ESPN

May 1, 2008 -- ESPN’s exclusive coverage of the 2008 World Series of Poker® Presented by Milwaukee’s Best Light will feature a new enhanced format for the Final Table. The final nine players of the Main Event (the $10,000 World Championship of No-Limit Texas Hold’em) will compete on November 9-10 instead of the originally scheduled date of July 16. ESPN will televise coverage of the Final Table in a two-hour program on Tuesday, Nov. 11, at 9 p.m. ET.

The innovative change – offering fans an enhanced way of following the excitement and drama of high-stakes tournament play -- was made in collaboration between the WSOP, the WSOP Players Advisory Council and ESPN.    » read more »

All soccer matches live and in High Definition; 29 Matches Simulcast live on ESPN360.com; All Matches on ESPN Deportes

May 8, 2008 -- For the first time, ESPN, Inc., will present exclusive live coverage of the UEFA European Football Championship 2008 Saturday, June 7, through Sunday, June 29, from eight cities in Austria and Switzerland.

ESPN2, ESPN, ESPN Classic and ABC will combine to present all 31 matches live – five on ESPN Classic, 17 on ESPN2 and seven on ESPN. ABC will broadcast two matches – a quarterfinal contest on June 21 and the Euro 2008 title match Sunday, June 29 at 2:30 p.m. ET from the Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Vienna, Austria.    » read more »

May 7, 2008 -- The Winter X Games, the premier winter action sports event in the world, will be held January 22-25, 2009 from Aspen/Snowmass, Colorado. The annual event features athletes from across the globe competing for medals and prize money in the following sports: Skiing, Snowboard and Snowmobile. January 20-21 will serve as practice and elimination days.

All Winter X Games competitions will take place at the resort’s Buttermilk Mountain. Winter X Games 13 will air live on ESPN and ABC and will feature nighttime events. The event will remain at Aspen/Snowmass through 2010, for a total of nine consecutive years (2002-2010).

WHO: ESPN Winter X Games and Aspen Skiing Company
WHAT: Event dates for Winter X Games 13    » read more »

Every MLL Game to Be Made Available on ESPN’s Broadband Network

Boston, MA, May 6, 2008 – Fans of Major League Lacrosse (MLL) will have an unprecedented opportunity to watch all of the hard-hitting action of the MLL this summer. The premier professional outdoor lacrosse league and ESPN360.com have announced that every MLL game this season will be streamed live on ESPN’s signature broadband network. Additionally, games will be archived and available for on-demand replay for a period of time after they are completed.

This includes all 60 regular season games, July’s All-Star Game, both Semi-Final match-ups, and the NB ZIP Championship Game, for a total of 64 Major League Lacrosse games available on ESPN’s broadband network in 2008.    » read more »

- Miked Players and Coaches Bring Wall-to-Wall Action to Viewers
- Bentley to Narrate –Philadelphia Soul at Georgia Force at 8 p.m. ET

May 8, 2008 -- ESPN2 will present a special “Live Wired” telecast of Russell Athletic ESPN Arena Football that will bring viewers out of their living room and into the arena through additional microphones, locker-room access, and wall-to-wall action and sound of the AFL matchup between the Philadelphia Soul and Georgia Force on Monday, May 12, at 8 p.m. ET.    » read more »

May 8, 2008 -- The next edition of ESPN’s prime-time newsmagazine E:60 on Tuesday, May 13 at 7 p.m. ET, will feature:
· A look at how Ray Allen of the Boston Celtics is playing through family turmoil;
· A profile of mixed martial arts fighter Gina Carano, the daughter of a former Dallas Cowboys quarterback;
· The story of a unique super bowl for inmates behind bars in the notorious Angola, La., maximum security prison; and
· An E:60 examination of high-tech ticket scalping in the U.S.

ESPN E:60 Team: ESPN's E:60 team of award-winning correspondents -- (l t r) Tom Farrey, Lisa Salters, Jeremy Schaap, Rachel Nichols and Michael Smith (Photo: ESPN)

Ray Allen    » read more »

ESPN to chronicle five children’s unique sports-themed wish experiences granted through the Make-A-Wish Foundation®

April 22, 2008 -- For the third straight year, ESPN’s critically acclaimed SportsCenter’s “My Wish” series, which chronicles sports-themed wishes granted to children with life-threatening medical conditions, will be aired Sunday, June 29, through Thursday, July 3, Stephanie Druley, senior coordinating producer, ESPN, and David Williams, Make-A-Wish Foundation of America president and chief executive officer, announced today.    » read more »

Most Outstanding Rider at the Inaugural Event Will Win Honor and a Custom Harley-Davidson Motorcycle

April 7, 2008 -- More than 85 of the world’s best motocross riders will compete in the debut of the Moto X World Championships, April 12-13 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, Calif. Prize money and the title of Moto X Champion are up for grabs as well as the prestigious, first-time Evel Knievel Award and a custom Knievel Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

“ESPN is proud to bring the legacy of Evel Knievel to the Moto X World Championships,” said Rick Alessandri, managing director, X Games Franchise. “Evel did so much for the sport of motocross, and it is only fitting to have an award based on performance for his namesake at this new X event.”    » read more »

April 8, 2008 -- ESPN's critically acclaimed primetime newsmagazine E:60, on hiatus since Dec. 11, 2008, will return for five weekly episodes beginning Tuesday, April 15 at 7 p.m. ET. Nominated for two Sports Emmy Awards following its first five episodes last fall, E:60’s first show back from its scheduled break will include profiles of Tiger Woods’ caddy, Steve Williams, NFL Draft prospect and former Arkansas running back Darren McFadden, and Oscar Pistorius, the South African amputee petitioning to compete against able-bodied athletes in the upcoming Summer Olympics.    » read more »

Sal Masekela to Host with analysts Pastrana, Carmichael, McGrath & Other Top Competitors

April 8, 2008 -- ESPN will kick off its inaugural Moto X World Championships Saturday, April 12 at 3 p.m. ET with X Games host Sal Masekela leading an unprecedented line up of athlete analysts, including Travis Pastrana, Jeremy McGrath, Ricky Carmichael, Doug Henry and Brian Deegan.    » read more »

ESPN’s First Online Video Syndication Agreement to Deliver Short-Form Sports Programming from ESPN.com to AOL Video and AOL Sports

New York, NY and Dulles, VA, April 08, 2008 – ESPN and AOL announced that ESPN.com will make its short-form online video content accessible directly through AOL Video (video.aol.com), and AOL Sports (sports.aol.com), marking the first time ESPN has syndicated its video content through an Internet portal. ESPN will offer highlights from games and major sporting events as well as video clips from ESPN original programming via an embedded ESPN video player. The ESPN channel page (video.aol.com/video-category/espn/112704) launched yesterday on AOL Video.    » read more »

April 7, 2008 -- Dick Vitale, in his 29th season as an ESPN college basketball analyst, was selected for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2008 as a contributor to the sport. The announcement was made today in San Antonio, site of the NCAA Final Four. Hall of Fame contributors are described as those who have made significant contributions to the game and its growth.

The Enshrinement Ceremonies will be held at the Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. September 4-6.    » read more »

April 7, 2008 -- ESPN2 continues its season-long coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series with a live, flag-to-flag primetime telecast of the 200-mile race from Phoenix International Raceway Friday, April 5, beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown. The telecast is presented by Cici’s Pizza. ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series all season, with selected races on ESPN and ABC.    » read more »

Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski and Tony Kornheiser to Call Four-Game Slate in August

April 3, 2008 -- ESPN will kickoff its 2008 Monday Night Football preseason schedule with the New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals Thursday, August 7 at 8 p.m. ET. ESPN’s commentator team of Mike Tirico (play-by-play) and analysts Ron Jaworski and Tony Kornheiser will call four NFL preseason games during the month of August – three on Mondays and one Thursday – in anticipation of their regular-season debut on Monday, Sept. 8. All preseason games will begin at 8 p.m.    » read more »

April 1, 2008 -- ESPN’s Major League Baseball Opening Night telecast – Atlanta Braves at Washington Nationals on March 30 in the debut of Nationals Park – averaged 2,700,000 households and 3,656,000 viewers to become the most-viewed Opening Night ever on ESPN networks. The previous record audience was St. Louis at Cincinnati, April 3, 1994, which averaged 2,595,000 households and 3,612,000 viewers. The corresponding 2.8 rating for the Atlanta at Washington game was the highest-rated Opening Night since Chicago at Seattle in 1996 (3.4 rating).    » read more »