SportsCentury is an ESPN biography television program that reviews the people and events that defined sports in North America throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.

The episodes for the top two athletes, Michael Jordan and Babe Ruth, appeared on a special combined edition broadcast on Christmas Day on ABC.

Special subsets of episodes were created revolving around a particular event, including athletes associated with the particular sport.

ESPN writer Bud Morgan conceded that the Secretariat pick "was kind of controversial because a lot of people took the attitude 'What is a four-legged animal doing on this list?'"

ESPN anchor Charley Steiner said "I think picking [Jordan] number one was a generational decision, not a historical one.

"[4] In 2005, Don King and his promotional company, Don King Productions, Inc. filed a $2.5 billion defamation suit against the Walt Disney Company, the current owners of ESPN and ABC Cable Networks Group, and Advocate Communications, after a documentary alleged that King had "killed, not once, but twice", threatened to break Larry Holmes' legs, had a hospital invest into a film that was never made, cheated Meldrick Taylor out of $1 million, and then threatened to have Taylor killed.

"Greatest Games" was a top ten countdown of the best games/matches voted on from a wide variety of team and individual sports.

"Greatest Coaches" was a top ten countdown of the best coaches voted on from a wide variety of team sports Another top ten countdown special, focusing on influential figures in sports during the twentieth century, namely off-the-field contributors.