The Big Lead

Rich Eisen's shocking ESPN ratings test the limits of 'SportsCenter' nostalgia

Monday's 11 p.m. ET episode out-rated the last one hosted by the venerable NFL Network host 22 years ago.

By J.P. Hoornstra

Rich Eisen speaks at the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinees’ gold jacket dinner at Canton Memorial Civic Center on Aug 2, 2024.
Rich Eisen speaks at the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinees’ gold jacket dinner at Canton Memorial Civic Center on Aug 2, 2024. / Scott Galvin-Imagn Images
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Rich Eisen returned to anchor SportsCenter on Monday, with more fanfare (and a bit less hair) than his last turn hosting ESPN's signature highlights show 22 years ago.

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The ratings, revealed Wednesday, suggest the nostalgia for classic SportsCenter runs deep. Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports relayed the numbers: it was the most-watched 11 p.m. SportsCenter since mid-June. At 708,000 viewers — 67 percent above average for the time slot — the episode garnered more eyeballs than the last SportsCenter episode he hosted in 2002.

Eisen's return to the anchor desk in Los Angeles was billed as a one-off, an appetizer before the Sept. 2 debut ofThe Rich Eisen Show on Disney and ESPN platforms,which was announced in May.

Per McCarthy, Eisen will now make "periodic" appearances anchoring the SportsCenter desk, in addition to launching his eponymous show.

Eisen left ESPN in 2003 to became the face of the fledgling NFL Network. When ESPN acquired the NFL Network from the league earlier this month, Eisen returned to the ESPN/Disney fold as well.

ESPN leaned heavily into the nostalgia around Eisen's return. The sound and graphics used during Eisen's introductory voiceover were straight out of 2003. Eisen also took a moment to pay tribute to his former co-host, Stuart Scott, who died in 2015.

ESPN employed Eisen from 1996-2003, the heyday of SportsCenter, long before highlight shows became the secondary means for sports fans to keep current with their favorite leagues, teams, and athletes.

As it turns out, the nostalgia for a time before smartphone apps and social media runs deep.

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