What:
ESPNU is a multi-media college sports initiative, including a 24-hour television network and ESPNU.com, the new online college sports media hub.
When:
The network launched “03-04-05” – Friday, March 4, 2005, during the eve of Championship Week (a week-long series of basketball conference tournament games).
TV Network Programming and Distribution:
The ESPNU schedule featured nearly 500 live events (regular-season and championships) in the network’s first year. Action includes a variety of top football and men’s and women’s basketball mixed with baseball, softball, volleyball, lacrosse, ice hockey, wrestling and more. ESPNU also offers comprehensive studio programming, replays of ABC Sports, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Regional Television games, plus specials and more.
During ESPNU’s first and second year of college football coverage, the network averaged five live games weekly, and will do so this season, showcasing more than 70 live exclusive games from a selection of top Division I-A conferences – the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, SEC, Sun Belt and WAC, along with games involving Division I-AA and II programs from the Big Sky, MEAC, Ohio Valley, SIAC, Southern and SWAC.
ESPNU televised nearly 200 men’s and women’s basketball games during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. Its schedule featured a wide variety of schools representing various Division I conferences, including the Atlantic 10, Big Ten, Big 12, Big East, ACC, Horizon League, OVC, Pac-10, Patriot League, MVC, MAAC, MEAC, SEC and SWAC.
The network also has a wide-ranging, long-term agreement with the NCAA calling for extensive coverage of numerous NCAA Championships, including sports from each of the three collegiate seasons. In addition, the network has agreements with a variety of top college conferences and schools for football, men's and women's basketball and numerous other sports.
ESPNU has secured distribution agreements with Charter, Cox, DIRECTV (Channel 609), Echostar’s DISH Network (Channel 148), Insight Communications, Mediacom, Time Warner, Verizon, many smaller affiliates and is close to distribution agreements with others.
Multi-Media Effort:
ESPNU.com, a new online college sports hub, joined the ESPN.com family in August 2006. It is the online companion to the ESPNU college sports television network, functioning as the home for college sports multi-media content. In addition to the TV network and ESPNU.com, ESPNU content and components will be featured across ESPN's services, such as, ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Radio, ESPN360.com, merchandising and more.
ERT:
ESPN Regional Television (ERT), a subsidiary of ESPN, Inc., handles the primary production responsibilities for the ESPNU television network out of its Charlotte, N.C. headquarters. ERT is the nation's largest syndicator of college sports programming with more than 900 events produced each year, accounting for more than 2,200 live and/or original hours.
ESPNU VP & General Manager: ESPNU Media Contacts: Tilea Coleman at 860-766-3438;
Burke Magnus tilea.coleman@espn.com or Josh Krulewitz at ext. 2319; josh.krulewitz@espn.com
For a downloadable logo and related photos, go to www.espnmediazone.com