ESPN is reinforcing their long-form reporting and storytelling strategy by signing Ryan Smith of ABC News for ESPN’s award-winning programs Outside the Lines and E:60. In addition to contributing as a host to both shows, Smith will report feature stories and investigative pieces while providing legal analysis across multiple ESPN platforms and ABC News. Smith, an attorney and New York-based correspondent, has contributed to ESPN as a legal analyst and fill-in host for Bob Ley on Outside the Lines since he joined ABC in 2013.
“Ryan’s intellect and integrity are matched only by his versatility,” said Rob King, Senior Vice President of SportsCenter and News. “He’s a terrific host and a talented storyteller, and I could not be more excited that he’s joining our team.”
“When the opportunity came to work with both Outside the Lines and E:60, I jumped at it,” said Smith. “I’m thrilled to be a part of two of the most distinguished investigative brands in sports. I’ve been watching Outside the Lines since I was a kid…its unique brand of storytelling and tireless search for the truth riveted me then, and I’m proud to be a part of those efforts now.”
Before joining ABC News, Smith served as the nightly news anchor at CNN’s Headline News where he reported on a variety of stories including the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School and some of the most high-profile trials including those of Casey Anthony and George Zimmerman.
A graduate of Syracuse University and Columbia Law, Smith served as a lawyer for the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars and practiced Sports and Entertainment Law in New York City.