Like just about everything else, the 93rd Scripps National Spelling Bee was impacted by the global COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, and the national finals competition originally scheduled for May was suspended a few weeks ago with the hope that it could possibly be rescheduled for later this year.
But if you’re among the many loyal National Spelling Bee enthusiasts — or maybe you’re tired of Netflix, Hulu or playing video games — you don’t have to wait indefinitely for the competition to return.
With the spelling bee, like the rest of the sports world, currently on hold, ESPN is airing a seven-hour spelling bee marathon Sunday, revisiting some of the best national finals from recent years. Here’s what you need to know.
How to watch classic National Spelling Bee Finals
ESPN is airing multiple Spelling Bee Finals on Sunday, kicking off the seven-hour marathon at noon ET with the 70th annual competition.
ESPN presents a seven-hour @ScrippsBee marathon
Featuring three classic #SpellingBee Finals from:
🐝 1997 | euonym 🏆
🐝 2004 | autochthonous 🏆
🐝 2008 | guerdon 🏆Sunday | Noon ET | ESPN
More: https://t.co/DteSTmpOwt | #BingeTheBee pic.twitter.com/fhnBrRmIdL
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) April 10, 2020
1997 National Spelling Bee Final
Original date: May 29, 1997
Air date: Sunday, April 12, 2020
Time: Noon ET
TV channel: ESPN
Winning word: Euonym
2004 National Spelling Bee Final
Original date: June 3, 2004
Air date: Sunday, April 12, 2020
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
TV channel: ESPN
Winning word: Autochthonous
2008 National Spelling Bee Final
Original date: May 30, 2008
Air date: Sunday, April 12, 2020
Time: 5 p.m. ET
TV channel: ESPN
Winning word: Guerdon
Solid wholesome fun and some much-needed competition in a world without sports.
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