CL leaving ESPN2?

Discussion in 'Business and Media' started by SuperElf, Oct 2, 2002.

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  1. SuperElf

    SuperElf Member

    Jul 16, 1999
    Dallas, TX
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    CL leaving ESPN2

    I hadn't seen this elsewhere, so somebody stop me if this has already been discussed here or elsewhere, but I was just on soccertv.com, and happened across this little tidbit:

    --------------------------------

    ESPN Deportes to launch full time on September 7, 2003

    September 23, 2002

    Disney (NYSE: DIS) unit ESPN has announced that it will expand its Sunday night Spanish-language US cable/satellite TV service ESPN Deportes to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week effective September 7, 2003.

    ESPN Deportes is expected to replace ESPN2 as the US TV outlet for the UEFA Champions League, and is expected to air up to 8 UEFA Champions League matches on each match day starting with the 2003-2004 season.

    ESPN International currently holds an option to renew its contract for the EXCLUSIVE TV rights to UEFA Champions League in all countries and territories outside Europe through May 2006 with Swiss sports marketing company TEAM Marketing AG.

    ESPN International also holds an option to purchase US TV rights in English, Spanish, and Portuguese to 3 first-choice Spanish Primera Division (a.k.a. La Liga) matches each week via an agreement with Barcelona-based sports marketing agency Media Pro.

    Besides the UEFA Champions League, ESPN Deportes will also offer its weekly futbol talk show Fuera del Juego, hosted by ESPN Latin America futbol play-by-play announcer Luis Omar Tapia. Tapia did play-by-play for Univision Sports during World Cup 2002.

    ESPN Deportes will also air SportsCenter en Espanol, a nightly sports news and information program, with emphasis on entertainment sports consumed by US Hispanic viewers. SportsCenter en Espanol will compete against TeleFutura's Contacto Deportivo, Telemundo's Titulares Telemundo, and FOX Sports en Espanol's Score Final.

    ESPN Deportes is currently available to about 13 million US TV households on Sunday nights via analog or digital cable in selected areas, as well as via DirecTV Para Todos direct broadcast satellite TV. A 24-inch satellite dish capable of receiving programming from both the 101 and 119 degrees longitude orbital positions, as well as a DirecTV Plus or a DirecTV Para Todos satellite receiver, are required to receive DirecTV Para Todos programming.

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    So what does this mean for us? Are those of us still stuck with basic cable about to get screwed out of CL like we've been screwed out of any EPL action? What is the likelyhood of lots of cable/satellite providers picking up ESPN Deportes? And are they liely to buy more rights than the CL and La Liga matches they already screen?

    Discuss.
     
  2. lond2345

    lond2345 Member

    Aug 19, 2002
    USA
    i got direct tv!

    i have univision, fox sports, espn deportes, telemundo plus tv azteca which shows mfl games!

    life has been so much better after i got rid of cable :)
     
  3. SportBoy321

    SportBoy321 New Member

    Jul 6, 2002
    New England
    CL leaving ESPN2

    I thnk this is bad news because ESPN Deportes broadcasts all programs in Spanish so all these Champions League games they will be showing will probably be all in Spanish. I know some people will be like " I don't care if I can't understand and speak Spanish at least I get to see more games." Well for me I don't speak Spanish and I wanna hear the games in English I don't wanna hear some Spanish guy doing the games I wanna know what the heck is going on.
     
  4. monster

    monster Member

    Oct 19, 1999
    Hanover, PA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

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