Isaiah Lucas
and others
• 6 min read
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Who wants to watch one of the "Big Four" sports when you can witness the beauty of Banana Ball, robot fighting and speed juggling?
The annual "ESPN8: The Ocho" takeover is finally here, meaning ESPN2 will rebrand as the fictional "Ocho" for a summer marathon of the world's best obscure sports.
For the first time, "ESPN8: The Ocho" will expand to four days, with 54 hours of unique sports, including over 21 hours of live content. Banana Ball will be the biggest event, featuring the Savannah Bananas taking on the Party Animals. Several other live events will take place during the weekend, and there will be multiple opportunities to watch "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story," which sparked the idea for "ESPN8: The Ocho."
"The Ocho Show" will also make its return with commentary from Victoria Arlen, Arda Ocal and Cristina Alexander. One of ESPN's original podcasts, "Never Tell Me the Odds," will also be part of the coverage.
Here is how you can watch all of the "ESPN8: The Ocho" events this year.
How to watch ESPN8: The Ocho
- Dates:Thursday, Aug. 1-Sunday, Aug. 4
- TV channel:ESPN2, ESPN
- Live stream: Fubo
You'll find all of the "ESPN8: The Ocho" action on ESPN2, starting at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 1. The Friday night game betweentheSavannah Bananas and the Party Animals will air on ESPN.
Coverage can also be streamed onFubo, which offers a free trial.
What is ESPN8: The Ocho?
The fictional network first appeared in the 2004 film "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story."
In the movie, it carried the broadcasting rights for the dodgeball championship between Average Joe's and Globo Gym. CommentatorsCotton McKnight (Gary Cole) and Pepper Brooks (Jason Bateman) were on the call as Average Joe's, led by Peter La Fleur (Vince Vaughn), upset White Goodman (Ben Stiller) and his Globo Gym team.
It made its real-life debut in 2017, when ESPN finally decided to bring it into existence as a televised showcase of obscure sports from around the world. Its motto and mission remain simple: "Bringing You the Finest in Seldom-Seen Sports."
ESPN8: The Ocho TV schedule 2024
All events for"ESPN8: The Ocho"will air on ESPN2. On Friday, the matchup between theSavannah Bananas and the Party Animals will air on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET, marking the first time"ESPN8: The Ocho" programming will air on ESPN during the primary day of the event.
(Note: Events in boldare making their debut on "ESPN8: The Ocho.")
| Date | Time (ET) | Event |
| Thursday, Aug. 1 | 7 p.m. | Savannah Bananas vs.Party Animals |
| 9 p.m. | Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story | |
| 11p.m. | NHRL Teams: Robot Fighting Championship | |
| 11:30 p.m. | WJF 20 —The Ultimate Overall Championship (Juggling) | |
| Friday, Aug. 2 | 12:30 a.m. | Red Bull Gameball Royale |
| 1a.m. | Red Bull | |
| 1:30a.m. | Ultimate Ninja World Series Finals | |
| 2 a.m. | Three Rivers Waiter and Waitress Competition | |
| 2:30 a.m. | Sasquatch Uncut Beard and Mustache Competition | |
| 3 a.m. | 2022 Corunna Belt Sander Races | |
| 3:30 a.m. | 2020 USA Mullet Championships | |
| 4 a.m. | FlingGolf: San Diego Open | |
| 4:30 a.m. | 46th Annual Cherry Pit Spitting Championships | |
| 5 a.m. | 2019 Jelle's Marble Run | |
| 5:30 a.m. | 2023 Wisconsin Auctioneers Championship | |
| 6 a.m. | Origins Gaming Tournament of Pieces 2024 (Speed Puzzling) | |
| 6:30 a.m. | Competitive Speed Cubing | |
| 7 a.m. | The International Jump Rope Union World Championships | |
| 7:30 a.m. | 2023 FTA World Championship (Freestyle Trampoline) | |
| 8 a.m. | Blade Masters: Axe & Knife Throwing | |
| 9 a.m. | FlingGolf All Star Skills Challenge | |
| 10 a.m. | 2024 BullShooter Invitational Shootout | |
| 11 a.m. | OmegaBall | |
| Noon | Pop-A-Shot 2024 National Championship | |
| 1 p.m. | Viii Sports 2024 National Championship | |
| 2 p.m. | The Ocho Show | |
| 3 p.m. | 2024 AWA Wiffle Ball All Star Game | |
| 4 p.m. | USA Dodgeball All-Star Showcase | |
| 5 p.m. | Manscaped TurfWars Adult Kickball Championship | |
| 6 p.m. | Major League Table Tennis Showcase | |
| 7 p.m | Slippery Stairs | |
| 8 p.m. | American Cornhole League: Armed Forces Event | |
| 10 p.m. | The 2024 Silverback Breaking Invitational | |
| 11 p.m. | Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story | |
| Saturday, Aug. 3 | 1:30 a.m. | 2024 Corgi Races at Emerald Downs |
| 2 a.m. | 2024 World Dog Surfing Championship Best Waves | |
| 2:30a.m. | OneWheel 2022 Competition | |
| 3 a.m. | 2022 Noblesville Bed Races | |
| 3:30 a.m. | 2021 US Air Guitar Competition | |
| 4:30 a.m. | USA Dodgeball All-Star Showcase | |
| 5:30 a.m. | eSkootr Championship – 2022 | |
| 6 a.m. | ZoneBall Clash | |
| 6:30 a.m. | 2022 Speed Chess Championship Final | |
| 7 a.m. | Microsoft Excel World Championship Finals | |
| 7:30 a.m. | ProSayulita SUP OPEN | |
| 8 a.m. | Battle of the Buoy 2 | |
| 8:30 a.m. | 2023 National Putting Tour Final | |
| 9 a.m. | 2024 Forehand Strike U.S. Open | |
| 9:30 a.m. | SXY National Beach Tennis Invitational | |
| 10 a.m. | Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story | |
| 7 p.m. | Savannah Bananas vs.Party Animals | |
| Sunday, Aug.4 | Midnight | Carjitsu Championship |
| 12:30 a.m. | Ultimate Tire Wrestling | |
| 1 a.m. | 2024 Major League Paintball Atlantic City Open | |
| 1:30 a.m. | The 2023 OneWheel World Championship – Race for the Rail | |
| 2 a.m. | 2023 FootGolf World Cup | |
| 2:30 a.m. | 2023 World Table Hockey Championships | |
| 3 a.m. | CROSSNET Sand Series: SoCal | |
| 3:30 a.m. | Grass Drag Racing Season Opener | |
| 4 a.m. | 2022 AUDL Championship | |
| 4:30 a.m. | Franklin Rock River Stone Skipping | |
| 5 a.m. | World Sign Spinning Championship | |
| 5:30 a.m. | 2024 Corgi Races at Emerald Downs – Re-Air | |
| 6 a.m. | 2024 World Dog Surfing Championships Best Waves – Re-Air | |
| 6:30 a.m. | Teqball World Series: Tulsa 2024 | |
| 7:30 a.m. | Roofball World Championships | |
| 8 a.m. | 2024 Hamlin Adult Big Wheel Races | |
| 8:30 a.m. | ESPN Presents Never Tell Me The Odds: Top Sports Seen in Star Wars | |
| 9 a.m. | World Axe Throwing League Re-Air | |
| 10 a.m. | Slippery Stairs Re-Air |
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Author(s)
Isaiah Lucas
Isaiah Lucas is a freelance writer for The Sporting News. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. When he's not writing or watching sports, you can find him getting buckets in the gym and hitting smashes on the pickleball court.
