AUSTRALIAN OPEN
- Australian Open on ESPN: Federer-Murray Semifinal Tonight; Azarenka-Li Women’s Championship Saturday
ESPN AT THE SUPER BOWL, COLLEGE HOOPS ACTION, BOXING & MORE
- ESPN’s NFL Programming Leads to Super Bowl XLVII
- Men’s College Hoops: Two Top-Five Teams in Action on ESPN Big Monday Doubleheader
- Former Junior Middleweight Titlist Dzinziruk on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights
- The Stars Come Out for PBA League Debut on ESPN
- ESPN The Magazine’s “Perfect” Issue Hits Newsstands Friday
- espnW.com: The Female Athletes Winter X Games, Australian Open, and Women’s Hoops
- 2013 Africa Cup of Nations Continues on ESPN3
- Jungle Fight on ESPN Deportes
- ESPN Sets Dates for ESPN and ESPN Deportes Upfronts
Australian Open on ESPN: Federer-Murray Semifinal Tonight; Azarenka-Li Women’s Championship Saturday
contact: dave.nagle@espn.com
The owner of 17 Grand Slam titles, No. 2 seed Roger Federer, faces Andy Murray, the No. 3 seed and owner of one Slam title – the 2012 US Open – tonight in the second men’s semifinal at the Australian Open presented by Franklin Templeton Investments on ESPN at 3:30 a.m. ET. The winner will face two-time defending champion Novak Djokovic, the top seed, in the Men’s Championship late Saturday at 3 a.m. on ESPN.
The Women’s Championship late Friday night at 3 a.m. will pair defending champion and No. 1 seed Victoria Azarenka against No. 6 Li Na. Both final matches will receive two encore presentations on ESPN2, at 9 a.m. and in prime time.
The remaining Australian Open television schedule (For these charts, all times are Eastern, and each day “begins” at 6 a.m. ET. Therefore, the listing Sat., Jan. 26 at 3 a.m. ET is actually very late on Saturday night.):
| Date | Time (ET) | Event | Network | |
| Thur, Jan 24 | 3:30 – 6 a.m. | Men’s Semifinal #2 Federer vs Murray |
ESPN | LIVE |
| Fri, Jan 25 | Noon – 4 p.m. | Men’s Semifinal #2 | ESPN2 | encore |
| 3 – 5:30 a.m. | Women’s Championship Azarenka vs Li |
ESPN | LIVE | |
| Sat, Jan. 26 | 9 – 11 a.m. | Women’s Championship | ESPN2 | encore |
| 10 p.m. – MID | Women’s Championship | ESPN2 | encore | |
| 3 – 6:30 a.m. | Men’s Championship Djokovic vs. TBD |
ESPN | LIVE | |
| Sun, Jan 27 | 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Men’s Championship | ESPN2 | encore |
| 7:30 p.m. – 12:30 a.m. | Men’s Championship | ESPN2 | encore |
ESPN’s NFL Programming Leads to Super Bowl XLVII
contact: Allison.r.stoneberg@espn.com
One week away from Super Bowl XLVII, Chris Berman, Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson and Keyshawn Johnson will discuss key aspects of the San Francisco 49ers-Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl matchup and review the NFL season on Pro Bowl Sunday in a special two-hour edition of Sunday NFL Countdown (10 a.m.–12 p.m. ET) from ESPN’s studio in Bristol, Conn. Senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen and NFL Insider Adam Schefter will report updated news across the league.
Sunday’s Countdown will kick off ESPN’s weeklong preview of Super Bowl XLVII, with more than 120 hours of TV and radio programming from the heart of the French Quarter in New Orleans, beginning Monday, Jan. 28, with Mike and Mike in the Morning (6 a.m., ESPN Radio/ESPN2). Content will be available on 18 ESPN platforms through Super Bowl Sunday on Feb. 3. Complete schedule.
New this year: the expanded presence of SportsCenter and ESPN’s social media initiatives; a new ESPN Audio show, “Legends of Football” with Monday Night Football voice Mike Tirico; and KIA NBA Countdown on Wednesday and Friday’s edition of ABC’s Good Morning America each airing live from ESPN’s production headquarters in New Orleans. Complete Super Bowl week plans.
Men’s College Hoops: Two Top-Five Teams in Action on ESPN Big Monday Doubleheader
Contact: michael.c.humes@espn.com
ESPN will showcase two top-five teams in a Big Monday Presented by Bud Light BIG EAST and Big 12 doubleheader January 28. The night will tip off with No. 5 Louisville against Pittsburgh at 7 p.m., followed by No. 3 Kansas at West Virginia at 9 p.m.
ESPN’s Super Tuesday Big Ten and SEC doubleheader January 29 will also include a ranked team in each game: No. 14 Ohio State against Wisconsin at 7 p.m. and No. 23 Mississippi against Kentucky at 9 p.m.
The lineup for Wednesday, Jan. 30, will be highlighted by eight games with at least one ranked squad across ESPN networks, including No. 16 Oregon at Stanford at 11 p.m. on ESPNU.
ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3 & ESPNEWS schedule through January 30
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup/Commentators | Network |
| Mon, Jan 28 | 7 p.m. | Pittsburgh at No. 5 Louisville Sean McDonough, Jay Bilas & Bill Raftery |
ESPN |
| 7 p.m. | Alabama State at Texas Southern Anthony Calhoun & Stephen Howard |
ESPNU | |
| 7:30 p.m. | East Tennessee State at USC Upstate | ESPN3 | |
| 9 p.m. | No. 3 Kansas at West Virginia Brent Musburger, Fran Fraschilla & Holly Rowe |
ESPN | |
| 9 p.m. | South Florida at Marquette Adam Amin & LaPhonso Ellis |
ESPNU | |
| Tue, Jan 29 | 7 p.m. | Wisconsin at No. 14 Ohio State Mike Tirico, Dan Dakich & Samantha Ponder |
ESPN |
| 7 p.m. | No. 18 NC State at Virginia Dave O’Brien & Jay Bilas |
ESPN2 | |
| 7 p.m. | Vanderbilt at Tennessee Dari Nowkhah & Dino Gaudio |
ESPNU | |
| 7 p.m. | Stony Brook at Albany Eric Frede & Frank Sullivan |
ESPN3 | |
| 7 p.m. | Georgia Tech at Clemson | ESPN3 * & RSN ^ | |
| 9 p.m. | Kentucky at No. 23 Mississippi Brad Nessler, Jimmy Dykes & Shannon Spake |
ESPN | |
| 9 p.m. | North Carolina at Boston College Tom Hart & Len Elmore |
ESPNU | |
| Wed, Jan 30 | 6 p.m. | Villanova at No. 24 Notre Dame Mike Patrick & LaPhonso Ellis |
ESPN2 |
| 7 p.m. | Oklahoma at Baylor Mitch Holthus & Matt Doherty |
ESPNU | |
| 7 p.m. | Valparaiso at Youngstown State | ESPN3 | |
| 7 p.m. | UMBC at Binghamton Ed Cohen & Frank Sullivan |
ESPN3 | |
| 7 p.m. | Rutgers at No. 21 Cincinnati Tom Gelehrter & Bob Valvano |
ESPN3 * & BIG EAST Network | |
| 7 p.m. | Seton Hall at Georgetown Mike Corey & Bob Wenzel |
ESPN3 * & RSN | |
| 7 p.m. | Auburn at Georgia Matt Stewart & Kyle Macy |
ESPN3 * & CSS | |
| 8 p.m. | Texas at No. 11 Kansas State Bob Wischusen & Stephen Bardo |
ESPN2 | |
| 8 p.m. | Iowa State at Oklahoma State Doug Bell & Bryndon Manzer |
ESPN3 * & Big 12 Network | |
| 8 p.m. | No. 1 Duke at Wake Forest | ESPN3 * & ACC Network | |
| 8 p.m. | Maryland at Florida State | ESPN3 * & ACC Network | |
| 8 p.m. | No. 22 Missouri at LSU Dave Baker & Joe Dean |
ESPN3 & SEC Network | |
| 8 p.m. | South Carolina at No. 8 Florida Dave Neal & Barry Booker |
ESPN3 & SEC Network | |
| 9 p.m. | DePaul at St. John’s Adam Amin & Tim Welsh |
ESPNU | |
| 9 p.m. | Texas A&M at Mississippi State Mike Morgan & Daymeon Fishback |
ESPN3 * & CSS | |
| 9 p.m. | No. 25 Miami at Virginia Tech | ESPN3 * & RSN ^ | |
| 11 p.m. | No. 16 Oregon at Stanford Brent Musburger & Bill Walton |
ESPNU | |
| 11:59 p.m. | UC Santa Barbara at Long Beach State Rich Cellini & Danny Schayes |
ESPNEWS |
* Local blackout may apply
Former Junior Middleweight Titlist Dzinziruk on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights
contacts: stephen.mcdonald@espn.com and gabriela.nunez@espn.com
The January 25 edition of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights presented by Corona Extra will feature former Junior Middleweight titlist Sergiy “The Razor” Dzinziruk (36-1-1, 24 KOs) and Brian “The Warrior” Vera (21-6, 12 KOs) in the 12-round main event. Friday’s show will air live at 9 p.m. on ESPN2, and will be available online through WatchESPN.com and on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app. The card will also air live on ESPN Deportes+, the new digital extension of ESPN Deportes and ESPN3, and will air tape delayed on ESPN Deportes at 10:30 p.m. The card from Verona, N.Y., is promoted by Banner Promotions.
Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas will be ringside at Turning Stone Casino describing the action, while studio host Todd Grisham will present all the latest news and boxing highlights. Alex Pombo and Delvin Rodriguez will call the fights for ESPN Deportes’ Viernes de Combates (Friday Night Fights) with Leopoldo Gonzalez and Pablo Viruega in the studio. Bi-lingual reporter Bernardo Osuna will present live interviews and reports for both shows. Read more.
The Stars Come Out for PBA League Debut on ESPN
contact: tara.c.chozet@espn.com
The PBA Tour breaks from its traditional Tour schedule for the television debut of the new PBA League on Sunday, Jan. 27, live at noon from Thunderbowl Lanes in the Detroit suburb of Allen Park, Mich. Lon McEachern and PBA Hall of Famer Randy Pedersen will call the action.
The two-hour telecast will showcase five of the eight PBA League teams, which are celebrity-owned and are highlighted by an all-star roster of PBA Tour players. The eight owners are: Los Angeles Clippers star guard Chris Paul, former Pittsburgh Steelers star running back Jerome Bettis, former NFL all-pro receiver Terrell Owens, tennis legend Billie Jean King, actor/comedian Kevin Hart, Grey’s Anatomy star Jesse Williams comedian Chris Hardwick, and Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley. The star PBA Tour players competing as team captains are: reigning PBA Player of the Year Sean Rash, Jason Belmonte, Mike Fagan, Pete Weber, Norm Duke, Osku Palermaa, Bill O’Neill and Chris Barnes.
Six additional PBA League rounds will air on ESPN in February and March, culminating with the PBA League Elias Cup finals Sunday, April 7. The finals will use the Baker stepladder format, which requires each player on the five-player teams to bowl two frames in one game, combining for one score in each match.
Viewers can follow the PBA on ESPN on Twitter, with the hashtags #LoveTheLanes and #PBALeague.
PBA League on ESPN Schedule:
| Date | Time (ET) | Event | Network |
| Sun, Jan 27 | Noon | PBA League – Opening Round | ESPN / WatchESPN |
| Sun, Feb 3 | 4 p.m. | PBA League – Chris Paul PBA League All-Stars | ESPN |
| Sun, Feb 10 | 1 p.m. | PBA League – Round 2 with Carmen Salvino Classic Finals | ESPN |
| Sun, Feb 17 | 3 p.m. | PBA League – Round 3 with Mark Roth Classic Finals | ESPN |
| Sun, Mar 3 | 3 p.m. | PBA League – Round 4 with Don Carter Classic Finals | ESPN |
| Sun, Mar 24 | 1 p.m. | PBA League – Round 5 with Earl Anthony Players Championship Finals | ESPN |
| Sun, Apr 7 | 1 p.m. | PBA League – Elias Cup Finals | ESPN |
ESPN The Magazine’s “Perfect” Issue Hits Newsstands Friday
contact: carrie.b.kreiswirth@espn.com
Practice alone doesn’t make perfect as ESPN The Magazine’s “Perfect” issue, on newsstands Friday, January 25, demonstrates. Planning (like the kind done by Bill Walsh disciple Pat McDermott), chemistry (the misfit Knicks), energy (VCU sixth man Briante Weber) and luck (journeyman pitcher Philip Humber) are some of the other ingredients that go into perfect, which doesn’t necessarily mean flawless performances, unbeaten seasons, all 10s from the judges, all X’s in the frames, 27 up and 27 down. No, athletes and teams need to learn from their mistakes to become the best. They need to bleed, sweat and cry to reach their ultimate goal. Imperfect makes perfect.
The Mag’s “Perfect” issue features San Francisco 49ers rookie quarterback and Super Bowl XLVII-bound Colin Kaepernick.
espnW.com: The Female Athletes Winter X Games, Australian Open, and Women’s Hoops
contact: amanda.decastro@espn.com
Veteran snowboarder Kelly Clark kicks off the 2013 Winter X Games coverage on espnW.com with her blog post, I’m ready for Winter X Games; other X Games coverage on espnW includes athlete features, videos, results, and the Cold List series (#ColdList). Other highlights include ongoing coverage from the Australian Open, women’s college basketball wrap from contributor Graham Hays, and a complete breakdown of the Terrific 25 for 2015, with a look at high school sophomore guard Asia Durr of St. Pius X (Atlanta).
2013 Africa Cup of Nations Continues on ESPN3
contact: kristie.chong@espn.com
ESPN3’s presentation of all 32 matches of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa continues with round robin group matches through Wednesday, Jan. 30. The Africa Cup of Nations is the premier championship for national soccer teams in Africa and features some of the continents best players such as Cote D’Ivoire’s Didier Drogba and Yaya Touré, Nigeria’s Obi Mikel and Victor Moses, Togo’s Emmanuel Adebayor, and more.
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Network |
| Fri, Jan 25 | 10 a.m. | Zambia vs. Nigeria | ESPN3 |
| 1 p.m. | Burkina Faso vs. Ethiopia | ESPN3 | |
| Sat, Jan 26 | 10 a.m. | Cote D’Ivoire vs. Tunisia | ESPN3 |
| 1 p.m. | Algeria vs. Togo | ESPN3 | |
| Sun, Jan 27 | Noon | Cape Verde vs. Angola | ESPN3 |
| Noon | Morocco vs. South Africa | ESPN3 | |
| Mon, Jan 28 | Noon | Niger vs. Ghana | ESPN3 |
| Noon | DR Congo vs. Mali | ESPN3 | |
| Tue, Jan 29 | Noon | Ethiopia vs. Nigeria | ESPN3 |
| Noon | Burkina Faso vs. Zambia | ESPN3 | |
| Wed, Jan 30 | Noon | Algeria vs. Cote D’Ivoire | ESPN3 |
| Noon | Togo vs. Tunisia | ESPN3 |
Jungle Fight on ESPN Deportes
Contact: Gabriela.nunez@espn.com
Jungle Fight returns to ESPN Deportes on Saturday, Jan. 26 at 8 p.m. The Brazilian MMA promotion features two main events: Brazilian Bantamweight Mario Israel faces Atila Cowboy while Lightweight Ivan “Batman” Jorge takes on Linderclecio “Brutus.”
ESPN Sets Dates for ESPN and ESPN Deportes Upfronts
contact: Amy.phillips@espn.com or Gabriela.nunez@espn.com
ESPN will hold its Annual Upfront on Tuesday, May 14, at 8:30 a.m. in New York at the Best Buy Theater in Times Square. This year, ESPN Deportes will also host its own Upfront on Wednesday, May 15, at 5:30 p.m. The event will take place in New York at the Joseph Urban Theater in the Hearst Tower. More information about both events will be announced in the coming weeks.
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