Outside the Lines

Outside the Lines (1990-2017)

EndedTalk Show showSports

Outside the Lines also referred to as OTL, is an American television program on ESPN that looks "outside the lines" and examines critical issues in mostly American sports on and off the field of play. The primary host of the show, since it began, is long-time sportscasting veteran Bob Ley along with contributors and fill-in hosts to the show which include Jeremy Schaap, Mark Schwarz, T.J. Quinn, and Kelly Naqi. The program airs for 30 minutes Monday through Friday at 1:00 PM ET on ESPN and on Sunday at 9:00 AM ET on ESPN. The show premiered in 1990 as a monthly one-hour program with Bob Ley as host. After a noticeable increase in television ratings, ESPN decided to expand the program for thirty minutes to their Sunday morning lineup at 9:30 am ET, where the show covered one or two of the more notable sporting news stories of the week.

After the ratings continued to grow, on May 12, 2003, ESPN premiered Outside the Lines Nightly. The Sunday morning program was still seen at 9:30 am ET, along with the nightly show that was seen during The Trifecta at midnight and noon on ESPN. On June 12, 2006, ESPN announced that Outside the Lines Nightly (now Outside the Lines First Report) would be moved to 3:30 pm ET as part of the afternoon lineup on ESPN, and eventually moved to 3:00 pm ET. Following the addition of NFL Insiders to ESPN's schedule on August 5, 2013, the weekday OTL program (which by this point carried the same name as the Sunday series) began to be moved to air in the late afternoons on ESPN2 during the football season; it returns to the 3 p.m. ET slot on ESPN after the Super Bowl and airs there until the start of training camp in August, with occasional moves to ESPNEWS depending on sporting events scheduled for ESPN2. On September 8, 2014, it began to be preceded on ESPN2 by Olbermann, with Keith Olbermann and Ley having a cross-talk segment with each other leading out of Olbermann and into OTL; OTL moved back to its regular 3 p.m. ESPN berth at the start of February 2015.

The program, both in the weekday and Sunday form, usually runs commercial-free from the top of the hour to 22 minutes past the hour, with the program's commercial load taking up most of the last eight minutes and ending with a note of video and audio on-demand options and promotions for primetime programming, along with Twitter and Facebook responses to that day's listed discussion hashtag.

Networks
ScheduleMonday to Friday (daily) at 18:30 (30 min)

Last Episode

Episode 36
Season 29Episode 3630 min

Episode 36

Examining daily issues with an investigative piece followed by a debate, hosted by Bob Ley.

Jun 23, 2017

Recent Episodes

EpisodeNameAirdate
S29E36Episode 36Jun 23, 2017
S29E35Episode 35Jun 7, 2017
S29E34Episode 34Jun 5, 2017
S29E33Episode 33May 31, 2017
S29E32Episode 32May 30, 2017
View all episodesView all seasons

Frequently Asked Questions  Warning: Spoilers

When did 'Outside the Lines' premiere?

'Outside the Lines' premiered on May 7, 1990.

Who created the show 'Outside the Lines'?

The show 'Outside the Lines' was created by Bob Vito.

What was the focus of the show 'Outside the Lines'?

The focus of 'Outside the Lines' was on in-depth investigative reporting on a variety of sports-related topics.

Who was the host of 'Outside the Lines'?

The show 'Outside the Lines' did not have a regular host, although Bob Ley frequently served as the anchor.

How often was 'Outside the Lines' broadcasted?

'Outside the Lines' was a weekly show that aired new episodes on Sundays.

Was 'Outside the Lines' a live or pre-recorded show?

'Outside the Lines' was a pre-recorded show.

How long was each episode of 'Outside the Lines'?

Each episode of 'Outside the Lines' was roughly 30 minutes long.

What types of sports topics did 'Outside the Lines' cover?

'Outside the Lines' covered a wide range of sports topics, including player controversies, drug use, race relations, and labor issues.

Did 'Outside the Lines' ever win any awards?

Yes, 'Outside the Lines' won numerous awards over the years, including multiple Sports Emmy Awards.

How did 'Outside the Lines' differ from other sports news programs?

'Outside the Lines' distinguished itself from other sports news programs by focusing on in-depth, critical reporting and analysis of controversial topics.

Was 'Outside the Lines' only broadcast in the United States?

Yes, 'Outside the Lines' was only broadcast within the United States.

Did 'Outside the Lines' have any recurring segments or features?

Yes, 'Outside the Lines' had a recurring segment called "Odds and Ends," which included lighthearted or humorous stories related to sports.

Cast

Bob Ley

Bob Ley

plays himself
View all cast

Characters

Host

Host

played by Bob Ley
View all characters

Also known as

  • OTL
  • ESPN Outside the Lines
  • Outside the Lines Primetime
  • Outside the Lines Sunday
  • Outside the Lines Nightly
  • Outside the Lines First Report

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