On Wednesday, Dec. 6, The Undefeated, ESPN’s multiplatform initiative focusing on the intersections of sports, race and culture, will launch The Plug (#theplugESPN) – a weekly podcast featuring authentic conversations on the hottest topics in sports, race and culture. The pod will also feature interviews with newsmakers in the pop-culture genre.
Weekly, #theplugESPN will tackle topical issues of interest to a younger audience. Audio versions of the podcast will post on Wednesdays. The 60-minute (approximate) conversation will live on www.TheUndefeated.com, the ESPN App and Apple podcasts.
A trio of emerging ESPN voices will host #theplugESPN: Chiney Ogwumike, Bristol, Conn.-based SportsCenter Africa host, who parlayed her experiences as a three-time All-American athlete at Stanford University and a WNBA All-Star into a burgeoning career and voice in sports media in the United States and English-speaking African countries. Justin Tinsley, The Undefeated’s critically acclaimed culture and sports writer, whose work includes a review of Jay Z’s 4:44 album, a look at Suge Knight’s brief football career, and more. Kayla Johnson, an ESPN social media producer and a contributor to The Undefeated, who is garnering public acclaim as an expert in topics at the confluence of sports and pop-culture.
#theplugESPN is produced by Tesfaye Negussie, a Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism graduate whose work has appeared on PBS NOW, The Grio, Voice of America, The Washington Post Magazine, NPR, and more. Negussie is associate producer of SportsCenter Africa.
About Ogwumike:
- ESPN Anchor, SportsCenter Africa and basketball analyst
- 1 pick in the 2014 WNBA Draft by the Connecticut Sun
- Current vice president of the WNBA Players Association
- Three-time NCAA Women’s Basketball All-American, and Stanford University graduate (2014)
- Joined ESPN in April 2017.
About Johnson:
- Contributing writer for The Undefeated
- Social media producer for First Take – ESPN’s popular weekday morning debate program featuring commentators Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman with host Molly Qerim
- Extensive experience on ESPN TV production teams for marquee events – Super Bowl, Monday Night Football, Conor McGregor-Floyd Mayweather fight, NBA All-Star, NBA Finals, College Football Playoffs, and more
- Joined ESPN in 2013.
About Tinsley:
- Joined ESPN in December 2014 as a culture writer for The Undefeated
- Tinsley’s work has been featured in The Smoking Section, Rolling Stone, theScore, EBONY, The Sports Fan Journal and more
- Hampton University (2008) and Georgetown University (2010, M.A.) journalism graduate.
The Undefeated is ESPN’s multiplatform content initiative exploring the intersections of sports, race and culture. The digital hub, TheUndefeated.com, combines innovative long-form and short-form storytelling, investigation, original reporting and provocative commentary to enlighten and entertain African Americans, as well as sports fans seeking a deeper understanding of black athletes, culture and related issues.
In addition to its cutting-edge content, The Undefeated seeks to be a thought-leader on race, sports and culture in the country – convening insightful forums to discuss and debate topical issues affecting sports and race in America.
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