On Monday night, ESPN issued an apology after a woman on Bourbon Street flashed her bare right breast during coverage of the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. The incident occurred during the broadcast of the college football semifinals between the Washington Huskies and Texas Longhorns.
The network cut to a shot from Bourbon Street when the woman suddenly looked up and pulled out her breast. The moment was captured on live TV and caught the attention of social media users who were watching the game. Many users on Twitter commented on the incident, with some making jokes about ESPN's handling of the situation.
ESPN's Bill Hofheimer issued a statement to the Associated Press, saying, "We regret that this happened and apologize that the video aired in the telecast." It is unclear at this time if the footage was captured live or if it was prerecorded, as some viewers have speculated.
The footage of the woman flashing her breast caused quite a stir on social media, with many users expressing shock and amusement. One user joked, "My timeline is talking about seeing boobs on ESPN like putting boobs on television hasn't been their business model since they first hired Skip Bayless."
Another person commented, "Nice job on the commercial break getting the boob flash ESPN... Lol." Many users were also curious about the timing of the incident, with some wondering if it happened during a commercial break or if it was live.
While the incident may have been unexpected for viewers, it raises questions about the network's decision to show footage from Bourbon Street, known for its rowdy and unpredictable atmosphere. Some users expressed surprise at the lack of foresight by the network, with one person writing, "Not going to show it, but ESPN just showed a woman flashing her boobs on Bourbon Street during a commercial break for the Sugar Bowl. SMH."
ESPN airs woman’s NSFW flashing on Bourbon Street during Sugar Bowl broadcast https://t.co/3damDYpuZt pic.twitter.com/tJiNy0pTEW
— New York Post (@nypost) January 2, 2024
Others were critical of ESPN's choice to show footage from Bourbon Street in the first place. One user commented, "Fascinated by the choice to have the ESPN camera crew walk Bourbon Street for a live shot and assume there'd be no flashing." It remains to be seen how the network will respond to these criticisms and if they will take precautions in the future to avoid similar incidents.
The incident overshadowed the game itself, which saw the Washington Huskies defeat the Texas Longhorns with a final score of 37-31. The Huskies will now move on to the national championship to play against Michigan on Monday.
This is not the first time ESPN has faced criticism for its coverage of live events. In 2017, the network received backlash for its handling of an announcer's comments during a tennis match, which many viewers deemed sexist and inappropriate.
It's clear that ESPN's decision to show footage from Bourbon Street has backfired, and the network's apology may not be enough to appease viewers. This incident serves as a reminder to media outlets to be more mindful of their coverage and the potential consequences of their choices.