LISTEN: ESPY Awards Score Despite Host Shane Gillis; Happy 70th Birthday to Disneyland
Fortunately, the honorees delivered enough inspiration and muscular prowess — see: rugby star Ilona Maher, who was honored as breakthrough athlete of the year — to offset the edgy jabs aimed at women in the monologue from ESPYs host Shane Gillis.
More from Variety
ESPY Awards Shower Kudos on Women as Host Shane Gillis Delivers Edgy Jokes About Female Athletes
How to Watch the 2025 ESPY Awards Online Without Cable
LISTEN: Netflix Q2 Earnings Preview; Unpacking Trump's War on Truth
A rundown of highlights from the ESPY Awards and a salute to Disneyland on its 70th birthday are the stories are included in today's installment of 'Daily Variety,' a new podcast that features conversations with Variety journalists about news, trends and personalities making waves in media and entertainment.
I ran into ESPN chief Jimmy Pitaro in the Dolby lobby after the ESPYs were over. We talked about the very big, somewhat complicated sales pitch that the Worldwide Leader is preparing to lob at consumers as it launches its standalone ESPN streaming app later this fall. The EPSYs telecast included a 60-second spot that presented the streaming app launch as a great leap forward for sports fans, much as the dawn of the original ESPN cable channel was back in 1979.
'There are two things that are happening this fall. The first is, we're going direct to consumer. The second is, we're enhancing the app,' Pitaro tells me. 'So in that spot, we're basically telling you that there is a new day for ESPN. Come this fall, you'll be able to access all of our content, all of ESPN, all in one place, and that is the ESPN app. And so whether you're on a smart television or you're on your phone or your tablet, we want you to fire up the ESPN app to get the best sports experience.'
From the ESPYs, we turn to a look at Disneyland on the occasion of its 70th birthday. My Variety colleagues Jazz Tangcay, senior artisans editor, and Carole Horst, deputy editor for features, assembled a package of stories that look at the art and science behind the park. Specifically, they went to Walt Disney Imagineering in Glendale to get a hands-on look at how their cutting-edge work is expressed at Disneyland and other Disney parks.
The sheer scope of the creative and technical activity overseen by Imagineers is impressive, Horst says.
'When we had our tour, we saw all the aspects of Imagineering. We saw how they developed the Spider-Man show that's on the Avengers campus with the robot that flies through the air, to the sculpture room where they create models and sculptures. This is something that I think is unique to Disney,' Horst says.
Tangcay says she was struck by how spirit of Walt Disney himself still guides the commitment to R&D and investment in cutting-edge technology.
'We really got an insight into their thinking and it's very much in tune with Walt Disney — just staying in touch with the inner child,' Tangcay says. 'It's those tiny details that you never really pay attention to. Even the smell — they talk about the water smell that you have on Pirates of the Caribbean and It's a Small World.'
Daily Variety
(Pictured: Rugby star Ilona Maher at the ESPY Awards)
Best of Variety
New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?
Final Emmy Predictions: Talk Series and Scripted Variety - New Blood Looks to Tackle Late Night Staples
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

NBC Sports
3 minutes ago
- NBC Sports
Report: NFL will acquire up to 10 percent of ESPN as part of NFL Media deal
As the NFL and ESPN close in on a deal that would result in ESPN acquiring control of multiple NFL Media assets, more information is emerging as to what's in it for the NFL. Via Alex Sherman of the NFL will acquire up to 10 percent of ESPN as part of the deal. Currently, Disney owns 80 percent of ESPN. Hearst has the remaining 20 percent. In return, ESPN would assume full ownership of NFL Network and NFL RedZone. For other NFL Media properties (NFL Films, the NFL app and NFL+), ESPN will acquire some of the assets, but not control. With the NFL holding 10 percent of ESPN, Disney will have an unprecedented foothold when it comes to televising pro football. Why would the NFL freeze out ABC and ESPN if the NFL will be owning 10 percent of ESPN? And this will raise certain journalistic issues, if anyone in post-standards America even cares. It will be interesting to see what happens when interests of journalism require the pursuit of topics the NFL might want to keep as hidden as a 61-page ruling in a collusion grievance.


Digital Trends
32 minutes ago
- Digital Trends
Sony makes one of the best OLED TVs, this deal makes it $900 more affordable
Every day we find incredible TV deals, so there's never really a point in buying a TV at the regular price. That is, unless you want one of the best TVs all around, which have more of a reason to not go on sale frequently. They already get lots of attention and have the chops to justify high prices. However, from time to time we do find a great deal on one of our favored TVs. This time around we're see a $900 discount on the 65-inch Sony Bravia 8 OLED, one of our picks for the best OLED TVs. Getting the TV now, which you can do simply by tapping the button below, will only cost you $1,900 instead of the usual $2,800. Read on to learn why the TV is so great, as well as to see the special reason why it's included in our list of OLED TVs. Why you should buy the Sony Bravia 8 OLED The Sony Bravia 8 OLED is a brilliant TV for your living room or gathering area. It's a weird thing to say, but a lot of TVs have a sort of 'hermit' personality and are really best enjoyed with a small group in a dark room. Not the Sony Bravia 8 OLED, with its wide viewing angle and ability to stand up to ambient lighting. This is a TV to grab the crew around and watch some ball or have in your living room to give you some company while you watch the kids. It's a TV to enhance your life with, but it doesn't have to So, why did this TV make it on our OLED shortlist? It happens to be the best Sony OLED for the price. And, of course, by this we mean its standard price. The quality is simply there; it has rich colors and black levels that make things pop, whether you're in the living room or not. So, why not grab it while it is $900 cheaper and you can get it for $1,900 instead of the usual $2,800.


Gizmodo
32 minutes ago
- Gizmodo
Nebula's Netflix Licensed Outdoor Projector Hits Lowest Price, Flying Off the Shelves
If you're in the North East, that month-long wave of humidity seems to have finally broken. It's comfortably to be outside again. So why not get back the lost weeks of summer outdoors by hosting movie night in your backyard? Get yourself set up with an outdoor projector. Amazon has the Nebula Capsule 3, an outdoor projector officially licensed by Netflix, on sale for a solid 26% off. The projector is normally priced at $530, but after the reduction, you only have to pay $390. That works out to a savings of $140. That's not all though. Click the 'Redeem' button on the product page to receive an additional 15% off. This projector is designed for portability and outdoor use. It runs off a battery that will last you for two and a half hours of watch time. That should be enough to cover the length of most movies. Though if you're watching some long epic like Lawrence of Arabia, you can always plug it into a portable power bank to score some extra hours of use. A power bank is not included, you'll have to find one separately. See at Amazon You can also use the projector as a Bluetooth speaker. When doing so, you can enjoy 8W Dolby Audio and get a whole 8 to 10 hours of listening time on a single charge. Back to movie watching, you can stretch the projection to a massive image of 120 inches across. You'll capture the feeling of the cinema right in your own backyard with a screen that big. It projects with 200 lumens of brightness in gorgeous 1080p. Set up could not be simpler. The Nebula Capsule 3 projector uses a intelligent environment adaptive technology that can automatically adjust screen fit, keystone correction, autofocus, and obstacle avoidance in just a matter of a few seconds. Out of the box, the Nebula Capsule 3 outdoor projector supports a ton of your favorite apps. Netflix comes pre-installed and you can also watch content through Google TV, YouTube, and more. The stand is adjustable up to 180 degrees so you can position the projector at the best angle that fits your particular viewing area. The projector is nearly pocket-sized, making it easy to take with you to a friend's house or a weekend getaway and make your favorite movie or show part of the trip. For a limited time, you can pick up the Nebula Capsule 3 outdoor projector for a reduced price of just $390. Normally, you' find this projector selling for $530, so you'll save a whole $140. But again, that's not all. Click the 'Redeem' button on the product page to receive an additional 15% off. See at Amazon