Stuart Scott’s Story Is Headed Back to ESPN.
This December, ESPN is inviting viewers to remember one of its most beloved voices in a way we’ve never seen before.
Boo-Yah: A Portrait of Stuart Scott, the latest film in ESPN’s acclaimed 30 for 30 documentary series, will premiere on December 10 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN and the ESPN app.
The film doesn’t just revisit Scott’s greatest on-air moments; it digs into the life, love, fight, and fearlessness behind the man who changed sports media forever.
For a generation of fans, Stuart Scott wasn’t just an anchor on SportsCenter; he was the soundtrack to late-night highlights. His phrases like “Boo-yah!” and “As cool as the other side of the pillow” became part of the culture, especially for Black viewers who heard themselves reflected on ESPN for the first time.
At a time when hip-hop and Black vernacular were rarely welcomed in mainstream sports media, Scott brought all of it with him, unapologetically.
He mixed stats with slang, game film with street sensibility, and helped prove that sports coverage could be smart, sharp, and culturally fluent at the same time.
Boo-Yah traces that journey from local TV in North Carolina to national prominence at ESPN, showing how Scott helped shift not just how highlights were delivered, but who they were for.
Directed and produced by Andre Gaines and executive produced by ESPN Films, Run & Shoot Filmworks, and Cinemation Studios, the documentary goes beyond the studio desk. One of the project’s most powerful elements is its use of never-before-seen archival footage and self-shot home videos, much of it captured by Scott himself.
Stuart was documenting his own life long before anyone knew what streaming or content creation meant. Those clips, layered with interviews and broadcast footage, form an intimate portrait of the father, friend, and fighter behind the cultural icon.
“Stuart Scott didn’t just change sports journalism — he changed culture,” Gaines says. “What makes his story even more powerful is that Stuart was documenting his own life along the way… His voice is woven through every frame.”
The documentary also brings together an extraordinary group of people who knew Stuart Scott personally, worked alongside him, or were shaped by his influence.
Featured voices include Charles Barkley, Chris Berman, Vince Carter, Linda Cohn, Common, Michael Eric Dyson, Herm Edwards, Rich Eisen, Kevin Frazier, Mike Greenberg, Jay Harris, Ernie Johnson, Suzy Kolber, Shaquille O’Neal, Robin Roberts, Jeremy Schaap, John Skipper, Kenny Smith, and Michael Smith.
Most importantly, Scott’s family, Jacqueline, Kimberly, Sydni, Synthia, Stephen, and Taelor Scott, share personal stories about him. It’s one thing to remember the guy who crushed highlights at midnight; it’s another to hear from the people who knew him as dad, brother, or partner.
While Boo-Yah celebrates Scott’s cultural impact, it also confronts the final chapter of his life: his public battle with cancer.
The timing of the film’s release is intentional. The premiere coincides with ESPN’s 19th Annual V Week for Cancer Research, which supports the V Foundation for Cancer Research, and with the fifth anniversary of Boo-Yah, a series of efforts tied to the Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund.
That fund specifically supports research around cancer disparities and underrepresented scientists, reflecting Scott’s own commitment to equity and representation.
ESPN will also debut a special merchandise collection honoring both Jim Valvano and Stuart Scott at the Jimmy V Classic. One hundred percent of the royalties ESPN earns from the collection will be donated to the V Foundation, turning nostalgia into tangible impact.
Boo-Yah: A Portrait of Stuart Scott will premiere December 10 at 9 pm ET on ESPN.
