So much for that Monday afternoon game a couple of weeks back being a "one time thing" according to ESPN due to the start of Monday Night Football...
I still think that it was a one time thing as far as Monday games go. This was originally supposed to be a Monday game, so ESPN2 probably had Sunderland-Manchester United scheduled before the season started. My best guess is that they don't want to do a doubleheader for whatever reason. They should have let FS+ have the game in English though, even if ESPN Deportes wants it in Spanish.
I think he meant ESPN US has a 10am game (as opposed to the 7:30 slot) So ESPN UK are doing games on Sunday Mornings now? Have they cut back on the number of Sat evening kickoffs? or are their package of 23 games not mostly confined to a consistent timeslot?
I am happy ESPN is showing games with Ian Darke doing the commentary. One question, do they have to show scores of other games? Ian Darke does a great job - but, does he have to give the Everton Birmingham City score. I guess no use in watching that one. It seems the Champion League games shown during the week on FSC - announcers don't give scores of other games. Also, the ticker is annoying at the bottom. Is it really necessary to know the baseball scores from last night? If I wanted to know that - there are other channels/avenues to get those scores. Maybe I need to tape the ESPN game and watch the others first. Or, not watch the ESPN game at all.
Not all 23 EPL matches on ESPN UK are scheduled for Saturday 1730 London Time. A handful of them are in the early slot (between 1200 and 1400 London Time) on Sundays. ESPN UK hires BSkyB to produce EPL matches on site at the stadiums. ESPN UK rents studio space at IMG Sports Media House in London.
Not a one time thing at all. The next two Monday night EPL matches will be on ESPN3.com (English, using PLP/IMG int'l feed) and ESPN Deportes (Spanish). They will NOT be on ESPN2 or ESPN Classic. Monday night EPL matches not involving the "Big 4" or Man City simply don't draw enough viewers to justify being on ESPN2 when ESPN2 can air talk shows that draw twice to 3 times the viewers. Notice that ESPN, Inc. now tries to avoid using ESPN Classic as an "overflow channel" (presumably because carriage agreements with pay TV operators limit the number of "live events" being carried by ESPN Classic). ESPN, Inc.'s preferred "overflow channel" is now ESPN3.com.
I don't understand why a carriage agreement would limit the number of live events a channel can carry
It's a culture thing. ESPN - like Sky Sports - is all about showing things live - especially if they're not being shown on their network. Remember Fox Soccer Match Day would spoil the scores of games being shown later on Setanta US.
Because Time Warner Cable did NOT want ESPN Classic to morph into "ESPN3 TV". Time Warner Cable specifically put the "live event limit" clause in the previous carriage agreement for ESPN Classic, which was signed when ESPN, Inc. was putting live college football and college basketball (with "classic" graphics from the 1980's) on ESPN Classic.
Because it would inevitably lead to a price hike for the ESPN suite. And even more so now that ESPNU actually does exist as a channel.
Yep - it's not the 90s anymore, time to cut the 'no spoiler' mentality in the media (who show English football) over here. With so many live matches available, what's the point? Can easily follow the league in real time. If you want to watch a match in it's entirety to see how they performed - just watch knowing the result. That's how NFL fans operate here in America - follow in real time and then catch some game films on NFL Network. How ridiculous would it be for FOX or CBS to withhold scores from viewers on a Sunday afternoon?? I'd much prefer FSC to put more emphasis on real time scores and news over delayed matches.
Well I am thrilled that FSC doesn't put more emphasis on real time scores. There are enough places to get that information (the internet) if you are interested. When you watch the broadcast of the the Champions League on FSC - those gentleman who are broadcasting the games to my knowledge never talk about a game result from the previous day. They may say something about the clubs previous match day - I don't ever remember them giving scores of other matches going on simaltaneusly. Now, maybe they give them on the FSC halftime or pre-game show which I don't watch. In terms of American football that is true - yet, FOX and CBS don't broadcast 4-5 games in a row in their entirety like FSC does. Not many American football fans watch 4-5 entire NFL football games. At most, they could watch four, doubleheader on Sunday, Sunday night, Monday night. I enjoy watching games live - when I can't - I tape them and watch them the next day or the day after that at my convenience. Sometimes later in the week. It is easy to avoid results if you work at it. I also don't understand the culture comment. They want to show live games, yet they weren't showing Everton - Birmingham City. If they are going to show it great - put it on - if not. Don't mention the score during the telecast. I don't watch the halftime or post game show. With FSC you probabaly get 4-5 English games - three Seria A games - one game on ESPN. I try and watch as many live as I can - if not - tape and throughout the week. Almost always can get through without someone mentioning another score.
I believe the "calling EPL games in a vacuum except for Round 38" has indeed been done to accommodate international broadcasters who traditionally have shown some of the 10:00 Saturday games via SDD. Possibly fewer channel feeds/sports broadcasters in some countries than we are accustomed to in the U.S. And since Sky's "Football First" allows UK viewers to watch extended game highlights of their own choosing; it's NOT intended to "cut away to goals scored elsewhere," but I think they do reference scores in the studio afterwards, even though the program repeats during overnight hours. That said, more are offering multiple live game feeds on TV or online (including FSC/+), so I can see this practice going away before long.
The proliferation of DVR, Internet and video-on-demand technologies have rendered the "same-day delay" broadcast model obsolete in many countries, including the U.S. EVERY EPL is now available live in the U.S. EVERY UEFA CL match is available in the U.S.
FSC Champions League half/postgame shows don't give away scores. The EPL post-game show usually don't give away the NEXT game about to come on, but I have noticed them leaking scores of some games coming on on delay later on FSC/FS+.
ESPN have recently hired a few more Soccer commentators Dan Thomas made his debut for ESPN today during the Kazakstan vs Germany game with Janusz Michallik, I believe ESPN3.com was also taking this feed. Sounds like a typical world feed european commentator and did a decent job although I though he could of done the goal call a bit better. The other one Mark Donaldson is listed to start commentating on Champions league games for our network next week although he could start as early as this weekend. Have not heard of him but from this article he has many years of experience on Scottish radio, My Freinds and I was hoping for Ian Darke to be used but are very happy ESPN is making some changes there commentary was getting really old and tired good to see them freshening it up a bit I guess they were receiving too many complaints about too many second class American commentators being on the air. From what I gather Ross Dyer and Dave Roberts are both on the outer since I have not heard from either of them since August.
And when you're following scores online, you can usually find out about a goal in an FSC game before it's shown (thanks to their delay). I actually appreciate that sometimes because it alerts me to start paying attention, I'm about to see a "live" goal.
Getting back on topic...I liked this morning that Ian and Macca did their pregame from pitchside. I was wondering since they did a cold open for the Sunderland-Man U game a couple weeks ago, that some may think that it wasn't done at the stadium, but in a studio in London or Bristol or somewhere else. Good move, ESPN.
Looking strictly from a viewership and sponsorship revenue perspective: English Premier League on ESPN2 U.S. on Saturday morning is now on par with "2nd choice" college basketball games shown on ESPN2 during U.S. prime time. Even though ESPN, Inc. could have continued to route the Premier League Productions international feeds onto ESPN2 (with or without wraps from Bristol), ESPN, Inc. chose to use the sponsorship money from Electronic Arts (EA Sports FIFA Soccer 11) to pay the salaries of Darke (I am guessing at least mid 6-figures, if not 7) and Macca, as well paying BSkyB for remote production from the stadium, and paying IMG Sports Media for studio production (the set where Rebecca Lowe and Macca did the 1st EPL broadcast for ESPN2 U.S. & ESPN Caribbean is located at IMG's London facility, as ESPN does not have its own studio in the U.K.,) so that EPL on ESPN2 would "look" like any other live event broadcast shown on ESPN2, with its own announcers and the "ESPN" branding. ESPN, Inc. found the "right" formula to present European soccer to the U.S. domestic audience during Euro 2008 and has continued to apply the same formula for World Cup 2010 and the English Premier League.