Outstanding Live Sports Special Explained

The Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Live Sports Special has been awarded since 1976. It is awarded to a network for their coverage of one specific sporting event in a calendar year, which means it should not be confused with the award for Outstanding Live Sports Series.

List of winners

• 1975-76: 1975 World Series (NBC) ^[1]
• 1976-77: 1976 Summer Olympics (ABC)
• 1977-78: Heavyweight championship boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Leon Spinks (CBS)
• 1978-79: Super Bowl XIII (NBC)
• 1979-80: 1980 Winter Olympics (ABC)
• 1980-81: 1981 Kentucky Derby (ABC)
• 1981-82: 1982 Men's NCAA Basketball National Championship game between the University of North Carolina and Georgetown University (CBS)
• 1982-83: 1982 World Series (NBC)
• 1983-84: no award was given
• 1984-85: 1984 Summer Olympics (ABC)
• 1985-86: no award was given
• 1986-87: 1987 Daytona 500 (CBS)
• 1987-88: 1987 Kentucky Derby (ABC)
• 1988: 1988 Summer Olympics (NBC)
• 1989: 1989 Indianapolis 500 (ABC)
• 1990: 1990 Indianapolis 500 (ABC)
• 1991: 1991 NBA Finals (NBC)
• 1992: 1992 Breeders Cup (NBC)
• 1993: 1993 World Series (CBS)
• 1994: 1994 Stanley Cup Finals (ESPN)
• 1995: The September 6, 1995 baseball game in which Cal Ripken Jr. played in his 2,131st consecutive game, breaking a record previously held by Lou Gehrig (ESPN)
• 1996: 1996 World Series (FOX)
• 1997: 1997 NBA Finals (NBC)
• 1998: September 8, 1998 Cardinals/Cubs baseball game in which Mark McGwire hit his 62nd home run of the season. (FOX)
• 1999: 1999 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (FOX)
• 2000: 2000 World Series (FOX)
• 2001: 2001 World Series (FOX)
• 2002: 2002 Winter Olympics (NBC)
• 2003: 2003 Major League Baseball postseason (FOX)
• 2004

2004 Masters Tournament (CBS)

• • Major League Baseball: Division Series (ESPN)
  • Super Bowl XXXVIII (CBS)
  • 2004 Wimbledon Championships (NBC)
  • 2004 World Series (FOX)
• 2005

2005 Open Championship (TNT)

• • 2005 Little League World Series (ABC/ESPN)
  • 2005 Masters Tournament (CBS)
  • 2005 Preakness Stakes (NBC)
  • 2005 World Series (FOX)
• 2006

2006 Major League Baseball postseason (FOX)

• • 2006 FIFA World Cup (ABC)
  • Indianapolis Colts - Pittsburgh Steelers Divisional Playoff (CBS)
  • 2006 Masters Tournament (CBS)
  • 2006 Preakness Stakes (NBC)
• 2007

2007 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl (FOX)

• • Dallas Cowboys - Seattle Seahawks Wild Card Playoff (NBC)
  • 2007 Daytona 500 (FOX)
  • 2007 AFC Championship Game (CBS)
  • 2007 Open Championship (ABC/ESPN)
  • Super Bowl XLI (CBS)
• 2008

2008 U.S. Open Golf Championship (NBC)

• • 2008 Daytona 500 (FOX)
  • Super Bowl XLII (FOX)
  • 2008 Wimbledon Championships – Men's Singles final (NBC)
  • X Games XIV (ESPN)
• 2009

Super Bowl XLIII (NBC)

• • 2009 Breeders' Cup (ESPN)
  • 2009 Indianapolis 500 (ABC)
  • 2009 NBA Playoffs (TNT)
  • 2009 Stanley Cup Finals (NBC)
  • 2009 World Series (FOX)
• 2010

2010 FIFA World Cup Final (ABC)

• • 2010 Breeders' Cup (ESPN)
  • 2010 Masters Tournament (CBS)
  • 2010 NBA Finals (ABC)
  • 2010 Ryder Cup (NBC/USA)
  • 2010 Tour de France (Versus)
• 2011

2011 World Series (FOX)

• • 2011 Daytona 500 (FOX)
  • 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Final (ESPN)
  • 2011 Masters Tournament (CBS)
  • 2011 Stanley Cup Finals (NBC/Versus)
• 2012

Super Bowl XLVI (NBC)

• • 2012 Army–Navy Game (CBS)
  • 2012 Indianapolis 500 (ABC)
  • 2012 Masters Tournament (CBS)
  • 2012 World Series (FOX)
• 2013

2013 World Series (FOX)

• • 2013 America's Cup (NBCSN)
  • 2013 Daytona 500 (FOX)
  • 2013 NBA Finals (ABC/ESPN)
  • 2013 Wimbledon Championships (ABC/ESPN)
• 2014

Super Bowl XLIX (NBC)

• • 146th Belmont Stakes (NBC)
  • 2014 FIFA World Cup Final (ABC)
  • 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship (ESPN)
  • 2014 Daytona 500 (FOX)
• 2015

Super Bowl 50 (CBS)

• • 147th Belmont Stakes (NBC)
  • 2015 NBA All-Star Saturday Night (TNT)
  • 2015 World Series (FOX)
  • 2015 Masters Tournament (CBS)
• 2016

2016 World Series (FOX)

• • 2016 NBA Finals (ABC)
  • 2016 Summer Olympics (NBC)
  • 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship (ESPN)
  • Super Bowl LI (FOX)
• 2017

118th Army-Navy Game (CBS)

• • 2017 Masters Tournament (CBS)
  • 2017 Open Championship (NBC/Golf Channel)
  • 2017 World Series (FOX)
  • 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship (ESPN)
• 2018: 2018 World Series (FOX)
  • 150th Belmont Stakes (NBC)
  • 2018 Tour Championship (NBC/Golf Channel)
  • 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship (ESPN)
  • Super Bowl LIII (CBS)
• 2019: 2019 Masters (CBS)
  • 2019 Stanley Cup finals (NBC)
  • 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup final (Fox)
  • 61st Daytona 500 (Fox)
  • 115th World Series (Fox)
• 2020: 2020 NBA All-Star Game (TNT/TBS)
  • The Match: Champions for Charity (TNT/TBS/HLN/TruTV)
  • 146th Kentucky Derby (NBC)
  • Super Bowl LV (CBS)
  • 116th World Series (Fox)
• 2021: 2021 MLB at Field of Dreams (Fox)
  • 122nd Army–Navy Game (CBS)
  • 103rd PGA Championship (CBS)
  • Games of the XXXII Olympiad (NBC/CNBC/Golf Channel/NBCSN/USA/Olympic Channel)
  • Super Bowl LVI (NBC)

Total awards

• NBC - 12
• FOX - 12
• ABC - 8
• CBS - 7
• ESPN - 2
• TNT - 1

Notes and References

1. Web site: 1975 World Series by Baseball Almanac .