INGLEWOOD, Calif. — ESPN has officially taken over the former NFL Network studios adjacent to SoFi Stadium, marking one of the most visible signs yet of the network’s expanded partnership with the National Football League and setting the stage for a major presence during both the FIFA World Cup 2026 and Super Bowl LXI.
The studios, long recognized as the home of NFL Network programming, are now serving as a central hub for ESPN’s World Cup coverage. ESPN has begun producing live English- and Spanish-language studio shows from the Los Angeles facility as part of its extensive month-long coverage surrounding the tournament.
The transition follows the completion of ESPN’s acquisition of NFL Network and several other league-owned digital media assets earlier this year after receiving regulatory approval. The deal significantly expanded ESPN’s footprint across football media and provided the company access to one of the most recognizable sports television production facilities in the country.
Located just outside SoFi Stadium, the studios occupy a prime position during a summer in which Los Angeles is serving as one of the focal points of the World Cup. SoFi Stadium is hosting eight matches during the tournament, including some of its most anticipated fixtures.
According to ESPN, the Los Angeles studios are among several major production hubs being utilized throughout the World Cup, joining facilities in Bristol, Connecticut; New York City; Mexico City; Fort Lauderdale; Kansas City; and Guadalajara. The network’s coverage features daily editions of ESPN FC, SportsCenter, Fútbol Americas and a wide range of ESPN Deportes programming originating from locations across North America.
The Los Angeles operation includes a deep roster of analysts and former World Cup players, with ESPN deploying 17 former World Cup participants across its English- and Spanish-language coverage. Among the headline names are former World Cup champions Mario Kempes, Jürgen Klinsmann and Frank Leboeuf, along with former U.S. international Ali Krieger and numerous other former national team stars.
While the World Cup has provided ESPN with its first major opportunity to showcase the facility, the network’s long-term plans for the studio extend far beyond soccer.
The venue is expected to play a prominent role in ESPN’s coverage of Super Bowl LXI, which will be held at SoFi Stadium on Feb. 14, 2027. The game will mark a landmark moment for the network as it becomes the first Super Bowl ever televised by ESPN, with the broadcast also airing on ABC.
For ESPN, the timing could hardly be better. The network now controls a state-of-the-art production facility positioned directly next to the site of both one of the world’s biggest sporting events and the NFL’s championship game less than eight months later.
The result is a unique convergence of global soccer and American football in Inglewood, where the former NFL Network headquarters has quickly become one of ESPN’s most important production centers.
With the World Cup underway and preparations already beginning for Super Bowl LXI, the studios outside SoFi Stadium are poised to remain at the center of ESPN’s sports coverage for months to come.