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In an effort to maintain its family-friendly image, ESPN has decided to air the Pat McAfee Show on tape delay, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.
The show, hosted by the former NFL punter Pat McAfee, is set to make its ESPN debut this Thursday at noon ET.
The arrangement will see the first two hours of McAfee’s show broadcast simultaneously on ESPN, ESPN+, and ESPN’s YouTube channel. However, the third hour of the show will be exclusively available on ESPN+ and ESPN’s YouTube channel.
While announcing his partnership with ESPN, McAfee acknowledged the need to reduce the use of explicit language on the network but expressed his desire to maintain his authentic communication style.
McAfee stated, “Most of us come from blue-collar towns who speak in a certain way—so I didn’t want to lose all of our swear words,”
Disney, the parent company of ESPN, has a strict policy against profanity, which prompted this decision to implement tape delay for the show.
Pat McAfee, known for his candid and unfiltered style, has found success in the sports entertainment industry on platforms that allow for more explicit content.
For viewers seeking the uncensored version of McAfee’s show, it will continue to be available on YouTube.
The McAfee Show is poised to begin its first ESPN broadcast this Thursday at noon.