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ESPN to Broadcast UEFA European Football Championship 2012

March 6, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Good news for football fans ESPN will have games in June. Sorry I did not mean to get you excited if you misunderstood, it is not American football but the European style, when it broadcasts the UEFA European Football Championship 2012.

The network is staying true to its word about expanding and deepening its coverage of the sport in the US and it will be doing so with all of the tools at its disposal, live broadcasts, tape delayed, mobile and Internet coverage as well.

The broadcasts will be spread across three of its channels with some overlap starting with ESPN Desportes taking the lead with a total of 27 live matches and four tape-delayed ones for a total of 106 hours of programming.

Second at bat will be ESPN with 22 matches as well as pre- and post- game shows while ESPN3 will have six matches and the additional pre-and post-game programming as well. All 31 of the matches will be available on ESPN Deportes Radio, WatchESPN and 25 matches will be live on ESPN Mobile TV. All broadcast games will be in HD for the first time.

While pre- and post-game shows are a staple for American football fans this will mark the first time that ESPN will be including them in its UEFA broadcasts and including some of the traditions such as the teams walking onto the pitch, the national anthems and ceremonial handshakes that are a cornerstone of European pregame ceremonies.

The tournament begins Friday, June 8, and runs through Sunday, July 1, in eight cities across Poland and Ukraine. If you are on vacation, graduating from school, or working during the games all 31 matches will be archived and can only be accessed on ESPN3 through July 31, 2012, and non-exclusively through the end of the year. All matches will be available for replay on ESPN3 shortly after completion.

Filed Under: ESPN, ESPN Radio, ESPN3, Soccer Tagged With: , ,

ESPN Delivers a new Mobile App for Soccer Fans

February 28, 2012 by 1 Comment

ESPN’s promise to further establish its presence in the soccer world despite losing out to Fox future World Cup matches is coming to fruition as the sports media company has taken the wraps off of its latest mobile app, this one that promises to provide comprehensive coverage online.

The company will leverage its established web site ESPNsoccernet to provide fans the level of news and information content that is currently available from that site but deliver it to mobile devices.

The app will enable users to personalize it to some extent adding their favorite team, league and tournaments to enable them to more easily follow the action on field and off. News from teams or leagues can also be groups so that it is available on a single page rather than having to go to different pages for the information.

The App is the latest in a series of International sports focused offerings

In addition to the static news there will also be a range of videos and podcasts available from the app including ESPNsoccernet Press Pass podcast, plus, video content from ESPN’s studio-based discussion and analysis shows.

ESPN is striving for comprehensive coverage with the app, which is asking a lot considering the depth and breadth of soccer. Aside from the news a features it will of course have the scores from around the globe including tournament scores. The app will allow push notification so that both half time and full game results will be proactively delivered to the phones.

The app will initially only be available in the English language and only on Apple iOS powered devices but ESPN said that it expects to quickly expand the platforms that it is available to also include those powered by the Windows Phone, Symbian, and Android operating systems.

ESPN has been increasingly looking to mobile apps to enhance its position in the international market and has already launched two similar ventures that focus on mobile sporting content, including the ESPNF1 and ESPNcricinfo apps.

Filed Under: Android, Apple, Apps, English Premier Soccer League, ESPN, FoxSoccer, Live sports via mobile, Soccer Tagged With: ,

Women’s World Cup Final Available on Sprint Phones

July 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Want to watch the women’s World Cup soccer final game this Sunday but won’t be near a TV? Sprint smartphone users are covered thanks to the carrier’s ability to provide a live stream of the game (which starts at 2:15 p.m. Eastern time) via its ESPN Mobile TV channel on its Sprint TV app.

To watch the U.S. vs. Japan game Sprint users will need to have the “Sprint Everything” data plan which includes unlimited Web, texting and calling while on the Sprint Network. The everything data plans start at $69.99 per month plus a required $10 add-on charge for smartphones.

As I write this I’m watching the British Open live via the Sprint TV app on my Samsung Epic 4G, and the video is pretty good even through a 3G connection. (They are doing an endless loop replay of Tom Watson’s hole in one right now.) Seems like a great alternative for soccer fans who may be out and about when the U.S. and Japan get together to decide the title.

Filed Under: Android, Apps, ESPN, Live sports via mobile, Soccer, Sprint Tagged With: , , , ,

In beta, Fox sets Aug. 13 date for soccer upgrade

June 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment

FoxSoccer.tv will get a new look Aug. 13, and soccer will also have new iPad and iPhone applications, according to Fox Sports.

The move underscores the continued push by major American sports broadcasters to improve the smartphone and iPad viewer experience. As we’ve previously reported, Turner Sports has enjoyed runaway success in 2011 with NCAA March Madness and NBA Basketball on mobile devices.

 

Beta Underway

Fox is already making soccer coverage available on two cable networks, iPad, smartphones and on the Internet at FoxSoccer.tv. 

With its formal launch date set, Fox will attempt to establish itself as the dominant broadcaster of soccer to televisions, iPads and smart phones. Although soccer is a niche sport, it has great demographics, which is attractive to advertisers and marketers.

The Aug. 13 launch date ties in with the start of the Barclays Premier League season. Fox says it will have new shows and better graphics on all of its soccer broadcasting platforms by that date. 

Nathanson a mobile sports exec to watch 

The executive leading the Fox charge is David Nathanson, Fox Soccer general manager. Fox Soccer will also begin offering bundled content, allowing cable and satellite subscribers the option of watching the games on computer and tablet devices, Nathanson said in a statement.

“We want people to see the best soccer games in the world wherever and whenever it is the most convenient,” said Nathanson. “Our audience is smart, they want new technologies, they want the best coverage. With our mobile app and the coming iPad app, we’re delivering.”

Filed Under: FoxSoccer, Soccer Tagged With: , ,
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