This section describes the content that ESPN UK was showing when BT Sport morphed ESPN UK into a channel focused mainly on American sport.
Basketball On 30 July 2009, ESPN announced a deal to air
EuroBasket. The event, which ran from 22 to 31 July, featured eight West Indian
Twenty20 teams, including
Barbados,
Combined Campuses and Colleges,
Guyana,
Jamaica,
Trinidad and Toboago and the
Windward Islands competing to win the
Caribbean Twenty20 title. These rights now air on BT Sport. The channel has also completed a deal to show the inaugural
Sri Lanka Premier League tournament in August 2012.
Football Premier League The company announced on 22 June 2009 that it had secured the UK broadcast rights to the
Premier League for four seasons, airing 46 games in the
2009–10 season and 23 games a year for the following three seasons, following a missed payment by Setanta Sports which voided their contracts. In Ireland, ESPN will air the same 46 matches during the 2009–10 season. Premier League coverage was produced by Sky Sports in-house production team, with former BBC presenter
Ray Stubbs hosting, while
Rebecca Lowe reports from the touchline and
Jon Champion and either
Chris Waddle or
Craig Burley calling the game.
Kevin Keegan is the lead analyst, while
Guus Hiddink,
Shaka Hislop,
Frank Leboeuf,
Danny Murphy,
Peter Reid,
Matt Holland, and
Ian Wright were also signed to provide analysis.
Mark Chapman,
Nat Coombs and
Kelly Cates also form a part of the line up.
IMG Sports Media make the studio shows and ancillary programming. The first Premier League match to be shown on ESPN was
Everton's 6–1 loss against
Arsenal. From the
2010–11 season Sky no longer produced coverage of matches, instead coverage was taken over by IMG Sports Media, in an effort to offer "quality and innovation" and introduce new technology from the broadcaster's US parent to help develop post-match analysis. After ESPN lost the rights to the Premier League to BT Sport, ESPN Inc. sold the channel to BT Sport.
FA Cup On 7 December 2009, it was reported that ESPN had secured the rights to 25 live and exclusive
FA Cup matches per season from the 2010–11 season under a four-season deal. ESPN televised two matches in the FA Cup First and Second Rounds (plus up to two replays per round), three matches from the Third to Fifth Rounds (plus up to one replay), two quarter-finals (plus up to one replay), one semi-final, and aired the
FA Cup Final alongside
ITV (which held the first pick of matches). On 21 November 2011, ESPN's deal with the SPL was extended for five years from the 2012–13 season, however on 3 August 2012 ESPN announced a new five-year agreement allowing it to air 30 SPL games per season and 10
Rangers games from the
Scottish Football League (SFL), including three home fixtures. Ray Stubbs hosts, with
Derek Rae and
Craig Burley commentating.
Darrell Currie is touchline reporter and regular studio guests include
Colin Hendry,
Mark Hateley,
Terry Butcher and
Scott Booth. The first SPL fixture broadcast on the channel was
Dundee United's 2–0 victory over
Hearts on 17 August 2009. BT Sport renegotiated the contract alongside Sky Sports to cover the newly formed
Scottish Professional Football League on the BT Sport network.
UEFA Europa League On 1 September 2009, ESPN secured a three-year TV rights deal to broadcast matches from the
UEFA Europa League, previously held by Setanta Sports. At a minimum, ESPN will broadcast one match from each kick-off slot. On 17 October 2011, ESPN were also awarded part of the rights to the 2012–13 to 2014–15 seasons. ESPN shared the rights to the Europa League with
Channel 5 and
ITV. As part of the deal, ESPN serve as host broadcaster for any live home matches featuring British clubs that it is transmitting and have the rights to air matches over the internet and via mobile wireless technologies. During the
inaugural season of the Europa League, ESPN broadcast live matches featuring British teams
Celtic,
Everton,
Liverpool and
Fulham, as well as 45 other European clubs, including holders
Shakhtar Donetsk. ESPN were only host broadcasters for two matches, Everton's 2–1 first-leg victory over
Sporting CP on 16 February and Fulham's 4–1 second-leg victory over
Juventus on 18 March. When the
ITV network became the primary broadcasters after Channel 5 lost the rights to the Europa League, ESPN continued to cover the Europa League. After the acquisition of ESPN by BT Sport, the coverage airs on BT Sport branded channels and from 2015 to 2016 season BT will be exclusive broadcasters of the Europa League, with highlights on ITV.
UEFA Champions League Following BT Sport's acquisition of exclusive
UEFA Champions League rights, ESPN broadcast the
UEFA Champions League Goals Show, a live panel show which simulcasts all the goals and other key incidents from the matches taking place in the competition. The programme is shown during the group stage of the competition and was broadcast on ESPN for
2015–16, before moving to BT Sport 1 for
2016–17.
Foreign club football On 28 July 2009, ESPN announced that they had secured television rights to show up to two live games per week from the
Eredivisie,
Portuguese Liga, up to two live games per week from the
Russian Premier League and the remainder of the
2009 Major League Soccer season, including five play-off games and the
MLS Cup 2009. For the 2010–11 season ESPN renewed its contracts for the Eredivisie and Russian Premier League and broadcast at least two matches each week from the Major League Soccer season, including play-off games. ESPN signed a multi-year deal for up to five live games per week from the German
Bundesliga, a selection of which is in high definition, as well as weekly preview and highlight programmes. During the
2010–11 season, ESPN also broadcast the quarter finals, semi-finals and final from the
DFB-Pokal. ESPN also showed the
2009 Supercoppa Italiana which took place on 8 August 2009. For the
2010–11 season ESPN aires at least two games per week from Serie A, as well as a selection of Coppa Italia games. In July, ESPN announced a renewed multi-season Bundesliga rights deal, lasting until the 2014–15 season, for up to four matches per week (all in high definition). It will also screen action from the
DFL-Supercup, as well as a highlights packages and video on-demand footage. In addition, agreements for the Eredivisie and Russian Premier League were also renewed. Foreign club football airs on BT Sport and ESPN after the acquisition of ESPN by BT Sport
International football The first international football match shown on ESPN was the pre-season friendly match between
Russia and
Argentina on 12 August 2009, which saw Argentina win 3–2. The first youth international match was the
European Under-21 Championship qualification match between
England under-21s and
FYR Macedonia under-21s on 4 September 2009, which England won 2–1. On 5 October 2009, ESPN secured a multi-year deal to show 150 classic
FIFA World Cup matches from
1930 to
2006. The matches are shown on ESPN and ESPN Classic. As part of a four-year deal for FA Cup coverage, formally announced on 8 December 2009, ESPN will show all of the England Under-21s home fixtures. It is understood that the batch of games will feature a broad mix of European national sides, potentially including some home nations. ESPN will also broadcast 20 international friendlies and live coverage from the
Brazil World Tour, in which the five-time World Cup winners take on national teams from around the world. The first of these fixtures to be shown was the
World Cup warm-up match between
Argentina and
Canada on 24 May 2010, which was won 5–0 by the home side, these matches moved to BT Sport after the acquisition. Sky Sports have exclusive coverage of all qualifiers within Europe from 2014 to 2018, apart from
England matches and one other qualifier per matchday, which air on ITV. On 15 July 2010, ESPN secured broadcast rights to all
France and
Germany's
Euro 2012 qualifying matches. ESPN broadcast selected home friendly matches featuring France and Germany. During May 2011, ESPN secured the rights to the
2011 Copa América.
Pre-season football ESPN showed
Real Madrid's 2009 tour of North America, including live matches against
Toronto FC on 7 August and
DC United on 9 August,
Benfica versus
AC Milan on 8 August and
Tottenham Hotspur versus
Olympiacos Volos on 9 August. Between 23 and 25 July 2010, ESPN aired all four games from the New York Football Challenge, which featured
Tottenham Hotspur,
Manchester City,
New York Red Bulls and
Sporting CP. Manchester City will then take on
Club América,
Borussia Dortmund,
Valencia and
Champions League winners
Inter Milan on a ten-day tour of America between 29 July and 7 August. ESPN also aired Tottenham's match against
Benfica in
Lisbon on 1 August and
Newcastle's friendly against
Rangers in
Glasgow on 7 August. In 2011, ESPN broadcast all four games of 2011
Emirates Cup,
Charity football On 25 January 2010, ESPN aired the
Match Against Poverty 2010, where a Benfica All-Stars XI took on a team of legends selected by
Zinedine Zidane and
Ronaldo, in Lisbon to benefit the
United Nations Development Programme and SL Benfica Foundation.
Mixed martial arts On 30 July 2009, ESPN announced that they had secured the rights to
Ultimate Fighting Championship events from
UFC 101 onwards as well as
The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights,
UFC All Access,
UFC Countdown,
UFC Fight Nights and
UFC Unleashed. Alongside ESPN,
Channel 5 airs a one-hour highlights show called
UFC: Main Event and
5USA aired the debut showing of
The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights. However, ESPN showed
The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights Finale live and in full. BT Sport now shows this after the acquisition,
The Ultimate Fighter now airs on
FX.
Rugby union On 30 July 2009, ESPN announced that they would cover the French
Top 14 live, This now airs on Sky Sports. On 14 December 2009, ESPN agreed a three-year deal for exclusive live rights to 43 matches per season from the
English Premiership, beginning with the 2010–11 season, including exclusive live coverage of the English Premiership Final and one of the two semi-final matches. The agreement also provides highlight rights for use on ESPN digital media such as ESPNScrum.com. Sky Sports will continue to show 26 live games per season plus the other semi-final. On 15 April 2010, ESPN signed
Austin Healey as an expert contributor for its English Premiership presentation team, followed by
Nick Mullins as chief match commentator on 27 May and
Ben Kay as co-commentator on 9 June.
Mark Durden-Smith will act as lead host, joined by reporter Sarra Elgan. ESPN has also confirmed plans to start providing on-site coverage for many of its English Premiership games via a custom-built set, with production from
Sunset + Vine. BT Sport now show this after the acquisition of ESPN by BT Sport however most of the ESPN team work for BT Sport. On 9 June 2010, ESPN agreed a deal with Premiership Rugby for exclusive UK broadcast rights to the
J.P. Morgan Asset Management Premiership Rugby 7s Series Series. The new tournament, which took place over July and August 2010, involved all 12 Premiership Rugby clubs competing in Friday evening games. The broadcaster has also shown the 2011 and 2012 tournaments. BT Sport now shows this after the acquisition of ESPN by BT Sport.
Tennis In March 2012. the channel showed its first tennis coverage – the
Fed Cup from
Madison Square Garden.
US sports ESPN also show some of the US sports available on ESPN America, including
Major League Baseball, the
National Hockey League, and U.S. college sports. For a period it also held the rights to the
NFL's
Monday Night Football, which is produced by ESPN. In addition, the channel airs the
ESPN Films'
30 for 30 series. Broadcasting of U.S. college sports, and associated ESPN produced studio programming, ended in August 2023 following the rebranding of the service as TNT Sports.
Other sports On 30 July 2009, ESPN announced that they will cover the up to three live matches a week plus highlights from the
Australian Football League including the four-week finals series culminating with the Grand Final. BT Sport now show this. ESPN aired the
2009 National Rugby League first Preliminary Final live on 25 September, the second Preliminary Final on 26 September and the Grand Final live on 4 October. Premier Sport now airs this. On 3 March 2010, ESPN agreed a deal for the UK broadcast rights to the first ever European Winter
X Games. All competition finals from the
Winter X Games Europe at the French ski resort of
Tignes was shown live and exclusive from 10 to 12 March. On 4 March 2010, ESPN agreed a deal for the UK broadcast rights to the
2010 World Indoor Athletic Championships held between 12 and 14 March at the
ASPIRE Dome in
Doha. On 12 January 2011, ESPN and
North One Sport, the promoter of the
World Rally Championship (WRC), reached an agreement for the WRC to be televised exclusively on ESPN in the UK. ESPN will screen 30-minute nightly bulletins at the end of every WRC day, with on-event coverage bookended by an hour-long preview and review show. Between events, ESPN is committing 30-hour-long shows with archive material from the sport, as well as two new documentary programmes. In addition to coverage on ESPN, WRC footage will also be aired on ESPN Classic. ITV4, Motors TV and BT Sport now show this. On 6 July 2011, it was announced that the 2011
World Masters of darts would air live and exclusively on ESPN, with the event extended to three days three-days for the first time as part of the agreement with the
British Darts Organisation. This tournament now airs on British Eurosport but ESPN deal ended nine consecutive years of coverage on the BBC. In addition, ESPN agreed to share coverage of the
2012 and
2013 BDO World Darts Championship with the BBC. ESPN also broadcast the
PDC 2012 European Championship in September. ESPN was the first broadcaster in Britain to show both BDO and PDC tournaments at the same time. When BT Sport acquired ESPN they dropped darts but since 2015 they have shared coverage of the BDO World Darts Championships, with the BBC in 2015 and 2016, and with
Channel 4 in 2017 and 2018. In November 2011 ESPN showed two golf tournaments from Australia.
Previous Basketball NBA On 30 September 2009, ESPN announced that they had secured a multi-year deal to show live
National Basketball Association games. The channel show up to three live matches a week during the NBA season in standard and high definition, including one game at Sunday primetime. It also carries
NBA All-Star Games and action from the season
playoffs and
final. ESPN also broadcast studio shows
NBA Fastbreak and
NBA Action. Live pre-season coverage began on ESPN on 6 October 2009 when the
Utah Jazz took on the
Chicago Bulls as part of
NBA Europe Live Tour. Coverage continued on 8 October 2009 for Utah Jazz against Euroleague Basketball's
Real Madrid Baloncesto. The NBA season officially started on 27 October 2009. ESPN UK was unable to secure the rights to the 2012–13 NBA season until 5 December 2012 when a deal was made between NBA and ESPN to show 3 games a week, NBA All Star Game, First and Second Round NBA Play-off coverage, Western Conference Finals, and NBA Finals for this season (2012–13). Coverage began the following day. The channel continues to show this after the acquisition of ESPN by BT Sport until 2017–18 season. From 2018 to 2019 season, coverage moved to
Sky Sports.
WNBA Same as the men's league games,
WNBA games also moved to
Sky Sports from 2018 to 2019 season. == See also ==