January 30, 200620 yr ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes will be the TV homes of the inaugural World Baseball Classic, tournament officials and ESPN announced Monday. ESPN and ESPN2 will televise 16 games live, including the semifinals (March 18) and finals (March 20) from Petco Park in San Diego. ESPN Deportes will show all 39 games of the tournament. In addition, ESPN Syndication will distribute games to a variety of local channels. And ESPN Radio will broadcast the semifinals and finals. "ESPN has been a tremendous television partner and I am extremely pleased that we will be enhancing our relationship with their coverage of the inaugural World Baseball Classic," said Tim Brosnan, Executive Vice President of Business for Major League Baseball. "The magnitude of ESPN's reach will provide the broad, in-depth coverage that this event deserves." "This is yet another exciting new chapter in ESPN's growing relationship with MLB and the MLB Players Association," said Len DeLuca, ESPN senior vice president, programming and acquisitions. Also, ESPN International will provide coverage in Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, the Middle East and Israel. And ESPN has rights for all its new media platforms including Mobile ESPN (the company's new mobile phone), ESPN.com and ESPN360 (broadband). All 39 games on ESPN Deportes, but ESPN/ESPN2 will only air 16 games with others going to local stations via ESPN Syndication (aka ESPN Plus)
January 30, 200620 yr Author MLB.com's article: http://florida.marlins.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/...t=.jsp&c_id=mlb MLB Press Release: http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/press_r...t=.jsp&c_id=mlb ESPN Syndication will likely sell the package to Regional Sports Networks (i.e. FSN, SUN, YES, NESN, Altitude, etc.) and/or Local TV channels (i.e. local stations that air ESPN+ College Football/Basketball from the Big East, etc.)
January 30, 200620 yr ESPN Syndication will likely sell the package to Regional Sports Networks (i.e. FSN, SUN, YES, NESN, Altitude, etc.) and/or Local TV channels (i.e. local stations that air ESPN+ College Football/Basketball from the Big East, etc.) Alright then, that makes it even better.. Thanks :notworthy
January 30, 200620 yr Author Summary: English in USA: ESPN/ESPN2: 16 games ESPN Syndication: 14 games ESPN Radio: semifinals and finals Spanish in USA: ESPN Deportes: 39 games I could see ESPN outbid FOX in the next round of negotiations for the All Star Game and World Series and you could see MLB return to ABC. Now, would MLB allow ESPN to take over Saturday Afternoon Baseball?
January 30, 200620 yr ESPN does a good job at presenting baseball games. Visually the games are better to watch.
January 30, 200620 yr Author ESPN keeps it simple, therefore it is fresh. FOX accelerated MLB on TV several years, but the national broadcasts lack the vivid attitude that they used to have and FSN stil has. Fact is FOX has outgrown MLB coverage. ABC/ESPN will IMO take over baseball rights exclusively in 2007. All I hope is that they refrain from using Jon Miller on ABC TV and keep him on ESPN/ESPN Radio only. Dave O'Brien with a pair of analysts like Tony Gwinn and Jeff Brantley would be very good. You can have two reporters like Gary Miller and Erin Andrews...and viola...you have MLB on ABC! The B team could be Jon Miller and Joe Morgan; Gary Thorne with Rick Sutcliffe could be the C team. ABC should air Saturday baseball IMO, but will the economics allow it, likely not.
January 30, 200620 yr No Jeff Brantley during the play-offs. There is only so many times I can hear him moaning and groaning and the term "intestinal fortitude".
January 30, 200620 yr Author No Jeff Brantley during the play-offs. There is only so many times I can hear him moaning and groaning and the term "intestinal fortitude". On second thought, Jeff would be better in the pre/post game shows. Imagine a BBTN Pre/Post Game show.
January 30, 200620 yr Sounds good to me. ESPN is better than the watered down version of baseball you see on the networks
January 30, 200620 yr ESPN keeps it simple, therefore it is fresh. FOX accelerated MLB on TV several years, but the national broadcasts lack the vivid attitude that they used to have and FSN stil has. Fact is FOX has outgrown MLB coverage. ABC/ESPN will IMO take over baseball rights exclusively in 2007. All I hope is that they refrain from using Jon Miller on ABC TV and keep him on ESPN/ESPN Radio only. Dave O'Brien with a pair of analysts like Tony Gwinn and Jeff Brantley would be very good. You can have two reporters like Gary Miller and Erin Andrews...and viola...you have MLB on ABC! The B team could be Jon Miller and Joe Morgan; Gary Thorne with Rick Sutcliffe could be the C team. ABC should air Saturday baseball IMO, but will the economics allow it, likely not. what about boogie woogie woogie....come on now show Boog some love, i know he will be broadcasting games in the WBC out of the Orlando bracket
January 31, 200620 yr Author Boog could be a B or C team...but I was thinking he would do ESPN Radio.
February 3, 200620 yr ESPN Syndication will likely sell the package to Regional Sports Networks (i.e. FSN, SUN, YES, NESN, Altitude, etc.) and/or Local TV channels (i.e. local stations that air ESPN+ College Football/Basketball from the Big East, etc.) looks like Orlando is dead unless FSN defers the games to SUN.
February 3, 200620 yr ESPN keeps it simple, therefore it is fresh. FOX accelerated MLB on TV several years, but the national broadcasts lack the vivid attitude that they used to have and FSN stil has. Fact is FOX has outgrown MLB coverage. ABC/ESPN will IMO take over baseball rights exclusively in 2007. All I hope is that they refrain from using Jon Miller on ABC TV and keep him on ESPN/ESPN Radio only. Dave O'Brien with a pair of analysts like Tony Gwinn and Jeff Brantley would be very good. You can have two reporters like Gary Miller and Erin Andrews...and viola...you have MLB on ABC! The B team could be Jon Miller and Joe Morgan; Gary Thorne with Rick Sutcliffe could be the C team. ABC should air Saturday baseball IMO, but will the economics allow it, likely not. yeah...have the best announcing duo in baseball as the b team...
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