ESPN Cancels Will Ferrell’s ‘SportsCenter’ Appearance as Ron Burgundy

Will Ferrell's Ron Burgundy won't be appearing on ESPN's SportsCenter on Thursday. 

"Ron Burgundy's scheduled Thurs. appearance on @SportsCenter has been canceled in light of the potential implications of any news from the State Attorney's press conference in Fla.," said ESPN's director of communications David Scott in a statement on Twitter. "As of this time, there is no reschedule date for Ron Burgundy."

As ESPN and other outlets had reported, the Florida State Attorney's office will hold a news conference Thursday at 2 p.m. ET on the sexual assault allegations leveled at college quarterback Jameis Winston. 

The actor's SportsCenter appearance was scheduled for 6 p.m. ET along with David Koechner as Champ Kind from Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues in a segment presented by Dodge Durango. (Ferrell's character also had been seen in multiple web promos for the automaker.)

There's been no shortage of Burgundy on television prior to the launch of the Paramount sequel Dec. 18. In the past several weeks, the actor has hosted in character a local news broadcast in North Dakota, greeted celebrities at the MTV EMAs in Amsterdam and called a Canadian pro-curling event.

Burgundy also had interviewed Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning for an ESPN the Magazine video. 

Erik Hayden