ESPN today unveils plans for its extensive, multiplatform coverage of the British and Irish Lions’ tour of Australia. ESPNscrum, which serves rugby union fans with an informative and entertaining mix of news, live minute-by-minute match coverage and live scores, will combine with ESPN Classic to provide fans a comprehensive Lions line-up.

ESPN Classic will bring fans some great Lions action from previous years, including:

• 1974 “Invincibles”:  The 1974 tour to South Africa, when the Lions earned the tag “Invincibles” after they went unbeaten, winning 21 of their 22 matches
• The 1997 tour to South Africa:  The Lions’ first visit to the country since the end of Apartheid, and the first tour since rugby union turned professional
• The 2001 tour to Australia:  The Lions’ last visit to Australia, which saw the Wallabies pick up their first ever series win, as the visitors were beset by tensions in the squad
• “Being a Lion”: will tell the story of what playing for the Lions is all about. Based on interviews with a number of legends, this will revisit the emotion of being selected and the pride in wearing the Lions’ colours,
• “The Lions’ Top Fives”: Compilation featuring the top tries, controversies and players Online and on mobile, ESPNscrum coverage of the tour will be led by assistant editor Tom Hamilton, who will be on the ground in Australia for the duration of the Lions’ tour, providing a mix of features, analysis and interviews in addition to a tour diary as the Lions look to win their first tour series since the visit to South Africa in 1997. This will be supported by ESPN’s London and Sydney-based rugby writers bringing fans team news, previews, live match coverage and analysis.

A host of podcasts and video content will feature on the site, including a discussion between ESPN rugby presenter Mark Durden-Smith and ESPN’s former Lion Austin Healey about the 2001 tour – the last time the Lions (including Healey) visited Australia.

Fans will also be able to test their rugby management skills against each other with the ESPNscrum Fantasy Rugby – 2013 Tour Game. Readers will also get the chance to take part in an interactive poll to establish the nation’s favourite Lions players, tries, moments and coaches, with a new voting category announced each week during the tour.

ESPNscrum’s detailed match reports and updates will be accompanied by in-depth features discussing and dissecting the performances of the teams, while “where are they now?” articles will look back at the 1989 and 2001 Lions squads that toured Australia.

Ross Hair, Managing Director, ESPN, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said: “The Lions tour only comes around once every four years, and we’ll be making the most of it with coverage online and on television. Fans will be able to keep up with all the latest news and updates from Down Under, and relive some of the great Lions moments from down the years.”

-ENDS-

ESPN’s Austin Healey speaks to Mark Durden-Smith on the 2013 Lions Tour

Touring Australia, can you get away from the intensity of the situation?

‘The press make it very difficult and you have to ignore all that but in some ways it galvanises the squad. This squad is a strange squad; I think it hasn’t got a real spark. It hasn’t got a Christian Wade or a Jason Robinson. Warren Gatland has said ‘we are going to come there with some really big guys and you’re going to have to try and stop the British Bulldozer’.’

What is the best way to do it if you want to win a series in Australia?

‘I think the key is to keep energy high on the tour. You’ll have difficult times in midweek. You have got to keep that energy up and keep the competition for places high. If they do that this Lions squad have got the quality amongst them and the experience to take this slightly less experienced Australian side to the cleaners.’

Can the Lions replicate the 2001 first Test in Brisbane when there was a sea of red Lions supporters and Jason Robinson scored and the whole place came to life?

‘I think the Lions can win it, but I do think it’s going to go to that final Test, but maybe Justin Harrison winning a lineout in the very final seconds of the game can win it for Australia.’

What are your memories of touring Australia with the Lions?

‘I enjoyed the tour. I thought it was a very enjoyable tour in terms of the playing and the people you played with. What we had was a separation for the tour so Graham Henry had almost picked his tour squad, his first 15 before we got there and if you don’t have the competition, players lose interest. There was real separation, some people went their own way, but it was really the players that brought it back on track.’

Research of a representative sample of British sports fans, conducted by ESPN.co.uk and Netfluential, reveals two thirds of fans would prefer their team to win the FA Cup than to finish in fourth place in the Barclays Premier League and claim a UEFA Champions League qualification spot. With just two days until the 2013 FA Cup Final between Manchester City and Wigan Athletic, ESPN.co.uk’s survey finds that when given a choice between their club winning the world’s oldest domestic cup competition or earning the fourth UEFA Champions League qualification place, 64.6% of fans chose the FA Cup.

ESPN.co.uk, the UK multi-sport digital portal, commissioned a study of British sports fans as part of an on-going brand tracking study by ESPN. These sports fans represented a demographically representative snapshot of the UK sports fan population. Among other findings: 

• Somewhat surprisingly, only 53% would rather see their national side lift the FIFA World Cup than the club they support win their domestic club league (47%);
• There is a clear consensus on a subject of major debate of recent years – the majority of fans agree that video technology to assist referees should be brought into football, with 87% supporting its introduction; 
• More than half of the fans surveyed are against another possible addition to English football – a winter break – with 52.6% saying they do not want a winter break.

There is, however, no dispute as to the fans’ player of the season in English football, with Manchester United’s Robin van Persie earning 41.9% of the vote – more than the rest of the top five combined: Luis Suarez (12.6%), Steven Gerrard (10.6%), Gareth Bale (10.3%) and Michu (7.6%).

Van Persie’s manager at United is similarly dominant in the battle of the managers. Sir Alex Ferguson is overwhelmingly viewed as the best ever manager of a British football team – 47% agreed he is the greatest, while 11% chose Nottingham Forest’s double-European Cup winner Brian Clough and 8% opted for Liverpool legend Bill Shankly. England’s only ever World Cup-winning manager, Sir Alf Ramsey, came in sixth behind Bill Paisley (6.5%) and Jock Stein (5.2%) with just 4.9%.

The survey also reveals fans’ personal dedication to their teams, asking what they would give up to see their club victorious, and the lengths they’ve gone to in order to see their side play. A quarter of those surveyed (25.9%) said they would give up alcohol if it meant their team would win the league, while 35% were prepared to forego meals out – the most popular forfeit. Another 9.4% would be happy for their team never to win another trophy if it meant a trophy win this season, while nearly one in ten (8.6%) would stop having sex if it guaranteed their team a league win. For most respondents, money is more important than their team’s success – 7.6% would go without a payrise so their team could win the league.

When it came to seeing their team in action, a fifth of those surveyed (21.4%) admitted they have lied to a spouse in order to watch sport on TV. Meanwhile, a quarter of fans (25.9%) have missed an important event such as an anniversary, birthday or Valentine’s Day in order to watch their team in action. Just fewer than two per cent (1.8%) have even missed the birth of a child because they couldn’t bear not seeing their team play. 

NOTES TO EDITORS:

• Questions were asked as part of an on-going brand tracking study conducted by Netfluential for ESPN.
• The study was conducted online, amongst a total sample of 1,109 sports fans.
• These sports fans were comprised of a representative snapshot of the UK sports fan population.
• The survey was carried out in February 2013.

Commercial-free providing uninterrupted half-time and pre-match coverage

Special editions of signature shows, such as Pardon The Interruption live and on-site from Wembley

Online at ESPN.co.uk: extensive match video offering plus behind-the-scenes insight via Twitter

ESPN will bring fans the 2013 FA Cup Final between Wigan Athletic and Manchester City on Saturday 11^th May commercial free, as part of a full day of live FA Cup programming from Wembley Stadium that continues the tradition of broadcasting all day around the final of the world’s oldest domestic cup competition. This will be the third consecutive year that ESPN has brought fans a full day of live programming around the FA Cup Final.

Beginning at 8am on Saturday 11^th May, ESPN’s special FA Cup Final coverage will include:

• All Day:  A host of dedicated programmes – including Breakfast at Wembley and FA Cup Final Memories, plus special live editions of ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption and Talk of The Terrace.
• Commercial Free:  ESPN will bring fans the FA Cup Final commercial free from 4.45pm through to the trophy presentation, giving viewers uninterrupted coverage, including uninterrupted half time coverage.
• On-Site: All live shows will come from Wembley Stadium, from dedicated studio sets and ESPN’s pitch-side set, as well as special positions around the ground including Wembley Way.
• HD:  ESPN HD will feature complete high-definition coverage of the entire day of FA Cup programming

Ross Hair, Managing Director, ESPN, Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: “ESPN has relished bringing fans this season’s FA Cup, starting in the First Round as non-league Dorchester Town upset the odds to knock out League Two Plymouth. We were there in the fourth round when Brentford forced FA Cup holders Chelsea to a replay, and when Leeds United knocked out Spurs. The FA Cup Final has a special place in the hearts of football fans everywhere and our all-day, on-site coverage is an illustration of the passion we have for football’s greatest domestic football competition.”

ESPN’s FA Cup Final coverage will kick off at 8am with Breakfast at Wembley, setting the scene for the big day with discussion around the latest stories. And during Wembley Access All Areas from 8.30am, ESPN will announce the results of a special poll to establish fans’ all-time favourite moments from the world’s oldest domestic football competition. Voting categories have been initiated round by round at ESPN.co.uk/facuppoll – starting ahead of the Third Round in January with a vote for the Greatest FA Cup giant-killing of all time. At 10am, ESPN will debut FA Cup Final – Here’s to the Dream, which recounts the dozens of FA Cup tales featured by ESPN on its FA Cup TV coverage all season. As part of a season-long collaboration with FA Cup sponsor Budweiser, ESPN has aired fan-focused FA Cup stories and short-films focused on famous FA Cup legends and players.

From 2.30pm ESPN’s Ray Stubbs and Rebecca Lowe will be joined by ESPN football analysts Kevin Keegan, John Barnes and Craig Burley plus special guests, for a pitch-side build-up to the kick off. Commentary on ESPN and ESPN HD will come from Jon Champion and Chris Waddle with pre-match analysis of the match using ESPN’s augmented reality tool, ESPN Arena, from ESPN’s Darrell Currie and Craig Burley.

Budweiser is sponsor of ESPN’s televised FA Cup coverage. ESPN and Budweiser are collaborating around this season’s FA Cup with an integrated collaboration covering advertising and content. The campaign encompasses several other elements including: Here’s to the Dream – FA Cup 2012/13, which are short fan-focused films running all season from the First Round through to the Final, which recount fans’ personal tales about the competition.

ESPN’S FA CUP FINAL COVERAGE – 11^th MAY

8:00 – Breakfast at Wembley (Live)

Breakfast at Wembley will chew the fat off the big news stories of Cup Final day. ESPN football reporter and presenter Darrell Currie will scour the back pages, with two leading sports journalists to discuss the news items that will set the tone for the rest of the day. Currie and guests will also be chatting with journalists from around the globe to learn how the world’s press is covering the world’s oldest domestic cup competition.

8:30 - FA Cup Final – Access All Areas Special (Live)

ESPN football presenters James Richardson and Kelly Cates will take us behind the scenes at Wembley stadium, meeting the characters that make the final happen. No area is out of bounds for James and Kelly who, along with former Man City defender Danny Mills, Ex-Wigan midfielder Kevin Kilbane and other FA Cup legends, take a light hearted look at the stories behind the final. Plus, fans’ choice of the Greatest FA Cup Final in history will be exclusively revealed following the unveiling of results from a special ESPN poll to establish fans’ all-time moments from the FA Cup.

10:00 – Here’s to The Dream – FA Cup Final

ESPN football reporter/presenter Rebecca Lowe will round up six of the special fan-focused films about the FA Cup that have been running all season on ESPN from the First Round. Each fan film recount fans’ personal tales about the competition. Films to feature include two Spurs fans recounting their side’s historic and much-debated 1981 FA Cup Final win.

10:30 – Pardon the Interruption UK – FA Cup Final Special (Live)

Quick-fire discussion based on the show’s signature format from Mark Chapman and Steve Bunce.

11:00 – FA Cup Final Memories

ESPN football analyst Steve McManaman plus four other FA Cup winners relive their memories of winning the FA Cup, plus discussion of other greatest moments from the FA Cup’s past.

12:00 – FA Cup Final – Talking Tactics

ESPN football analysts Craig Burley, John Barnes, Steve McManman and Martin Keown will look ahead to where the tactical battles will be in the Cup Final, predict what formations are likely to be played, analyse who the key players will be and where the game will be won and lost. The show will also use ESPN’s augmented reality tool, ESPN Arena, which brings the tactics, formations, battles and key moves to life in 3D.

13:00 — Talk Of the Terrace – FA Cup Final Special (Live)

Live from the Terrace Bar at Wembley’s Hilton Hotel, Talk Of The Terrace will be presented by ESPN’s Mark Durden-Smith and special guest Jason McAteer in front of a studio audience.  Joining Mark and Jason will be an array of celebrity guests, plus ESPN’s ‘Off The Ball’ team drop by to give their unique take on the FA Cup Final.  Causing chaos on Wembley Way will be Joe Swash – one-time winner of I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, who also takes a trip up Wembley’s iconic arch.  Live music will come from the band, British Sea Power. 

14:30 — FA Cup Final Matchday Live

Ray Stubbs and Rebecca Lowe present pitch-side from Wembley with Kevin Keegan, John Barnes, Craig Burley, Paul Jewell and Jason Roberts plus other special guests. Plus, ESPN Technical Area, which provides 3D animated plays and players and analysis, with Darrell Currie and Burley. Reporters Rebecca Lowe and Currie will bring fans the stories around the match as the day unfolds and insight from the key players in both camps.

16:45 – FA Cup Final Live – commercial free

Jon Champion and Chris Waddle commentate on ESPN & ESPN HD.

20:00 – Off-Air

THE FA CUP ON ESPN CLASSIC, ESPNFC.COM & ESPN.CO.UK

ESPN Classic has featured an extensive programming line-up of great FA Cup moments all season long. During FA Cup Final week this will continue with a double bill every weeknight from 8.30pm featuring Magic of the FA Cup – which features compilations of classic moments, players and matches – followed by a classic FA Cup match replayed in full. And over the weekend of the FA Cup Final, from 8am on Saturday 11^th May and 8am on Sunday 12^th May, ESPN Classic will be replaying in full a selection of classic FA Cup Final matches from the past.

ESPN.co.uk, ESPN’s news and information portal, and ESPNFC.com, ESPN’s multi-platform, multi-language and multi-country global football brand, will both offer fans in the UK and Ireland extensive live video updates during the FA Cup Final, including goals, chances and incidents. After the match, full video highlights and interviews from ESPN’s TV coverage will also be available. Bringing fans closer to the atmosphere of the occasion, ESPN.co.uk will be bringing images and updates behind-the-scenes of ESPN’s FA Cup TV broadcast, via social media. Both sites will provide live scores and match reports, plus access to a network of bloggers. On mobile, fans can access all of the best content from ESPN.co.uk via the mobile web, and, from ESPNFC.com via a dedicated mobile app.

On Sunday May 5, ESPN will take the road north for coverage of Celtic’s trip to Ross County. County’s Derek Adams has done an acclaimed job with the Staggies in this, their first season in the SPL. They have already taken points off the Parkhead side this term while Neil Lennon will want his Champions elect to finish the season in style.

ESPN also has a live Friday night fixture when second-placed Motherwell travel to Tannadice to take on Dundee United in match that is vital in the battle to finish second in the SPL.

To round the season off, the ESPN team will be in Edinburgh for coverage of the final Hearts v Hibs derby of the campaign.

All Clydesdale Bank Premier League ties will be screened live and exclusive on ESPN and ESPN HD with Ray Stubbs presenting the coverage with Derek Rae and Craig Burley overseeing the action from the commentary box. ESPN reporter, Darrell Currie, will be on site for every game securing exclusive interviews with players and managers.

ESPN’s coverage of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League and Rangers games from the Irn Bru Scottish Football League are part of the channel’s established offering of top domestic and international sport from around the world, including the Barclays Premier League, UEFA Europa League, Germany’s Bundesliga, Italy’s Serie A, the FA Cup, Aviva Premiership Rugby and wide selection of sport from around the world.

ESPN also provides complete news, results and analysis coverage of British and international football on ESPN.co.uk and ESPNFC.com, the sports media company’s newly-launched multi-platform, multi-territory football offering.

These new fixtures add to ESPN’s already confirmed line-up of matches over the coming weeks. Its schedule includes:

(Times listed are on-air times. Subject to change)

April

Friday 19^th April       Dundee Utd v Motherwell                       7:00pm

Monday 22nd April   Hibs v Aberdeen                                   7:00pm

Saturday 27^th April    St Johnstone v Inverness                       11.30am

May

Sunday 5^th May         Ross County v Celtic                             11.30am

Sunday 12^th May       Hearts v Hibs                                        11.30am

–Dynamic multi-screen branded content initiative to be launched across EMEA –

ESPN and Turkish Airlines announced today an innovative production partnership and multi-platform sponsorship deal.  The collaboration is centered on Basketball Capitals presented by Turkish Airlines, a new documentary series profiling the culture and passion for basketball within the world’s most iconic cities.

The new, multi-faceted partnership takes viewers on a journey through four premier destinations that Turkish Airlines serves: Madrid, Berlin, Istanbul, and Athens. Basketball Capitals is developed and executive produced by ESPN’s International Marketing Solutions in collaboration with Academy-Award^® winning production company 100bares and Euroleague Basketball.  The series helps illustrate the strong relationship Turkish Airlines has with European sports through first-hand accounts and profiles of the Turkish Airlines Euroleague teams that call these destinations home, including Real Madrid, Alba Berlin, Besiktas JK Istanbul, Fenerbahce Ülker Istanbul, Galatasaray Medical Park, Anadolu Efes Istanbul, Olympiacos Piraeus, and Panathinaikos Athens.

Illustrating the cities further will be special in-content vignettes, titled Turkish Airlines City Voices, providing viewers another look at what makes each city a sought-after travel destination. 

“Basketball is a global sport and we’re pleased to extend our commitment with the Euroleague and work with ESPN on the creation of Basketball Capitals,” said Faruk Çizmecioğlu, Chief Marketing Officer of Turkish Airlines.  “The series provides the perfect opportunity to showcase the basketball fandom in some of the great cities in Europe, where we proudly serve over seventy destinations.”

Basketball Capitals is the next iteration of ESPN’s ‘Capitals’ franchise that is entering its third season in Latin America and illustrates football culture in the greatest cities around the world. The franchise is the company’s most successful original content series in the region with an audience of over 20 million viewers.

“Great sports stories are often about cities,” said Esteban Apraez, Senior Director, ESPN International Marketing Solutions.  “The four cities featured in Basketball Capitals have been uniquely shaped by sports and the fans that live in them. The series illustrates our approach to successful branded content, which is guided by a simple philosophy — create great content that can help deliver a powerful brand message that is about more than just how often a product appears on screen.  Basketball Capitals aligns beautifully with Turkish Airlines aim of connecting people to some of the world’s great cities.”

Added Mr. Jordi Bertomeu, Euroleague Basketball President and CEO: “It is a true honor that both Turkish Airlines and ESPN selected Euroleague Basketball and its participating teams to give this particular vision of European basketball, through a breakthrough branded content series that bring us the opportunity to promote and show the quality and passion our fans feel for our sport”

Basketball Capitals will be featured across a multi-faceted, multi-platform execution that includes:

• Documentaries -  Four 30-minute original documentaries premiering on all ESPN networks in EMEA (ESPN UK, ESPN America, ESPN Classic, ESPN Middle East/Israel, ESPN Atlantic) on May 14th.
• City Voices presented by Turkish Airlines – Eight special in-programme branded vignettes that give viewers an additional look at what makes each city a sought-after travel destination.
• Syndication – Documentaries will be distributed and syndicated to other TV partners and will be available for exclusive in-flight viewing in Turkish Airline flights and airport lounges.
• Comprehensive Multimedia Marketing – A full multimedia marketing campaign, featuring special co-branded creatives and digital media, will launch across ESPN networks and sites in April.  Additionally, trailers and promotional materials will appear in various stadiums during games leading up to and during the Euroleague Final Four.
• Digital Hub – Launching in early April, www.basketballcapitals.com will house series details, news, features, and bonus content.
• ESPN Basketball coverage – Ahead of the documentaries premiering, Turkish Airlines commercial TV spots will be featured on ESPN TV networks’ coverage of key basketball content such as the Euroleague, NBA and NCAA March Madness across EMEA, as well as in other ESPN programming.

Basketball Capitals Overview — premiering May 14^th (check local listings for details)

Madrid:

In a city divided by the Manzanares River, an underlying passion for Real Madrid Basketball unites.  The cousin of the European football powerhouse and perhaps the most successful basketball team in European history, Real Madrid has won more than sixty titles including two separate streaks of seven and ten consecutive championships in the Spanish League. The city’s passion for the game permeates its culture and has helped develop some of the world’s top players.

Berlin:

Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the German capital has seen ongoing social and cultural changes, reflected in Berlin’s connection with basketball and Alba Berlin, which continues to grow at a rapid rate and establish the city as a hub for the sport.

Istanbul:
In the ancient city of Istanbul is at the crossroads of the world, where cultures meet and basketball rivalries run deep. Teams including Fenerbahçe Ülker, Beşiktas, Galatasaray, and Anadolu Efes compete for supremacy and passionate fans swarm to the stadiums to support their favourite clubs. Istanbul’s strong basketball structure has developed top players on the world stage, including Hedo Türkoğlu and Ömer Aşik, and continues to be a hub for talent.

Athens:

The birthplace of the modern Olympic Games in 1896, sport has been a central pillar of life and culture in Athens for ages.  In the sport of basketball, Greece has been the birthplace of exceptional talents who have achieved on a world stage, and the country’s capital is home to a passionate rivalry between clubs Olympiacos Piraeus and Panathinaikos Athens.

About ESPN

ESPN, Inc. is the world’s leading multinational, multimedia sports entertainment company featuring a portfolio of over 50 multimedia sports assets. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc., which is an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The Hearst Corporation holds a 20 percent interest in ESPN.

ESPN International has grown to include ownership — in whole or in part — of 35 television networks outside of the United States, as well as a variety of brand extension businesses, which allow ESPN to reach fans in 184 countries and territories.

About Euroleague Basketball

A global leader in sports management, Euroleague Basketball is enjoying its second decade of sustained growth as an innovative organizer of elite competitions and events. It now manages the continent’s two premier basketball competitions, the Turkish Airlines Euroleague and the Eurocup, consisting of more than 50 teams from as many as 25 countries. Euroleague Basketball also directs the Nike International Junior Tournament, which crowns a young men’s continental champion each spring. Through the Euroleague Basketball Institute and One Team, the company promotes educational and charitable initiatives as varied as coaching clinics and communitarian integration initiatives throughout its markets.

About Turkish Airlines

Established in 1933 with a fleet of only five airplanes, Star Alliance member, Turkish Airlines is today a four star airline with a fleet of 207 aircraft (passenger and cargo) flying to 220 cities around the world, comprised of  36 domestic and 184 international destinations. One of the fastest growing airline companies, Turkis h Airlines has received several “Passengers Choice Awards” from the consumer  ranking group, Skytrax. Based on 2011 and 2012 results, Turkish Airlines has been chosen as the winner of “Best Airline Europe”, “Best Premium Economy Seats” for its Comfort Class seats and “Best Airline Southern Europe”. It has also received awards for its catering and holds a coveted 4-star designation, putting the airline in a small group of top quality carriers. Turkish Airlines was also given the Skytrax designation of “World’s Best Economy Class On-board Catering” in 2010, and Skyscanner’s “Best On-board Food 2011”. Long haul Business Class passengers also enjoy the Flying Chef service on-board.

With the IPL 2013 season beginning on April 3, the leading digital destination for cricket in India and around the world – ESPNcricinfo – is announcing the launch of several innovative new products and sections for cricket fans that debut across online and mobile services in India and globally in time for the IPL 2013 season.

The new sections and products combine with ESPNcricinfo’s industry-leading coverage of the sport – including match reports, news, analysis and stats – to deliver the most comprehensive coverage of the IPL across digital devices.

ESPNCRICINFO MATCH COMPANION:  THE SOCIAL SCORECARD

ESPNcricinfo Match Companion is the first-ever ‘Social’ scorecard for cricket in time for the IPL 2013 season. Providing a second-screen match experience, combines standard scorecard information and stats with the functionality of social media – allowing fans to connect and engage with other fans and friends to chat, debate, play games, follow the chatter on Twitter and have tools to access in-depth stats, information and analysis.

Live and dynamic during every match of the IPL 2013 season, and available across personal computers and tablet devices, fans can use Match Companion while watching a match to enjoy:

• Deeper Engagement – access a rich trove of stats, news and player info.
• Fan interaction & discussion – interact with other fans while following the match on digital devices and engage in the social currency of the debate and discussion, sharing their opinion and hearing from others.
• All the matches – follow all other matches simultaneously
• Live ESPNcricinfo commentary – ESPNcricinfo’s world class commentators will keep users updated with ball by ball coverage and description.
• Chatterbox – live discussions during the match between users and ESPNCricinfo the editorial team of writers and journalists, including discussions about team selection, strategy, toss decision and the progress of the match.
• Live graphs – at the end of every over, a live graph pictorially depicts how the match is progressing, the flight of each ball in the past over and acts as a clear indicator of each of the team’s performance.
• Facebook live chat – a direct plug-in into your Facebook account, users can chat with friends who are online on the site at that time.
• Timelines – classic summarization of every ball of every over in a horizontal presentation.
• Games & contests – fans can participate in contests and games, such as Predictor, an application where users can predict who according to them could be the top scorer or leading wicket taker during a match.
• ESPNcricinfo Twitter – follow the who’s who of cricket on twitter on the same screen even as the match unfolds – fans can catch all their live opinions and whacky tweets in a single interface in real-time.

THE STANDS

A pioneer in innovative content and products, ESPNcricinfo has again led the industry and launched a first-of-its-kind online forum designed entirely around cricket fans and their voice. The Stands is for fans, by fans and of the fans. From detailed fan reports and commentary to photographs shot by fans and creative captioning of pictures, from polls on hot topics to tweet-sized comments, The Stands has numerous touch points for fans to sound off, speak up, discuss and debate – all of this and more, while still tracking ESPNcricinfo’s famed coverage of cricket from around the world.  Among the many things to see in The Stands:

• Ask Rahul:  in a weekly video segment, the legendary Indian cricketer Rahul Dravid answers one fans question about the game, his career or other relevant cricket topics.
• The Inbox:  Articles and commentary from fans, writing on the aspects of the game that they hold are most passionate about.
• Fan following:  A section for users to write in with their experiences from the stadium, capturing the thoughts of fans from the stands.
• Have your say:  The section allows fans to state their views, debate, and respond to other fans’ views . 
• Social media:  Full integration of the dynamic ESPNcricinfo social media content, including Twitter feeds and ESPNcricinfo live blogging. 
• Your Shots:  Fan Photo Galleries and photo-driven features.  
• Games, contests and quizzes:  Fans will be able to play cricket-themed games like crossword puzzles, suduku and Hangman, as well take quizzes and submit their most creative photo captions in Caption Contest – all for the chance at prizes.

THE CORDON

ESPNcricinfo’s The Cordon is a single home for the work of a group of the most respected sports journalists and bloggers in cricket.  Fans around the world can read and follow the latest stories and musings on an unmatched collection of writers, listen to podcasts, comment, discuss and share with fans and friends.

Among the contributors to The Cordon are:   Sambit Bal, Andy Zaltsman, Alison Mitchel, Andrew Hughes, Jarrod Kimber, Anantha Narayanan, Kamran Abbasi, Samir Chopra, Paul Ford, Dave Hawksworth, Jon Hotten, Michael Jeh, Raf Nicholson, Mahesh Sethuraman, Jack Shantry, Safi Thind, Michel van Oorschot, Stuart Wark, Jonathan Wilson and more.

The Cordon delivers a new doorway to what fans have come to expect from ESPNcricinfo:  a collection of the best, most interesting and thought provoking writing and discussion of the game.

BOSE, BHOGLE AND PLAYER DIARIES

Among the many notable contributors to the ESPNcricinfo coverage are Indian actor, screenwriter and director Rahul Bose, who will author a blog on ESPNcricinfo focused on the socio-cultural aspects of the IPL. 

Well-known commentator Harsha Bhogle will file a weekly video diary for ESPNcricinfo through the duration of the tournament, Harsha’s IPL Weekly.  Additionally, ESPNcricinfo will feature player diaries throughout the IPL 2013 season, with players sharing their experiences of being on the road.

THE HUDDLE:  DAILY GOOGLE+ HANGOUTS

Each day of IPL action in 2013, ESPNcricinfo will host The Huddle – a 15-20 minute video show via Google+ Hangout in which its leading journalists will discuss the IPL action. Hosted by Cricinfo’s editorial team that includes eminent names like Sambit Bal and Sharda Ugra, and featuring journalists, writers, players, commentators and experts, the shows will be an off-beat take on the matches, tactics, gaffes, controversies, off-field action  and results.  Videos of the discussions will be available on-demand to view live on ESPNcricinfo and on its Google+ page.

Additionally, each week during the IPL season, ESPNcricinfo will host a Google+ Hangout where fans can join the brand’s leading cricket journalists to engage in discussion, debate and dialogue.

Last Monday, ESPNcricinfo hosted an hour-long Google+ Hangout with Indian cricket legend Rahul Dravid.  Moderated by Raunak Kapoor, the event gave nine lucky fans the chance to spend an hour chatting about the game they share a passion for.  Dravid answered questions from the fans and discussed the latest cricket news and looked ahead to the start of the 2013 Indian Premier League (IPL) season in two weeks’ time.  Highlights from Dravid’s comments can be read here, and video of the entire event can be seen here. 

Afterward, Dravid said of the event:  “It was great fun and is a new way for me to connect with fans, which have played such a special role to me throughout my career. The team at ESPNcricinfo has always been at the front of the line when it comes to innovative ways to connect fans with the game, and this opportunity is another example of that.”

FANTASY CRICKET & PREDICTOR GAMES

ESPNcricinfo will give fans two new games this season, the ESPNcricinfo Indian T20 Fantasy Game and a new ESPNcricinfo Cricket Predictor game on Facebook. 

ESPNCRICINFO IPL TRAVEL GUIDES

ESPNcricinfo features a special Travel section for the IPL 2013, delivering guides for fans travelling to each of the IPL destination cities. For each of the cities, fans have a single place to learn about the city, the stadium, where to stay if you visit, where to eat and party while you are there, what are the nearby “Must Do’s”, tips for travellers, photo galleries and more.  Including expert input and tips, as well as user submitted insights and local knowledge – the ESPNcricinfo Travel section is a central repository for all the information that IPL fans need to travel and experience the matches – and their host cities – in person.

ESPNcricinfo on:

• Twitter          twitter.com/espncricinfo
• Facebook    http://www.facebook.com/Cricinfo
• Google+      http://plus.google.com/+espncricinfo
• Youtube       http://www.youtube.com/espncricinfo   

The competition is open to UK-based residents until 31 March at espncricinfo.com/chancetoshine and requires entrants to answer a simple cricket-based question.

ESPNcricinfo is partnering with the Cricket Foundation – the charity behind the Chance to Shine and StreetChance initiatives aimed at increasing cricket participation – for the masterclass competition, which was won last year by Wallington High School for Girls. Pupils from the school took part in a cricket training session at Lord’s, followed by a tour of the “home of cricket”. The day saw the youngsters taken through a coaching session by former England players Peter Such and Alex Tudor. The event culminated in a game, providing the perfect opportunity for the school’s keen cricketers to show the internationals what they had learned.

Images of last year’s winning school enjoying their day out at Lord’s available from this link

This year, ESPNcricinfo has re-established its partnership with The Cricket Foundation for schools and clubs across the UK to win a visit from a famous ex-cricketer on 17 April, and, a coaching session plus tour at Lord’s on 10 May. Details of the famous ex-cricketers involved will be confirmed at a later date.

David Hopps, editor, UK, ESPNcricinfo, said: “Encouraging kids to get involved in playing, watching and being interested in cricket is our objective with this year’s masterclass competition. The Chance to Shine initiative has demonstrated the positive impact cricket can have in schools, and our Masterclass competition is a brilliant opportunity for schools to give their pupils a taste of the game.”

ESPN has announced the FA Cup Semi-Final that it will broadcast exclusively live – on-air from 4.15pm – on Saturday 13^th April, as the Championship’s Millwall take on Barclays Premier League side Wigan Athletic at Wembley Stadium.

This season, Wigan have produced their best ever performance in the FA Cup, reaching the Semi-Finals for the first time. They began the competition in January being held at home to League 1 side Bournemouth in the Third Round, winning the replay 1-0. The Latics have since avoided giantkillings away to Macclesfield and Huddersfield, before going on to pull off a shock of their own, scoring three goals in as many first half minutes to knock out Everton at the Sixth Round stage. Wigan’s impressive FA Cup run comes as they struggle to climb away from the relegation zone in the Barclays Premier League. Roberto Martinez will be hoping to avoid joining the small group of teams like Middlesbrough and Birmingham who found good FA Cup runs have coincided with relegation from the top flight. 

Wigan’s opponents Millwall will be playing in their fifth FA Cup Semi-Final, their only victory in at this stage of the competition coming in 2004, when they beat Sunderland 1-0 to progress to the Final against Manchester United. This season the Lions began by knocking out Preston before going on to eliminate Barclays Premier League strugglers Aston Villa and overcoming non-league Luton 3-0 in the Fifth Round. Kenny Jackett’s men needed a replay to get past Championship rivals Blackburn in the Sixth Round, with veteran central defender Danny Shittu scoring his second goal in this season’s competition to earn Millwall a 1-0 victory and a trip to Wembley.

Simon Potter, head of programming and production, ESPN EMEA, said: “Both teams truly deserve their place at Wembley, having both caused shock results on the way and providing surprises and entertainment for fans. The FA Cup semi-finals are one of the biggest occasions in the sporting calendar and has a special place in the hearts of football fans everywhere.”

FA CUP ON ESPN

ESPN will have broadcast 24 live and exclusive FA Cup matches this season, from the First Round through to the Final, ensuring fans won’t miss any of the competition’s unique drama and storylines. As well as selected replays through the tournament, the sports media company televised two matches in the first two rounds, three matches from the third to fifth rounds, two quarter-finals, one semi-final and the FA Cup Final. ESPN Classic features an extensive programming line-up of great FA Cup moments.

ESPN.co.uk, ESPN’s news and information portal, offers football fans in the UK online coverage of the FA Cup including special features. ESPNFC.com, ESPN’s multi-platform, multi-language and multi-country global football brand, provides live scores and match reports, plus access to a network of bloggers. Both sites will also offer video highlights of selected FA Cup matches. On mobile, fans can access all of the best content from ESPN.co.uk via the mobile web, and, from ESPNFC.com via a dedicated mobile app.

Kevin Pietersen and Vernon Philander have won the top honours in the ESPNcricinfo Awards 2012, which celebrate the best individual performances over the last calendar year by batsmen and bowlers in Tests, one-day internationals and T20 cricket.  

Kevin Pietersen of England won the test batting performance award for his match-turning 186 against India in the Mumbai test. Pietersen’s decisive innings helped England win the game, and eventually go on to post a series victory – their first in India in nearly 30 years.

ESPNcricinfo, the world’s leading cricket website, announced the awards on March 11. The winning performances were by cricketers from England, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and India. 

The awards were voted on by a 14-member jury of cricket greats and experts, including Geoffrey Boycott (former England opener), Ian Chappell (former Australia captain), Ramiz Raja (former Pakistan captain), Russel Arnold (former Sri Lanka all-rounder) and Sambit Bal (editor, ESPNcricinfo).

 What the jury said about Kevin Pietersen’s award winning performance:

“The beauty of KP’s innings in Mumbai was that it was unlike any other innings played in that Test – completely unique. His strike rate was far, far superior to any other, and it really did look like he was on a different surface. And he handled Ojha brilliantly, which would’ve been a big issue because of his record against left-arm spinners.” Osman Samiuddin

“KP destroyed India with a jaw-dropping display of skill against spin on a vicious turner. It was a unique combination of savagery and elegance. He would count the fielders and then charge the spinners against the spin, over the top, against the line with dazzling footwork. Not only did he win England the game but in the process he played probably the greatest innings by a visiting batsman to India.” Ramiz Raja

OTHER ESPNCRICINFO AWARDS 2012 WINNERS INCLUDED:

South Africa’s Vernon Philander took the bowling award for his 5 for 30 against England at Lord’s, his fifth five-for in the first ten Tests of an extraordinary career. “It is seldom that an individual arrives in the Test match arena with such venomous impact,” awards jury member Peter Kirsten, the former South Africa batsman, said of Philander.

Virat Kohli, who had two performances nominated in the ODI batting shortlist, won for his blitzkrieg 133 not out against Sri Lanka in Hobart, which helped India chase a target of 321 in under 37 overs and kept them in the hunt for the CB Series title.

Sri Lankans won two awards this year: Thisara Perera took the ODI bowling title for his 6 for 44 against Pakistan in Pallekele, and Lasith Malinga the T20 bowling award for his 5 for 31 against England in the World Twenty20.

The T20 batting prize went to Marlon Samuels of West Indies for his astonishing 78 off 56 balls in the World Twenty20 final, a low-scoring match where 13 batsmen made single-figure scores.

The ESPNcricinfo Awards were established in 2007. Previous winners include Virender Sehwag, Dale Steyn, Lasith Malinga and Umar Gul, all of whom have won twice apiece; Sachin Tendulkar leads, with three awards.

About ESPNcricinfo 

ESPNcricinfo is the world’s leading digital destination for cricket news, information and analysis, and among the top five most-visited single-sport online destinations in the world. Widely acknowledged as the global authority on the game, ESPNcricinfo is available online and on mobile devices around the world, and provides the most comprehensive coverage of live cricket available, as well as unparalleled statistics, editorial comment, and original audio and video content. Founded in 1993 and acquired by ESPN in 2007, ESPNcricinfo is part of ESPN’s digital media portfolio and has more than 62 million visits every month from users around the world.

For images of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament  and ESPN’s NCAA basketball coverage, click HERE

Enter your bracket in the ESPNAmerica.com Tournament Challenge bracket game HERE

ESPN America and ESPNPlayer.com will bring UK viewers live and exclusive coverage of the 2013 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament as the top 68 college teams in the US compete for the National Championship. The action begins at 10.30pm on Wednesday 20^th March with the First Four play-in games and runs through five knock-out rounds to the National Championship game on Monday 8^th April.

The build up to March Madness^® begins with Championship Week, starting at 4.00pm on Wednesday 13^th March, as teams compete to win their conference championships and secure an automatic place in the tournament. ESPN America will broadcast games from some of the NCAA’s strongest conferences, including the Big East, ACC, Big 12 and Pac-12, with live and on-demand coverage also available via broadband streaming service ESPNPlayer.com. Online, ESPNPlayer.com will be the exclusive home of this year’s tournament, after ESPN secured exclusive international multimedia rights to show the championship outside North America in 2011.

Following Championship Week is ESPN America’s live broadcast of Selection Sunday at 11.00pm on 17^th March. The show will reveal the teams that have been chosen “at large” – based on a range of factors from their regular-season performances – who will join the conference-winning automatic qualifiers to make up the 68 teams in the NCAA Tournament.

ESPN’s coverage of this year’s Final Four will feature one of the most famous voices in college basketball – legendary analyst and commentator Dick Vitale, who has been an NCAA College Basketball analyst on ESPN since 1979, will commentate on the Final Four for the first time in his career. “Dickie V” will cover one semi-final and the championship game, joined by ESPN’s Brad Nessler. Throughout the tournament, shows such as NCAA Tip-Off and College GameDay on ESPN America will update fans on the latest news and highlights from all the games as March Madness grips the basketball world.

Once the teams are confirmed, basketball fans across the US and the world will begin predicting how the tournament will unfold by filling out their brackets. The process is notoriously difficult, with astronomical odds of correctly predicting the outcomes of 63 games. The challenge is hugely popular, with millions of fans – including President Obama for the past four years – logging their guesses online into ESPN’s Tournament Challenge game (more than six million entries in 2012). This year, fans in the UK can enter via ESPNAmerica.com and their predictions will automatically be entered into a specially created ESPN America group, which will have prizes on offer each week for the most accurate brackets.

NCAA Tournament live on ESPN America and ESPNPlayer.com

This year’s NCAA Tournament follows on from a thrilling regular season which has seen teams such as Indiana, Miami (FL), Gonzaga, Florida and Michigan State impress. March Madness will give fans the chance to see potential stars of the NBA in action, with players like Ben McLemore, Marcus Smart and Cody Zeller all tipped to to have bright futures in the professional game.

ESPN America and ESPN Player’s extensive coverage of the NCAA Tournament tips off at 10.30pm on Wednesday 20^th March with the first of four “play-in” games as eight teams compete for four spaces to make up the final 64. The action gets into full swing at 3.00pm on Thursday 21^st March as ESPN America broadcasts at least 12 straight hours of live basketball on four consecutive days, with flexible game coverage from each of the four tournament regions – East, West, Midwest and South. In addition, fans using online service ESPN Player will be able to watch any single game they choose, both live and on-demand.

The four days between Thursday 21^st and Sunday 24^th March will see the Second and Third Rounds narrow 64 teams down to the Sweet Sixteen regional semifinals, which begin at 10:00pm on Thursday 28^th March. The winning teams make it into the Elite Eight, starting at 8.15pm on Saturday 30^th March, with every game from this point fully live on ESPN America as well as ESPN Player. The national semi-finals, also known as the Final Four, will be live from the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, beginning on Saturday 6^th April with each team just one win away from the National Championship game.

Last year’s showpiece event, which saw Kentucky beat Kansas to win their eighth title, was the most watched basketball game of 2012 in the US, drawing more viewers than any single game of the NBA Finals. The 2013 final will take place live on ESPN America on Monday 8^th April.

NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT – LIVE ON ESPN AMERICA AND ESPN PLAYER

Date                                         Programme                                           Start Time

Sunday 17^th March                     Bracketology Special                            11:00pm GMT / 12:00am CET

Wednesday 20^th March               First Round – First Four                        10:30pm GMT / 11:30pm CET

Thursday 21^st March                   Second Round – multi-game coverage   4:00pm GMT / 5:00pm CET

Friday 22^nd March                      Second Round – multi-game coverage   4:00pm GMT / 5:00pm CET

Saturday 23^rd March                   Third Round – multi-game coverage       4:00pm GMT / 5:00pm CET

Sunday 24^th March                     Third Round – multi-game coverage       4:00pm GMT / 5:00pm CET

Thursday 28^th March                   Regional Semi-Finals (Sweet Sixteen)     11:00pm GMT / 12:00am CET

Friday 29^th March                       Regional Semi-Finals (Sweet Sixteen)     11:00pm GMT / 12:00am CET

Saturday 30^th March                   Regional Finals (Elite Eight)                   8:20 pm GMT / 9:20pm CET

Sunday 31^st March                     Regional Finals (Elite Eight)                   7:00pm BST / 8:00pm CEST*

Saturday 6^th April                       NCAA Final Four                                   11:00pm BST / 12:00am CEST

Monday 8^th April                        NCAA Championship Game                   2:00am BST / 3:00am CEST

* Note: spring clock change occurs

** see listings at www.espnamerica.com

About ESPN Player

ESPN Player, ESPN’s broadband platform in Europe, provides sports fans with live and on-demand sports action from the U.S. and Europe online.  It joins ESPN’s growing digital portfolio in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, which includes the online and mobile websites ESPNcricinfo.com, ESPNFC, ESPNscrum.com, ESPNf1.com and the UK-focused sports portal ESPN.co.uk.

ESPN Player features more than 1500 live events and thousands of hours of live an on-demand sport, including but not limited to:

• US College Football:  Hundreds of games from the university gridiron of the US, including regular season, Bowl Games and Bowl Championship Series;
• US College Basketball:  Hundreds of games from the hard courts of the USA’s top universities, including the regular season, Championship Week and, for the first time, March Madness
• US College Lacrosse, Baseball, Softball, Ice Hockey, Soccer, Volleyball and more
• X Games
• American Le Mans

ESPN Player puts the user in full control of their broadband sports viewing experience. Fans have the ability to pause and rewind on-demand events, giving the viewer the ability to scroll to any part of the game they may have missed, review a great play or goal with the 60-second rewind button, or return the start of the game with a single click. Subscriptions to ESPN Player are available for Daily, Monthly and Annual Passes.

ESPN Player features high quality streaming video, with games streamed at up to 2.2mbps.  Player also utilises adaptive streaming technology that dynamically adjusts to maximize video quality depending upon a user’s connection speed and various other factors.  

Costs for ESPN Player College Pass subscription:

• £8.99 for a one-day pass
• £17.99 for a monthly pass
• £99.99 for an annual pass