ESPN Announces Newest Version of SportsCenter

13th International Version of Flagship News and Information Show to Air in South Africa

A new version of SportsCenter will debut on ESPN in South Africa Wednesday, May 23, 2007.  This is the 13th version of ESPN’s marquee sports news and information program to air outside the United States. The new SportsCenter will be available to DStv subscribers throughout Africa.

This SportsCenter will air live Thursday-Monday at midnight local time. The show will cover the major sporting events and stories relevant to South African sports fans, including athletics, rugby, tennis, golf and football. ESPN has hired an experienced team of Anchors:

• Georgie Bingham, who previously worked in Sky News/Sports as an Anchor and for BBC, Fox Sports, ITV and GWR in the UK will anchor the SportsCenter Atlantic.
• Jason Dasey, has been in the sports television business for 26 years, starting as a trainee journalist with the Sydney Morning Herald, reporting for “Terry Willesee Tonight” then on to sports reporter on BBC World TV. Jason currently Anchors ESPN’s Pacific Rim SportsCenter show and previously Anchored ESPN’s pan-Asia SportsCenter. Jason will bring his worldwide sports experience to our newest SportsCenter.

Lynne Frank, Managing Director and Vice President EMEA said, “I am delighted that we are launching the first ever localized SportsCenter in South Africa. ESPN recently conducted research there which showed the need for more localized information and news coverage: The launch of this SportsCenter shows that we are listening to the views of sports fans in South Africa.”

Tim Bunnell, Senior Vice President Programming and International Marketing said, “Our newest SportsCenter is a perfect example of ESPN’s commitment to provide locally relevant news and information to sports fans around the world and now in Africa. We will thoroughly cover athletics, rugby, golf, tennis and football in the same high-quality manner that fans of the show have come to expect.”

Chris Calcinari, Vice President, Production and Operations said, “The production values and journalistic integrity synonymous with SportsCenter in the U.S. and around the world will also be present in this show. The telecast will utilize the depth and breadth of ESPN’s news and information arm as well as the sophistication of ESPN’s technical center, one of the most advanced in the world.”

SportsCenter is produced in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Hindi, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean and Japanese. The 12 other local SportsCenters air on the following networks: Latin America on ESPN’s pan-Latin network and ESPN+ in Spanish; ESPN Dos Mexico in Spanish; ESPN Brazil in Portuguese; TSN Canada in English; ESS pan-Asia in English; ESS India in Hindi; ESS Hong Kong in Cantonese; ESS Taiwan in Mandarin; MBC Korea in Korean; JSB ESPN in Japanese, ESPN Malaysia in English and ESPN in Australia and New Zealand in English.

SportsCenter is ESPN's flagship studio show, which launched on September 7, 1979. It offers in-depth reports on breaking news, creative highlights, features and in-depth analysis from award-winning journalists.

About ESPN
ESPN, Inc. is the world’s leading multinational, multimedia sports entertainment company featuring a portfolio of over 50 multimedia sports assets. The company is comprised of six domestic television networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, ESPNU), ESPN and ESPN2 HD simulcast services, ESPN Regional Television, ESPN International (networks, syndication, radio, web sites), ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Enterprises, ESPN Zones (sports-themed restaurants), and other growing new businesses including ESPN360 (Broadband), Mobile ESPN, ESPN on Demand, ESPN Interactive and ESPN PPV. Based in Bristol, Ct., ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc., which is an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The Hearst Corporation holds a 20 percent interest in ESPN.

About ESPN International
ESPN International is a division of ESPN, Inc. ESPN International has evolved to include ownership— in whole or in part—of 32 television networks, as well as a variety of ancillary businesses, which together extend the ESPN brand to more than 190 countries and territories. ESPN International network programming is transmitted in 15 languages (Arabic, Cantonese, Dutch, English, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish and Turkish). ESPN International business entities include television, radio, print, internet, wireless, consumer products, and event management.

About SportsCenter
ESPN's flagship studio show was launched on September 7, 1979 in the United States. Since then, it has become an American cultural phenomenon as a major source for sports highlights, scores, and analysis. It has been the launching point for the careers of several top sports and entertainment personalities. Over 30,000 episodes of the program in the US have helped feed the appetite of American sports fans and made SportsCenter a nightly destination.

About The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise with four business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment and consumer products. Disney is a Dow 30 company, had annual revenues of over $34 billion in its most recent fiscal year, and a market capitalization of $68 billion as of Nov. 20, 2006.

Disney in Africa
The Walt Disney Company, through its subsidiary and affiliated companies, has been active in South Africa for over 50 years. Three out of four lines of business are operational in South Africa: Media Networks via Buena Vista International Television - Disney's TV sales arm which sells TV programming to all major broadcasters in the market, Walt Disney Television which recently launched Disney Channel, ESPN and the Walt Disney Internet group which distributes mobile content in the market; Disney Studio Entertainment operates via its partners Ster Kinekor who represent Disney's film distribution arm in the market and Nu Metro Home Entertainment who represent Disney's DVD business. In addition Disney Theatrical Productions' smash hit broadway show Lion King will launch in South Africa in June 2007; Disney Consumer Products works with local and international licensees to produce a wide range of branded merchandise for major South African retailers. Also present is Disney's Publishing Group and Disney Interactive Studios which via its distributor MI Digital.

- SC Atlantic -