ESPN Classic (UK)
| ESPN Classic | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Launched | 13 March 2006 |
| Owned by | ESPN Inc. (The Walt Disney Company/Hearst Corporation) |
| Picture format | 16:9 (576i, SDTV) |
| Audience share | 0.0% (June 2011, BARB) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sister channel(s) | ESPN America ESPN (UK) |
| Website | www.espnclassic.com |
| Availability | |
| Satellite | |
| Sky | Channel 429 |
| Cable | |
| Virgin Media | Channel 533 |
| UPC Ireland | Channel 409 |
| Smallworld Cable | Channel 424 |
| Internet television | |
| Sky Go | Watch live (UK & Ireland only) |
| Virgin Media Player | Watch on demand (UK only) |
The British version of ESPN Classic launched on 13 March 2006 on Sky channel 442,[1] the first channel in the UK under the ESPN branding. On 3 August 2009, ESPN Classic launched on Virgin Media channel 533 as a part of the XL pack,[2] and in early 2011 video on demand content started to appear on the Virgin Media platform.[3] On 14 August 2009, ESPN Classic launched on UPC Ireland channel 409 as a part of the Max package.[4] It broadcasts a range of archive sports coverage, with an large emphasis on football.
Contents |
[edit] Programming
Much of the channel's output is football. A significant proportion of the footballing action on ESPN Classic is archive ITV football coverage, including matches covered by regional ITV companies, FA Cup matches from the ITV Sport archives, European Cup, European Cup Winners Cup and League Cup finals, matches from the Premier League, and some England games. ESPN Classic also shows games from the FIFA World Cup following a multi-year deal to show 150 classic FIFA World Cup matches from 1930 to 2006.[5] Though most coverage on the channel is from the colour era, it has shown original black and white footage of European Cup finals going back as far as 1959.
Most football matches on the channel have the original UK commentary, especially when the channel is broadcasting action originally shown by ITV, but Premier League games tend to feature commentary dubbed on more recently by Jon Champion, or commentary by Sky Sports broadcasters such as Martin Tyler and Alan Parry which seems to be from the international feed of the time. Some 1960s European Cup finals have also had a new commentary dubbed on by Tony Jones.
The channel also shows some rugby union international matches, including action from the Rugby World Cup, as well as past matches from the rugby union Premiership. Other sports featured include some archive cricket coverage, ESPN-produced vintage boxing matches, The Ultimate Fighter and more recently, action from American sports to complement the live American sports action which is broadcast on ESPN UK and ESPN America.
During 2010, the channel did not show BBC produced sporting action after a previous deal with the BBC expired in mid 2009. Therefore, sports such as rugby league, golf, athletics, darts and snooker were not shown on the channel nor were events such as domestic cricket prior to 1999 (the year that the BBC lost the rights to show live cricket), Wimbledon tennis, the Olympic Games and football coverage to which the BBC had the exclusive rights. This included 1970s and 1980s editions of Match of the Day which had been shown without the opening and closing titles and were branded "The Dead Good Match", and were sometimes truncated, with only one of the matches covered in a particular programme being shown. All UK football coverage on the channel during this period was either from the ITV Sport archives or specially produced compilation programmes, such as Premier League football season reviews, often with dubbed commentary due to the channel no longer showing BBC-produced coverage, as well as goal compilation programmes. One exception had been BBC-produced coverage of rugby union's Five Nations tournament shown during the 2011 Six Nations Championship. However, in a new deal between ESPN and the BBC, some BBC produced sport started to be shown again on the channel. The new deal, which came into being in April 2011, allowed for around 80 hours of action to be shown on the channel, way down from 630 hours under the previous agreement. This new deal included access to FA Cup matches, Formula One from when the BBC had the rights to the event (the channel chose to concentrate on action from the 1970s), test cricket and BBC-produced sporting documentaries.[6] The deal meant that ESPN-produced programmes based on the BBC archive, such as "Bellies and Bullseyes," were once again shown on the channel along with new programmes, such as athletics series "Team GB". This deal with BBC Sport co-insided with a new look for the channel, the first new look since ESPN UK launched in summer 2009.
ESPN Classic has also recently been producing its own programmes. Examples include 'Sport Years' as well as football compilation programmes. In addition, to mark the 30th anniversary of ESPN, the channel has been showing the ESPN Films' 30 for 30 series.
Very occasionally, ESPN Classic shows live action when two events to which ESPN has the rights are taking place at the same time. The first live sport that the channel showed was two UEFA Europa League matches, on 29 September and 20 October 2011. The first of the two games was Maribor and Birmingham. On 9 January 2012, the channel broadcast the third evening of the BDO World Darts Championship due to the main channel showing a third round match from the FA Cup.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "Disney Cinemagic & ESPN Classic launch in March". Media 247. 2006-02-27. http://media247.co.uk/skydigital/newsarchive/2006/02/sky_launch_conf.php.
- ^ "Virgin Media and ESPN announce channel deal ahead of Premier League football season". Virgin Media. 2009-07-29. http://pressoffice.virginmedia.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=205406&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1313434&highlight=.
- ^ "ESPN Classic VOD coming to Virgin Media". Digital Spy. 2011-02-11. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/broadcasting/news/a303235/espn-classic-vod-coming-to-virgin-media.html.
- ^ "Chorus ntl to carry ESPN HD in Ireland". Digital Spy. 2009-08-14. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/digitaltv/a171510/chorus-ntl-to-carry-espn-hd-in-ireland.html.
- ^ "ESPN secures archive World Cup footage". Digital Spy. 5 October 2009. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/broadcasting/a180510/espn-secures-archive-world-cup-footage.html.
- ^ "ESPN secures archive BBC footage". Media Guardian. 31 March 2011. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/mar/31/espn-classic-makes-deal-with-bbc-to-show-archive-footage.
