ESPN Apologizes for Showing Woman Flashing Breast on Bourbon St.

During Monday night's Sugar Bowl broadcast, ESPN found itself in a pretty awkward situation. As Washington clinched a 37-31 victory over Texas, the network inadvertently aired footage of a woman exposing her breast on New Orleans' Bourbon Street, sparking immediate apologies from ESPN representatives.

The incident occurred as the broadcast returned from a commercial break, as an ESPN cameraman captured the predictable B-roll of Bourbon Street. Among the crowd, a woman was seen pulling down her top (likely for beads), an action that was broadcast to a national audience. ESPN's Bill Hofheimer, in a statement to The Associated Press, expressed regret over the incident, stating, "We regret that this happened and apologize that the video aired in the telecast."

Anyone who has been to New Orleans understands the unpredictable nature of Bourbon Street and probably isn't surprised that it happened, but it is a bit crazy that it made the broadcast. The actual explicit content was fleeting, lasting roughly a second, but it was certainly enough for people watching at home to know exactly what happened.

As I said earlier, it appeared the woman was engaging in the long-standing tradition of exchanging flashes for beads from revelers looking down from Bourbon Street balconies. The footage, believed to be either live or pre-recorded B-roll, quickly became a topic of discussion and humor on social media. Comments ranged from surprise and laughter to critiques of ESPN's content choices.

We're not going to show you the video here, but a few clicks and some Google searching will surely pull the clip up if it hasn't already appeared in your News Feed.

No one is debating the unforeseen entertainment value brought by the streets of New Orleans, but is it suitable for live broadcasts? The viral clip sparked the inevitable debate on the oversight of broadcast content as fans on various social media platforms expressed disbelief and amusement, with some taking the opportunity to jab ESPN for its programming decisions.

While the controversy dominated timelines, Washington did secure its place in the national title game against Michigan with a win over Texas. While the unexpected episode on Bourbon Street served as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of live broadcasting (especially in a city known for its spontaneous and spirited street life) ESPN's swift response was their best move as the network owned the gaffe and apologized to viewers who may have been offended.

See the full apology via ABC below.