Scorebug mafia, rise up.<\/p>\n
ESPN has soft launched a new scorebug and graphics package during this evening\u2019s preseason game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Houston Texans that will largely resemble what NFL fans will see during February\u2019s Super Bowl, the first to ever air on ESPN.<\/p>\n
\nA look at the new ESPN NFL scorebug. Thoughts? pic.twitter.com\/q9W7k5UWrz<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\nSome more looks \ud83d\udc40 pic.twitter.com\/C9p97YU7mW<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\u201cAs part of our ongoing commitment to elevate our fan experience, we are excited to soft launch a brand new graphics and animation package that will culminate with our first-ever Super Bowl,\u201d an ESPN spokesperson told Awful Announcing regarding the new bug.<\/p>\n
The restyling is largely in line with ESPN\u2019s rebrand<\/a> ahead of the launch of its direct-to-consumer product a year ago. There is emphasis on the network\u2019s black and red color scheme. The bug\u2019s font features the seven-degree angle by which the \u201cE\u201d in the ESPN logo is oriented. And the curvature of the \u201cN\u201d is featured in the top-right portion of the bug.<\/p>\n
Overall, the new scorebug is inoffensive. ESPN goes with using the team logos over any abbreviations. Down and distance are centered with the game clock and play clock. Timeouts are displayed prominently under each team\u2019s score. There\u2019s nothing revolutionary going on, but there was no need to reinvent the wheel in the first place.<\/p>\n
The network is describing Thursday\u2019s effort as a \u201csoft launch\u201d because it plans to consider slight redesigns and tweaks throughout the season to refine the new look ahead of the Super Bowl. Both internal and external feedback will be considered for any refinements.<\/p>\n
ESPN\u2019s decision to launch its updated graphics look early in its Super Bowl year follows NBC\u2019s decision to do the same last season. Traditionally, networks have debuted new graphics packages during the Super Bowl itself, though it seems that some are wising up after Fox\u2019s scorebug debut for Super Bowl LIX was widely panned<\/a>. (Fox would alter its NFL scorebug<\/a> for Week 1 of the following season.)<\/p>\n
That strategy makes sense. Rather than taking a risk on new graphics for the biggest game of the year, networks are now giving themselves an entire season to test the new package and make any changes that could improve the look and feel of the Super Bowl broadcast.<\/p>\n
For ESPN, Thursday\u2019s game will resemble what viewers will ultimately see in February, but it won\u2019t be the final product. Expect the network to add some oomph to the package for the Big Game, particularly when it comes to player animations.<\/p>\n
On the spectrum of NFL scorebugs, ESPN\u2019s falls somewhere in the middle between Fox, which uses a lot of on-screen real estate with big, bold fonts and logos, and CBS, which uses a more minimalist look and utilizes less on-screen real estate.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ll see how fans react to the new look and if ESPN will make any changes before its first regular-season game on Sept. 14.<\/p>\n
\t