ESPN is set to welcome Lily Simbasi, the founder of Sportsish, into its creator division.
The sports network is reportedly finalizing a two-year agreement with her to serve as a full-time creator focused on major events. This comes from a source close to Front Office Sports.
Simbasi’s initial task will be as ESPN’s primary content creator on the red carpet during the NFL Honors Ceremony happening Thursday in Santa Clara, California, which celebrates the league’s top players.
She’s known for producing engaging sports content across platforms like espnW and various social media outlets.
Simbasi established Sportsish in 2021, a platform designed to connect sports with pop culture through unique original content, interviews, and social media interactions. She is the daughter of former Knicks president, Dave Checketts.
ESPN mentions that Simbasi envisions a position akin to that of Katie Feeney.
Feeney, who boasts over 7.6 million TikTok followers and 1.3 million on Instagram, joined ESPN last August as a sports and lifestyle content creator right after graduating from Penn State.
At 23, she regularly contributes to “College Gameday,” “Sunday NFL Countdown,” and “Monday Night Countdown,” while also leading daily content for Snapchat’s “SportsCenter.” Both her and Simbasi are represented by Creative Artists Agency.
Simbasi, who has previously covered significant events like the 2025 ESPYs, expressed her enthusiasm, saying, “Being involved with ESPN is a dream come true. Growing up, I always wanted to be a reporter here, but I noticed there was a gap in mainstream sports media.”
She added, “After college, I created a business plan that led to Sportsish, which I’ve developed over five years. ESPN recognized our female audience, which they aim to connect with, and now we’re officially partnering. I’m eager to see what we can achieve together.”
In October, Simbasi reported on the F1 Grand Prix in Austin, Texas for ESPN.
She currently resides in New York City with her husband and two children.
