CROWDSTRIKE’s computer outage has wreaked havoc on sports debate show First Take.
Replacement presenter Christine Williamson admitted the cast had “no encouragement” to work as ESPN fell out of favor in the global technology crisis.
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Computer systems running Windows around the world have been taken offline due to an unauthorized security patch.
This includes many of ESPN’s internal technologies, resulting in chaos across the entire Friday morning schedule.
Earlier in the day, SportsCenter had to be removed from the lineup and was replaced by ESPN Radio’s Unsportsmanlike.
Although First Take’s sister show Get Up also suffered issues, with no banners, graphics or videos featured on the broadcast.
First Take aired at 10am ET and was plagued by similar issues.
Williamson immediately addressed the elephant in the room at the start of the show, even using a whiteboard to write topic headlines.
“We have scripts, but we don’t have a prompter,” she admitted, without any of ESPN’s usual tickers running at the bottom of the screen.
“I can intervene whenever I want! I might change the subject,” laughed substitute analyst Ryan Clark.
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“First Take also doesn’t have internet, that’s crazy. Haha @FirstTake and when will the team be back??” wrote a fan on X.
“It’s a shame this interruption didn’t happen during the ESPYs,” joked another.
“I like this new easy format, man,” said a third.
In addition to the technical issues, First Take has undergone a series of temporary personnel changes in recent weeks.
Host Molly Qerim and lead analyst Stephen A. Smith are currently on vacation.
Fans begged for their return on Thursday, claiming the show was “falling apart” without them.
Smith took a few weeks off to rest and rest after the NBA Finals.
First look at the numbers
First Take has grown from strength to strength under the guidance of Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim over the past year.
ESPN’s weekday debate show averaged 496,000 viewers in 2023 — making it the most-watched year in the show’s history.
Its December average of 611,000 represented a 24% annual increase compared to 2022.
The show has also recorded more than 250 million views on YouTube.
First Take was helped by the addition of Shannon Sharpe alongside Smith and Qerim after he left Fox Sports’ Undisputed.
He announced on Thursday that he will return to the First Take studio next Monday.
“I see my friend Harry Douglas – sitting in my chair at @FirstTake,” said Stephen A. wrote on X.
“You know the responsibility that comes with it. @BartScott57! I miss you, bro. See you soon.
“Christine? Keep doing your thing. And as for you K-Mart, let me tell you how proud I am that your nails are finally matching your outfit.”
“See you next week – in the studio. Buckle up, everyone! Just for a week, though,” he added.
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