Producing SportsCenter from F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix Brings Different Procedures for Anchor

Nicole Briscoe interviews Formula 1 driver Carlos Sainz (L) for SportsCenter and other platforms. (Andy Hall/ESPN)

Nicole Briscoe interviews Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen (L) for SportsCenter and other platforms. (Andy Hall/ESPN)

This weekend, Formula 1 makes its final U.S. appearance of the 2024 season for the Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix. Run on a temporary street circuit that includes the famous Las Vegas Strip, the race will be live on ESPN, ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes late Saturday night/early Sunday morning, with pre-race beginning at 11:30 p.m. ET Saturday.

As part of ESPN’s event coverage, two live editions of SportsCenter will originate from the race circuit during the weekend.

Late Friday night/early Saturday morning, Nicole Briscoe and Michael Eaves will anchor SportsCenter at 12:35 a.m., following ESPN’s telecast of the NBA game between the Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets, with that program leading up to ESPN’s live coverage of F1 qualifying at 12:55 a.m. After F1 qualifying, Briscoe and Eaves will return at 2 a.m. for a second live edition of SportsCenter.

In addition, Briscoe, who has reported for ESPN from U.S. F1 races since 2018, will have segments in other editions of SportsCenter and will provide content for ABC’s Good Morning America.

While Briscoe and Eaves work together regularly on the 11 p.m. SportsCenter from ESPN’s studios, doing a live show at an event location is a different experience and mindset.

“I think the show prep is about the same. None of that actually changes,” said Briscoe.

“The biggest difference is the behind-the-scenes communications,” she said. “Instead of working with one set of people, you’re now working with two sets of people because we have a director and producer on-site, but we also have a director and producer back in Bristol.

“So it’s two shows in one night and they both have very different feels because we have the opportunity to follow the NBA game and bring that audience along for what’s happening next,” she said.  

“And the plan is to speak to the [NBA] player of the game, but then we’ve got a couple of confirmed F1 guests in that short window,” she said. “It’s a bunch of live elements trying to bridge the two worlds together. And then the show after, while still very much live from Las Vegas, will have a more traditional SportsCenter feel to it.”

Just as she did with co-anchor Randy Scott at the recent U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Briscoe looks forward to introducing Eaves, who has never been to an F1 race, to a new experience.

“Like so much,” she said. “I imagine me having Eaves there and introducing him to this world would be a little bit like him bringing me to a golf event. Now he’s experiencing something that I’ve known for so long.

“This is ‘welcome to the party, glad you finally made it, you’re a little bit late, but glad you’re finally here.’

“So it’s that opportunity to bring someone else for the ride that’s part is fun.”