ESPN included the national anthem and a moment of silence for Jimmy Carter and the victims of the New Orleans terrorist attacks, two days after unleashing a scandal over its coverage of the Sugar Bowl.
The station angered fans on January 2 when it left tributes to New Orleans out of its live coverage from the city where the Sugar Bowl had been delayed a day due to the New Year's Day attack.
But on Saturday he made no such mistake in his coverage of the Cleveland Browns against the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL.
The tribute at M&T Bank Stadium in Maryland was not only for the 14 people killed in New Orleans but also for former President Jimmy Carter, whose funeral was held in Atlanta on Saturday.
ESPN has been the subject of angry backlash in the days following its coverage of Notre Dame's victory over Georgia in New Orleans, with the flagship network missing touching tributes before kickoff with the city in mourning.
But fans watching Saturday's Ravens game at home had a similar response as the tributes were broadcast across the United States.
'Wow! Did ESPN really play the National Anthem on air? Shocking,” wrote one viewer on X.
Another said: 'ABC/ESPN are honoring President Carter and the tragedy in Now Orleans before the Ravens Browns game, as well as showing the singing of the national anthem. The well-deserved criticism had some impact.”
A different viewer posted: “Funny how abc/espn had time to play the National Anthem for this game but completely ignored it at the Sugar Bowl after a terrorist attack.”
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