ESPN Europe

BCS National Championship Game between nation’s top two teams live on television and online

Extensive coverage of five BCS Games and Bowl Games across ESPN America and ESPN Player

 

The pinnacle of the NCAA Football season in the US will be broadcast live and in high definition on ESPN America as it brings viewers exclusive coverage of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) and Bowl Games. Every single game will also be available live and on-demand via online service ESPN Player.

 

This year the BCS National Championship Game will pit top-ranked Louisiana State University, the Southeastern Conference Champions who have a perfect 13-0 record, against second-ranked Alabama (11-1), the 2009/10 National Champions. ESPN America will bring viewers all the atmosphere and live build-up to the game at 11pm GMT on Monday 9th of January 2012, with preview show College GameDay. The match-up will follow from the 76,468-capacity Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans at 1:30am.

 

The BCS games start at 10pm on Monday 2nd January with a double bill comprising the Rose Bowl – Oregon against Wisconsin – and the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, which sees Oklahoma State take on Stanford. On Tuesday 3rd January the Allstate Sugar Bowl will be live at 1:30am as Michigan face Virginia Tech, while on Wednesday 4th January at 1:30am, fans can watch the Discover Orange Bowl between Clemson and West Virginia.

 

BCS GAMES ON ESPN AMERICA AND ESPN PLAYER

 

Mon, 2 Jan        10pm                Rose Bowl Game Presented by Vizio     Wisconsin v Oregon     

Mon, 2 Jan*      1:30am             Tostitos Fiesta Bowl                              Stanford v Oklahoma St

Tue, 3 Jan*        1:30am             Allstate Sugar Bowl                               Michigan v Virginia Tech

Wed, 4 Jan*      1:30am             Discover Orange Bowl                           West Virginia v Clemson

Mon, 9 Jan*      1:30am             Allstate BCS National Championship      Alabama v LSU

 

* dates are shifted on a 2am-to-2am day calendar, to reflect that the games begin in the overnight period. Ex: a game at 1:30am on 2 Jan. is by standard calendar early morning on 3 Jan.

ESPN America will broadcast 23 live postseason Bowl Games, while ESPN Player will offer live and on-demand access to every one of the 30 match-ups. ESPN America’s live coverage starts at 7pm on Saturday 17th December with the New Mexico Bowl between Temple and Wyoming. The game is the first of three back-to-back contests, also featuring the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl – Ohio v Utah St – and the New Orleans Bowl, where San Diego State face Louisiana-Lafayette. The Bowl games run through to Sunday 8th January, including triple bills on Friday 30th Saturday 31st December, with the GoDaddy.com Bowl between Northern Illinois and Arkansas State live at 2am on Sunday 8th January rounding out the action.

 

This year’s BCS and Bowl Games will feature the best young talent in the country, including all five candidates for the Heisman trophy – awarded to the year’s most outstanding college football player – as players look to shine on the big stage ahead of next year’s NFL Draft. Last year’s first overall draft pick was Heisman-winning quarterback Cam Newton, who won the BCS National Championship with Auburn and now stars for the Carolina Panthers.

 

Four of the five Heisman finalists will feature in BCS games – early season favourite, Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, will play in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, Wisconsin running back Montee Ball will line up in the Rose Bowl, while two of the candidates will be on opposing sides in the National Championship Game – Alabama running back Trent Richardson and LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu. Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, who won the prestigious trophy this weekend, will step onto the field in the Valero Alamo Bowl against Washington, live on ESPN America and ESPN Player at 2am on Thursday 29th December.

 

Viewers will also be able to keep up with all the action throughout the Bowl period with regular editions of College GameDay and College Football Special providing the latest news, updates and highlights.

 

COMPLETE BOWL SEASON COVERAGE ON ESPN AMERICA

Sat, 17 Dec       7:00pm             Gildan New Mexico Bowl                                   Temple v Wyoming       

                        10:30pm           Famous Idaho Potato Bowl                                Ohio v Utah St 

                        2:00am             R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl                          SDSU v La Lafayette

Tue, 20 Dec      1:00am             Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl St. Petersburg                 Fla Int’l v Marshall         

Wed, 21 Dec     1:00am             San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl TCU v La Tech  

Thu, 22 Dec      1:00am             MAACO Bowl Las Vegas                                   Arizona St v Boise St   

Sat, 24 Dec       1:00am             Sheraton Hawaii Bowl                                        Nevada v So Miss        

Mon, 26 Dec     10:00pm           AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl                   Missouri v UNC

Tue, 27 Dec      9:30pm             Little Caesars Bowl                                            W Michigan v Purdue    

                        1:00am             Belk Bowl                                                         Louisville v NC State    

Wed, 28 Dec     9:30pm             Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman    Toledo v Air Force        

                        1:00am             Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl                  California v Texas         

Thu, 29 Dec      10:30pm           Champs Sports Bowl                                         Florida St v N Dame     

                        2:00am             Valero Alamo Bowl                                            Washington v Baylor    

Fri, 30 Dec        5:00pm             Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl                    BYU v Tulsa     

                        8:30pm             New Era Pinstripe Bowl                                      Rutgers v Iowa St         

                        11:30pm           Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl      Miss St v W Forest       

Sat, 31 Dec       7:00pm             Hyundai Sun Bowl                                             Georgia Tech v Utah

8:30pm             AutoZone Liberty Bowl                                      Cincinnati v Vanderbilt  

                        12.30am            Chick-fil-A Bowl                                                 Virginia v Auburn          

Mon, 2 Jan        6:00pm             Capital One Bowl                                               Nebraska v S Carolina  

                        6:00pm             Outback Bowl                                                   Michigan State v Georgia

Sun, 8 Jan        2:00am             GoDaddy.com Bowl                                          Arkansas St v N Illinois

 

NCAA FOOTBALL BCS AND BOWL GAMES ON ESPN PLAYER

 

Fans will be able to watch all the BCS games live and on demand on ESPN Player, as well as nearly all the action from Bowl season. ESPN Player College Pass gives American collegiate sports fans access to all of the NCAA football coverage, as well as complete coverage of NCAA college basketball (including the NCAA March^® Madness^® Tournament), lacrosse, baseball, ice hockey and more. The broadband sports service gives fans the ability to pause and rewind on-demand events, allowing them to scroll to any part of the game they may have missed, review a great play with the 10-second rewind button, or return the start of the game with a single click.

 

Visit ESPNPlayer.com to for more information and to subscribe to ESPN Player College Pass.

 ESPN has signed a new multi-year agreement with CANALSAT, the leading TV provider in France, to continue the distribution of its popular sports TV channels ESPN America and ESPN Classic on the CANALSAT television service in France, Monaco and French-speaking Switzerland.

“For nearly a decade, we’ve had a  strong relationship with CANALSAT, and we’re very pleased to continue that long-standing  collaboration and to deliver outstanding sports content to the passionate sports fans in France,” said  Murray Barnett, Vice President, Sports Channels & Syndication, ESPN EMEA. “ESPN America continues to grow behind the increase in popularity of US sports in France and across Europe, and the recent update to ESPN Classic offers CANALSAT subscribers a fresh and passionate look at the biggest legends and moments in sports with a unique editorial voice.”

ESPN Classic, dedicated to celebrating sports legends, heritage and history, while providing context to the modern sport scene, is available on CANALSAT’s Sport Pack on channel 96 to satellite and ADSL subscribers.  

In July, with only one year left until London 2012, ESPN Classic will  be featuring a host of Olympic programming including , highlights from the 2008 Beijing Olympics as well as new series: Champions and Challengers and Les héros inattendus (from 25 to 29 July).

 In August, ESPN Classic will present a new ESPN-produced series, Legends of the Barclays Premier League. Focusing on the finest players to have graced one of the top football leagues in the world, the weekly show will concentrate on one stand out player as its subject and tell the story of what makes them a true legend of the game. Its subjects include iconic players from France such as Eric Cantona, David Ginola and Thierry Henry.

To tie in with the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, ESPN Classic will build up to the event with its comprehensive programming, giving viewers the chance to see new, original programmes and to relive the greatest moments from the tournament’s recent past with legendary matches. Included among the schedule are:  Meilleurs moments du XV de France, with host Laurent Depret joined in studio by Olivier Magne to discuss the best moments of the French team through the Rugby World Cups (televised September 2^nd from 21:30);  and Certifié Classic: France in the Rugby World Cup, a celebration of the French Rugby team (televised September 7^th from 21:00).

Check local listings for the full schedule or visit www.espnclassic.com

 ESPN America delivers the best in US sport to fans in Europe, and is available to satellite and ADSL CANALSAT Sport Pack subscribers on channel 97.  This summer, ESPN America will offer baseball fans comprehensive coverage of the MLB season, in full swing throughout July and August, as teams aim towards the post-season Playoffs. Viewers will see the fun, romance and storylines of the Little League Baseball World Series and the high-impact competition of Major League Lacrosse Championship Weekend.

 Also not to be missed is X Games 17 in Los Angeles – the premier action sports competition in the world (28 – 31 July).  The summertime sibling of Winter X Games events in Aspen and Tignes, the sensational ESPN event features the best in international athletes pushing the boundaries of height, flight and gravity.

 Check local listings for the full schedule, or visit www.espnamerica.com.

• 35 Entities from 21 Countries Exploring Bid to Host X Games Events Beginning 2013
• Enduro X Discipline to Make Debut; Rally Moves to Downtown Street Circuit
• Legendary Athletes Join Coverage:  Kevin Robinson, Tony Hawk, Jeremy McGrath, Dennis McCoy join host Sal Masekela

ESPN America will be the exclusive home for high-definition coverage of X Games 17 in Los Angeles, July 28 – 31.  In its ninth year in Los Angeles, X Games 17 will feature more than 200 athletes competing in venues and event spaces including STAPLES Center and Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE – all in an effort to consolidate X Games competition to downtown Los Angeles and better enable fans to catch all the X Games action. ESPN America will deliver more than 16 hours of live coverage, as well as the daily X Center highlights, news and feature programme.  

Over four days, competitors from around the globe will be in Los Angeles competing for gold in action sports, including Moto X, Rally, Skateboard and BMX. Competing alongside the many other action sports superstars are dozens of European athletes.

X Games Global Expansion

As the competiton in Los Angeles kicks off, so does the next stage of the X Games global expansion, as 35 entities from 21 countries have been qualified to explore bidding to host a future X Games event (beginning 2013).  Representatives from those entities will begin the next phase of the X Games host bidding process.  All qualified applicants have been invited to attend X Games 17 in Los Angeles to observe the event and pariticipate in a several activities, including a bid workshop where ESPN will review the bid process with them and answer questions.

In May, ESPN announced that the X Games franchise would expand to six world-class events in locations around the globe beginning in 2013.  The announcement launched a formal bid process to determine three new future X Games host locations, which will join the three current events in Los Angeles, Aspen and Tignes, France (where ESPN is currently partnered with Canal+).

The 35 entities from 21 countries have met ESPN’s qualification guidelines and expressed interest in potentially bidding to host future Global X Games events in countries around the world, including: 

Argentina

Australia

Austria

Brazil   

Canada

Chile

Colombia

England

Germany

Italy     

Mexico

New Zealand

Portugal           

Russia 

Singapore

South Africa

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Turkey

UAE

 

 

Qualified entities have not yet submitted a bid (and, ultimately, may choose not to). They have only expressed an interest in moving to the next stage of the bidding exploratory process.

ESPN will also host a Global X Games Partnership Summit for current and potential sponsors at X Games 17.

From August until Jan 2, 2012, potential host entities will have five months to complete their official bid and submit to ESPN. In the spring of 2012 entities will be selected to be the hosts of the X Games for 3 years and to work closely with ESPN to produce the events.

New Competitions

X Games will debut the new discipline of Enduro X this year, as well as hold the first-ever rally street circuit running through the downtown streets of Los Angeles. 

Enduro X will feature both men’s and women’s disciplines, showcasing riders’ talent on an all-terrain obstacle course. Riders will race through sand, mud, logs, rocks and other terrain features in a blend of motocross racing and traditional Enduro, battling not only each other but also the challenging course for their shot at X Games gold.  The new addition will be one of eight Moto X competitions taking place inside STAPLES Center, while the downtown Los Angeles street circuit will offer a unique and exciting setting for the disciplines of Rally Car Racing on Saturday and RallyCross on Sunday.

ESPN America TV Coverage

X Games 17 will again be hosted by ESPN’s Sal Masekela, marking his tenth year as host of the world’s premier action sports event. He has served as the annual host of both the X Games and Winter X Games since 2001. In addition to serving as host of the X Games 17 telecast, Masekela will serve as play-by-play commentator for the Skateboard Vert, Park, Street and Big Air events. 

 

ESPN America’s HD coverage schedule will deliver 16 hours of live coverage over the four days of the event.  For complete schedule information, including the timing of individual events, go to:  www.espnamerica.com or ESPN.com/action

 

X GAMES 17 ON ESPN AMERICA (all times BST)

Thursday 28^th July                                             

X Games (Live) – 12:00pm – 4:00am                 

 

Friday 29^th July

X Center – 9:00am – 10:00am

X Games (Live) – 8:00pm – 10:00pm

Saturday 30^th  July

X Center – 9:00am – 10:00am

X Games (Live) – 7:00pm – 11:00pm

X Games (Live) – 3:00am – 5:00am *^{(note:  telecast in early morning of 31st July)}

 

Sunday 1^st August

X Center – 10:00am – 11:00am

X Games (Live) – 10:00pm – 4:00am

 

Action Sports Legends Join TV Coverage

A prominent collection of action sports legends will join Masekela for the seventeenth edition of the X Games. Tony Hawk, Jeremy McGrath and Dennis McCoy return to the telecast this year. New additions to the on air team include Kevin Robinson, Toby Moody and Emile Bouret.

Moody will join the telecast team as the play-by-play commentator for the Rally Car events at X Games 17. Hawk, McGrath, McCoy, Robinson and Bouret will serve as analysts for the Skateboard, Moto X, BMX Freestyle and Rally Car competitions.  (see below for biographical information)

For the full telecast schedule and X Games media information, including press releases, logos and additional images from past events, log on to www.espneventmedia.com. For general information and updated athlete lists, log on to www.xgames.com.

Follow the X Games on Twitter at Twitter.com/espnxgames.

 

 

 

 

To Tweet this release:  http://es.pn/lMWojM

 

May 17, 2011

 

ESPN X Games Expands Its Franchise to Become the Largest Action Sports Competition in the World With Six Annual Events Around the Globe.

Four Outside U.S., Two in U.S Scheduled for 2013; Host Cities Begin Bid Process

 

ESPN, the leading action sports content provider and creator of the X Games, today announced a significant milestone in its long-term plans to expand the X Games on a global basis. Beginning in 2013, ESPN will produce six world-class X Games events around the world – two in the U.S. and four events outside the U.S. ESPN is putting significant resources and focus behind this push for expansion outside the U.S. market and will bring the most prestigious action sports competition to cities and countries around the world.

 

Click image below to play video, or go to:  http://player.delvenetworks.com/preview/?m=e891fe5bd70a44fa955f690009700da7

ESPN will conduct a formal bid process to determine the X Games host cities. In addition to the current events in Los Angeles, Aspen and Tignes, France where ESPN is partnered with Canal+, ESPN will add three international events which will be selected through the bid process. Final cities will be selected in 2012 for a three-year agreement and will work with ESPN to stage the event.

 

A total of 130 hours of live TV coverage across the six X Games events on ESPN networks in the U.S. and around the world will be supplemented by coverage on digital platforms, including a year-round action sports website. The foundation and top priority of the X Games events will continue to be the world’s best action sports athletes that will be invited to compete in the following sports for X Games: BMX, Skateboard, Moto X, Rally Car Racing; for Winter X Games: Skiing, Snowboard and Snowmobile.  Each X Games event will take on its own distinguishing characteristics that will set it apart from the others including introductions of different sports, cultural elements and the locations themselves.   .  In addition, the X Games will continue to showcase and celebrate action sports competition while also highlighting the artistic and social elements inherent in the action sports lifestyle.

 

“We are incredibly excited to take the X Games to the next level,” said Scott Guglielmino, senior vice president, programming and Global X Games. “While we have produced events under the X Games banner outside the U.S. for many years, these four new X Games events will be of the same size and stature as the Los Angeles and Aspen events.”

 

Pro skateboarder and legend, Tony Hawk, an integral part of the X Games over the past 17 years as an iconic athlete and TV analyst, said,  “It has been incredible to see the X Games grow from its’ relatively underground inception in 1995, to a thriving global competition circuit today,” said Hawk. “Our sports have benefited greatly from the positive exposure over the years, and I am proud to have watched it all evolve since the beginning.”

 

Since the X Games began in 1995, the franchise has evolved into a recognized, global brand as the event  has expanded its reach to consumer products, theatrical releases and ESPN.com/action – the definitive site for action sports fans. Over the past decade, the X Games and Winter X Games have enjoyed increased attendance as well as coverage and ratings/usage on TV and other ESPN platforms.  The most recent X Games and Winter X Games each set attendance records, pushing all-time attendance to more than two million spectators.

 

This expansion will be the first of its kind for the franchise in size, scope and scale, but since 1998 the X Games has successfully organized smaller events, qualifiers and demos in Brazil, Canada, China, France, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Philippines and Dubai. 

 For cities interested in hosting an X Games or Winter X Games, log on to www.bidxgames.com.

 

For media information, including press releases, logos and additional images from past events, log on to www.espneventmedia.com.

 

For general information, log on to www.xgames.com.

Follow the X Games on Twitter at Twitter.com/espnxgames

 

Contacts:

 

ESPN X Games       Katie Moses Swope, +1 303-290-7888; Katie.moses-swope@espn.com

                                                Danny Chi, +1 310-642-1509; danny.c.chi@espn.com 

                                                Paul Melvin, +44 (0)208 222 2104; paul.melvin@espn.com

Click images to download high-resolution versions of ESPN Classic’s new on-air identity graphics, commissioned specially for the channel from a group of international artists.

ESPN today announced that ESPN Classic will be unveiling a refined look and feel to the channel. Featuring a contemporary and innovative approach to on-air graphics, a host of new content and a refined programming strategy, the additions will expand on the wealth of existing content that relives the greatest moments from sporting history.

Ross Hair, Managing Director, ESPN Europe, Middle East & Africa, said:  “With nearly a decade of heritage in Europe, ESPN Classic has earned a place in the minds of sports fans and has evolved along the way. The enhanced look and feel of the channel aims to better reflect its identity as a place where fans can find context, and a celebration of the culture, legends and heritage of sport. Coupled with the refined programming approach and the new content, it reinforces ESPN Classic’s position as a part of the growth and vision of our business in the region, and our ongoing strategy to create more continuity between the channels and brands in our portfolio.”

Read more…

• Multi-Year deal brings 300+ games, plus All-Star Game and World Series to ESPN, ESPN America networks

Click below for downloadable high-resolution images of MLB on ESPN

 

 

 

 

ESPN and Major League Baseball International announced today a multi-year extension of their current European television rights agreement, which will make ESPN America the continued home of MLB games across more than 40 countries and nearly 19 million households across Europe. The deal also extends to other ESPN networks, such as the company’s ESPN channel in the UK, which will show multiple live games each week throughout the season.

The deal will provide baseball fans with the most extensive season-long coverage of Major League Baseball to date, including pre-season Spring Training games, more than 300 regular season games, the entire MLB Playoffs – including the Division Series, American League and National League Championship Series and the World Series.

The agreement will also include rights to the annual MLB All-Star programming which includes the All-Star Game, Home Run Derby, Futures Game and Celebrity Softball Game. Read more…

The 2011 NHL Playoffs and Stanley Cup Final will be live on ESPN America, beginning at 12midnight BST on Wednesday 13^th April with a double header of opening games from the Conference Quarter Finals. The coverage, direct from the U.S., will continue through to the Stanley Cup Finals, with every game of each best of seven series. ESPN’s live and on-demand sports broadband service, ESPN Player, will also offer complete coverage of every game from the NHL Playoffs.

Viewers will also be able to keep up to date with all the action from each round as the competition progresses through ESPN America’s SportsCenter, which will cover the latest news, stories and results daily with host Michael Kim, and ESPN lead NHL analysts Barry Melrose and Matthew Barnaby.

Read more…

 

 

 

Features on ESPN America SportsCenter Thursday Morning; Brackets on ESPNAmerica.com, ESPN.com 

 President Obama’s Final Four Selections:   

Men’s – Duke, Kansas, Ohio State and Pittsburgh

Women’s – Baylor, Connecticut, Stanford and Tennessee

 U.S. President Barack Obama filled out his NCAA^® March Madness^® tournament bracket predictions for the 2011 NCAA Men’s and Women’s NCAA Basketball Tournaments exclusively with ESPN.com senior writer Andy Katz (men’s) and ESPN basketball analyst Doris Burke (women’s). Video of the interviews with President Obama can be seen exclusively on ESPN America’s signature news and information program, SportsCenter, on Thursday morning (7 – 9 a.m. CET) and Friday, March 18, at (7 – 9 a.m. CET), respectively.  Both interviews will be available on ESPN.com and ESPNAmerica.com, as well on subsequent editions of SportsCenter and other ESPN media platforms worldwide.

President Obama opened up with a plea for bracket participants to keep the people of Japan front of mind, saying, “One thing I wanted to make sure that viewers who are filling out their brackets — this is a great tradition, we have fun every year doing it — but while you’re doing it, if you’re on your laptop, et cetera, go to usaid.gov and that’s going to list a whole range of charities where you can potentially contribute to help the people who have been devastated in Japan. I think that would be a great gesture as you’re filling out your brackets.”

The President is predicting a Men’s Final Four of Duke, Kansas, Ohio State and Pittsburgh and a Women’s Final Four of Baylor, Connecticut, Stanford and Tennessee. ESPN America will present complete coverage of the NCAA® March Madness® Men’s basketball tournament, culminating with the National Championship Game on 5^th April.

 Among the most popular events on the US sporting calendar, NCAA® MARCH MADNESS® engages millions of fans who support teams from colleges and universities around the country, and who watch on television and play free bracket games each year to predict the outcomes of the tournament.

Read more…

ESPN will bring UK viewers exclusive coverage of the second annual Winter X Games Europe live from the French resort of Tignes, between 16 and 18 March. The games will feature more than 150 of the world’s top winter sports athletes from the UK, Europe and US. Snowboarders and Skiers will compete in Slopestyle and Superpipe competitions, and viewers and spectators will also see snowmobiling demos during the games.

Winter X Games Europe Tignes live on ESPN

ESPN will broadcast Winter X Games Europe events live from Tignes each day of the tournament. Viewers will be treated to more than six hours of live ski and snowboard action more than nine hours of skiing and snowboarding tricks in the Slopestyle competition.

For the full schedule and complete list of Winter X Games Europe athletes, log on to www.winterxgameseurope.com

Read more…

Free apps will deliver news, fixtures, and statistics to fans across the globe; connect F1 and motor racing fans to the live experience of F1

ESPNF1, ESPN’s dedicated Formula One website, is launching free iPhone, Android  and Nokia mobile applications. The new apps will feature all the key content that sports fans expect from ESPNF1, including comprehensive race coverage, commentary and stats.

The ESPNF1 app is available today for iPhone (via the iTunes App Store) and will launch on Android and Nokia within the next two weeks. The app features:

• Countdown Clock - home page will feature a live countdown to the start of the next race;
• Simple navigation – easy access to key content areas via an intuitive navigation system;
• Feature content – original features including Driver Profiles, Q&A’s, and opinion-based articles from ESPNF1 writers;
• Circuit Detail - After selecting a race, users can view circuit information, including a profile of each track along with historical information.
• Race updates - upcoming race calendars and exclusive news;
• Push notifications (coming soon) – fans can get alerts on upcoming key events, meaning they will receive instant alerts when new content is available
• Race Commentary  – latest action on every grand prix

Read more…