Is ESPN Classic About to Become ESPN3?

About a year and a half ago, ESPN announced that it was shutting down production on original programming for ESPN Classic. Since then, the network has shown everything from old American Gladiators reruns to run-off programming from the other ESPN networks, and everyone has been scratching their head wondering what would happen to ESPN Classic.

ESPN Soccernet columnist Ives Galarcep, who keeps his own blog at SoccerByIves.net, may have leaked the Worldwide Leader's plans for its least-watched channel.

The word I just got from a source at ESPN is that ... ESPN has big plans for expanding ESPN Classic into potentially an ESPN3, with the English Premier League as one of the station's marquee draws. That whole scenario may wind up being wishful thinking but what is clear is the ESPN is interested in the EPL rights.

ESPN has taken plenty of interest in European soccer lately. Look no further than its heavy promotion of Wednesday's Champions League final during SportsCenter and NBA Playoff games, not to mention its big plans for EURO 2008. The WWL is expected to bid on the Premier League TV rights starting with the 2009-2010 season, and it need a place to show those games. Why not put them on the channel it's not using very much?

Obviously, ESPN can show "classic" sports events on any of its channels, so there's little need now for a whole channel devoted to that. If the Celtics and Lakers both reach the NBA Finals, an ESPN3 could broadcast a marathon of those classic NBA Finals of the 80s just as easily as ESPN Classic could.

Still, this begs the question of what kind of channel ESPN3 might become. Would it become an ESPN Soccer Channel of sorts to compete with Fox Soccer Channel? Would it have a more general focus on international sports? (Anything that brings Aussie Rules back to ESPN is okay by me.) Or would it just blend in with ESPN and ESPN2 to allow more events in all sports to be shown on basic cable and satellite TV?

Then there's the most important question -- would an ESPN3 be broadcast in HD?

Given the growing interest in this country in the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League, which ESPN already airs, it wouldn't surprise me to see an ESPN3 become their primary channel for all things soccer. Then again, Premier League soccer on Saturday morning and college basketball or Arena Football on Saturday nights wouldn't surprise me either. If ESPN ever decides to get those NHL TV rights again, it would need a place to broadcast those games, too. Perhaps all that's left is to ask just how big ESPN's reach can get.

(H/T: EPL Talk)

Tags: ESPN

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

5-18-2008 @ 12:26PM

Paul said...

So, this would mean a third crappy ESPN channel??? Cable companies barely have ESPNews, the best channel, and no one has ESPNU, which I am guessing would be second.

5-18-2008 @ 1:43PM

solomonrex said...

I have no idea what they're doing, but I'd rather see ESPN: Euro with EPL, Euro b-ball, F1 and rally racing.

Realistically, what is the chance they outbid Murdoch when 'Fox Soccer Channel' pretty much can't lose EPL to survive?

Long term, I hope ESPN classic become like Youtube playlists of video clips from their on-air personalities. It really seemed to make sense when Bill Simmons could pick out his top 10 basketbrawls, etc. Otherwise, what's the appeal of another old basketball game? The audience needs context.

5-18-2008 @ 3:08PM

Tha_Prowler said...

paul where tha hell do u live where ur cable provider doesn't have espnU?? i do, but it's just waaay up tha dial where my TV rarely travels. regardless, espn classic is outdated. it was great initially but now every other cable channel shows their own classic archive of games....SNY, YES, MSG, NFL network, NBATV, big ten network and on and on.....

5-18-2008 @ 3:41PM

Dennis Justice said...

I hopes it's HD and they add rugby and Aussie Rules.

5-18-2008 @ 4:35PM

Panda said...

It wouldn't be taking away the package from FSC. ESPN is bidding for Setanta Sports in order to grow their empire in Europe. With it, they want to show the premier league in Europe like they do in some Asian markets.

In America, they would pretty much have the same package Setanta has now. FSC has their pick of games and ESPN would carry the others. I've always thought that if soccer were to grow in this country, ESPN would have to show the EPL.

5-18-2008 @ 11:33PM

Mark Hasty said...

We're just one step closer to The Ocho becoming a reality!

5-19-2008 @ 1:54AM

fanhouse said...

Prowler, ever heard of Comcast, second largest cable provider in the nation?

5-19-2008 @ 3:10AM

kornstar said...

Skip ESPN3 and go straight to calling it the Ocho. 'Tis a must. That said, they could generate a lot of veiwership by getting EPL rights and perhaps even simulcasting it, with the original European commentators (we need to stop having some of the ESPN crew pretend to like the Beautiful Game).

It's almost an untapped market in the US. Most people I know really enjoyed watching the World Cup and the UEFA and EPL coverage we've been getting yet can't really get into MLS. If ESPN owns the rights to both of these, and maybe some of the national team matches, they will be able to reach a vast amount of possible American sports fans as well as the large amount of people living in the US from parts of the world where soccer is king. A good move if they can do it, so long as they balance out the soccer with some other kinds of sports.

5-19-2008 @ 10:44AM

Tape said...

Instead of converting Classic to ESPN3 to "have a place" to show the EPL or other such things, maybe they should stop having SportsCenter air 12 hours a day. ESPN used to show all kinds of awesome stuff back in the 80s/early 90s. MISL Soccer, Aussie rules football, rugby, volleyball...

5-19-2008 @ 8:01PM

Butterscotch said...

Looking at Total Day coverage area Male 18-49 ratings for 2Q to date (through 5/11), ESPN Classic ranks 59th out of 68 ad-supported channels measured daily by Nielsen.

Not only is Classic ranked behind all other targeted sports networks, but it also trails the female-targeted WE channel….IN Men 18-49.

5-21-2008 @ 2:25AM

Dustin Power said...

from what Dennis Justice said, ESPN has overtaken a sports network that use to be owned by Setanta called NASN (North American Sports Network) they are planning on renaming the network ESPN and will and are planning on bidding for the EPL rights for the UK. So they will still have Sky and Setanta

ESPN in Asia is not 100% ESPN owned its a 50-50% venture between ESPN and Star Sports (News Corp) I think there the only ESPN network in the world to use official English commentary unlike my local ESPN station in Australia who get American commentators (mainly commentating on the La Liga) and even our local edition of sportscenter comes out of the main bristols studios with them crossing over to reporters in Australia. I think the only thing that is currently produced in Australia is the once a week PTI Australia. Where as Sportscenter Asia is produced in Singapore and they have many programs on both ESPN and Star Sports that are produced locally in Asia