ESPN aired the wrong player image during a tribute to Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Rondale Moore.
The segment was shown during a late-night edition of SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt, following reports that Moore had died at the age of 25.
Police said the death appeared to be the result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The mistake was quickly spotted during the live broadcast.
Wrong Vikings player shown during SportsCenter tribute
As Van Pelt spoke about Moore’s passing, the on-screen graphic showed a photo of fellow Vikings wide receiver Myles Price instead of Moore.
The segment aired around 1:07 a.m. ET before the show went to a commercial break. The network corrected the mistake before the overnight rerun continued.
When the programme re-aired immediately after the live broadcast, ESPN had already replaced the segment with a re-recorded version featuring the correct image.
The tribute came during a busy night in sports, with major college basketball games and Olympic events taking place. The error happened during a particularly sensitive moment in the show.
ESPN issues apology
On Sunday, ESPN anchor David Lloyd addressed the mistake during a late-night SportsCenter, issuing an on-air apology. The network acknowledged the error after having already fixed it in the later broadcast.
Van Pelt’s original segment was intended to inform viewers of Moore’s death while highlighting his career and impact. However, the wrong image quickly drew attention on social media after the broadcast.
ESPN made sure the correct image was used in all later airings of the tribute. The incident highlighted the challenges of live television, especially during breaking news coverage.
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