Area sports fans rejoice as The Onion teams with Comedy Central for TV pilot

No, really: Onion, Comedy Central team on TV pilot

NEW YORK — ESPN had better watch its back.

Comedy Central has ordered a pilot from the satirical news magazine The Onion.

The prospective half-hour scripted series will be based on The Onion’s Sports Network, an online video series that parodies sports shows — especially those on ESPN.

Onion News Network director Will Graham says in a statement to expect “the most intense sports coverage humanity has yet witnessed.”

A spokeswoman for Comedy Central says the pilot constitutes the first collaboration between the two comedy institutions.

The Onion, founded in Madison, Wis., was long famous for its mock headlines when it launched the “ONN” in 2007. That’s its online video department.

Comedy Central is owned by Viacom Inc.