Fans left split as ESPN hires TikTok star with 14 MILLION followers for bold new role in football coverage
Katie Feeney, a social media influencer with a combined 14m followers across her TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube channels, has signed a deal with 'The Worldwide Leader in Sports' to focus on football-related content.
Feeney, who just graduated from Penn State this past spring, will also have a starring role in the company's 'SportsCenter on Snapchat ' social media channel.
The move, made public by ESPN's Adam Schefter, drew significant criticism from core NFL fans - as this comes in the wake of the company letting go of major talent and journalists in 2025.
'This is why alternative networks, podcasts, and sports media brands are thriving. They are real and authentic. No football fan cares about "lifestyle" content,' one user commented under the announcement.
Another post read, 'Talent means nothing in 2025 there are actors who can't get jobs because they don't have over 100k following on social media. ESPN firing talent left and right but NVM'.
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A post shared by Katie Feeney (@katiefeeneyy)
One user said, 'When my 10 year old daughter knows more about ESPN personalities than me means it's probably time to sign off with the former worldwide leader in sports...'
'ESPN doesn't give a single f**k about what the people actually want lmaoo,' one person posted.
Another wrote, 'There should be a masterclass course to teach how NOT to run a sports media conglomerate.'
Others pointed to this hire as just being a sign of the times in a world where social media success has begun to dwarf traditional media.
'It's a new era folks,' read one comment.
One said, 'The reminders and notices I'm old, just keep coming in lol. Just where the world is headed…social media success gets you in regular media. My kid was working as an IG recruiter for an ad company, and it took me a while to even understand what that meant.'
'Smart move, seeing more and more companies establish full on internal content creator teams. Starbucks doing this too,' read another comment.
On her Instagram account, Feeney announced the news from the Get Up! studio in New York and received congratulations from sports media stars like Jenny Taft, Kay Adams, and Haley Cavinder among others.
Feeney, a Maryland native and the daughter of a state's attorney, began posting to TikTok back when it was known as Musical.ly in 2015.
Since then, the 22-year-old has gained fame for her posts to that platform as well as Snapchat and YouTube shorts.
Most of her posts consist of sports, travel, and lifestyle content. She's previously worked as a social media correspondent for the Washington Commanders and at the White House with AKSM Media.
Feeney graduated from Penn State in May with a degree in Broadcast Journalism.
Part of the backlash Feeney received isn't directed at her hire per se, but the cut back of traditional journalists and shows at the company.
Earlier this year, ESPN decided to stop producing 'Around the Horn' after over two decades on the air.
ESPN has also parted ways with NBA analyst Jonathan Givony, longtime reporter Michele Steele, and SportsCenter anchor Stan Verrett (who leaves at the end of the summer).
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