How to Give Your Sports Photos the "ESPN" Look
That crisp, punchy, broadcast look you see on ESPN and team social accounts isn't magic — it's a specific set of color and contrast choices. Here's how to get it on your own sports photos.
What defines the broadcast look
- Deep, clean contrast — rich blacks, bright but controlled highlights
- Punchy, slightly cool color with vivid team colors
- High clarity and sharpness so motion reads crisp
- Neutral, healthy skin tones despite the punch
How to build it in Lightroom
Set a neutral white balance, add contrast with a tone curve, boost clarity and texture, deepen blacks slightly and use HSL to make jerseys pop while keeping skin natural. Finish with sharpening.
The one-tap version
Glimmer is our closest preset to the broadcast look — bright, punchy, high-clarity, built for indoor arenas. For outdoor day games, Basmi Dream gives the same energy with vivid greens.
Apply, adjust exposure, copy across your gallery. Full workflow here.
