All information contained in this press release, including dates and times, are as of June 30, 2008. For the most up-to-date scheduling information please refer to the 24-hour program schedule. |
ESPN Networks and ABC Highlights
Highlights for:
July | August | September
ESPN, ESPN2 & ABC
AWARDS
The 16th annual ESPYs will be hosted by Justin Timberlake, who will be joined by an all-star lineup of top athletes and entertainers to celebrate the best sports stories of the year. The two-hour event will move to the new NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE, a world-class 7,100-seat venue located across the street from STAPLES Center in downtown Los Angeles. The 2008 ESPYs presented by HUMMER will be taped Wednesday, July 16 and televised Sunday, July 20 at 9 p.m. ESPN and in high definition on ESPN HD with additional unique content available on a variety of ESPN multimedia platforms including ESPN.com and ESPN International. Please click here for information on the Arthur Ashe Courage Award.
- 2008 ESPYs Nomination Special, Tuesday, July 1, at 7 p.m.
X GAMES 14
Live coverage of X Games 14, the world’s premier action sports event, will begin Thursday, July 31, at 9 p.m. on ESPN. The network will combine with ESPN2 and ABC to provide full coverage of the annual competition. Prior to this year’s first event, ESPN will provide a behind-the-scenes view with X Games 14 All Access Preview, Wednesday, July 30, at 1 p.m. For more information please click here.
NASCAR
NASCAR Sprint Cup airs on ESPN starting Sunday, July 27 with the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard from Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Live programming will begin with NASCAR Countdown an hour before the race at 1 p.m.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
ESPN’s extensive Major League Baseball All-Star coverage will be highlighted by ESPN, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes and ESPN360.com’s live coverage of the 2008 State Farm Home Run Derby Monday, July 14 at 8 p.m. hosted by the N.Y. Yankees at Yankees Stadium. This is ESPN’s 11th year of live Derby coverage, which is traditionally ESPN’s highest-rated summer program. On the eve of the Derby, ESPN will provide exclusive coverage of the New York Mets as they host the defending N.L. Champion Colorado Rockies at 8 p.m. The following week’s Sunday Night Baseball (July 20) telecast will feature rivals Boston and Los Angeles as the Angels of Anaheim host the World Series champions at a special 6 p.m. start time.
- All-Star Celebrity Softball Game Monday, July 14, at 10 p.m. on ESPN.
- MLB Specials on ESPN: Yankee Stadium, Thursday, July 10, at 8 p.m. and Baby Ruth Take Me Out to the Ballgame, Friday, July 18, at 9 p.m.
- 2008 Future Stars Game, Sunday, July 13, at 12:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
- AAA All-Star Game, Wednesday, July 16, at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.
- Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies, Monday, July 28, at 9 p.m. on ESPN2.
TENNIS ON ESPN2
Wimbledon, The Championships will conclude with coverage of the quarterfinals (July 1-2) and semifinals (July 3-4). SportsCenter will provide highlights from the Women’s (July 5, at 2 p.m.) and Men’s (July 6, at 3 p.m.) final match. Additional tennis coverage includes the 2008 Olympus U.S. Open Series, schedule:
- (men’s) -- Rogers Masters, July 25-27 and Western & Southern Financial Group Master, July 31, at 1 p.m.
- (women’s) -- Bank of the West Classic, July 19-20 and East West Bank Classic, July 25-27
SOCCER ON ESPN2
The Houston Dynamo, winner of two back-to-back championships versus the New England Revolution, will visit Real Salt Lake on ESPN2’s MLS Primetime Thursday telecast July 3, at 10 p.m. Additional games include CD Chivas vs. LA Galaxy, July 10, at 11 p.m. and Kansas City vs. Columbus, July 17, at 8 p.m. The last game of the month will include live coverage of the 2008 Pepsi MLS All-Star Game, from the home of the Toronto FC club, July 24, at 7 p.m.
- 2008 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup (final) Monday, July 28, at 2 p.m.
- US Women’s Soccer: International Match (opponent to be announced at a later date), Saturday, July 12, at 6 p.m.
- USSF Development Academy: U-18 Championship, Friday, July 18, at 11 p.m.
BASKETBALL
The first ESPN2 WNBA Tuesday game of the month will feature the Atlanta Dream, the league’s expansion team, at home versus Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury. The defending champions will also host the San Antonio Silver Stars July 15, at 9 p.m. The Washington Mystics will make two back-to-back appearances on the ABC Sunday afternoon schedule, with home court advantage against San Antonio, July 6, at 1 p.m. and Connecticut, July 13, at 3:30 p.m.
- USA Basketball Pre-Olympic Game, Friday, July 25, at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
ARENA FOOTBALL LEAGUE
The 2008 AFL season will conclude with two divisional playoff games on ESPN Friday, July 4, (Independence Day) at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, July 5, at 3 p.m. and at 8 p.m. (ESPN2). The conference championships will be televised the following weekend with a doubleheader Saturday, July 12, at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. The championship game will be televised live on ABC Sunday, July 27, at 3 p.m.
POKER
ESPN’s exclusive coverage of the 2008 World Series of Poker presented by Milwaukee’s Best Light, the world’s premier poker tournament, will begin Tuesday, July 22, at 8 p.m. Coverage will continue each Tuesday generally at 9 p.m. Norman Chad and Lon McEachern will return to provide complete analysis of the players and games.
GOLF
The third and final rounds of The British Open, from Southport, England, will be televised on ABC starting Saturday, July 19, at 9 a.m. In addition, the first and second round of the U.S. Senior Open Golf Championship will be televised live on ESPN Thursday, July 31, at 1 p.m. and Friday, Aug. 1, at 1 p.m.
- 2008 Par 3 Shootout, Tuesday, July 8, at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
- LPGA on ESPN2: Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic, from Sylvania, Ohio, July 11-13 and LPGA State Fame Classic from Springfield, Ill., July 18-20.
MISCELLANEOUS
- Major League Lacrosse All-Star Game from Denver, Colo., Thursday, July 17, at 10 p.m. on ESPN2.
ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC
NASCAR
Live coverage of the NASCAR Sprint Series will continue each week on ESPN. Prior to each race, the network will televise NASCAR Countdown with the latest news and updates surrounding that weekend’s events.
ESPN2 and ABC’s comprehensive, multi-platform coverage of the full NASCAR Nationwide Series will include five races this month, four on ESPN2 and one on ABC (Saturday, Aug. 9, at 3 p.m. from Watkins Glen, N.Y.). Click here to access schedule.
• Firestone IndyCar Grand Prix of Detroit, Sunday, Aug. 31, at 3:30 p.m. on ABC.
BASEBALL
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Major League Baseball telecasts will be available, live, three times a week on ESPN highlighted by exclusive Sunday Night Baseball games (also available in high definition on ESPN HD).
LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL
ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 will combine to present the Little League World Series from Williamsport, Pa., Aug. 17-26. ABC – entering the network’s 46th consecutive year of Little League World Series coverage – will provide live coverage of the International Championship Saturday, Aug. 23, at 12:30 p.m. ET with the U.S. Championship at 3:30 p.m. The following day the network will broadcast the Championship game at 3:30 p.m. Every Little League World Series game on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 will be available in high definition. Coverage from Williamsport will begin Friday, Aug. 15 with regional winners competing in the pool-play round.
- Big League Baseball live Saturday, Aug. 2, at 2 p.m. on ESPN, with coverage of the Junior League Tuesday, Aug. 26, and Senior League Wednesday, Aug. 27, at 2 p.m. both days on ESPN2.
FOOTBALL
NFL
ESPN will kickoff its 2008 Monday Night Football preseason schedule with the New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals Thursday, Aug. 7, at 8 p.m. ET. ESPN’s commentator team of Mike Tirico (play-by-play) and analysts Ron Jaworski and Tony Kornheiser will call four NFL preseason games during the month of August – three on Mondays and one Thursday – in anticipation of their regular-season debut on Monday, Sept. 8. All preseason games will begin at 8 p.m.
COLLEGE
The 2008 college football schedule on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC will begin with a preview of the upcoming season from ESPN’s College GameDay crew Saturday, Aug. 24, at 2:30 p.m. on ABC. Additional studio coverage includes ESPN’s daily program College Football Live, with a 60-minute “Kickoff Special” Thursday, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. followed by the first two games of the season: North Carolina State vs. South Carolina at 8 p.m. on ESPN with Oregon State vs. Stanford at 9 p.m. on ESPN2. In addition, the Walt Disney World Resort will serve as a presenting sponsor of the MEAC-SWAC Challenge, an ESPN Regional Television (ERT) owned-and-operated event, featuring teams from two prominent HBCU (Historically Black College/University) leagues -- the MEAC’s Hampton University and the SWAC’s Jackson State University Sunday, Aug. 31, at 2 p.m. on ESPN2.
- Pro Football Hall of Fame Induction, Saturday, Aug. 2, at 6 p.m.
- High School Football: Cathedral (IN) vs. Carmel (IN), Saturday, Aug. 23, at 12 p.m. and Rockhurst (MO) vs. Blue Springs South (MO), Saturday, Aug. 31, at 12 p.m.
SPORTSCENTER
Current SportsCenter anchors Steve Berthiaume, Linda Cohn, Josh Elliott, Robert Flores and Chris McKendry will join the previously announced Hannah Storm as anchors for the live daytime SportsCenters which debuts Monday, Aug. 11.
Sage Steele will present the SportsCenter updates every 20 minutes Monday-Friday throughout the 6 a.m.-noon blocks. Steele has been handling the update responsibilities on ESPN2 during the Mike & Mike in the Morning simulcast and First Take. Read more...
TENNIS ON ESPN2
ESPN2 will televise five events from the 2008 Olympus U.S. Open Series in August, including: Western & Southern Financial Group Masters and Countrywide Classic (August 1-3), Legg Mason Classic (August 8-10) culminating with the Pilot Penn (August 21-23).
WNBA
The first game after the Olympics will feature the Connecticut Sun hosting the Seattle Storm, Sunday, Aug. 31, at 1 p.m. on ABC.
MISCELLANEOUS
- New episodes of E:60 starting Tuesday, Aug. 5, at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
- 2008 National School Scrabble Championship, from Providence, R.I., Saturday, Aug. 16, at 3 p.m. on ESPN.
- Golf: Ricoh Women’s British Open from Berkshire, England, Saturday, Aug. 2, at 1:30 p.m. (third round) and Sunday, Aug. 3, at 1 p.m. (final round) and the Safeway Classic presented by Pepsi August 22-24 on ESPN2.
- 2008 Breeders’ Cup Challenge – Del Mar from Wilmington, Del., Sunday, Aug. 24, at 8 p.m. on ESPN2.
ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC
FOOTBALL
NFL
The 39th season of Monday Night Football will open on ESPN with a nationally televised doubleheader Monday, Sept. 8 when Aaron Rodgers will make his first start at quarterback as the Packers begin post-Brett Favre era versus Minnesota at 7 p.m. followed by the Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders at 10:15 p.m. Following the season-opening doubleheader, the schedule will feature a matchup of longtime NFC East rivals as Donovan McNabb and the Philadelphia Eagles face Tony Romo, former Eagles receiver Terrell Owens and the Dallas Cowboys Sept. 15. On Sept. 22, the New York Jets head west to face LaDainian Tomlinson and the San Diego Chargers. The opening month concludes Sept. 29 with an AFC North grudge match between Ray Lewis and the Baltimore Ravens and Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
- Hey Rookie, Welcome to the NFL (Part I), Tuesday, Sept. 2, at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.
COLLEGE
ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC will combine to televise more than 40 games this month, highlighted by matchups from the Big 12 (West Virginia at Colorado, Thursday, Sept. 18, at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN); two appearances by USC -- vs. Ohio State, Saturday, Sept. 13, at 8 p.m. on ABC and at Oregon State, Thursday, Sept. 25, at 9 p.m. on ESPN; intra-state rivals -- South Florida vs. UCF, Saturday, Sept. 6, at 7 p.m. followed by Texas vs. UTEP at 10:15 p.m. on ESPN2.
HIGH SCHOOL
- Live high school football telecasts Monday, Sept. 1, at 12 p.m. on ESPN (teams to be announced) and Wednesday, Sept. 3, at 9 p.m. and Thursday, Sept. 11, at 9 p.m. on ESPN2
NASCAR
ABC will begin its coverage of the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Saturday, Sept. 6, at 7:30 p.m. from Richmond, Va. The network will have live coverage of the final 17 races of the 2008 season, including all 10 races in the “Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup”. NASCAR Countdown provides a dedicated pre-race program for each race telecast, and ESPN2’s NASCAR news and information program, NASCAR Now, delivers comprehensive coverage of the series. All programs are produced totally in high definition.
In addition, ESPN2 is home to the NASCAR Nationwide Series for 2008. Select NASCAR Nationwide Series races are being televised by ESPN and ABC.
- 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase for the Championship Preview, Wednesday, Sept. 10, at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
WNBA
The New York Liberty will host the Chicago Sky in the first game after the Olympic break Sunday, Sept. 7, at 1 p.m. on ABC. The ESPN2 WNBA Tuesday schedule will resume with a 2007 WNBA Finals rematch between the Phoenix Mercury and Detroit Shock September 9, at 7 p.m. The final regular-season game will feature West coast rivals Seattle at Los Angeles Sunday, Sept. 14, at 4:30 p.m. The post-season will begin Thursday, Sept. 18, at 9 p.m. on ESPN2. The network will televise up to nine playoff games.
SOCCER ON ESPN2
- MLS Primetime Thursday coverage will continue with weekly games highlighted by defending Eastern conference champion New England Revolution at home versus CD Chivas USA September 11, at 7 p.m.
- U.S. Men's Soccer: International Qualifier matches Sunday, Sept. 7, at 1:30 p.m. and live Wednesday, Sept. 10, at 8 p.m. Teams to be announced at a later date.
- UEFA Champions League: back-to-back live matches (teams to be detemined) Tuesday, Sept. 16 and Wednesday, Sept. 17 in addition to Tuesday, Sept. 23 and Wednesday, Sept. 24, at 2:30 p.m. each match.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
The September Major League Baseball schedule will include weekly Monday and Wednesday night action (generally at 7 p.m.) and exclusive Sunday Night Baseball games, at 8 p.m. on ESPN. The network will complement its coverage with Baseball Tonight, generally at 10 p.m. and midnight.
- Baseball Across America: Bricktown Showdown Tuesday, Sept. 16, at 8 p.m. on ESPN2.
MISCELLANEOUS
- Golf: 2008 Ryder Cup (first round matches) from Louisville, Ken., Friday, Sept. 19, at 8 a.m. on ESPN.
- ESPN Films: A Woman Among Boys (Tuesday, Sept. 2, at 8 p.m.) and Kicking It (Tuesday, Sept. 9, at 9 p.m.) on ESPN2.
- Peak Antifreeze IndyCar 300 at Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 7, at 3:30 p.m. on ABC
- E:60: Five new episodes starting Tuesday, Sept. 2, at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
- 2008 Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony from Springfield, Mass., Sunday, Sept. 7, at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.
- 2008 National School Scrabble Championship from Providence, R.I., Tuesday, Sept. 2, at 3 p.m. on ESPN2.
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