ESPN to Launch New Pay-Per-View Service Featuring NCAA Baseball
ESPN - a leader in out-of-market sports subscription packages - will launch ESPN Pay-Per-View, a new service based primarily on pay-per-view events, featuring NCAA baseball championship games, martial arts programs, fantasy league specials, movies produced by ESPN Original Entertainment and much more. ESPN PPV was announced today by Matt Murphy, vice president of Interactive Sales for ESPN.
ESPN Pay-Per-View complements ESPN's existing out-of-market sports subscription services: ESPN GamePlan and ESPN Full Court, college football and college basketball packages, respectively. With the new service, ESPN affiliates will have an inventory of high-quality ESPN pay-per-view programming to offer to consumers year-round.
'There is an opportunity to grow the pay-per-view category utilizing ESPN's rights, content and unmatched marketing capabilities,' said Murphy. 'Entering this business benefits sports fans, affiliates and rights holders. We are confident that ESPN Pay-Per-View's compelling content of traditional and non-traditional events, movies and programs will be of extraordinary value to our affiliates and their customers. We are excited by what we have planned today, and we are eagerly looking forward to doing more in the very near future.'
Kicking off ESPN Pay-Per-View is ESPN College Grand Slam, a package of up to 24 games from the NCAA baseball championship's Super Regional Round, available June 6 to June 9. Featuring 16 of the country's best college baseball teams vying for a berth in the College World Series, the Super Regional Round is a showcase for future professionals; Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Nomar Garciaparra and Jason Giambi are some of the current Major League Baseball stars who have played in the NCAA baseball championships. ESPN College Grand Slam will be available for $19.95. The package complements ESPN and ESPN2's coverage of the Super Regionals and College World Series.
In August, ESPN Pay-Per-View will co-market a martial arts event with event-organizer K-1. The five events scheduled in the next twelve months will include K1 and ISKA title events, carry the ESPN brand, and will be marketed by ESPN's plethora of multimedia platforms and include affiliate tie-ins.
ESPN Pay-Per-View plans to introduce fantasy league specials featuring in-depth news, analysis, commentary and player recommendations from ESPN's on-air personalities and talent line-up of former professional athletes. The specials will be produced and marketed in conjunction with ESPN.com's initiatives in the fantasy league arena.
Plans also call for ESPN Pay-Per-View to include other sports specials as well as movies from ESPN Original Entertainment, including A Season on the Brink and The Junction Boys, and additional programs from ESPN's vast library of content.
For more information please contact:
ESPN Media Contact: Katina Arnold @ 860-766-2000 or katina.arnold@espn.com
ESPN Pay-Per-View complements ESPN's existing out-of-market sports subscription services: ESPN GamePlan and ESPN Full Court, college football and college basketball packages, respectively. With the new service, ESPN affiliates will have an inventory of high-quality ESPN pay-per-view programming to offer to consumers year-round.
'There is an opportunity to grow the pay-per-view category utilizing ESPN's rights, content and unmatched marketing capabilities,' said Murphy. 'Entering this business benefits sports fans, affiliates and rights holders. We are confident that ESPN Pay-Per-View's compelling content of traditional and non-traditional events, movies and programs will be of extraordinary value to our affiliates and their customers. We are excited by what we have planned today, and we are eagerly looking forward to doing more in the very near future.'
Kicking off ESPN Pay-Per-View is ESPN College Grand Slam, a package of up to 24 games from the NCAA baseball championship's Super Regional Round, available June 6 to June 9. Featuring 16 of the country's best college baseball teams vying for a berth in the College World Series, the Super Regional Round is a showcase for future professionals; Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Nomar Garciaparra and Jason Giambi are some of the current Major League Baseball stars who have played in the NCAA baseball championships. ESPN College Grand Slam will be available for $19.95. The package complements ESPN and ESPN2's coverage of the Super Regionals and College World Series.
In August, ESPN Pay-Per-View will co-market a martial arts event with event-organizer K-1. The five events scheduled in the next twelve months will include K1 and ISKA title events, carry the ESPN brand, and will be marketed by ESPN's plethora of multimedia platforms and include affiliate tie-ins.
ESPN Pay-Per-View plans to introduce fantasy league specials featuring in-depth news, analysis, commentary and player recommendations from ESPN's on-air personalities and talent line-up of former professional athletes. The specials will be produced and marketed in conjunction with ESPN.com's initiatives in the fantasy league arena.
Plans also call for ESPN Pay-Per-View to include other sports specials as well as movies from ESPN Original Entertainment, including A Season on the Brink and The Junction Boys, and additional programs from ESPN's vast library of content.
For more information please contact:
ESPN Media Contact: Katina Arnold @ 860-766-2000 or katina.arnold@espn.com