Sports

8 May 2008 -- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today launched the tender process for the sale of the broadcast and exhibition rights for all territories within Europe for the XXII Olympic Winter Games (2014) in Sochi, Russia, and the Games of the XXXI Olympiad (2016).

The Invitation to Tender issued by the IOC provides organisations interested in acquiring the rights with specific guidelines relating to bid submissions. The IOC has asked for bids to be submitted by 5 p.m. (CET) on 1 July 2008.    » read more »

24 April 2008 -- Gathered in Lausanne, Switzerland, athletes from around the world who represent the voice of sportsmen and women on the International Olympic Committee (IOC), met to discuss how to address the challenging international backdrop into which the Olympic Games have been drawn in recent weeks.

The Athletes’ Commission members [1] spoke passionately and from their own experiences about the inappropriateness of manipulating and using athletes as political tools. At the close of the meeting, they released the following statement.    » 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 »

Deal With InFront AMS Brings Top European Basketball League to U.S. Broadband Sports Net

May 7, 2008 -- ESPN360.com, ESPN’s signature broadband sports network, and InFront AMS, the Digital Media Company of the InFront Group, announced a new agreement today that will make ESPN360.com the exclusive U.S. home for Euroleague Basketball over the next two seasons.

Beginning next October, the broadband network will deliver more than 40 games in each of the next two seasons (2008-2009, 2009-2010). Additionally, ESPN.com will feature video highlights of the Euroleague. Games not carried by ESPN360.com will be available on a pay-per-view basis on Euroleague.tv. For U.S. fans, Euroleague games are available only via ESPN360.com and on a pay-per-view basis on euroleague.tv.    » 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 »

April 30, 2008 -- ESPN Regional Television (ERT) today announced that the Papajohns.com Bowl in Birmingham, Ala., will host a matchup between the BIG EAST Conference and the Southeastern Conference (SEC) starting in 2008.

The matchup between a bowl-eligible team from the SEC and one from the BIG EAST came about as the result of negotiations between the two conferences and Conference USA, and with the approval of the NCAA Postseason Bowl Committee. The announcement was made today at the annual Football Bowl Association meetings in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.    » 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 »

More Than 150 Hours of Top Women’s Tennis to be Streamed to U.S. Tennis Fans

May 8, 2008 -- ESPN360.com and the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour announced a new agreement today that will provide tennis fans with more than 150 hours of live online tennis coverage from Sony Ericsson WTA Tour events around the world. The agreement will provide ESPN360.com viewers exclusive coverage, including more than 70 scheduled matches at 11 events on 49 days between May and November.

Live online coverage begins tomorrow, Thursday, May 8, with live coverage from The Qatar Telecom German Open in Berlin and will conclude with coverage of the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha.    » 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 »

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has announced that - days after he and U.S. Sen. Rosa DeLauro called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to investigate the potential threats related to artificial turf - the agency has agreed to investigate.

Soccer players: Photo by Zach Stern (CC)    » read more »

April 18, 2008 -- OLYMPIA – Washington Governor Chris Gregoire today issued the following statement on the National Basketball Association’s vote to relocate the Seattle Sonics:

“This is a sad day for basketball fans across Washington state. The Sonics have a proud, storied 41-year history in Seattle and, as a sports fan, I am very disappointed with today’s action by the National Basketball Association (NBA) owners to relocate the Sonics to Oklahoma City.

Seattle Sonics warmup: Photo by Fizzgig (CC)    » read more »

April 15, 2008 -- OLYMPIA – Washington Governor Chris Gregoire, joined by state and local officials, today sent a letter to the National Basketball Association Commissioner David Stern and NBA owners urging them to postpone this week’s vote on relocating the SuperSonics until legal and financial issues can be resolved.

Seattle SuperSonics, Key Arena: Photo by travelbug.nz (CC)    » read more »

April 14, 2008 -- THE PRESIDENT: Welcome to the Rose Garden. Of course, this is an old habit for a lot of the players standing behind me. After all, this is the fifth year in a row that the mighty Navy football team won the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy. And we're here to congratulate them on that amazing achievement. As a matter of fact, coming to the Rose Garden is as familiar a place as Bancroft Hall.

We welcome you here and we congratulate you. Coach, thanks for coming. Proud you're here. This team has had an historic season. For the third year in a row, had the most rushing yards in the nation, as well as the nation's highest graduation rate. You went to your fifth straight bowl game, and of course you accomplished your most important goal: You beat Army.    » read more »