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ESPN To Add TikTok-Style Video Feed In App Overhaul

Published on August 21, 2025

ESPN will launch a TikTok-style vertical video feed within its app on Thursday, August 21, bringing the scrollable short-form video format that has dominated social media directly to its own platform, according to a Sportico report. The new feature will include a mix of highlights, reactions, and user-generated content alongside a personalized vertical version of SportsCenter.

“We want this to be a fresh feed that you can get lost in whenever you open the app,” Kaitee Daley, ESPN’s SVP of Digital, Social and Streaming Content, said in a statement. “Vertical, scrollable video is how so many fans get their information today.”

The move comes as ESPN continues reinforcing its social media presence, building the largest TikTok account among U.S. companies with more than 50 million followers. ESPN’s digital video creative team contributes to over 400 social posts daily, with AI models generating action content in real time. The company reports reaching 69% of U.S. adults across digital and social platforms in June, generating 555 million fan interactions.

Creator Strategy Expansion

The app overhaul aligns with ESPN’s broader creator strategy. The network recently hired Katie Feeney, a sports and lifestyle content creator with over 14 million social media followers, to lead a refreshed approach to SportsCenter on Snapchat and deliver vertical short-form video content for the enhanced ESPN App experience.

ESPN has also tapped five additional creators with a combined Instagram following of 1.9 million in its latest Creator Network class. According to the company, engagement rates for creator content are up to 13 times higher than typical social platform benchmarks.

The new in-app feed utilizes a recommendation algorithm initially built from users’ favorited players and leagues, developed with help from Adam Smith, Disney Entertainment, and ESPN’s chief product and technology officer, who joined in 2024 after more than 20 years at YouTube and Google.

At launch, the personalized SportsCenter feature, currently named “SC For You,” will be exclusive to ESPN Unlimited and cable subscribers. The company is already exploring AI voice models for more personalized videos and potentially allowing fans to upload their own highlights in the future.