Skip to main content

That’s a bold strategy — ESPNU to become ESPN8 ‘The Ocho’ for one day

It took ESPN a little more than 13 years to capitalize on one of its most well-known pop culture references but the sports network finally decided to pay tribute to Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. On Thursday, ESPN announced its college sports channel ESPNU will rebrand itself for one day as ESPN8 “The Ocho,” lifting the joke straight out of the movie as a winking nod to the network’s ever-increasing list of channels.

In the film, ESPN8 televises the climactic dodgeball tournament, and the real-life version plans to follow suit by airing plenty of off-the-beaten-path sports that don’t quite move the needle in terms of viewership numbers. Beginning at midnight (ET) on Tuesday (Aug. 8, of course), The Ocho will air the 2016 American Disc Golf Championship, followed by the 2016 Women’s Flat Track Derby Association Roller Derby Championships. The day continues with other off-kilter sports like trampoline dodgeball, kabaddi (a popular contact sport in Southeast Asia), darts, and arm wrestling. The day ends with the U.S. Open Ultimate Championship at 7 p.m.

Recommended Videos

All the events will have previously aired across ESPN’s other channels, save for the Moxie Games at 5 p.m. If you have never heard of the Moxie Games, you are not alone. ESPN describes the event thusly: “An uncanny, new and amazing event which combines a variety of sports into one, such as dodgeball and juggling, martial arts and volleyball, and table tennis and soccer.” Given that combining that many sports into one sounds chaotic and virtually impossible, it might be reason enough to tune into the broadcast.

ESPN also notes the majority of events will be available on-demand on TV and on any streaming devices capable of streaming ESPN. The events, sadly, will lack the broadcasting expertise of Dodgeball‘s Cotton McKnight and Pepper Brooks.

The one-day rebranding is not ESPN’s first attempt to delve into the world of niche sports — it aired 10 episodes of drone racing in 2016 on ESPN2. And if this one-day gimmick is not enough to help entice more young viewers to tune in amid the network’s worsening numbers, we suppose it could continue to churn out more Snapchat content.

Jacob May
Jacob joined Digital Trends after beginning his career as a sports reporter and copy editor in the newspaper industry and…
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 gets a visual upgrade but stays wonderfully familiar
THPS 3 + 4

The year was 2001, and I was flat on my back in the middle of the street after bailing hard from a failed ollie.

Once I dusted myself off, I decided to try again, but in a safer, more digital aspect. Two decades ago, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 devoured my free time, and now the remake is back and doing the exact same thing. An excellent remake, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 brings two classic titles to a modern audience but adds little to the original experience in a way that leaves the game feeling curiously anachronistic.

Read more
Superman review: DC is back and better than ever!
Superman review: The Man of Steel soars to new heights
Superman readies to fight in Superman.

The new DC Universe made its theatrical debut with the release of James Gunn's Superman. Set three years after he revealed himself to the world as Superman, the film follows Clark Kent (David Corenswet) when he struggles to face threats at home and abroad and come to terms with his Kryptonian heritage, all while Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) tries to turn the public against him with a global conspiracy.

Starting right in the middle of the action, Superman kicks off the DCU with a thrilling blockbuster adventure filled with action, humor, heart, and life. It is easy to forgive the excessive expositional dialogue when the film delivers an exciting and thought-provoking tale that stays true to the comics while putting a new spin on the Man of Steel.

Read more
If you have to watch one Disney+ movie this July 2025, stream this one
The cast of Saving Mr. Banks

Unlike most streaming services, the movies available on Disney+ tend to conform to a fairly standard mold. You've got a lot of big franchise films and a lot of movies aimed at children, and not a whole lot in between.

If you're looking for something a little more robust, or at least aimed at adults, you might want to check out Saving Mr. Banks. The movie tells the story of Walt Disney's quest to adapt Mary Poppins and his various attempts to woo the author of the book series it's based on, P.L. Travers. While the film is undeniably a little hagiographic, here are three reasons you should check it out.

Read more