2 Minute Drill Game Show: The ESPN Sports Quiz

A short factual guide to the television show, for anyone who searched the name and expected football.

Before there was a browser two minute drill game, there was a television one. ESPN's 2 Minute Drill was a sports trivia game show built on the format of the British quiz Mastermind. It was hosted by Kenny Mayne, created by Michael Davies and produced by Diplomatic Productions, and it aired from September 11, 2000 to December 28, 2001.

How the show worked

• The clock: each contestant got two minutes to answer questions from a panel of people connected to sports, such as players, coaches and writers. Mayne opened every turn with "Your 2-minute drill begins now!"
• Round one: contestants chose from four categories, each belonging to a panelist, with five questions each.
• Round two: a rapid-fire round of general sports questions, with no category choice.
• The end game: the winner answered a question about their own specialty subject. In later seasons it was called the "Question of Great Significance", and a correct answer doubled their winnings.
• The tournament: season-long brackets led to a final. ESPN's launch announcement promised a prize of $100,000 to $200,000 plus ESPN Experiences for the tournament winner.

Why people confuse it with the football game

The phrase two minute drill belongs to football first, so every game that borrows it ends up in the same search results. The show used the football phrase for a quiz clock. The arcade cabinet used it for a ticket game. Our two minute drill game uses it the way coaches do: the last stretch of a half, with the scoreboard and clock deciding every call.

Want the football version instead?

You can play the two minute drill game free, or read what the term means in What is a two minute drill?. For the other uses of the name see the NFL 2 minute drill overview.

Sources: ESPN's 2000 press release for the premiere, and the public episode guides and encyclopedia entries for the show.

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