Review: ESPN’s “SC+” Brings a Bite-Sized Sports Roundup to Disney+

This edition even caters to a Disney crowd with some clever synergistic touches.

It’s Monday, March 3rd and Disney+ is putting sports front and center. The platform’s homepage currently features SC+ — a brand-new ESPN show hosted weekdays by Gary Striewski and Randy Scott and with Jay Harris and Hannah Storm taking over on the weekends. This exclusive series leverages Disney’s digital bundling strategy, widening the path for sports entertainment consumption while seamlessly integrating ESPN content into the Disney+ ecosystem.

It didn’t take long for Disney to capitalize on these cross-promotional opportunities. In today’s debut episode, none other than Daredevil himself (actor Charlie Cox) introduced a Top Daring Plays segment, accompanied by an exciting preview of Daredevil: Born Again, which arrives on the platform tomorrow.

For decades, SportsCenter has thrived on the camaraderie of its hosts, and SC+ carries on that tradition. Striewski and Scott bring lively commentary to the sports clips, mixing humor and pop culture references into their studio banter. As the coffee kicked in, we caught a nod to Friends in the debut episode—and given their knowledge of Disney, we’re sure plenty of references from that universe will follow.

In a recent interview on ESPN’s 06010 Communication podcast, they shared their favorite Disney films and attractions. Striewski, a devoted Mulan fan, even belted out a few bars of “I’ll Make a Man Out of You," while Scott’s social media is sprinkled with snapshots from Walt Disney World vacations. His top picks? Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and TRON Lightcycle / Run. Meanwhile, Striewski’s favorite is the classic Tower of Terror. I can’t help but wonder if they were as excited to get a Disney ID badge as hockey analyst P.K. Subban who shared his during a broadcast—one of my recent favorite ESPN moments.

Streaming commercial-free live daily at 9 a.m. ET exclusively on Disney+, SC+ is a bite-sized, 15-minute, high-energy take on the legendary Sportscenter. Anchored around the Sportscenter Top 10, the show blends highlights and buzzworthy sports moments with pop culture references, making it accessible even to non-sports fans.

I’m still adjusting to seeing Hulu + ESPN on my Disney+ home screen, but integrating a version of ESPN’s signature show aligns with their strategy of meeting fans where they are. If today’s premiere is any indication, SC+ is poised to become a great way to start the day for both sports lovers and Disney enthusiasts alike.