"ABC's Wide World of Sports" Named 2023 NAB Hall of Fame Inductee

Long-running sports anthology series "ABC's Wide World of Sports" will be inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Broadcasting Hall of Fame at the 2023 NAB Show as this year's television inductee. The show, which aired on ABC from 1961-1998, will be honored at NAB Show during the NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame Ceremony on the Main Stage, held April 17 in Las Vegas, Nev.

Legendary journalist Jim McKay served as the longtime host of the iconic sports series, which brought athletics from across the globe into living rooms of Americans on Saturday afternoons for 37 years. Fulfilling the promise of the show's opening sequence of "Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport," McKay and the show's co-hosts introduced sports that were not traditionally broadcast on television in the United States, such as rodeo, badminton and barrel jumping.

Jim McKay

Kevin Negandhi will accept the award on behalf of ABC. Negandhi co-anchors "SportsCenter," ESPN's flagship news and information program, and is part of the ESPN on ABC College Football studio team.

"'ABC's Wide World of Sports' transformed sports broadcasting by opening our eyes to unique sporting events across the globe and offering a one-of-a-kind perspective," said NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt. "The combination of renowned journalists, award-winning athletes and off-beat sports propelled the show into a category of its own. Congratulations to 'ABC's Wide World of Sports' on the 'thrill of victory' marking its induction into the NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame."

The NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame recognizes radio and television personalities or programs that have earned a place in broadcasting history. Past television show inductees include "America's Funniest Home Videos," "FOX NFL Sunday," "Meet the Press," "The Price is Right" and "Saturday Night Live." Explore the complete list of past inductees here.