The Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Live Sports Special has been awarded since 1976. It is awarded to a network for their coverage of one specific sporting event in a calendar year, which means it should not be confused with the award for Outstanding Live Sports Series.

List of winners

  • 1975-76: 1975 World Series <small>(NBC)</small>
  • 1976-77: 1976 Summer Olympics <small>(ABC)</small>
  • 1977-78: Muhammad Ali vs. Leon Spinks heavyweight championship match <small>(CBS)</small>
  • 1978-79: Super Bowl XIII <small>(NBC)</small>
  • 1979-80: 1980 Winter Olympics <small>(ABC)</small>
  • 1980-81: 1981 Kentucky Derby <small>(ABC)</small>
  • 1981-82: 1982 Men's NCAA Basketball National Championship game between the University of North Carolina and Georgetown University <small>(CBS)</small>
  • 1982-83: 1982 World Series <small>(NBC)</small>
  • 1983-84: no award was given
  • 1984-85: 1984 Summer Olympics <small>(ABC)</small>
  • 1985-86: no award was given
  • 1986-87: 1987 Daytona 500 <small>(CBS)</small>
  • 1987-88: 1987 Kentucky Derby <small>(ABC)</small>
  • 1988: 1988 Summer Olympics <small>(NBC)</small>
  • 1989: 1989 Indianapolis 500 <small>(ABC)</small>
  • 1990: 1990 Indianapolis 500 <small>(ABC)</small>
  • 1991: 1991 NBA Finals <small>(NBC)</small>
  • 1992: 1992 Breeders Cup <small>(NBC)</small>
  • 1993: 1993 World Series <small>(CBS)</small>
  • 1994: 1994 Stanley Cup Finals <small>(ESPN)</small>
  • 1995: The September 6, 1995 baseball game in which Cal Ripken Jr. played in his 2,131st consecutive game, breaking a record previously held by Lou Gehrig <small>(ESPN)</small>
  • 1996: 1996 World Series <small>(FOX)</small>
  • 1997: 1997 NBA Finals <small>(NBC)</small>
  • 1998: September 8, 1998 Cardinals/Cubs baseball game in which Mark McGwire hit his 62nd home run of the season. <small>(FOX)</small>
  • 1999: 1999 Major League Baseball All-Star Game <small>(FOX)</small>
  • 2000: 2000 World Series <small>(FOX)</small>
  • 2001: 2001 World Series <small>(FOX)</small>
  • 2002: 2002 Winter Olympics <small>(NBC)</small>
  • 2003: 2003 Major League Baseball postseason <small>(FOX)</small>
  • 2004: 2004 Masters Tournament <small>(CBS)</small>
  • Major League Baseball: Division Series <small>(ESPN)</small>
  • Super Bowl XXXVIII <small>(CBS)</small>
  • 2004 Wimbledon Championships <small>(NBC)</small>
  • 2004 World Series <small>(FOX)</small>
  • 2005: 2005 Open Championship <small>(TNT)</small>
  • 2005 Little League World Series <small>(ABC/ESPN)</small>
  • 2005 Masters Tournament <small>(CBS)</small>
  • 2005 Preakness Stakes <small>(NBC)</small>
  • 2005 World Series <small>(FOX)</small>
  • 2006: 2006 Major League Baseball postseason <small>(FOX)</small>
  • 2006 FIFA World Cup <small>(ABC)</small>
  • Indianapolis Colts - Pittsburgh Steelers Divisional Playoff <small>(CBS)</small>
  • 2006 Masters Tournament <small>(CBS)</small>
  • 2006 Preakness Stakes <small>(NBC)</small>
  • 2007: 2007 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl <small>(FOX)</small>
  • Dallas Cowboys - Seattle Seahawks Wild Card Playoff <small>(NBC)</small>
  • 2007 Daytona 500 <small>(FOX)</small>
  • 2007 AFC Championship Game <small>(CBS)</small>
  • 2007 Open Championship <small>(ABC/ESPN)</small>
  • Super Bowl XLI <small>(CBS)</small>
  • 2008: 2008 U.S. Open Golf Championship <small>(NBC)</small>
  • 2008 Daytona 500 <small>(FOX)</small>
  • Super Bowl XLII <small>(FOX)</small>
  • 2008 Wimbledon Championships – Men's Singles final <small>(NBC)</small>
  • X Games XIV <small>(ESPN)</small>
  • 2009: Super Bowl XLIII <small>(NBC)</small>
  • 2009 Breeders' Cup <small>(ESPN)</small>
  • 2009 Indianapolis 500 <small>(ABC)</small>
  • 2009 NBA Playoffs <small>(TNT)</small>
  • 2009 Stanley Cup Finals <small>(NBC)</small>
  • 2009 World Series <small>(FOX)</small>
  • 2010: 2010 FIFA World Cup Final <small>(ABC)</small>
  • 2010 Breeders' Cup <small>(ESPN)</small>
  • 2010 Masters Tournament <small>(CBS)</small>
  • 2010 NBA Finals <small>(ABC)</small>
  • 2010 Ryder Cup <small>(NBC/USA)</small>
  • 2010 Tour de France <small>(Versus)</small>
  • 2011: 2011 World Series <small>(FOX)</small>
  • 2011 Daytona 500 <small>(FOX)</small>
  • 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup Final <small>(ESPN)</small>
  • 2011 Masters Tournament <small>(CBS)</small>
  • 2011 Stanley Cup Finals <small>(NBC/Versus)</small>
  • 2012: Super Bowl XLVI <small>(NBC)</small>
  • 2012 Army–Navy Game <small>(CBS)</small>
  • 2012 Indianapolis 500 <small>(ABC)</small>
  • 2012 Masters Tournament <small>(CBS)</small>
  • 2012 World Series <small>(FOX)</small>
  • 2013: 2013 World Series <small>(FOX)</small>
  • 2013 America's Cup <small>(NBCSN)</small>
  • 2013 Daytona 500 <small>(FOX)</small>
  • 2013 NBA Finals <small>(ABC/ESPN)</small>
  • 2013 Wimbledon Championships <small>(ABC/ESPN)</small>
  • 2014: Super Bowl XLIX <small>(NBC)</small>
  • 146th Belmont Stakes <small>(NBC)</small>
  • 2014 FIFA World Cup Final <small>(ABC)</small>
  • 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship <small>(ESPN)</small>
  • 2014 Daytona 500 <small>(FOX)</small>
  • 2015: Super Bowl 50 <small>(CBS)</small>
  • 147th Belmont Stakes <small>(NBC)</small>
  • 2015 NBA All-Star Saturday Night <small>(TNT)</small>
  • 2015 World Series <small>(FOX)</small>
  • 2015 Masters Tournament <small>(CBS)</small>
  • 2016: 2016 World Series <small>(FOX)</small>
  • 2016 NBA Finals <small>(ABC)</small>
  • 2016 Summer Olympics <small>(NBC)</small>
  • 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship <small>(ESPN)</small>
  • Super Bowl LI <small>(FOX)</small>
  • 2017: 118th Army–Navy Game <small>(CBS)</small>
  • 2017 Masters Tournament <small>(CBS)</small>
  • 2017 Open Championship <small>(NBC/Golf Channel)</small>
  • 2017 World Series <small>(FOX)</small>
  • 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship <small>(ESPN)</small>
  • 2018: 2018 World Series <small>(FOX)</small>
  • 150th Belmont Stakes <small>(NBC)</small>
  • 2018 Tour Championship <small>(NBC/Golf Channel)</small>
  • 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship <small>(ESPN)</small>
  • Super Bowl LIII <small>(CBS)</small>
  • 2019: 2019 Masters <small>(CBS)</small>
  • 2019 Stanley Cup Finals <small>(NBC)</small>
  • 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup final <small>(Fox)</small>
  • 61st Daytona 500 <small>(Fox)</small>
  • 115th World Series <small>(Fox)</small>
  • 2020: 2020 NBA All-Star Game <small>(TNT/TBS)</small>
  • The Match: Champions for Charity <small>(TNT/TBS/HLN/TruTV)</small>
  • 146th Kentucky Derby <small>(NBC)</small>
  • Super Bowl LV <small>(CBS)</small>
  • 116th World Series <small>(Fox)</small>
  • 2021: 2021 MLB at Field of Dreams <small>(Fox)</small>
  • 122nd Army–Navy Game <small>(CBS)</small>
  • 103rd PGA Championship <small>(CBS)</small>
  • Games of the XXXII Olympiad <small>(NBC/CNBC/Golf Channel/NBCSN/USA/Olympic Channel)</small>
  • Super Bowl LVI <small>(NBC)</small>
  • 2022: XXIV Olympic Winter Games <small>(NBC)</small>
  • 2022 FIFA World Cup final <small>(Fox)</small>
  • 148th Kentucky Derby <small>(NBC)</small>
  • 2022 MLB at Field of Dreams <small>(Fox)</small>
  • Super Bowl LVII <small>(Fox)</small>
  • 118th World Series <small>(Fox)</small>
  • 2023: Super Bowl LVIII <small>(CBS)</small>
  • 2023 Masters Tournament <small>(CBS)</small>
  • 105th PGA Championship <small>(CBS)</small>
  • Super Bowl LVIII: "Live from Bikini Bottom" <small>(Nickelodeon)</small>
  • 119th World Series <small>(Fox)</small>
  • 2024: Games of the XXXIII Olympiad <small>(NBC/Peacock)</small>
  • 120th World Series <small>(Fox)</small>
  • 124th US Open <small>(NBC/USA/Peacock)</small>
  • 2024 Masters Tournament <small>(CBS)</small>
  • 2024 NCAA Women's Tournament Championship Game <small>(ABC)</small>
  • 2025: 2025 World Series <small>(Fox)</small>
  • 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship <small>(ESPN)</small>
  • 2025 NBA Finals (<small>ABC)</small>
  • 2025 Masters Tournament <small>(CBS/ESPN)</small>
  • Super Bowl LX <small>(Fox)</small>

Total awards

  • NBC - 14
  • FOX - 13
  • ABC - 8
  • CBS - 8
  • ESPN - 2
  • TNT - 1

References