Sports Media News

Keeping Up With All The Industry Press Releases

Archives for August 2009

Preseason Week 2 Features Live Saturday Night Doubleheader on NFL Network

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LIVE SATURDAY NIGHT DOUBLEHEADER

ON NFL NETWORK

Live Telecasts This Week:

Steelers at Redskins, Saturday at 7:30 PM ET

Broncos at Seahawks, Saturday at 10:30 PM ET

Brett Favre’s Debut? National Re-Air of Chiefs at Vikings Friday, August 21 at 11:00 PM ET

NFL Network to Televise Michael Vick’s Return Live September 3 as Eagles Visit Jets in Preseason Week 4

NFL Network’s complete coverage of the 2009 preseason continues with a Week 2 doubleheader beginning Saturday, August 22 at 7:30 PM ET with Steelers-Redskins, followed by Broncos-Seahawks at 10:30 PM ET. In addition, the remaining 49 games re-air as NFL Network continues its broadcast of all 65 preseason games in high definition.

Following a 23-0 loss against the Ravens, the Redskins host the defending Super Bowl champions who defeated the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1. Steelers RB Rashard Mendenhall gets a second look in the backfield after a solid preseason debut, while number one draft pick DE Ziggy Hood hopes to maintain momentum after landing his first NFL sack last week versus the Cardinals.

After Steelers-Redskins, the Broncos face the Seahawks at 10:30 PM ET. Following a 0-1 start to the preseason, Broncos QB Kyle Orton looks to improve on his Week 1 debut as Denver’s starting quarterback, while Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck continues to develop his timing with an offensive line that includes rookie T Max Unger.

On Friday, August 21 at 11:00 PM ET/8 PM PT, NFL Network will re-air Kansas City Chiefs vs. Minnesota Vikings where newly acquired QB Brett Favre could see action. Looking ahead to Week 4, the Philadelphia Eagles at New York Jets will be live on NFL Network Thursday, September 3 at 7:00 PM ET.

During the 2009 NFL preseason, NFL Network will televise a record 65 games – up from the 54 shown in 2008. The preseason schedule, which is entirely in HD for the first time, also includes a record 12 live games and 97 encore telecasts so that no one will miss a game.

NFL NETWORK AIR TIMES FOR 2009 WEEK 2 PRESEASON GAMES

(ALL TIMES EASTERN; ALL GAMES IN HIGH DEFINITION)

Tuesday, August 18

7:00 AM – Minnesota Vikings at Indianapolis Colts – encore

10:00 AM – St. Louis Rams at New York Jets – encore

1:00 PM – Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Tennessee Titans – encore

4:00 PM – Jacksonville Jaguars at Miami Dolphins – encore

8:00 PM – Chicago Bears at Buffalo Bills – encore

11:00 PM – Jacksonville Jaguars at Miami Dolphins – encore

Wednesday, August 19

7:00 AM – Cleveland Browns at Green Bay Packers – encore

10:00 AM – Cincinnati Bengals at New Orleans Saints – encore

1:00 PM – Carolina Panthers at New York Giants

4:00 PM – Washington Redskins at Baltimore Ravens– encore

8:00 PM – Dallas Cowboys at Oakland Raiders – encore

Thursday, August 20

12 MIDNIGHT – Denver Broncos at San Francisco 49ers – encore

7:00 AM – Jacksonville Jaguars at Miami Dolphins – encore

10:00 AM – Seattle Seahawks at San Diego Chargers – encore

1:00 PM – New England Patriots at Philadelphia Eagles – encore

4:00 PM – Minnesota Vikings at Indianapolis Colts – encore

11:00 PM – Cincinnati Bengals at New England Patriots

Friday, August 21

10:00 AM – Cincinnati Bengals at New England Patriots – encore

1:00 PM – Philadelphia Eagles at Indianapolis Colts

4:00 PM – Cincinnati Bengals at New England Patriots – encore

11:00 PM – Kansas City Chiefs at Minnesota Vikings

Saturday, August 22

2:00 AM – Atlanta Falcons at St. Louis Rams

10:00 AM – Atlanta Falcons at St. Louis Rams – encore

1:00 PM – Tennessee Titans at Dallas Cowboys

4:00 PM – Kansas City Chiefs at Minnesota Vikings – encore

7:30 PM – Pittsburgh Steelers at Washington Redskins – LIVE

10:30 PM – Denver Broncos at Seattle Seahawks – LIVE

Sunday, August 23

1:30 AM – San Diego Chargers at Arizona Cardinals

7:00 AM – Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Jacksonville Jaguars

10:00 AM – Detroit Lions at Cleveland Browns

1:00 PM – Carolina Panthers at Miami Dolphins

4:00 PM – Buffalo Bills at Green Bay Packers

7:00 PM – New York Giants at Chicago Bears

10:00 PM – Oakland Raiders at San Francisco 49ers

Monday, August 24

1:00 AM – New Orleans Saints at Houston Texans

4:00 AM – Denver Broncos at Seattle Seahawks

7:00 AM – Buffalo Bills at Green Bay Packers – encore

10:00 AM – Atlanta Falcons at St. Louis Rams – encore

1:00 PM – Kansas City Chiefs at Minnesota Vikings – encore

4:00 PM – Pittsburgh Steelers at Washington Redskins – encore

NFL Network airs seven days a week, 24 hours a day on a year-round basis and is the only television network fully dedicated to the NFL and the sport of football.  For more information, log on to www.nfl.com/nflnetwork. NFL.com is the exclusive internet home of NFL Network.

2010 Bridgestone/NHL Winter Classic Ticket Drawing Registration Begins Sept. 15 Only On NHL.com

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2010 BRIDGESTONE/NHL WINTER CLASSIC® TICKET DRAWING
REGISTRATION BEGINS SEPT. 15 ONLY ON NHL.COM

NEW YORK (Aug. 17, 2009) –The only way to get news about the 2010 Bridgestone/NHL Winter Classic® before it breaks is to visit NHL.com, where, beginning today, fans can sign up for important alerts – including ticket information for the open-air battle between long-time rivals the Boston Bruins® and Philadelphia Flyers® that faces off at 1 p.m. ET on January 1, 2010 at Fenway Park, the historic home of the Boston Red Sox.

The NHL Winter Classic ticket has become one of most sought-after in sports.  In 2008, the NHL Winter Classic between the Buffalo Sabres® and Pittsburgh Penguins® sold out the 74,000 seat Ralph Wilson Stadium in just 20 minutes.  Last season’s 2009 Bridgestone/NHL Winter Classic® received more than 240,000 ticket requests for the Wrigley Field showdown between the Chicago Blackhawks® and Detroit Red Wings®, attracted 5.6 million North American TV viewers — including the largest U.S. audience for a regular-season NHL game in 34 years — and gathered more than 750,000 visitors on NHL.com.

Fans seeking information about a chance to win the right to purchase tickets to the 2010 Bridgestone/NHL Winter Classic® can sign up at www.nhl.com/winterclassic to receive detailed alerts regarding the NHL Winter Classic — for example, how and when to register for the opportunity to get their hands on the hottest tickets in hockey.

Ticket prices for the 2010 Bridgestone/NHL Winter Classic® range from $50 to $350.

Registration at www.nhl.com/winterclassic for the general public, random ticket drawing will begin on Tuesday, September 15, 2009, at Noon, Eastern Time (ET), and will run through Monday, October 5, 2009 at 11:59 a.m. ET.  Registrations received after the deadline will not be accepted.  There is no fee to register.  Limit one entry per person or household.  Registrants selected in the drawing will be notified by October 20, 2009 of their opportunity to purchase one pair of tickets (seated together).

By registering for the 2010 Bridgestone/NHL Winter Classic® alerts today, fans also will get advance notice on NHL Winter Classic priorities such as notification of jersey and merchandise sale dates, event construction and entertainment plans, player interviews and other important information throughout the course of the NHL Winter Classic season.

In addition to tickets made available through the drawing, Bruins season ticket holders and Flyers season ticket holders will be notified by each respective club later this month regarding details on their chance to purchase tickets.

Continuing its commitment to youth hockey, the NHL again will make a certain allotment of tickets available for local youth hockey groups.  This year, the Boston Bruins Foundation will coordinate the youth hockey initiative ticket drawing for young hockey fans in the greater Boston area.  The team will release details later this month on the community program.

The 2010 Bridgestone/NHL Winter Classic® will be the third regular-season outdoor NHL game played in the United States.  NBC will provide live broadcast coverage of the game in the U.S.  In Canada, CBC and RDS will televise the event live.  NHL Radio™ and SIRIUS XM Radio will provide radio coverage and NHL.com will provide extensive digital video coverage.

### (8/17/09)

MNF “Is It Monday Yet” Marketing Campaign Kicks Off with “Brady’s Back” Spot

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ESPN’s Monday Night Football “Is It Monday Yet” Marketing Campaign Kicks Off Wednesday with “Brady’s Back” Spot

ESPN’s “Is It Monday Yet?” campaign for Monday Night Football kicks off Wednesday with “Brady’s Back,” the first of four planned spots. The campaign, created in collaboration with Wieden + Kennedy New York, is a continuation of the brand voice that ESPN has built the past three seasons, highlighting the idea that MNF makes Monday better despite all the drudgeries associated with this first day of the week.

“Brady’s Back” focuses on the monotony of a fan’s Monday working at a mall kiosk selling loop-de-loop airplanes. The fan recalls the many previous jobs he has lost (office employee, line cook, dental technician and waiter) while fanaticizing about his ultimate dream job — being the head coach of the New England Patriots and coaching quarterback Tom Brady. Just the thought of Brady returning to the lineup on MNF helps the fan get through yet another dull Monday.

Monday Night Football will kick off its 40th season with two-time Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady expected to make his highly-anticipated return to the field when the Patriots host wide receiver Terrell Owens and the Buffalo Bills in the first game of a nationally televised ESPN doubleheader on Monday, September 14. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET with ESPN’s new commentator team of Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski, followed by the San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders in a matchup of AFC West rivals at 10:15 p.m.

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ESPN’s Tennis Team: My Favorite US Open Memory

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ESPN’s Tennis Team: My Favorite US Open Memory

First-Ever Coverage Begins with Brackets Announced Live on ESPNEWS Aug. 27;
Action Begins Aug. 31

ESPN will become the first U.S. network to present tennis’s four Grand Slam tournaments in a single year with the addition of the US Open beginning Monday, Aug. 31. ESPN2 will televise approximately 100 hours, with more on ESPN360.com and other ESPN platforms. In addition, ESPNEWS will televise live the announcement of the men’s and women’s brackets in a commercial-free half-hour show Thursday, Aug. 27, at noon ET. Chris McKendry will host with Patrick McEnroe and Mary Joe Fernandez. The show will include live interviews via satellite with defending champions Roger Federer and Serena Williams.

ESPN’s tennis team recalls their favorite US Open memories:

Darren Cahill – Andre’s Final Stand
“My favorite memory is just three years ago, when I was coaching Andre Agassi. At Wimbledon he had announced his retirement, saying the US Open would be his final event. He was 36 and struggling mightily with a bad back. In the second round, he played Marcos Baghdatis, who had enjoyed a strong year, in a match that started late and went back and forth for five sets, with Andre winning the fifth set 7-5 near 1:30 in the morning. The whole experience was surreal. A couple points here and there and it would have been the end of his career. I was his coach, but enjoyed that match as a fan. It was the most rewarding and best tennis experience I’ve ever had.

“But I have to add the US Open has always been my favorite major, going back to my days as a player. I love the people, the sounds, the smells, the city and even the heat, humidity and chaos. The fans there love a good fighter. They get behind someone who puts up a good fight, so I always thought I could get them behind me.”

Mary Carillo – The Ageless Jimmy & Incomparable Sisters
“I’d have to say 1991 – Jimmy Connors’ amazing run to the semis. That was tremendous, including a thrilling five-setter on his 39th birthday, edging Aaron Krickstein in the fourth round 3-6, 7-6, 1-6, 6-3, 7-6. Furthermore, he was playing in a place that for a long time didn’t appreciate him. It took a long time for New York to warm up to him and when they did they helped carry him.

“The other important development I have to mention is how the Williams sisters created the Saturday night women’s final. Because of them, CBS said, ‘this is prime-time stuff.'”

Cliff Drysdale – “The Senator would like to meet you.”
“In 1965, I was waiting to play in the final against Manuel Santana of Spain and there was a long rain delay. I fell asleep in the locker room and someone came up and touched me and said ‘The Senator would like to meet you.’ Right behind him was the late, great Robert Kennedy, then the junior senator from New York. We spoke for a few minutes and he wished me well.”

Mary Joe Fernandez – Rallying with the Fans’ Help
“As a fan, some of Andre Agassi’s matches stand out — his last year in 2006 he was so brave, and the final against Pete Sampras in 2002 was tremendous. But as a player a couple night matches were memorable. Once, I was down against Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and the fans really rallied behind me and got me going as only true New Yorkers staying late can. It was a great atmosphere.”

(Editor’s Note: Mary Joe is being somewhat modest, seeing as she could have mentioned what she accomplished in 1985: at the age of 14 years and eight days, she became the youngest person to win a match at the US Open, defeating Sara Gomer in the first round, 6-1, 6-4.)

Brad Gilbert – Andre’s Title and Super Saturday
“Obviously, I’m biased, but Andre Agassi winning the 1994 Open with me as coach is my top memory. He was unseeded and defeated five seeded players en route to the championship. I had only been coaching him for six months and he hadn’t won a major since Wimbledon in 1992. It was so unexpected, added to the way he did it, it was a blast.

“But I also have to mention Super Saturday in 1984, with Ivan Lendl and Pat Cash going five sets, followed by the women’s final with Martina Navratilova defeating Chris Evert in three sets, and finally John McEnroe beating Jimmy Connors in five sets. I had played in the tournament – and had already lost, of course – and didn’t leave my hotel room for 12 hours watching it all. It was an epic day for tennis.”

John McEnroe – Standing (upside down) By His Word
“My favorite US Open memory is from a first-round match in 1994 between Richard Krajicek and Jan Siemerink. Krajicek led the match by two sets to one and was up 6-0 in a fourth set tiebreaker. I was calling the match with Ted Robinson so I said, ‘If Krajicek loses this set, I’ll stand on my head.’ Sure enough, Richard lost in the tiebreaker, 10-8. The following day, I called a match upside down for a few minutes, until the blood rushed to my head and I couldn’t take it any longer.”

Patrick McEnroe – “Give me a good one.”
“I’ve had the rare opportunity to experience the US Open on many levels. As a kid growing up in Queens, the most exciting time of the year was running around from court to court at Forest Hills, the West Side Tennis Club. As a teenager, I served as a ball boy, and eventually was lucky enough to enjoy a little bit of success myself on the court. Of course, as a fan and brother, I watched with pride as my brother John won the title four times, and since 1996 I’ve been there as a broadcaster and have witnessed so many great matches.

“But my favorite memory comes from 1981 when I was a ball boy for a fourth-round match on the grandstand court. The late Vitas Gerulaitis – who I knew well through my brother and someone I looked up to – was on the verge of a major upset. It was match point against Ivan Lendl, who starting the next year would appear in seven consecutive finals, winning three straight at one point. Vitas needs a ball to serve out the match and he looks at me and says, ‘Give me a good one.’ Like many tennis players, he was superstitious, and I had given him the ball for the previous point, which he had won. I will never forget that moment – at 5-4 in the fifth set he was asking me to pick the ball to finish the match – or my friend Vitas.”

Pam Shriver – Youngest Women’s Finalist
“In 1978, I was only 16 and still an amateur but was seeded #16 in my first US Open and the draw opened up for me wonderfully. I beat the eighth seed in the fourth round, Kerry Melville Reid, and then another Aussie, Lesley Hunt, who was unseeded but had beat the player who upset Virginia Wade. In the semis I played Martina Navratilova, who had won Wimbledon earlier in the summer and had captured the #1 ranking. While the match was straight sets it could not have been closer, as I won in two tie-breakers. We both served and volleyed on about every point. I played with the oversized Prince Classic, introducing the oversized racket to elite pro tennis. There were rain delays. Airplanes flew low over head throughout.

“Because of the rain, I had to wait until Saturday to find out that Chris Evert would be my opponent. I had never played Chris in singles before. Because of rain we were scheduled to play at 4 p.m. Sunday, just before the men’s final, Connors vs. Borg. I was the youngest woman ever in the US Open final and extremely nervous. I traveled out to the brand new National Tennis Center via the #7 train. I never took transport the entire Open. I had chances to win the first set and our points were great because of the contrasting serve and volley (me) and baseline styles (Chris). I lost 7-5 6-4 and would never get back to a major singles final again. Because the men’s final followed our match, not one person left the stadium and were seated for our on-court speeches. Mine began with a simple “hello….” and a pause that was filled with appreciative New York City roars.”

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Basketball College GameDay and Saturday Primetime 2010 Schedule

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Basketball College GameDay and Saturday Primetime 2010 Schedule
Eight-Week College Basketball Series Features Five First-Time Sites, Including a Women’s Game
ESPN’s weekly College GameDay Driven by State Farm® college basketball series and the Saturday Primetime game-of-the-week telecast — returning for a sixth consecutive season – will begin January 16, 2010, from Storrs, Conn., for the women’s BIG EAST showdown between Notre Dame and defending National Champion Connecticut.  It will mark the first time the show has originated from a women’s game.
The college basketball version of the popular College GameDay football series – two one-hour shows each Saturday at 11 a.m. ET and at 8 p.m. — will originate from the site of the Saturday Primetime game (at 9 p.m. except January 30) for eight consecutive weeks and will generally be presented from inside or around the arena.
Highlights of this year’s schedule include:
  • Three of last year’s NCAA Final Four participants: North Carolina, Michigan State and Villanova.
  • First-time stops at Clemson, Illinois, Kansas State and Washington.
  • Three of the top four, and eight of the top 18, ranked teams from last year’s season-ending ESPN/USA Today poll: #1 North Carolina, #2 Michigan State, #4 Villanova, #10 Kansas, #11 Duke, #12 Syracuse, #16 Washington and #18 UCLA.
  • Nine overall and seven of the top 10 by ESPN.com’s Katz: #1 Kansas, #2 Michigan State, #4 Villanova, #5 North Carolina, #7 Kentucky, #8 Tennessee, #10 Duke, #14 Washington and #24 Kansas State.
  • Seven of the top 10 – and 10 of the top 17 – by ESPN’s Vitale: #1 Kansas, #2 Kentucky, #3 Michigan State, #5 Duke, #7 Villanova, #8 North Carolina, #10 Illinois, #12 Tennessee, #16 Washington and #17 Syracuse.
Scheduled sites for College GameDay and Saturday Primetime:
Date    Site    Game (All 9 p.m. ET on ESPN unless otherwise noted)
Jan. 16 Storrs, Conn.   Notre Dame at Connecticut (women’s)
Jan. 23 Clemson, S.C.   Duke at Clemson
Jan. 30 Manhattan, Kan. Kansas at Kansas State (6 p.m. show and game at 7 p.m.)
Feb. 6  Champaign, Ill. Michigan State at Illinois
Feb. 13 Lexington, Ky.  Tennessee at Kentucky
Feb. 20 Seattle, Wash.  UCLA at Washington
Feb. 27 Syracuse, N.Y.  Villanova at Syracuse
Mar. 6  Durham, N.C.    North Carolina at Duke
Note: College GameDay will be aired every Saturday at 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. (except for January 30 at 6 p.m.)
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ESPN, World Series Of Poker® Extend Relationship With Seven-Year Agreement

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ESPN, WORLD SERIES OF POKER® EXTEND RELATIONSHIP WITH SEVEN-YEAR AGREEMENT

ESPN and Harrah’s Interactive Entertainment today announced they have reached a new seven-year agreement that will keep the World Series of Poker (WSOP) airing on ESPN through April 2018.

The WSOP, the world’s richest sporting event and longest running poker tournament, attracts a total audience of nearly 82 million U.S. viewers each year.   ESPN has broadcast WSOP events every year since 2003 and was operating under an agreement set to expire after the 2010 WSOP.

Under the terms of the new deal, ESPN will telecast a minimum of 32 hours of event coverage from the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas annually, including WSOP gold bracelet events and the “November Nine” Championship.

“The WSOP is proud to call ESPN home for another nine years,” said Jeffrey Pollack, President of Harrah’s Interactive Entertainment and the World Series of Poker. “This long-term agreement ensures that our content will continue to reach sports fans around the world through a wide variety of platforms.”

WSOP content will appear on ESPN, ESPN HD, ESPN2, ESPN2 HD, ESPN Classic, ESPN.com, ESPN360.com, ESPN Mobile TV and ESPN International platforms outside of the United States.

“We are very excited to continue our relationship with Harrah’s to deliver the largest, richest, and most prestigious gaming event in the world to fans across a variety of our platforms,” said Doug White, senior director of programming and acquisitions, ESPN.  “Poker continues to be a solid ratings performer for us and allows us to continue offering diverse programming to our viewers.“

ESPN’s coverage of the 40th Annual World Series of Poker Presented by Jack Link’s Beef Jerky airs every Tuesday night on ESPN.  Norman Chad and Lon McEachern call the action.  Tonight at 8 PM ET, coverage of the game’s richest tournament, the No Limit Hold’em Main Event begins as 6,494 players compete for $61 million in prize money with the winner walking away with $8.5 million – more than the U.S. Open golf, U.S. Open tennis, Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500 winners received combined this year.  Main Event coverage continues each Tuesday through November 10.

About the World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world awarding more than $1 billion in prize money over its 40-year history and the prestigious WSOP gold bracelet, globally recognized as the sport’s top prize. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker’s longest running tournament in the world, dating back to 1970. In 2009, the event attracted a record-setting 60,875 entrants from 115 different countries to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, and awarded more than $174 million in prize money. The WSOP in December 2008 was named the 7th most admired sports brand in North America by the Turnkey Sports Survey, trailing only the older and more established NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR and PGA Tour among sports properties. The WSOP has crafted groundbreaking alliances in broadcasting, digital media and corporate sponsorships since 2005, while successfully expanding the brand internationally with the advent in 2007 of the World Series of Poker EuropeSM.  For more information on the WSOP, please visit our website at www.wsop.com or follow us on Twitter at #WSOP.

Click here for the schedules, images and other news material in support of ESPN’s coverage of the 40th World Series of Poker, presented by Jack Link’s Beef Jerky.

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ESPN to Present Live Match Coverage of England’s Barclays Premier League in U.S. for 2009-10 Season

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ESPN to Present Live Match Coverage of England’s Barclays Premier League in U.S. for 2009-10 Season

Exclusive Saturday Morning and Monday Afternoon Matches on ESPN2

ESPN has reached an agreement with Fox Sports International to televise a package of Barclays Premier League (BPL) matches in the U.S. for the 2009-2010 season beginning Saturday, August 15, through the completion of the season in May 2010.

Under the agreement, ESPN2, currently in 98 million U.S. television homes, will offer fans up to 48 live BPL matches this season, including live presentation of the 12 Monday afternoon (U.S. ET) matches. ESPN2 will feature one match each Saturday at 7:45 a.m. and select Saturday matches at 10 a.m. (when there are no matches at 7:45 a.m.).

“The Barclays Premier League is one of the crown jewels of professional sports throughout the world,” said Scott Guglielmino, vice president of programming, ESPN. “We’re pleased to work with Fox Sports International to bring some of the league’s marquee matchups to ESPN2 in our continued efforts to serve soccer fans in the United States.”

This agreement marks the return of the Premier League to ESPN in the United States. For two seasons (1996–97 and 1997-98), ESPN2 was the English-language television home for the league’s Monday night matches.

The schedule through September 2009:

Date

Time

Fixture

Network

Sat., Aug. 15

7:40 a.m.

Chelsea vs. Hull City

ESPN2

Sat., Aug. 22

9:55 a.m.

Wigan Athletic vs. Manchester United

ESPN2

Mon., Aug. 24

2:55 p.m.

Liverpool vs. Aston Villa

ESPN2

Sat., Aug. 29

7:40 a.m.

Chelsea vs. Burnley

ESPN2

Sat., Sept. 12

9:55 a.m.

Liverpool vs. Burnley

ESPN2

Sat., Sept. 19

7:40 a.m.

Burnley vs. Sunderland

ESPN2

Sat., Sept. 26

7:40 a.m.

Portsmouth vs. Everton

ESPN2

Mon., Sept. 28

2:55 p.m.

Manchester City vs. West Ham

ESPN2

ESPN and Soccer:

ESPN networks are the U.S. English-language television homes of the Men’s and Women’s FIFA World Cup events through 2014, having acquired exclusive English-language and other-language (except Spanish) rights of the FIFA World Cup™ and the FIFA Women’s World Cup in the United States in 2005, as well as the rights to the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2009 and 2013 and other FIFA events. In addition, ESPN’s multimedia platforms provide extensive coverage of a myriad of international leagues, such as Spain’s La Liga, the Dutch Eredivise, Italian Serie A, Portuguese Liga Sagres, English Premier League in the United Kingdom, Mexico’s Primera División, and more. With its acquisitions of Major League Soccer and U.S. Soccer rights through 2014 in August 2006, ESPN continues to offer the most comprehensive coverage of the world’s premier soccer events in the United States.

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Hard Knocks Episode 2 Wednesday on HBO

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HARD KNOCKS:  TRAINING CAMP WITH THE CINCINNATI BENGALS

AUG. 19 EPISODE

HBO Sports, in association with NFL Films and the Cincinnati Bengals, provides an all-access look at what it takes to make it in the National Football League in HARD KNOCKS:  TRAINING CAMP WITH THE CINCINNATI BENGALS.  The first sports-based reality series – and one of the fastest-turnaround reality series – continues its five-episode season WEDNESDAY, AUG. 19 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.  Subsequent hour-long editions air each Wednesday at the same time, culminating in the Sept. 9 season finale.

Each week, players experience drills, meetings and fun, while struggling to prove they have what it takes to make the team and make their mark in the NFL.

This week’s show:

Episode #2

Debut date:  WEDNESDAY, AUG. 19 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT)

Other HBO playdates for episode #2:  Aug. 19 (2:30 a.m.), 20 (3:00 p.m., midnight), 21 (12:35 a.m.), 22 (noon, 1:30 a.m.), 23 (11:45 a.m.) and 24 (10:30 a.m.)

HBO2 playdates for episode #2:  Aug. 19 (11:30 p.m.) and 23 (11:00 p.m.)

Coaches make player evaluations as the Bengals play their first preseason game against the New Orleans Saints.  The relationship between quarterback Carson Palmer and his brother, Bengals back-up quarterback Jordan Palmer, comes under focus.

A 24-person NFL Films crew is living at the Bengals training camp, shooting more than 1000 hours of video over the course of the series.  Camera and sound crews are given unencumbered access to the players’ and coaches’ meeting rooms, training rooms, dormitories and practice fields.  The Bengals are currently training in Georgetown, Ky., and will return to Cincinnati in late August.

Bolt & Gay Headline NBC Sports Live Coverage Of World Track & Field Championships From Berlin Beginning Saturday

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Live Streaming Webcasts on UniversalSports.com

NEW YORK – August 13, 2009 – The fastest athletes in the world, including Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt of Jamaica and reigning world champions Tyson Gay, Bernard Lagat and Allyson Felix of the U.S., headline NBC Sports’ live coverage of the World Track & Field Championships from Berlin over the next two weekends.

TEAM USA: The 2009 Team USA squad consists of 20 Olympic medalists, 28 World Outdoor Championship medalists and 10 American record holders. The reigning World champions on Team USA competing in Berlin includes Gay, Lagat, Felix, Jeremy Wariner, Kerron Clement, Michelle Perry, Reese Hoffa and Brad Walker.

Over the past 11 World Track and Field Championships, Team USA has won a total of 228 medals, including 110 gold. Russia places second during that span with 122 total medals (33 gold).

COVERAGE ON NBC SPORTS: NBC Sports will air eight hours of competition over two weekends beginning this Saturday from 1-3 p.m. ET (LIVE), continuing this Sunday from 2-4 p.m. ET (LIVE), August 22 from 1-3 p.m. ET (LIVE) and concluding August 23 from 2–4 p.m. ET (Same Day Tape). Coverage highlights include:

This Saturday: Men’s 100m Quarterfinals
Women’s 10,000m Final
Men’s Shot Put Final
This Sunday: Men’s 100m Final
Women’s Shot Put Final
Women’s 400m Semifinal
Saturday, Aug. 22: Men’s 4x100m Relay Final
Women’s 4x100m Relay Final
Women’s 5,000m Final
Men’s Long Jump Final
Men’s Pole Vault Final
Women’s Hammer Throw Final
Men’s Marathon
Sunday, Aug. 23 Men’s 4x400m Relay Final
Women’s 4x400m Relay Final
Men’s 800m Final
Women’s 1,500m Final
Woman’s Marathon
Women’s Long Jump Final
Men’s Javelin Final

COVERAGE ON UNIVERSALSPORTS.COM: UniversalSports.com will provide a live webcast of the morning and evening sessions from Berlin each day of the Championships, from August 15 – 23. UniversalSports.com’s Alan Abrahamson will provide daily blog posts and news updates from Berlin. The full webcast schedule, highlights, full-length videos, photos, breaking news and more is available at UniversalSports.com/trackandfield.

TEAM USA RETURNS TO BERLIN: These World Championships marks the first time that the USA Track and Field team will return to Berlin for a major international competition since the 1936 Olympic Games where Jesse Owens won four gold medals.

ANNOUNCERS: Calling the action from Berlin is NBC Sports Olympic Track and Field broadcast team of: Tom Hammond, Ato Bolden, Lewis Johnson, Dwight Stones and Bob Neumeier.

MNF Preseason Opener: ESPN’s Most-Viewed Non-Monday Preseason Game Since 1994

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Monday Night Football Preseason Opener:
ESPN’s Most-Viewed Non-Monday Preseason Game Since 1994
Last night’s opening preseason telecast of ESPN’s Monday Night Football, a rematch of Super Bowl XLIII between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals, earned a 3.6 rating, representing an average of 3,567,000 households (4,755,000 viewers – P2+).  It was ESPN’s most-viewed non-Monday preseason game since 1994 (42 total non-Monday games since Dallas-New Orleans on Aug. 25, 1994 — 4,280,000 HHs).
ESPN’s game was the most-viewed program of the day (cable or broadcast) among all key male demos.  Additionally, ESPN was the No. 1 network for the night (cable or broadcast) among all key male demos, P18-34, and P18-49; ESPN ranked 2nd for the night among households and viewers.
ESPN’s new commentator team of Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski and Jon Gruden made its debut during the Steelers’ 20-10 victory. In addition, the telecast included breaking news coverage of the Philadelphia Eagles signing Michael Vick, which was reported by ESPN’s senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen.
THIS WEEK ON MNF
ESPN’s MNF preseason schedule continues Monday, Aug. 17, with the Carolina Panthers visiting the New York Giants at 8 p.m. ET.  The telecast will be preceded by a one-hour Monday Night Countdown pregame show.
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