Overview
- ESPN has moved production into the NFL Network studios adjacent to SoFi Stadium to serve as one of several on-site hubs for its 2026 FIFA World Cup coverage.
- Reporting in mid-June shows the Los Angeles studio joins production centers in New York City, Mexico City, Fort Lauderdale, Kansas City, and Guadalajara for the tournament.
- The studio reuse follows ESPN’s April 1, 2026, acquisition of NFL Media and the NFL Network, which gave ESPN control of the Inglewood facility and its programming assets.
- The decision reverses part of ESPN’s earlier downsizing of its Southern California footprint by returning active production to the Los Angeles area for major live events.
- Industry coverage says this World Cup deployment may serve as a practical dry run and increase the likelihood the Inglewood studios play a prominent role in ESPN’s Super Bowl LXI broadcasts next February.