ESPN is finalizing a two-year agreement with influencer Lily Shimbashi to serve as a full-time creator for the network’s major sporting events, per Front Office Sports (FOS).

Shimbashi, founder of “Sportsish,” will begin her role as ESPN’s lead red carpet content creator during the NFL Honors awards show in San Francisco. The deal represents ESPN’s continued expansion of its creator strategy targeting younger and female audiences.

Shimbashi joined ESPN’s Creator Network in August 2025. The network envisions her in a role similar to Katie Feeney, who ESPN signed that same month to create content across digital channels and appear on football programming.

“Lily understands that fandom doesn’t look the same for everyone and she has created a space that welcomes people into sports rather than asking them to prove they belong,” Kaitee Daley, ESPN’s SVP of Digital, Social and Streaming Content, told FOS. “Her ability to create culture-forward sports content for a female audience makes her a powerful addition to ESPN.”

Content Strategy

Shimbashi will produce custom content across espnW and other social media platforms. Sportsish operates under the tagline “Not Your Boyfriend’s Sports News,” targeting female sports fans.

Following Super Bowl week, Shimbashi will create content for ESPN’s tentpole events, including the NBA Finals, Stanley Cup Final, and The ESPY Awards. ESPN is also preparing for its first Super Bowl telecast on February 14, 2027, from SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

“If I get a chance to talk with [Rams QB] Matthew Stafford, a potential MVP pick, I’m going to ask him why he thinks his wife, Kelly, is the MVP of their home,” Shimbashi told FOS. “I want to know about people’s stories, how they got to where they are today. Because I believe that is what creates a fan.”

Performance Metrics

ESPN’s Creator Network, launched in its third iteration recently, added five social media personalities with a combined audience exceeding 6 million followers. The program generated 9.7 million impressions and reached over 3.5 million fans in 2024, according to ESPN.

Engagement rates for creator content reach up to 13 times higher than typical social platform benchmarks, ESPN reported. The network says its 2024 creator class generated over 400 million cross-platform views.

Shimbashi is the daughter of former New York Knicks president Dave Checketts and built “Sportsish” over five years.

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