ESPN2 Champions League Semifinals

[Shimshon]

ESPN2 has this listed for the first leg on Tuesday May 6, 2003
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
REAL MADRID CF VS. JUVENTUS FC
ESTADIO SANTIAGO BERNABEU MADRID, SPAIN
SEMIFINAL #1, LEG 1

and on May 13, 2003 has this listed as the only Champions League game of the week.
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
INTERNAZIONALE FC VS. MILAN AC
STADIO GIUSEPPE MEAZZA MILAN, ITALY
SEMIFINAL #1, LEG 2

What gives?? I don't believe they would show only one leg of each..and of course the Madrid-Juventus match is the better of the two.
Maybe they'll change it last minute.

[Archers]

I actually like getting to see a little of both series. Too bad they can't just show all four matches.

[RobtheAggie]

In the USA, ESPN2 shows one CL match per week. I would love more but it is not available. This makes sense from a fan-base position, also it is the way they have been doing it for as long as I can remember. The Milan Derby will be exciting just for that, and the Madrid-Juventus semifinal should be good also.

[type_32]

ESPN2 showed all four semi-final matches last year.

I will be very sad if we don't get both legs of the Milan derby.

[RobtheAggie]

Originally posted by type_32
ESPN2 showed all four semi-final matches last year.



I stand corrected. I forgot that they did this.

[da_cfo]

Originally posted by Archers
I actually like getting to see a little of both series. Too bad they can't just show all four matches.

That won't be a problem starting next season, when UEFA CL moves over to ESPN Deportes exclusively. No more UEFA CL on ESPN2 once ESPN Deportes becomes a full time channel.

[Selecao2002]

Is ESPN Deportes going to become a full time channel?????

[HalaMadrid]

Originally posted by da_cfo
That won't be a problem starting next season, when UEFA CL moves over to ESPN Deportes exclusively. No more UEFA CL on ESPN2 once ESPN Deportes becomes a full time channel.

Is ESPN Deportes going to become a full time channel?????

...

[sachinag]

Too bad it's Spanish. And on Digital Cable. With no guarantees that your provider will carry it.

[da_cfo]

Originally posted by sachinag
Too bad it's Spanish. And on Digital Cable. With no guarantees that your provider will carry it.

DirecTV Para Todos will have ESPN Deportes when it becomes a full time channel this autumn or winter.

I have DirecTV Para Todos, so I am all set.

[Beez]

With ESPN Deportes, would it possible to have an SAP broadcast in English, or would that violate the terms of the rights contract?

[MasterShake29]

I don't think so, ESPN owns the U.S. rights for all languages, so I don't see why they can't (and hopefully do).

[Casper]

Originally posted by Shimshon
ESPN2 has this listed for the first leg on Tuesday May 6, 2003
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
REAL MADRID CF VS. JUVENTUS FC
ESTADIO SANTIAGO BERNABEU MADRID, SPAIN
SEMIFINAL #1, LEG 1

and on May 13, 2003 has this listed as the only Champions League game of the week.
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
INTERNAZIONALE FC VS. MILAN AC
STADIO GIUSEPPE MEAZZA MILAN, ITALY
SEMIFINAL #1, LEG 2

What gives?? I don't believe they would show only one leg of each..and of course the Madrid-Juventus match is the better of the two.
Maybe they'll change it last minute.

Based on my knowledge of ESPN's rights (from previous years), they would be allowed to show all four matches, and could do it as a last-minute change. As far as I can tell, they have no live content competing for the time slots.

[Roehl Sybing]

Originally posted by Mike Segroves
BUt what about ESPN Deportes?


Hopefully it will become a full time channel and get Soccer off of ESPN and the Deuce
Yes, this is something native English speakers in America want, being forced to watch international soccer while listening to Spanish play-by-play.

I'd rather watch a friendly between two third-tier nations on a one-week tape delay in English before I watch a live Spanish broadcast of the Champions League final.

[DennisM]

"Yes, this is something native English speakers in America want, being forced to watch international soccer while listening to Spanish play-by-play.

I'd rather watch a friendly between two third-tier nations on a one-week tape delay in English before I watch a live Spanish broadcast of the Champions League final."

I have to agree. It's not the Spanish itself. It's just that Spanish announcers don't allow you time to listen to the crowd nor do they understand that not everything needs to be announced at such a loud or excited voice.

[rangers00]

Originally posted by da_cfo
That won't be a problem starting next season, when UEFA CL moves over to ESPN Deportes exclusively. No more UEFA CL on ESPN2 once ESPN Deportes becomes a full time channel.

Oliver, this is a simplistic way of looking at things.

That won't be a problem for the diehards in the U.S., who would go all out to get a gray market Sky Mexico or GLA system to watch the extra Champions League games broadcasted in Mexico. Getting a U.S. system (albeit in Spanish) is a piece of cake.

That would be a big problem if ESPN Deportes is only available on Directv para todos and nothing else. In other words, Directv can use it as the Sunday Ticket trump card. You want to watch CL football? get Directv or watch the cheerleaders competition...

You complain to Charlie? Charlie will always say "we are in negotiation (a la YES network)", as well as "well, we have GolTV and an abundance of 24/7 soccer programming from Guatamala, Bolivia, Uruguay, Ecuador...". I mean, how do you expect Charlie to know the difference between CL football and Ecuadorean football?

Imagine this time next year, CL final between Real Madrid and Manchester United, game is NOT on ESPN2, game is only on ESPN Deportes, and ESPN Deportes is only available on Directv Para Todos...

How many European soccer fans who are

- long time Dish customer and don't want to give up Dish network for its Italian/Russian/Arabic/<pick-your-own-ethnic-group> programming
- people who can't get directv (apartment dwellers)
- people who have digital cable

would be fuming?

[Mario]

Originally posted by DennisM
not everything needs to be announced at such a loud or excited voice.

Man then you always hear bad announcers! ESPN LatinAmerica announcers dont do that!

[DennisM]

Telemundo, Univisioin, FSWE. Let's hope Espn's are better. Well, there was one guy who was good and he did the Bundesliga games last year or the year before in Spanish on FSWE. He was good. One of the best announcers that I heard was on the Spanish Sunday matches on PPV a couple of years past. They were from Canal+ and the video was great. Clear replays. No ads popping up and they didn't have the time and score up all of the time. It was the way that soccer was meant to be seen on TV.