ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt seemed to be thrown for a bit of a loop when the network showed two men kissing on New Year’s Eve.
Van Pelt was talking over scenes from Times Square in New York, N.Y. which featured footage of couples kissing after the clock struck midnight and turned to 2026. He joked enthusiastically about “live makeouts on SportsCenter,” but was taken aback when cameras cut to two men.
“Oh, what are we — what do we got? We got love in the air,” Van Pelt remarked.
NEW: ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt visibly disgusted after two men making out popped up on his screen during New Year’s coverage.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 1, 2026
“Yeah… Live makeouts on Sports Center. Get into it,” he said in response to the normal couples.
“Ohhhhhhhh! What are we….” he said in response to the gay… pic.twitter.com/gkPFmJA9ng
Van Pelt seemed more surprised than anything else. Such is what happens when taking a simulcast of ABC’s New Year’s coverage and narrating it live. He did not know what he was about to see and wound up reacting on the fly.
Perhaps Van Pelt was reminded of the awkward exchange he had with Justin Thomas at the Masters a few years ago.
