Asics World Series of Beach Volleyball to air on Networks of NBC

The Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) is regarded as being one of the top beach volleyball competitions around the world. Now, for the first time in 10 years, the Feeration is sponsoring an event on American Soil. The FIVB is bringing the tour back to the United States in the form of the Asics World Series of Beach Volleyball.

The series will feature two competitions- a World Series Cup in which the to US men's and women's teams will compete against other countries top ranked teams, and the actual Grand Slam Finals, which are part of the 10 stop world tour FIVB sponsors. The evnt will air all across the networks of NBC on NBC, NBC Sports Network, and Universal Sports. Here is the Press Release issued today regarding the competition and its TV sponsors.

WORLD‘S TOP BEACH VOLLEYBALL STARS CONVERGE FOR THE ASICS WORLD SERIES OF BEACH VOLLEYBALL JULY 22-28, ON NBC, NBC SPORTS NETWORK, AND UNIVERSAL SPORTS NETWORK

First FIVB Tournament in United States in 10 Years

More Than $500,000 In Prize Money At Stake

El Segundo, Calif. and New York, N.Y. – May 21, 2013 – The world’s best professional beach volleyball players will descend on Long Beach, Calif., July 22-28 for the Asics World Series of Beach Volleyball.  The event is the first Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) sanctioned Grand Slam tournament in the United States since 2003, and will include the inaugural World Series Cup, a special competition that will feature the top U.S. men’s and women’s teams competing against the best teams from around the world.  NBC, NBC Sports Network and Universal Sports Network will provide more than 20 hours of programming of the competitions, including telecasts of the Men’s and Women’s Grand Slam Finals and World Series Cup Finals.

Coverage begins Thursday, July 25 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network with the Women’s Grand Slam Quarterfinals, and will continue through the weekend. The World Series Cup Women’s Finals will air Saturday, July 27 at 4 p.m. ET on NBC, with the Men’s Finals airing Sunday, July 28 at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBC. In addition to programming on NBC and NBC Sports Network, Universal Sports Network will also provide more than 13 hours of coverage of the event.

NBC Sports Group, the FIVB, USA Volleyball and Management Plus Enterprises are partnering on the event, which will offer more than $500,000 in total prize money.  In addition to title sponsor Asics, Bud Light, Paul Mitchell, Sabra, Barefoot Wine, and Mikasa have also signed on as sponsors.

The Asics World Series of Beach Volleyball will be part of the prestigious FIVB annual World Tour, which features 10 Grand Slam events as well as the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships. It is the 10th FIVB event ever held in the United States, the fifth in Southern California and the first since the World Tour visited Southern California in 2003.

“The Asics World Series of Beach Volleyball will be an extraordinary beach volleyball and beach culture experience,” said event creator and promoter Leonard Armato.  “Not only will we have the best players in the world competing as they did in the Olympic Games, but we will go beyond that by incorporating the highest level of four-person and six-person beach volleyball. Finally, we will also be integrating a beach music festival throughout the event.”

“We are excited to bring an officially sanctioned FIVB event back to the United States for the first time in almost 10 years,” said Rob Simmelkjaer, Senior Vice President, NBC Sports Ventures and International. “Beach volleyball was tremendously successful during the 2012 London Olympics, and the Asics World Series of Beach Volleyball will be a compelling event.”

“We are very pleased to return to the traditional home of beach volleyball in the United States and California,” FIVB President Ary Graca said. “The Asics World Series of Beach Volleyball Long Beach will be one of 10 Grand Slam events for what will be a dynamic beach volleyball season that reaches all the major volleyball countries of the world, ensuring beach volleyball has a global presence and bright future. We are also excited to have NBC, NBC Sports Network, and Universal Sports as our telecast partners and look forward to working together as we did at the Olympic Games where beach volleyball was such a resounding success.”

“USA Volleyball is very pleased that an FIVB Beach Volleyball Grand Slam Event will be returning to the United States for the first time since 2003,” said USA Volleyball Chief Executive Officer Doug Beal. “The partnership that has been forged between the FIVB, Management Plus Enterprises and NBC Sports Group creates a dynamic showcase for beach volleyball to a global audience.”

–NBC SPORTS GROUP–

NCAA Softball Super Regionals begin Thursday- Every Game on ESPN Networks

ESPN's exclusive coverage of the Super Regionals kicks off on Thursday with a double header on ESPN. 13 of the 16 seeded teams have advanced to the Super Regionals, but Louisiana- Lafayette, UAB, and Florida State could quite literally be foaming at the mouth and be ready to strike another upset. Here's the full Super Regional Schedule from ESPN.

Softball Super Regionals begin Thursday on ESPN

contact: gracie.blackburn@espn.com

ESPN’s exclusive coverage of the NCAA Softball Division I Championship continues on Thursday, May 23, with a Super Regionals doubleheader on ESPN. For the sixth year, ESPN will air every Super Regional game.

Sixtenn teams advanced from the Regionals round, and the field will be narrowed to eight before the Women’s College World Series games begin next Thursday, May 30. Stacey Nuveman (UCLA) and Jenny Dalton Hill (Arizona) will be the in-studio analysts for the Super Regionals. 

Full Schedule

Date	Time (ET)	Game	Network
Thu, May 23	7 p.m.	Norman Super Regional: No. 16 Texas A&M vs. No. 1 Oklahoma Pam Ward & Michele Smith	ESPN
	9 p.m.	Columbia Super Regional: No. 11 Washington vs. No.6 Missouri Mark Neely & Amanda Freed	ESPN
Fri, May 24	2 p.m.	Ann Arbor Super Regional: La-Lafayette vs. No. 8 Michigan Joe Davis & Garland Cooper	ESPNU
	4 p.m.	Norman Super Regional: No. 1 Oklahoma vs. No. 16 Texas A&M Pam Ward & Michele Smith	ESPNU
	6 p.m.	Columbia Super Regional: No. 6 Missouri vs. No. 11 Washington Mark Neely & Amanda Freed	ESPNU
	7 p.m.	Norman Super Regional: Game 3*	ESPN
	7 p.m.	Knoxville Super Regional: No. 10 Alabama vs. No. 7 Tennessee Beth Mowins & Jessica Mendoza	ESPN2
	9 p.m.	Austin Super Regional: Florida State vs. No. 4 Texas Holly Rowe & Amanda Scarborough	ESPNU
	9 p.m.	Columbia Super Regional: Game 3*	ESPN
Sat, May 25	Noon	Ann Arbor Super Regional: No. 8 Michigan vs. La-Lafayette Joe Davis & Garland Cooper	ESPN
	1 p.m.	Gainesville Super Regional: UAB vs. No. 2 Florida Jeanne Zelasko & Cheri Kempf	ESPNU
	3 p.m.	Ann Arbor Super Regional: Game 3*	ESPN
	3 p.m.	Austin Super Regional: No. 4 Texas vs. Florida State Holly Rowe & Amanda Scarborough	ESPNU
	5 p.m.	Knoxville Super Regional: No. 7 Tennessee vs. No. 10 Alabama Beth Mowins & Jessica Mendoza	ESPN
	6 p.m.	Austin Super Regional: Game 3*	ESPNU
	8 p.m.	Knoxville Super Regional: Game 3*	ESPN2
	8 p.m.	Eugene Super Regional: No. 14 Nebraska vs. No. 3 Oregon Adam Amin & Jennie Finch	ESPNU
	10 p.m.	Tempe Super Regional: No. 12 Kentucky vs. No. 5 Arizona State Cara Capuano & Leah O’Brien Amico	ESPN2
Sun, May 26	Noon	Gainesville Super Regional: No. 2 Florida vs. UAB Jeanne Zelasko & Cheri Kempf	ESPN
	3 p.m.	Gainesville Super Regional: Game 3*	ESPN
	3 p.m.	Eugene Super Regional: No. 3 Oregon vs. No. 14 Nebraska Adam Amin & Jennie Finch	ESPNU
	5 p.m.	Tempe Super Regional:  No. 5 Arizona State vs. No. 12 Kentucky Cara Capuano & Leah O’Brien Amico	ESPN
	6 p.m.	Eugene Super Regional: Game 3*	ESPNU
	8 p.m.	Tempe Super Regional: Game 3*	ESPN2

*If Necessary games

Motor Sports on ESPN TV Schedule May 20-26

With the Nationwide Series and the Indianapolis 500, the Networks of ESPN will be one of the top places for racing fans this weekend. To get everyone ready, ESPN has once again outlined all their racing this week. Here's the information.

Motorsports This Week on ESPN and ABC

ABC Airing Indianapolis 500 for 49^th Consecutive Year

One of the longest-running relationships between a sporting event and a television network continues Sunday, May 26, as ABC airs the Indianapolis 500 for the 49^th consecutive year. The race telecast is presented by Go Daddy and begins at noon ET, with the race’s green flag at 12:15 p.m. The pre-race program begins at 11 a.m. Race fans also will have a second screen option on ESPN3 with views from multiple onboard cameras on cars competing in the race.

Announcers:

Booth: Lap-by-Lap announcer: Marty Reid; analysts Scott Goodyear, Eddie Cheever.

Pit reporters: Rick DeBruhl, Jamie Little, Dr. Jerry Punch, Vince Welch.

Host: Lindsay Czarniak

NASCAR Nationwide Series at Charlotte on ABC

The NASCAR Nationwide Series competes at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 25, and the series will appear on ABC for the first time this season. The History 300 telecast begins with NASCAR Countdown at 2:30 p.m. ET with the race’s green flag at 3:02 p.m. Also from Charlotte, ESPN2 will televise qualifying earlier that day at 11 a.m.  

Announcers:

Booth: Lap-by-Lap announcer Allen Bestwick; analysts Dale Jarrett, Andy Petree.

Pit reporters: Dave Burns, Mike Massaro, Shannon Spake.

NASCAR Now Schedule

ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program NASCAR Now will preview the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the one-hour edition airing Sunday, May 26, at 10 a.m. ET. Host Chris Cotter will be joined in the studio by ESPN NASCAR analyst Ricky Craven and reporters Marty Smith and Ryan McGee at the track. The week’s schedule:

Date	Time	Show	Host	Network
Tue., May 21	1:30 a.m.	NASCAR Now	Mike Massaro	ESPN2, WatchESPN
Wed., May 22	1:30 a.m.	NASCAR Now	Mike Massaro	ESPN2, WatchESPN
Thurs., May 23	1:30 a.m.	NASCAR Now	Mike Massaro	ESPN2, WatchESPN
Fri., May 24	2 p.m.	NASCAR Now	Jonathan Coachman	ESPN2, WatchESPN
Sun., May 25	10 a.m.	NASCAR Now	Chris Cotter	ESPN2, WatchESPN

NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing on ESPN2 Sunday

The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series has the weekend off but drag racing fans can watch action featuring the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series on Sunday, May 26, at 11 a.m. ET on ESPN2. The one-hour program will feature highlights from the recent event for the series in Topeka, Kan.

Motorsports on Other ESPN Platforms

ESPN.com — RacingLive! on ESPN.com is a live blog where fans can engage in debate and discussion with ESPN.com writers and editors during the NASCAR Sprint Cup races. On Sunday night, May 26, RacingLive! Charlotte will coincide with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Fans can join ESPN.com’s NASCAR experts in dissecting every aspect of the race live at http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar/. ESPN.com motorsports reporter David Newton will be reporting from Charlotte.

ESPN Radio — Each weekend morning, ESPN Radio’s RaceDay starts its engines at 6 a.m. ET with host Pat Patterson anchored from the site of that weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race. On both Saturday and Sunday mornings, ESPN Radio’s RaceDay listeners get an hour of news, previews and analysis, as well as profiles and interviews with NASCAR’s biggest names and newsmakers and the involvement of listeners via calls and e-mails. RaceDay also features interviews with newsmakers from the IZOD IndyCar Series from correspondent Bruce Martin.

Click HERE for the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series schedules on ESPN.

Click HERE for the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule on ESPN.

Click HERE for the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series schedule on ABC.

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Media Contact: Andy Hall, 386-492-2246 or andy.hall@espn.com

2013 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship Semifinals & Championship TV Information

Just as is the case with the women's championship, ESPN also has exclusive TV rights to the men's lacrosse championship. The biggest difference is that none of the men's semifinals are streamed online. Instead they are shown on ESPN2 with the championship taking place on ESPN. As is the case with most NCAA Sports, the men's lacrosse semifinals and championship are also done for the radio by Dial Global Sports. On the men's side you have a huge surprise in the Finals in unseeded Cornell. Will the Big Red do the Ivy League proud? You also have a huge underdog in 7-seed Duke, but given that the Dukies are a regular powerhouse, not many people will be surprised there. The other two semifinalists are Syracuse and Denver, both of whom were expected to be there. Here's the final release from ESPN regarding the men's lacrosse championship. 

2013 NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship Semifinals Set; Starts Saturday

Top-seeded Syracuse leads the field for the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship Presented by Northwestern Mutual on ESPN networks Saturday, May 25 and Monday, May 27, from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The semifinals air on ESPN2 and WatchESPN with No. 7 seed Duke facing unseeded Cornell at 2:30 p.m., followed by Syracuse against No. 4 seed Denver at 5 p.m. The 2013 season will culminate with the National Championship game Monday at 1 p.m. on ESPN and WatchESPN.

ESPN has covered 30 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championships since 1980 and 2013 marks the 19^th consecutive year of televising the championship weekend games.

Additional production details will be released later this week.

Commentators
ESPN’s top lacrosse commentating team will again be in position for championship weekend.

• Veteran play-by-play voice Eamon McAnaney will lead the booth
• Joining McAnaney is analyst Quint Kessenich and sideline reporter/analyst Paul Carcaterra – during their college careers – Kessenich (Johns Hopkins) and Carcaterra (Syracuse) both played in four NCAA Championships and each won a national title with their respective teams.

Studio

• Host Anish Shroff and analyst Mark Dixon will cover the National Semifinals from ESPNU’s Charlotte, N.C., headquarters
• The duo will be at Lincoln Financial Field for the National Championship on Memorial Day with pregame and halftime reports
• In addition,  Shroff and Dixon will anchor  the NCAA Lacrosse Championship Post Game Show on ESPNU and WatchESPN, immediately following the title game, which will include game reaction, postgame celebration, trophy presentation and net cutting

ESPN Digital

• Both semifinals will be shown on WatchESPN
• The title game will be on WatchESPN, ESPN3 and ESPN MobileTV
• ESPN.com’s Dana O’Neil will have all the weekend’s coverage from Lincoln Financial Field, including game previews and columns

ESPN International

• The semifinal games will be shown live on ESPN Europe and ESPN Middle East
• The title game will air live on ESPN Brazil, ESPN Caribbean, ESPN Europe, ESPN Latin America, ESPN Middle East and Africa and ESPN PacRim

ESPN’s Coverage of the 2013 NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship Presented by Northwestern Mutual (Subject to change)

Date	Time (ET)	Game/Commentators	Network(s)
Sat, May 25	2:30 p.m.	Semifinal: Game #1 (Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pa.) – No. 7 Duke vs. Cornell Eamon McAnaney, Quint Kessenich & Paul Carcaterra	ESPN2 / WatchESPN
	5 p.m.	Semifinal: Game #2 (Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pa.) – No. 1 Syracuse vs. No. 4 Denver Eamon McAnaney, Quint Kessenich & Paul Carcaterra	ESPN2 / WatchESPN
Mon, May 27	1 p.m.	National Championship (Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pa.) Eamon McAnaney, Quint Kessenich & Paul Carcaterra	ESPN / WatchESPN / ESPN3 / ESPN Mobile TV
	3:30 p.m.	2013 NCAA Lacrosse Championship Post Game Show Anish Shroff & Mark Dixon	ESPNU / WatchESPN

 And in case you haven't seen the Dial Global release, here's what they have to say.

2013 Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship on Dial Global Sports!

05/01/2013

 

Dial Global Sports, in conjunction with the NCAA Radio Network, is excited to once again bring the NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship to a national radio audience as well as listeners on DialGlobalSports.com, NCAA.com and SiriusXM.

The 2013 semifinals and championship game will take place at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Broadcast coverage of the National Semifinals begins with Game One at 2:15 PM Eastern on Saturday, May 25th.

The winners of Saturday’s semifinals will advance to the National Championship Game on Memorial Day—Monday, May 27th. Dial Global’s broadcast of the championship game will begin at 12:45 PM Eastern.

Dave Ryan will handle play-by-play duties for the third consecutive year. 2004 national champion Steve Panarelli is back for his second year as Dial Global’s lacrosse analyst. Jason Horowitz will host the pregame and postgame shows and report from the sidelines during the action.

Click here to listen to highlights from last year’s championship game and here for postgame interviews with members of the 2012 champions, Loyola-Maryland.

The Dial Global broadcast can be listened to online and through most mobile devices through the Dial Global Sports Player. 

2013 Women's Lacrosse Semifinals & Championship Streaming & TV Schedule

ESPN really likes putting out press releases regarding the NCAA Lacrosse Championships. For this week they have split up the men's and women's releases into 2, and as expected Ladies come first. The NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship semifinals take place on Friday live on ESPN3 before they shift to the championship game Sunday on ESPNU. Maryland, Northwestern, North Carolina, and Syracuse are your final four standing. Unlike the men's championship, which is streamed on Dial Global Sports, the women's championship is an ESPN exclusive. Here's the press release regarding the final 2013 Women's Lacrosse matches of the season.

2013 NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship Set to be Shown on ESPN3 and ESPNU

 

The NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship Presented by Northwestern Mutual field has been whittled down from the original 26 teams with the top four seeds advancing to the semifinals, which will be shown on ESPN3 on Friday, May 24, from Villanova Stadium in Villanova, Pa. Winner of the last seven-of-eight national titles, including the last two, No. 2 seed Northwestern will face No. 3 North Carolina at 5 p.m. ET, followed by top-seeded Maryland taking on No. 4 seed Syracuse at 7:30 p.m.

The National Championship game will air Sunday, May 26, at 8 p.m. on ESPNU and WatchESPN. SportsCenterU on ESPNU will have coverage of the postgame celebration, trophy presentation and net cutting.

Joe Beninati will have the call of the games, along with analyst Courtney Martinez-Connor and reporter John Brickley. An All-American at Maryland, Martinez-Connor won the national title with the Terrapins in 1998, ‘99, 2000 and ’01.

espnW writer Jane McManus will have all the weekend’s coverage from the campus of Villanova, including game previews and columns.

ESPN’s Coverage of the 2013 NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship Presented by Northwestern Mutual (Subject to change)

Date	Time (ET)	Game/Commentators	Network
Fri, May 24	5 p.m.	Semifinal: Game #1 (Villanova Stadium, Villanova, Pa.) – No. 2 Northwestern vs. No. 3 North Carolina Joe Beninati, Courtney Martinez-Connor & John Brickley	ESPN3
	7:30 p.m.	Semifinal: Game #2 (Villanova Stadium, Villanova, Pa.) – No. 1 Maryland vs. No. 4 Syracuse  Joe Beninati, Courtney Martinez-Connor & John Brickley	ESPN3
Sun, May 26	8 p.m.	National Championship (Villanova Stadium, Villanova, Pa.) Joe Beninati, Courtney Martinez-Connor & John Brickley	ESPNU / WatchESPN

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WNBA on ESPN 2013 Regular-Season Schedule Announced

The WNBA returns to the networks of ESPN on Memorial Day with a double header to kick off the season. The WNBA itself kicks off it's TV coverage on Friday, May 24 with a game on NBA TV and Fox Sports Southwest. However that doesn't stop ESPN from getting everyone pumped up for the upcoming season. Here's the press release they issued today regarding the 2013 WNBA season.

2013 14-Game WNBA Regular-Season Schedule Begins Monday with Memorial Day Doubleheader

Return of WNBA All-Star Game on ABC

 

ESPN2 and ABC will combine to present 14 regular-season WNBA games, including the addition of a new opening-weekend ESPN2 Memorial Day doubleheader. . The games will feature the top four teams from the 2013 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm on Monday, May 27, when the Washington Mystics meet the Tulsa Shock at 3 p.m. ET, followed by Chicago Sky at the Phoenix Mercury at 5 p.m. ESPN will take an in-depth look at the transition from college to the WNBA of the network’s season-long campaign focusing on the “3 to See” of Elena Delle Donne (Delaware to Chicago Sky), Skylar Diggins (Notre Dame to Tulsa Shock) and Brittney Griner (Baylor to Phoenix Mercury).

ESPN Classic will run a Memorial Day weekend marathon from games of the “3 to See’s” college careers (schedule below).

After a one-year hiatus due to the London Olympics, the Boost Mobile WNBA All-Star Game returns on Saturday, July 27, at 3:30 p.m. on ABC from Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn.

Commentators
Ryan Ruocco joins ESPN’s WNBA coverage as a play-by-play voice. He can also be heard on ESPN New York 98.7 FM’s “Stephen A. Smith & Ryan Ruocco” weekdays from 1-3 p.m.

Veteran play-by-play commentator Pam Ward returns, along with analysts Rebecca Lobo and Carolyn Peck. Holly Rowe and LaChina Robinson will work as a reporter on select games.

Sue Bird – seven-time WNBA All-Star and two-time WNBA Champion with the Seattle Storm – will be part of ESPN’s studio coverage on select games, including the opening day doubleheader. Bird is sidelined for the 2013 season while recovering from left knee surgery.

ESPN Coverage Highlights
ESPN will continue to enhance its production and commitment to the sport through access to WNBA teams, players and coaches.

• Live microphones will be worn by players during select games, in addition to using mics on coaches as in past seasons
• Special mini-cameras worn by referees during select games
• Look Ins with new level of access to practices, shoot around and locker rooms pregame and during half time
• Virtual graphics package will be introduced throughout the season
• The new WNBA brand identity will be incorporated into the ESPN’s coverage with new animation and graphics

Schedule Highlights

• Following the Memorial Day telecasts, ABC and ESPN2 will telecast a pair of matchups featuring the last three WNBA Most Valuable Players – 2009 MVP Diana Taurasi and the Mercury will visit 2011 MVP Tamika Catchings and the Indiana Fever on Saturday, June 8, on ABC and the Connecticut Sun, led by last year’s MVP Tina Charles, will tip off against the Fever Wednesday, June 12 on ESPN2
• Brittney Griner – the 2013 top draft pick – and the Mercury will appear six times on ESPN networks this season including the ABC telecast against the Fever on Saturday, June 8 and five additional occasions on ESPN2
• ESPN2 will feature a rematch of the 2011 WNBA Finals presented by Boost Mobile when the Atlanta Dream, led by All-Star Angel McCoughtry, visits the Minnesota Lynx, led by All-Stars Maya Moore, Seimone Augustus and Lindsay Whalen on Tuesday, July 9
• The Shock hosts the Los Angeles Sparks in a nationally televised clash of Western Conference foes on ESPN2 on Thursday, July 11
• Each of the final seven ESPN2 telecasts will feature former league MVPs, with a pair of MVPs going head-to-head Thursday, July 18 when Phoenix (Taurasi, 2009) visits Los Angeles (Candace Parker, 2008)
• The defending Western Conference champion Lynx will try to get revenge against the Fever, the 2012 WNBA Finals presented by Boost Mobile champions, when it hosts Indiana on Saturday, Aug. 24 on ESPN2

espnW

• Season preview showcasing expert picks, team-by-team breakdowns and analysis of what the season holds
• Weekly columns and online chats from writers Mechelle Voepel and Michelle Smith
• Total Access with the Phoenix Mercury featuring a behind-the-scenes look at the season including stories, blogs, video and photo galleries
• Blogs from WNBA players: Kelsey Bone (New York); Tamika Catchings (Indiana); Tina Charles (Connecticut); Elena Delle Donne (Chicago); Brittney Griner and other Mercury players; Ivory Latta (Washington); Angel McCoughtry (Atlanta); Maya Moore (Minnesota); Candace Parker (L.A.) and Candice Wiggins (Shock)

ESPN Digital Platforms

• WatchESPN will carry every WNBA regular-season game available on ESPN2 this season
• Additional live coverage for select games available on ESPN Mobile TV
• Live scores accessible via the ESPN mobile Web, ScoreCenter and ScoreCenter XL
• WNBA game alerts and video clips on ESPN Mobile

ESPN2 will showcase the majority of the 2013 WNBA postseason. The WNBA Finals presented by Boost Mobile begin on Sunday, Oct. 6 for a best-of-five series.

The WNBA and ESPN have been affiliated for 17 years, dating back to the league’s inaugural season in 1997, and recently extended the relationship six years through the 2022 season.

For the third straight year and first-ever primetime telecast, ESPN held the WNBA Draft at its headquarters in Bristol, Conn., on Monday, April 15. The live telecast of the Draft took place in the ESPN Studio E – home to Mike & Mike in the Morning, Sunday NFL Countdown and a variety of other ESPN shows.

2013 WNBA Regular-Season Schedule (subject to change)

Date	Time (ET)	Game	Networks
Mon, May 27	3 p.m.	Washington Mystics at Tulsa Shock Pam Ward, Carolyn Peck & LaChina Robinson	ESPN2
	5 p.m.	Chicago Sky at Phoenix Mercury Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo & Holly Rowe	ESPN2
Sat, June 8	3:30 p.m.	Phoenix Mercury at Indiana Fever Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo & Holly Rowe	ABC
Wed, June 12	8 p.m.	Connecticut Sun at Indiana Fever Pam Ward & Carolyn Peck	ESPN2
Tue, June 25	8 p.m.	Phoenix Sun at San Antonio Silver Stars Pam Ward & Carolyn Peck	ESPN2
Tue, July 2	8 p.m.	Tulsa Shock at Connecticut Sun	ESPN2
Tue, July 9	9 p.m.	Atlanta Dream at Minnesota Lynx	ESPN2
Thu, July 11	9 p.m.	Los Angeles Sparks at Tulsa Shock	ESPN2
Thu, July 18	10 p.m.	Phoenix Mercury at Los Angeles Sparks	ESPN2
Tue, July 23	7 p.m.	New York Liberty at Indiana Fever	ESPN2
Sat, July 27	3:30 p.m.	Boost Mobile WNBA All-Star Game (Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Conn.)	ABC
Tue, Aug 6	10 p.m.	Seattle Storm at Phoenix Mercury	ESPN2
Tue, Aug 20	10 p.m.	Los Angeles Sparks at Seattle Storm	ESPN2
Sat, Aug 24	7 p.m.	Indiana Fever at Minnesota Lynx	ESPN2
Wed, Sep 11	8 p.m.	Phoenix Mercury at Chicago Sky	ESPN2

ESPN Classic Memorial Day “3 to See” Marathon

Date	Time (ET)	Game
Sun, May 26	4 p.m.	2012 NCAA Women’s National Semifinal: Connecticut vs. Notre Dame Diggins 19 points leads ND to an 83-75 win
	6 p.m.	Connecticut at Notre Dame (2013) Diggins scores 29 points in ND’s 96-87 triple-overtime win
	8 p.m.	2013 NCAA Championship Second Round: Delaware vs. North Carolina Delle Donne nets 33 points in loss in final home game
	10 p.m.	2012 NCAA Women’s National Championship: Notre Dame vs. Baylor Griner has 26 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks in win
	Midnight	2012 NCAA Championship Second Round: Kansas vs. Delaware Delle Donne scores 34 points in loss
Mon, May 27	1:30 a.m.	Notre Dame at Tennessee (2013) Diggins has 33 points, five assists and four steals in victory
	3:30 p.m.	2012 CAA Championship: Drexel vs. Delaware Delle Donne dominates with 27 points and 10 boards in win
	7 a.m.	Connecticut at Baylor (2011) Griner leads with 25 points, nine rebounds and nine blocks in victory
	9 a.m.	Delaware at St. John’s (2013) Delle Donne tallies 29 points, 16 boards, two assists and two blocks in overtime win
	11 a.m.	2011 NCAA Women’s National Semifinal: Connecticut vs. Notre Dame Diggins nets 28 points in win over UConn and National Player of the Year Maya Moore
	1 p.m.	Baylor at Connecticut (2013) Griner scores 25 points in win, including 3,000th of her career

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ESPN & TENNIS Channel French Open coverage plans

The French Open begins next Sunday, May 26. ESPN, mostly on ESPN2, TENNIS Channel, and NBC share the rights to cover the French Open, the only Grand Slam that ESPN doesn't have championship rights to. To prep people for this event, TENNIS Channel and ESPN have both released press releases. When NBC issues one this week, it will also get posted here at Eye on Sky.

First from TENNIS Channel

TENNIS CHANNEL TO DEDICATE MORE THAN 200 HOURS TO FRENCH OPEN STARTING MAY 26

Close to 70 Live or First-Run Match Hours on Tap During Two-Week Event, from First Day of Play through Men’s Semifinal Round

Macatee Returns to Host French Open Tonight in Primetime; McEnroe, Navratilova, Davenport, Carillo, Robinson, Eagle, Haber, Gimelstob, Shiras, Adams, Stubbs, Wertheim to Handle Match Action

Hundreds of Hours of Free Digital Coverage Available on Network’s Web Site, Mobile App

LOS ANGELES, May 20, 2013 – Tennis Channel, the only 24-hour, television-based multimedia destination dedicated to both the professional sport and tennis lifestyle, will begin its first day of 2013 French Open coverage with nine consecutive hours of matches followed by a another nine hours of interview-and-encore show French Open Tonight. This daily balance – long blocks of competition followed by an all-night review of the day’s play – will be the template for much of the network’s two-week telecast, set to get underway Sunday, May 26. With plans for close to 70 live match hours, more than 65 hours of encore replays, and 114 hours of French Open Tonight, Tennis Channel will devote more than 200 hours of seemingly round-the-clock coverage to the world’s most prestigious clay-court event this year.

In its seventh year at Roland Garros, Tennis Channel’s live coverage runs from the first day of play through the men’s semifinal round and includes encore replays of the men’s and women’s singles quarterfinals, semifinal and championship competitions. The network’s most common daily schedule will offer live matches from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. ET. From 3:30 p.m.-7 p.m. it will showcase the day’s best action via encore match replays, regardless of whether the matches originally aired live on Tennis Channel or broadcast partners NBC or ESPN2 (a complete schedule follows, below).

French Open Tonight, hosted by Bill Macatee (@BMacatee), will run from 7 p.m.-10 p.m. and then again twice throughout the late night and early morning. Since 2008 the show’s stage has overlooked the scenic Musketeer Plaza in the heart of the Roland Garros tournament grounds, with crowd bustle and spectator applause an ever present audio backdrop. As he has done since Tennis Channel’s first French Open in 2007, Macatee will bring his engaging interviewing approach into tennis fans’ homes each evening, encapsulating the day’s best through conversations with the players, coaches, and industry representatives who will write the history of this year’s tournament. Thirty-seven-and-a-half first-run hours of French Open Tonight are planned for 2013.

From 4 a.m.-5 a.m., Tennis Channel will run daily highlights provided by the event’s governing French Tennis Federation, before ESPN2 initiates a new day of match coverage at 5 a.m. Between Tennis Channel and ESPN2, viewers will have virtually non-stop, 24-hour coverage of the French Open. Since 2007, Tennis Channel has produced all telecasts for both channels, with each network cross-promoting the other’s telecast.

On-Air Talent

In addition to Macatee at the helm of French Open Tonight, Tennis Channel’s coverage in the City of Light has been marked each year by lead analysts Martina Navratilova (@Martina) and John McEnroe, Hall of Famers who return to the network booth in 2013. With 76 major championships between them – and reputations for telling it like it is – both have endeared themselves to tennis fans through unique points of view honed by years of tennis knowhow and accomplishment.

“It’s great to be back at Roland Garros with Tennis Channel,” said Navratilova. “With Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer either attempting or rewriting history, it’s an exciting time in tennis.”

Lindsay Davenport (@LDavenport76) will add her champions’ perspective to the network’s coverage again, along with fellow analysts Justin Gimelstob (@justingimelstob) and Rennae Stubbs (@rennaestubbs). Leif Shiras (@LShirock) and Katrina Adams (@katadams68) will see to Tennis Channel’s multiple-court mosaic offering to DIRECTV customers, while Mary Carillo will host the network’s live tournament desk and conduct interviews for the third consecutive year. Play-by-play responsibilities are again shared by Ted Robinson, Ian Eagle and Brett Haber (@BrettHaber), with Sports Illustrated‘s Jon Wertheim (@jon_wertheim) on hand for special reports and opinion.

 Broadband and Digital Coverage

Tennis Channel’s Web site, www.tennischannel.com, has offered free match streaming live and on demand since its first year of French Open coverage in 2007. Up to five simultaneous courts will be accessible to visitors from 5 a.m. ET through the end of the day’s play, with more than 300 hours overall. New for 2013, the network is launching a free mobile app – Tennis Channel Everywhere – that is available to all users of Apple or Android digital platforms. In addition to French Open matches, the app will include daily updates from Tennis Channel’s online video page with highlights, Court Report news and popular player Bag Check clips.

Veteran tennis reporters Steve Flink and Joel Drucker (@joeldrucker) will be in Paris to contribute to Tennis Channel’s Web site again this year. Throughout the tournament online users can access real-time scoring, photos, daily highlights, interviews, features and segments from French Open Tonight. Interactive tournament draws will be available later this week, as will sweepstakes information and the network’s “Racquet Bracket” tournament prediction game. Additionally, Tennis Channel’s digital team will introduce a Twitter feed, @TCEverywhere, that will be integrated with other social media channels to give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at Tennis Channel and its on-air team’s 2013 French Open production. Tennis Channel currently engages with viewers on Facebook (www.facebook.com/tennischannel), Twitter (www.twitter.com/tennischannel), YouTube (www.youtube.com/tennischannel) and Instagram (http://instagram.com/tennischannel.)

Tennis Channel’s Live 2013 French Open Match Schedule
(Men’s/Women’s Singles Unless Otherwise Specified)

Sunday, May 26 — 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m., First-Round Action
Monday, May 27 — 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m., First-Round Action
Tuesday, May 28 — 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m., First-Round Action
Wednesday, May 29 — 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Second-Round Action
Thursday, May 30 — 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Second-Round Action
Friday, May 31 — 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Third-Round Action
Saturday, June 1 — 5 a.m.-Noon, Third-Round Action
Sunday, June 2 — 5 a.m.-1 p.m., Round-of-16 Action
Monday, June 3 — 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Round-of-16 Action
Tuesday, June 4 — 8 a.m.-1 p.m., Quarterfinals
Friday, June 7 — 7 a.m.-11 a.m., Men’s Semifinal

Tennis Channel’s encore coverage will include same-day replays of singles quarterfinals and semifinals, and the men’s and women’s singles championship matches after the tournament concludes (ET):

Wednesday, June 5 – 1 p.m.-7 p.m.: men’s and women’s singles quarterfinals
Thursday, June 6 – 2 p.m.-7 p.m.: women’s singles semifinals
Friday, June 7 – 5 p.m.-midnight: men’s semifinals=TBD: men’s and women’s finals

On Tuesday, June 11, the network will air the women’s doubles championship from 6 a.m.-8 a.m. ET and men’s doubles championship from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. ET.

Tennis Channel’s French Open Tonight Schedule

Viewers who miss Tennis Channel’s live or encore match coverage during this year’s tournament can tune into French Open Tonight Sunday, May 26-Thursday, June 6. Typically the show airs from 7 p.m.-10 p.m. (all times ET), followed by immediate repeats from 10 p.m.-1 a.m. and 1 a.m.-4 a.m. On Saturday, June 1, the show originally airs from 3 p.m.-6 p.m., followed by encores from 6 p.m.-9 p.m., 9 p.m.-midnight and 12 a.m.-3 a.m. The schedule on Sunday, June 2, sees a first run from 4 p.m.-7 p.m., then 7 p.m.-10 p.m., 10 p.m.-1 a.m. and 1 a.m.-4 a.m. Thursday, June 6, the show will air from 7 p.m.-11:30 p.m. and then 11:30 p.m.-4 a.m.

And now onto ESPN.

ESPN at the French Open: Live Morning Matches Start Sunday, May 26

50+ Hours on ESPN2, ESPN3 with 330 Hours; Most View Nadal (despite ranking), S.Williams the Favorites 

Live morning matches on ESPN2 and day-long coverage via ESPN3 will bring French Open action to fans starting Sunday, May 26.  ESPN2’s schedule of more than 50 hours – starting live at 5 a.m. ET most days – continues weekdays through Thursday, June 6, culminating with the women’s semifinals.  ESPN3 will provide up to seven screens of action on the days ESPN2 is on the air, totaling 330 hours.

In both the women’s and men’s draws, contenders hope to break the stranglehold the top players have had on recent major championships. 

• On the men’s side, injuries – both current and Nadal’s in 2012 – leave the seeding up in the air.  Novak Djokovic is ranked No. 1 and won the year’s first major in Australia while No. 2 Andy Murray, who finally won his first Grand Slam title at the 2012 US Open is likely to withdraw because of injury.  No. 3 Roger Federer – who has reached the quarterfinals of 35 consecutive majors, winning a record 17 – heads to Roland Garros without a title in the current year for the first time since 2000.  Defending champ Rafael Nadal is ranked No. 4, thanks to his long layoff the latter half of 2012, but leads the 2013 points race with six victories (five on clay) and few would be surprised if he were to bring home his eighth trophy from Paris.  The contenders after Nadal – David Ferrer, Tomas Berdych, Juan Martin Del Potro (who may be forced to withdraw) and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga – have have all shown the ability to defeat a member of the Big Four but a major title would be a huge break through.
• At 31, Serena Williams’ recent play certainly befits the top-ranked player in the world: 36-2 this year, riding career-best win streak of 24 matches and five titles.  Winner of two of the last three majors and 15 overall, she is looking to avenge her stunning first-round defeat a year ago in Paris and win back the crown she has won just once (2002).  No. 2 Maria Sharapova is the defending  champion and 30-4 in 2013 but three of those losses came to Williams in finals.  No. 3 Victoria Azarenka is 22-2 year to date with two titles including her second straight Australian Open.  She fell to Williams 6-1, 6-3 Sunday on clay in the Rome final.  At No. 4 and No. 5, Agnieszka Radwanska and Sara Errani are at a career-best ranking but each has only reached one Grand Slam final (Wimbledon, 2012; French Open, 2012, respectively) while No. 6 Li Na took the trophy in Paris in 2011 and reached the final of this year’s Australian Open.  American Sloane Stephens, 20 – who emerged as a threat with an upset of Williams in Australia – is ranked No. 17 while Varvara Lepchenko of Allentown, Pa., is No. 29 but reached the fourth round at Roland Garros 12 months ago.

TV Coverage

After the opening day, ESPN2’s schedule will continue with an all-live telecast starting at 5 a.m. each day through Friday, May 31, and again on Monday, June 3.  The network will air live quarterfinal action Tuesday, June 4, at 1 p.m. and Wednesday, June 5, at 8 a.m.  ESPN2 will air the women’s semifinals live Thursday, June 6, at 9 a.m.  All the action on ESPN2 is also available through WatchESPN online at WatchESPN.com and on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app. 

Chris Fowler and Chris McKendry will again share host duties on ESPN2, with Fowler also calling matches.  They will be joined by Evert, along with returnees Darren Cahill, Cliff Drysdale, Mary Joe Fernandez, Brad Gilbert and Pam Shriver.

ESPN networks present all four Grand Slam events and have televised the French Open 1986 – 1993 and since 2002.  ESPN3 delivers an unmatched multi-screen presentation of the sport’s four majors, all ATP 1000 and 500 tournaments, WTA Premier Events and season-ending championships for both tours.    
For the seventh consecutive year, ESPN2 is working with Tennis Channel to bring viewers an almost around-the-clock tournament experience, with each channel cross-promoting the other’s schedule.  Tennis Channel will produce all coverage for both channels, with each making use of its own on-air team. 

ESPN3
ESPN3’s French Open schedule totals 330 hours with a multi-screen offering of up to seven courts and ESPN2’s coverage and is available on the days the network is televising.  ESPN3 will begin each day early in the morning with the first ball in the air and continue to the last shot of the day.  Matches will also be available after they take place via replay.  Additionally, ESPNPlay in Latin America and the Caribbean will provide customers with extensive live coverage with multiple windows totaling over 500 hours in both English and Spanish on broadband platforms in addition to televised coverage throughout the regions.

Other ESPN Platforms
Fans will have a variety of ways to follow the French Open with live action and updates on an array of ESPN platforms wherever they are and regardless of whether there is live television offered. 

ESPN.com will provide comprehensive coverage before, during and after the French Open, highlighted by CourtCast, which will feature all the live action from ESPN3.  As always, it will also include real-time scoring from all courts, plus continuous live polling with results revealed immediately in ESPN2’s telecasts.  CourtCast will also provide an augmented  social media feed (Twitter and Facebook) from the players, analysts and writers. And, of course, ESPN.com will have the latest news, analysis, schedules and more.  Fans can watch Digital Serve daily with ESPN2 commentators discussing the latest action and previewing key matches.  Other highlights include:

• The Latest Dirt – a daily notebook roundup of all the day’s action;
• Center Court – a tennis video show featured each week on all the major news from Roland Garros;
• espnW.com – Comprehensive daily coverage of the women’s draw by senior writer Jim Caple;
• What We Learned – ESPN.com senior writer Greg Garber and others will highlight the day’s news and notes with quick video snippets on the overlooked storylines.

The WatchESPN App – for fans who receive ESPN’s linear networks as part of their video subscription via Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks, Verizon FiOS TV, Comcast Xfinity TV, Midcontinent Communications, Cablevision, Cox, Charter or AT&T U-verse – will provide access to for ESPN2’s live coverage online at WatchESPN.com and through the WatchESPN app on smartphones and tablets, in addition to ESPN3’s multi-screen offering. 

ESPN Mobile TV will have 46 hours of live coverage, simulcasting ESPN2’s live programming, highlighted by the women’s semifinals Thursday, June 7.

ESPN Interactive TV, exclusive to DIRECTV, will present the French Open showing ESPN2 or Tennis Channel’s live coverage along with five other courts available with commentary.  Other features include interactive data, the tournament draw, up-to-date scores, and daily order of play.

ESPN International will present over 100 hours of live French Open coverage to more than 50 countries in Spanish-speaking Latin America and the Caribbean on its pan-regional and regional networks.  Matches will be chosen based on local interest, and commentary will be offered in English and Spanish, with expert analysis provided by two Spanish-speaking announce teams: Luis Alvarez & Javier Frana and Eduardo Varela & Jose Luis Clerc  In addition to both SD and HD television telecasts, ESPN International’s broadband service, ESPN Play, will stream over 500 hours of live French Open matches, including the men’s and women’s finals.

ESPN – All Four Slams, All In One Place
Tennis has been part of ESPN since its first week on the air and provided many memorable moments, but it has never been as important as today, with the US Open joining the lineup in 2009, giving ESPN all four Grand Slam events, something no other U.S. network has ever done, let alone in one year. ESPN has presented the Australian Open since 1984, the French Open since 2002 (plus 1986 – 1993), and Wimbledon since 2003, with exclusivity for live television with all other rights extended in a 12-year agreement starting in 2012.

ESPN debuted September 7, 1979, and the first tennis telecast was exactly one week later, September 14, a Davis Cup tie, Argentina at U.S. from Memphis with Cliff Drysdale on the call and John McEnroe playing.

ESPN3, now in 85 million homes, carries every major global tennis event on the men’s and women’s circuit, including all four Grand Slam tournaments, every ATP World Tour 500 and ATP Masters 1000 event and WTA Premier events featuring all the top-seeded players.  Also, ESPN Classic shows great matches from the past and the sport receives extensive coverage on SportsCenter, ESPNEWS, Spanish-language ESPN Deportes, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine.  ESPN 3D aired its first tennis at Wimbledon in 2011.

2013 French Open on ESPN2 & ESPN2 HD

Date	Time (ET)	Event
Sun, May 26 –  Fri, May 31	5 – 10 a.m.	Early Round Action	Live
Mon, June 3	5 – 10 a.m.	Round of 16	Live
Tue, June 4	1 – 7 p.m.	Quarterfinals	Live & Same-day action
Wed, June 5	8 a.m. – 1 p.m.	Quarterfinals	Live
Thur, June 6	9 a.m. – 2 p.m.	Women’s Semifinals	Live

2013 French Open on ESPN3

Date	Time (ET)	Event
Sun, May 26 –  Fri, May 31	5 a.m. – 3 p.m.	Early Round Action	Live
Mon, June 3	5 a.m. – 3 p.m.	Round of 16	Live
Tue, June 4	8 a.m. – 7 p.m.	Quarterfinals	Live
Wed, June 5	5 a.m. – 1 p.m.	Quarterfinals	Live
Thur, June 6	5 a.m. – 1 p.m.	Men’s Doubles SemisWomen’s Semifinals	Live

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