ESPN International Matches!!!

[spottedeagle]

I turned on the tv today to discover to my amazement that ESPN2 was airing Greece v. Italy!! This is the first time I have ever seen ESPN cover a european international friendly and I was wondering your thoughts on this. Is this a reacouring thing by espn on international matchdays, or was this more of a one time thing. Also, do you think this is in reaction to the recent pressure by soccer fans to get more matches aired on ESPN/ESPN2/ABC?

This is great :-)

[DCUdiplomat96]

I turned on the tv today to discover to my amazement that ESPN2 was airing Greece v. Italy!! This is the first time I have ever seen ESPN cover a european international friendly and I was wondering your thoughts on this. Is this a reacouring thing by espn on international matchdays, or was this more of a one time thing. Also, do you think this is in reaction to the recent pressure by soccer fans to get more matches aired on ESPN/ESPN2/ABC?

This is great :-)

no probably a make up date they didnt show Champions league

[MasterShake29]

no probably a make up date they didnt show Champions league

What date would that have been and what evidence do you have that this was the case?

[QS Rez]

I turned on the tv today to discover to my amazement that ESPN2 was airing Greece v. Italy!! This is the first time I have ever seen ESPN cover a european international friendly and I was wondering your thoughts on this. Is this a reacouring thing by espn on international matchdays, or was this more of a one time thing. Also, do you think this is in reaction to the recent pressure by soccer fans to get more matches aired on ESPN/ESPN2/ABC?

This is great :-)

ESPN's programming head is on record as believing he can make money showing soccer.

They usually show CL on Wednesday afternoon so they plugged this in instead. It is unlikely that it cost them much and attracts two proud and large ethnic groups.

By the way, they are doing a nice soccer talk show on Mondays and Fridays at 7 PM EST if you get ESPN Classic (or maybe ESPN360)

[infomercialscams]

ESPN is the TV Channel and its only a sport channel..
On ESPN all types of sports are come and also here all the Live International Matches are come. Its really a very good and best sports channel.......

[Master O]

ESPN's programming head is on record as believing he can make money showing soccer.



Wow, only took ESPN how many decades? :rolleyes:

[rangers00]

Wow, only took ESPN how many decades? :rolleyes:

February 1997, ESPN showed England X Italy in Wembley, World Cup qualifier when Zola scored the only goal of the game.

June 1996, ESPN showed England X Germany in Wembley, Euro semi-final.

Did you miss them?

[djpower]

For those people interested in what soccer is produced at ESPN here is a example from this weekend. I have gathered all this information from ESPN International website, which will list all the La Liga and Serie A matches they are producing this weekend, English commentary pairings and time listed on ESPN (Pacific Rim) and ESPN HD (Australia) I have put the timezone into American Eastern Time. This is rather a weird weekend as its scraping the bottom of the barrel as they have a lot of there commentators away on Champions league duty . Also since it is coming to the end of the session I believe all Serie A and La Liga games are played at the same time apart from the Real Madrid game which is a Sunday game.

Saturday La Liga games

Barcelona vs. Osasuna
ROBBIE MUSTOE (ANL), ADRIAN HEALEY (PXP)
Live 2:55pm. repeat 11pm ESPN
Delayed 3am ESPN HD

Villarreal vs. Valencia
SHEP MESSING (ANL), ANDREW ORSATTI (PXP)
Live 2:55pm ESPN HD
Delayed 3am ESPN

Getafe vs. Numancia
SHEP MESSING (ANL), JOE TOLLESON (PXP)
Delayed 5pm ESPN HD
Delayed 11am ESPN

Athletic Bilbao vs. Atlético Madrid
NEIL HISLOP (ANL), STEVEN CANGIALOSI (PXP)
Delayed 1am ESPN
Delayed 11am ESPN HD

Real Madrid vs. Mallorca (2:55pm Sunday)
ROBBIE MUSTOE (ANL), ADRIAN HEALEY (PXP)
Delayed 11pm ESPN
Delayed 1am ESPN HD

Sunday Serie A games

Milan vs. Roma
NEIL HISLOP (ANL) ADRIAN HEALEY (PXP)
Live 8:55am repeated 1am ESPN
Delayed 5pm repeated 8:30 am ESPN HD

Cagliari vs. Inter (also live on ESPN360)
SHEP MESSING (ANL), ANDREW ORSATTI (PXP)
Live 8:55am repeated 11pm ESPN HD
Delayed 4:30pm ESPN

Siena vs. Juventus (also live on ESPN360)
SEAMUS MALIN (ANL), JOE TOLLESON (PXP)
ESPN do not have rights in Australia, game will be shown on delay on Setanta as well as Chievo v Bologna using the international feed

[djpower]

last weekend so I thought I will post again can not be bothered with the times but here is ESPN International commentary pairing for this weekend games. They have given Derek, Tommy and Dave Roberts the Saturday off to recover from Rome. Something does not seem right with the ESPN360 games as all Serie A games are played at same time and there listing same commentators for both if this is current than the Genoa vs. Lecce game will be delayed on 360 as that game is delayed on all there other international stations

Saturday

At Madrid vs. Almeria
JANUSZ MICHALLIK (ANL), ANDREW ORSATTI (PXP)

Deportivo La Coruña vs. Barcelona
ROBBIE MUSTOE (ANL), ADRIAN HEALEY (PXP)

Sunday
Fiorentina vs. Milan
ROBBIE MUSTOE (ANL), ADRIAN HEALEY (PXP)

Juventus vs. Lazio (ESPN360)
SHEP MESSING (ANL), DAVID ROBERTS (PXP)

Inter vs. Atalanta
TOMMY SMYTH (ANL), DEREK RAE (PXP)

Genoa vs. Lecce (ESPN360)
SHEP MESSING (ANL), DAVID ROBERTS (PXP)

Numancia vs. Sevilla
TOMMY SMYTH (ANL), JOE TOLLESON (PXP)

Osasuna vs. Real Madrid
JANUSZ MICHALLIK (ANL), DEREK RAE (PXP)

[spottedeagle]

Are'nt these games on the international ESPN feeds which means they cannot be seen on the traditional USA feeds... dissappointing

[Kryptonite]

If you have access to www.espn360.com (go there and it'll tell you), some of the Italian and lower-division English stuff can be seen there.

[djpower]

Are'nt these games on the international ESPN feeds which means they cannot be seen on the traditional USA feeds... dissappointing

your mostly right, the games listed are not available in the United States apart from a couple of Serie A games per week which are only available on ESPN360. There has been talk of future ESPN Commentary pairing for events shown in the United States so I thought I would give people an idea at ESPN International weekly soccer production and english commentary pairings.

In Australia we get all the La Liga games and most of there Serie A coverage depending on what package they come from Setanta might have the rights. ESPN at times show two live games at once using there HD channel to show a alternative game to what is on the main SD channel. But the network still being a American run network does have its faults and bad programming moves that does delay games but them opening up there secondary channel ESPN HD has helped a lot for people that can get it I am still waiting for my service provider to offer it:mad:

[huhe888]

February 1997, ESPN showed England X Italy in Wembley, World Cup qualifier when Zola scored the only goal of the game.

I remember that one very well, as I was the person who took the lead and used soccerTV.com to organize a write-in campaign to ESPN Programming to add the England vs Italy WCQ from the old Wembley for airing on ESPN in the U.S.

After 9 business days, I was told by one of my contacts that the write-in campaign succeeded.

[LaxBandit]

Something does not seem right with the ESPN360 games as all Serie A games are played at same time and their listing same commentators for both if this is current than the Genoa vs. Lecce game will be delayed on 360 as that game is delayed on all their other international stations.

Juventus vs. Lazio (ESPN360)
SHEP MESSING (ANL), DAVID ROBERTS (PXP)

Genoa vs. Lecce (ESPN360)
SHEP MESSING (ANL), DAVID ROBERTS (PXP)


ESPN360.com decided to show both games LIVE - Roberts and
Messing did commentary for the Juventus-Lazio game while the
Genoa-Lecce game had no commentary - all you heard was the
crowd. Once the Juventus-Lazio game ends, Roberts and Messing
will then do the commentary for the Genoa-Lecce game so the other
international stations will have "LIVE" commentary. Not sure if the
replay of Genoa-Lecce on ESPN360.com will have that commentary
or just leave it the way it was orginially shown.)

Update: It will be the way it was orginially shown as the ESPN360.com
replay of Genoa-Lecce doesn't have the commentary.

LB...