ESPN Debuting New-Look, Bigger Ticker At Bottom Of Screen Starting Aug. 20

It’s been a busy few weeks for ESPN with multiple programming changes, but the worldwide leader also will be getting a bit of a facelift.

ESPN on Thursday introduced its new-look BottomLine ticker that will debut Monday, Aug. 20. The new widget will remain at the bottom of the screen and will be slightly bigger than ESPN’s current look.

In a story on its public relations site, ESPN Front Row, the network said the inspiration for the bigger look comes from “mobile messaging apps.”

The new ticker also seems to have a greater emphasis on readable text, with not only more area but also an elimination of team logos.

Here are a few more looks at the new ticker, via ESPN:

As you can see, there’s plenty of “dead” space on the right of the screen, as the scores and news themselves don’t extend across the entire screen. That’s not entirely unlike what ESPN currently has on the screen, but that space certainly will be much bigger with the new ticker. It appears ESPN mostly will use that real estate to promote its upcoming programming or provide programming updates.

It will be especially interesting to see how this plays up on mobile. On one hand, a bigger ticker will be easier to read, so that’s good. But if you’re trying to watch a game on your phone or tablet, you’re already working with limited space, which could negatively affect the user experience by breaking into valuable space designated for, you know, watching the actual game.