January 07 2026, 08:15 
A video of ESPN anchorperson Scott Van Pelt’s shocked reaction to an on-air same-sex kiss received over 8.2 million views by Tuesday evening. The same-sex smooch occurred during the sports network’s coverage of New Year’s celebrations in New York City shortly after midnight.
When the network began broadcasting a different-sex couple kissing, the 59-year-old anchorperson said, “Yeah… Live makeouts on SportsCenter. Get into it.” However, when the camera captured a male couple kissing, Pelt groaned, “Ohhhhhhhh! What are we….??” and began shaking his head.
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He then caught himself, threw his arms open while still shaking his head, and said, “What do we got? We got love in the air!”
Numerous commenters on X empathized with Pelt’s shock, while others noted that he may have been professionally disciplined if he had expressed any disapproval of the kiss.
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NEW: ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt visibly disgusted after two men making out popped up on his screen during New Year’s coverage.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 1, 2026
“Yeah… Live makeouts on Sports Center. Get into it,” he said in response to the normal couples.
“Ohhhhhhhh! What are we….” he said in response to the gay… pic.twitter.com/gkPFmJA9ng
Of course, this isn’t the first time that a male same-sex kiss on New Year’s Eve has caused a stir.
At the start of 2024, anti-LGBTQ+ TV viewers were upset by CNN’s New Year’s celebration footage of two men kissing in New York City’s Times Square, which occurred a few seconds after the new year began.
The moment happened during the cable network’s New Year’s Eve Live coverage, hosted by out media personalities Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper.
“CNN’s first shot after the ball drop appears to be an interracial gay kiss. The outrage will be hilarious,” Joe My God blogger Joe Jervis predicted shortly after the kiss aired.
The couple, Jake Erikkson and Corin Christian, said they hoped their kiss had a bigger impact than a few seconds of airtime allowed. They want to spread the love.
“I had the amazing opportunity to share a New Year’s kiss with my partner in front of the whole world. We appreciate the positive feedback we received and hope that our experience can inspire youth to always be themselves,” Erikkson told PinkNews. “Hate and anger are secondary emotions.”
“At the end of the day, me and my partner are happy and in love, no matter where the backlash comes from,” Christian added. “Be who you are for your pride and know that you are not alone… Love your partner with everything you have because there’s nothing better than having comfort to fall back on when you need it.”
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