Jimmie Johnson To Host “SportsCenter” In Wake Of Sixth Sprint Cup (2nd Update)

UPDATE #2 ESPN averaged 931,000 viewers for last Tuesday night’s 6:00pm ET “SportsCenter," which was co-hosted by Johnson. That figure was up 22.5% from an average of 760,000 viewers for the program in that time slot this fall to date.

11/20/13 '13 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson yesterday "became the first athlete co-host" of ESPN’s "SportsCenter" when he joined regular hosts John Anderson and Lindsay Czarniak on the 6:00pm ET edition, according to Nate Scott of USA TODAY.

Johnson was "featured in several segments, including one in which he asked analyst Tedy Bruschi six questions about the NFL." Show producers "tried to make things easy for Johnson, who has little-to-no broadcasting experience, by setting him up for interviews" with Red Sox C Jarrod Saltalamacchia, with "whom he compared beards and talked about winning a World Series," and Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops.

Johnson and Stoops "are friendly, and shared stories about spending time together in Norman." Johnson's wife, Chandra, attended OU. Johnson also appeared on "Live With Kelly & Michael" yesterday, where hosts Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan "had fun by giving Johnson time to practice reading from a teleprompter." USA TODAY

11/18/13 NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson yesterday won his sixth Sprint Cup Series championship, and he will guest host Tuesday's 6:00pm ET edition of ESPN's "SportsCenter," making him "the first athlete to be a 'SportsCenter' guest host." SI.com.

Sponsor Lowe's runs a full-page ad in USA Today congratulating Johnson and Hendrick Motorsports on the title. Hendrick Automotive Group runs a congratulatory two-page foldout ad in the Charlotte Observer (THE DAILY).

USA TODAY's Jeff Gluck writes under the header, "It Is Clear: Johnson Is Best NASCAR driver Of All Time." USA TODAY