Omar Raja often shares some of the most surprising and complex plays in sports on social media. On Sunday, he will be in the middle of a complex operation.
Once ABC wraps up its NBA coverage mid-afternoon Sunday, Raja will be tasked with keeping sports fans connected to the Disney-owned network until the Oscars begin. He will be featured for 30 minutes on ABC’s “On the Oscar Red Carpet” and will provide some of the talking points that are at the heart of his social media series, “Hot Takes Hotline.”
“We’re trying to retain some of the sports audience and make it a combination of sports and culture,” says Raja. Mr. Raja joined ESPN in 2020 after building Instagram’s House of Highlights account into a full-fledged cultural phenomenon, which was eventually taken over by Warner Bros. Discovery’s predecessor company. Raja doesn’t throw touchdowns or goal kicks, but the way he finds ways to talk about touchdowns and engage others in viral conversations has proven to be an important part of sports chat in the streaming era.
He believes his passionate opinions will expand the conversation about the sport among NBA fans, and he hopes they stick around longer than some expected. Many of the topics he brings up are sent in by fans. “I own every take I can think of,” he says. “I’ve been told, ‘Pop-Tarts are the most underrated snack of all time,’ and ‘Popcorn is overrated.’ This conversation is more than just a sport,” he added.
ABC’s initial red carpet coverage will include ABC News mainstays Lindsey Davis, Whit Johnson and Lara Spencer, as well as veteran sports and entertainment journalist Chris Connelly. Last year, Raja got a few minutes to appear, but his time has expanded, showing that Disney is keen to find ways to keep its audience hooked as it invests more in live programming. Over the course of eight weeks in early 2027, Disney’s television and streaming properties will feature the College Football Playoff, the Oscars, the Grammys and Super Bowl LXI. This is the first time ABC will air the big game since 2006.
“Sport is connected to so many things,” says Raja. That’s because sports television is “the most watched live broadcast. There’s always a way to combine interests.” He believes a slate of sports-themed blockbusters in 2025, including Marty Supreme, F1 and Smashing Machines, will help talk about topics that will keep sports fans and Hollywood aficionados equally interested.
“It’s a natural fit for Omar to return as a contributor to this year’s pre-show,” said Adrian Anderson, ABC’s senior vice president of content development. “As one of ESPN’s key digital strategists and social media voices, his unique perspective makes him the ideal bridge from ESPN’s NBA coverage on ABC to Oscar red carpet coverage night.”
Once his 30-minute appearance on ABC is over, Raja will move on to social media, where he hopes to linger on the red carpet and interview celebrities and athletes who may attend the annual film awards. He’s ready to ask sports-related questions, but also brings up topics that can generate some fun conversation, like “What’s the name of a classic movie I haven’t seen yet?”
In addition to a brief red carpet appearance last year, Raja created content for last year’s Met Gala. Any fears he may have had about trying to blend sports and culture have disappeared, he says. “The main idea behind it is, to be honest,” he says. “We want it to feel authentic.
