Like its longtime competitors CBS Sports and NBC Sports, ABC Sports
was originally just the sports division of a major American network,
ABC. The seeds of its eventual integration with ESPN occurred when
the cable network's majority owner Capital Cities Communications
bought ABC in 1985. Although some ESPN sportscasters such as John
Saunders and Dick Vitale began to also appear on ABC Sports
telecasts, ESPN and ABC Sports continued to operate separately.

After the The Walt Disney Company bought Capital Cities/ABC in 1996,
Disney started to slowly integrate ESPN and ABC Sports. ESPN
personalities like Chris Berman, Mike Tirico, and Brad Nessler
worked on ABC Sports programs. In 1998, ESPN adopted ABC Sports'
Monday Night Football graphics and music for its Sunday Night
Football broadcasts. During that same year, ESPN signed a five year
deal to televise National Hockey League games, also letting
the cable network to essentially buy time on ABC to air selected NHL
games. This was noted in copyright beds at the conclusion of the
telecasts, i.e. "The Preceding Program has been paid for by ESPN,
Inc." ESPN then signed a similar television rights contract in 2002
so it could produce and broadcast National Basketball Association games on ABC.

Meanwhile, Disney continued to consolidate the corporate structure
of ESPN and ABC Sports. Steve Bornstein was given the title as
president of both ESPN and ABC Sports in 1996. The sales, marketing,
and production departments of both divisions were eventually merged.

It was announced in 2006 that ABC Sports would be totally integrated
into ESPN, using ESPN graphics, music, and production. The brand
integration does not directly affect whether ESPN (the cable
channel) or ABC carries a particular event, as in most cases this is
governed by contracts with the applicable league or organization.