONG FEATURE
NFL 360: The Gift of Gaba (NFL Network/Ravens Productions)
OUTSTANDING FEATURE STORY IN SPANISH
Greenland: Colombia (ESPN Deportes)
OUTSTANDING OPEN/TEASE
Super Bowl LV: Stand by Me (CBS)
OUTSTANDING SPORTS PERSONALITY/STUDIO HOST
Ernie Johnson (TNT)
OUTSTANDING SPORTS PERSONALITY/PLAY-BY-PLAY
Joe Buck (Fox/FS1/NFL Network)
OUTSTANDING SPORTS PERSONALITY/STUDIO ANALYST
N
More from Sports Video Group
12/03/2026
Techex, a global expert in live video solutions over IP and cloud, announces the appointment of Matt McKee as Senior Director, Sales, Americas, further strength...
12/03/2026
KOKUSAI DENKI Electric America has appointed Mondae Hott as Regional Sales Manag...
12/03/2026
At the 2026 NAB Show, Interra Systems will showcase its latest advancements in a...
12/03/2026
The 15th National Games of China concluded after a two-week celebration of athletic excellence and regional collaboration. Held from Nov. 9-21 across Guangdong,...
12/03/2026
Live-production academic program Butler Sports Live produced a total of 40 fall-...
12/03/2026
The University of Nebraska's HuskerVision has completed the second phase of ...
12/03/2026
Grass Valley and integration partner Tab M Solutions have completed Phase 1 of a...
12/03/2026
The broadcaster expands its campus-production model as the university handles tw...
12/03/2026
Disney has announced the addition of March Madness - the NCAA Division I Men...
12/03/2026
Apple TV's Friday Night Baseball MLB doubleheader series returns for its f...
12/03/2026
The senior from New Jersey is making his mark in South Bend, both on the mic and behind it...
12/03/2026
After a relatively quiet January, the month of February was jammed packed with l...
12/03/2026
Long-time production partner Echo Entertainment is producing the broadcast, while Cosm played a vital role in the collaboration...
09/03/2026
Foos Gone Wild and Combate Global have teamed up to create a twist on combat sports competition, announcing the launch of a special amateur Mixed Martial Arts (...
09/03/2026
At the 2026 NAB Show, Harmonic will introduce significant enhancements to its video appliances and SaaS solutions, highlighted by a next-generation media server...
09/03/2026
ESPN's March 3 spring training matchup between Team USA and the San Francisc...
09/03/2026
Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) announces the launch of MVPW, a new global platfo...
09/03/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
09/03/2026
From Super Bowl compounds to Final Four setups, the Hofstra graduate helps coord...
09/03/2026
Stamford plays a key role, but a small team in Cortina and Milan powers local presence and mixed-zone coverage...
09/03/2026
The event brings together SVG's previous Cloud Production and Content Management Forums into a single, comprehensive day of programming...
09/03/2026
Updated Mar 9, 2026
Live surround sound has been a part of the plan for Roman a...
06/03/2026
TNT Sports and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) have reached a mul...
06/03/2026
OffBall and TOGETHXR, two influential young media companies in sports, announce a strategic and operational partnership in a shared push to scale and create inn...
06/03/2026
InfoComm 2026, a destination for AV, IT, broadcast, and AI-driven systems, annou...
06/03/2026
LTN and MediaKind announce a strategic partnership to integrate MediaKind's ...
06/03/2026
X Games and the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation (GNOSF) announce that New Orleans, Louisiana, will host the first-ever X Games Championship event - the fi...
06/03/2026
As part of a busy start of the year at Chyron, the AXIS team developed a set of improvements for AXIS Maps. The features released empower users with more flexib...
06/03/2026
At the 2026 NAB Show, BeckTV, a premier systems integrator for the broadcast ind...
06/03/2026
At NAB Show 2026, Net Insight introduces Nimbra Live Intelligence, which definin...
06/03/2026
SES announces that it has added new Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite capacity ...
06/03/2026
LucidLink, the cloud-native file streaming platform for instant, secure access to large files, announce LucidLink Connect, a new solution that enables real-time...
06/03/2026
Panasonic helped bring the world of Paddington: The Musical to life through imme...
06/03/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
06/03/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press releases and reports around the industry. In this week's edition, NASCAR Cup Se...
06/03/2026
At the 2026 NAB Show, Riedel Communications opens with a clear message to the North American market: production technology does not have to be complex.
This ye...
06/03/2026
Midco Sports isn't your typical regional sports network. Backed by nearly a ...
06/03/2026
The stories around the Paralympics are really touching and the athletes, the atmosphere it is all amazing and we want to use new technologies to help us tell th...
06/03/2026
Apple TV subscribers will have access to as many as 30 additional live feeds acr...
05/03/2026
More than 250 sports-graphics professionals packed into The Cutting Room in New ...
05/03/2026
Cosm announces that it will open its third immersive entertainment venue at downtown Atlanta's Centennial Yards on June 10, 2026. Its first public event wil...
05/03/2026
Following last year's broadcast television debut, The CW Network is growing its partnership with the Savannah Bananas, announcing that it will be the exclus...
05/03/2026
TGL presented by SoFi, the primetime, men's team golf league, announces AT&T...
05/03/2026
Ateme, which specializes in video compression software, announces that it has entered into a multi-year agreement with Netflix for the deployment of its TITAN L...
05/03/2026
As part of its strategy to deliver flexible and scalable media solutions, NEP Europe, part of NEP Group, has redesigned an outside broadcast (OB) unit to help b...
05/03/2026
Net Insight's Nimbra Edge and the Nimbra 400 series are now included in YouTube's Live verified encoders list. This confirms that the solutions have bee...
05/03/2026
Audinate, the creator of the Dante audio networking platform, announces the laun...
05/03/2026
LiveU announces the first large-scale deployment of its AI-driven LiveU IQ (LIQ) technology at a global, multi-venue sporting event, setting a new benchmark for...
05/03/2026
SportsEngine Play, a first-of-its-kind subscription streaming service for captur...
05/03/2026
The senior from small-town Pennsylvania has had a huge impact on the Spartans' B1G Student U program
In the live-sports-video industry, the future is brigh...