Who is Nicole Noren, why did she resign from ESPN? Journalist slams embrace of betting culture as support pours in

Nicole Noren is an award-winning journalist and documentary filmmaker who spent nearly 24 years at ESPN before leaving the network in 2023.

She has only recently opened up about her departure in an interview with the Columbia Journalism Review, revealing that she resigned from ESPN in 2023 to protest the network’s growing involvement in sports betting.

According to her LinkedIn profile, she is based in Santa Barbara, California, and has built a career spanning investigative journalism, documentary production and independent filmmaking. Noren held several roles during her ESPN tenure, serving as an investigative producer and documentary director.

She contributed over 50 investigative pieces and short-form documentaries to the network, with much of her work featured on Outside the Lines. In 2023, she released her debut feature documentary, Listen, on ESPN+, which subsequently received wider attention through an ABC 20/20 special.

After stepping away from the network, Noren launched her own production company and began focusing on independent projects. Her first short film as an independent filmmaker, The Green Truck , was screened at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in February 2026.

In 2025, Noren also spent a short period working as a co-executive producer at Vice Media.

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Throughout her career, she has received six Emmy Awards, including a Sports Emmy in 2023 for Betsy & Irv . Her other accolades include two Edward R. Murrow Awards, one Peabody Award, five Gracie Awards and multiple recognitions from Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE).