espn.com

URL	http://espn.go.com
Commercial?	yes
Registration	available, but not required
Available language(s)	English
Created by	ESPN, Inc.
Launched	1995 (as ESPNet.SportsZone.com)
Alexa rank	71 (June 2012[update])[1]
Current status	active

ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's Fanboard, ESPN Fantasy Sports, ESPNU.com, and ESPN Search. ESPN.com also has partnerships with MLB.tv, NBA.com, WNBA.com, NHL.com, Baseball America, Golf Digest, Scouts Inc., Jayski.com, USGA.org, Sherdog.com and Masters.org.

It also has sections devoted to certain sports including: the NHL, NFL, MLB, NBA, NASCAR, IRL, College, Golf and Soccer. Each section contains pages devoted to: scores, teams, schedules, standings, players, transactions, news wires, injures and columnists pages.

Some notable ESPN.com columnists are John Buccigross, Chris Mortensen, John Clayton, Adam Schefter, Andy Katz, Bill Simmons, Jayson Stark, Buster Olney, Gene Wojciechowski, Scoop Jackson, Pat Forde, Jim Caple, and Michael Smith.

Awards[link]

2005[link]

• April: Finalist two categories for the ESPY awards
• May: People's Voice Awards for Best Sports Service

2003[link]

• November: Online News Association's Online Journalism Award for General Excellence
• June: Webby Award and People's Voice

Webby Award (top-ranked sports site)

• May: EPpy Award for best internet sports service
• February: Media Magazine Best of the Net Award - ESPN.com ranked #1 in the Men's and Sports Category

2002[link]

• December: Time Magazine rates ESPN.com the best sports site on the web
• July: ESPN.com Honored With Prestigious 2002 Webby Award
• June: GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Digital Journalism Article for the May 2001 article "Sports World Still a Struggle for Gays," penned by Bill Konigsberg

2001[link]

• July: People's Voice Webby Award for sports, International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences

2000[link]

• May: Webby Award and People's Voice Webby Award, (top-ranked sports site), International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences
• April: Creative Excellence Award, International Web Page Awards
• April: "Best Overall Quality," (Sports), Brill's Content
• March: Only fantasy games included in "Yahoo! Internet Life's Top 40 Free Games On The Net"
• February: "Forbes Favorite," (Top-ranked sports site), Forbes
• January: "Best Sports Hub," Yahoo! Internet Life's 100 Best Sites For 2000

Columnists[link]

Current[link]

• Mary Buckheit: (Page 2, 2006–present)
• Jim Caple: (Page 2,–present) Off Base
• John Clayton: (NFL, 1995–present)
• Gregg Easterbrook: (Page 2, 2002–present) Tuesday Morning Quarterback
• David Fleming: (Page 2, 2002–present)
• Pat Forde
• DJ Gallo: (Page 2, 2004–present)
• LZ Granderson: (Page 2)
• Jemele Hill: (Page 2, 2006–present)
• Patrick Hruby: (Page 2)
• Scoop Jackson: (Page 2, 2005–present)
• Christina Kahrl: (baseball, 2007-present)
• Tim Keown: (Page 2, 1999–present)
• Mel Kiper Jr.: (NFL and college football, 1995–present)
• Chuck Klosterman: (Page 2, 2006–present)
• Paul Lukas: (Page 2, 2004–present) Uni Watch
• Chris Mortensen: (NFL, 1995–present)
• Eric Neel: (Page 2)
• Rob Neyer: (baseball, 1996–present)
• Rick Reilly: (2008–present)
• Bill Simmons: (Page 2, 2001–present) The Sports Guy
• Michael Smith: (NFL and ESPN.com senior writer, 2004–present)
• Kurt Snibbe: (Page 2)
• Wright Thompson: (Page 2, 2006–present)
• Gene Wojciechowski: (ESPN.com, 1995–present)

Former[link]

• Len Pasquarelli: (NFL, 2001–2010)
• Le Anne Schreiber: (2007–2009) Ombudsman
• Dan Shanoff: (Page 2, 2003–2006) The Daily Quickie
• George Solomon: (ESPN.com, 2005–2007) Ombudsman
• Hunter S. Thompson: (Page 2, 2000–2005)
• Jason Whitlock: (Page 2)
• Ralph Wiley: (Page 2, 2000–2004)

Local sites[link]

ESPN started local chapters of its website in response to the decline of local sports coverage available as newspapers continue to go out of business across the country.^[2] Each page covers local professional and college teams, hiring locally known writers, and in some cases making use of the city's ESPN Radio affiliate. In markets where the ABC Owned Television Stations owns a station, their sports coverage is incorporated with the corresponding ESPN local site. Some local sites have expanded into high school sports coverage.

Current[link]

• ESPNBoston.com
• ESPNChicago.com
• ESPNDallas.com
• ESPNLosAngeles.com
• ESPNNewYork.com

See also[link]

• Page2
• Page3
• ESPN3

References[link]

External links[link]

• ESPN.com
• ESPN.mobi mobile version of ESPN.com
• ESPN Search

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ESPN
ESPN logo since 1985
Launched	September 7, 1979
Network	ESPN Network
Owned by	ESPN Inc. (The Walt Disney Company–80% Hearst Corporation–20%)
Picture format	480i (SDTV) 720p (HDTV)
Slogan	The Worldwide Leader In Sports
Language	English
Broadcast area	Worldwide
Headquarters	Bristol, Connecticut
Sister channel(s)	ESPN2 ESPN3 ESPNews ESPNU ESPN Classic ESPN Deportes ESPN Plus ESPN on ABC Longhorn Network
Website	ESPN
Availability
Satellite
DirecTV	206 (SD/HD) 210 Alternate feed (SD) 210-1 Alternate feed (HD) 1206 VOD
Dish Network	140 (SD/HD) 145 147 148 Alternate feeds
Cable
Available on most cable systems	Check local listings for channels
Verizon FiOS	Channel 70 (SD) Channel 570 (HD)
IPTV
AT&T U-Verse	Channel 602 (SD) Channel 1602(HD)

Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming.

Founded by Bill Rasmussen, his son Scott Rasmussen and Aetna insurance agent Ed Eagan, it launched on September 7, 1979, under the direction of Chet Simmons, the network's President and CEO (and later the United States Football League's first commissioner). The Getty Oil Company provided funding to begin the new venture via executive Stuart Evey. John Skipper is ESPN's current president, a position he has held since January 1, 2012.

ESPN's signature telecast, SportsCenter, debuted with the network and aired its 30,000th episode on February 11, 2007. ESPN broadcasts primarily from its studios in Bristol, Connecticut. The network also operates offices in Miami; New York City; Seattle; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Los Angeles. The Los Angeles office, from which the late-night edition of SportsCenter is now broadcast, opened at L.A. Live in early 2009.

While ESPN is one of the most successful sports networks, it has not been free from criticism. This criticism includes accusations of biased coverage^[1], conflict of interest, and controversies with individual broadcasters and analysts.

History[link]

High definition[link]

ESPN launched its 720p high-definition simulcast, originally branded as ESPNHD, on March 20, 2003. All Bristol and L.A. Live studio shows, along with most live events on ESPN, use high definition. ESPN is one of the few networks with an all-digital infrastructure. Shows recorded elsewhere − such as Jim Rome Is Burning (Los Angeles) are presented in a standard definition, 4:3 format with stylized pillarboxes. Pardon the Interruption and Around the Horn began airing in HD on September 27, 2010.^[2]

ESPN and all of ABC and Disney's cable networks use the 720p HD line standard because ABC executives proposed a progressive scan signal that resolves fluid and high-speed motion in sports better, particularly during slow-motion replays.^[3]

In 2011 ESPNHD began to downplay its distinct logo in promotion in preparation for a shift of its standard definition-feed to letterboxed widescreen, which occurred on June 1, 2011.

ESPN 3D[link]

On January 5, 2010, ESPN announced that it would launch a new 3D television channel, ESPN 3D. The network launched on June 11, 2010, with coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. During its first year, ESPN projected that it would air around 100 events in 3D within its first year.^[4][5]

Originally, ESPN 3D only aired simulcasts of 3D events from other ESPN channels, but on February 14, 2011, the network switched to a 24 hour format with repeat airings of past 3D events.^[6]

Programming[link]

The Los Angeles set of ESPN's flagship program, Sportscenter

Alongside its live sports broadcasts, ESPN also airs a variety of sports highlight, talk, and documentary styled shows. These include:

• SportsCenter – The flagship program of ESPN, a daily sports news program delivering the latest sports news and highlights
• Around the Horn – Competitive debating between four sports writers across the country, moderated by Tony Reali
• Baseball Tonight – A daily recap of the day's Major League Baseball action that airs throughout the baseball season.
• College GameDay (Basketball) – Weekly college basketball show airing from the Saturday Primetime game of the week site.
• College GameDay (Football) – Weekly college football preview show airing from the site of a major college football game.
• E:60 – An investigative journalism newsmagazine show focusing on American and international sports.
• Monday Night Countdown – Weekly recap show aired on Monday evenings during the NFL season, also serves as the pre-game show for Monday Night Football
• Outside the Lines – Talk and debate show that examines critical sports issues on and off the field of play
• Pardon the Interruption (PTI) – Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon debate a fast-paced array of sports topics
• Sunday NFL Countdown – Weekly preview show that airs on Sunday mornings during the NFL season.
• SportsNation - Michelle Beadle and Colin Cowherd debate various sports topics through different segments.
• "Mike and Mike in the Morning" - Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg talk about the biggest sports stories of the day every weekday from 6 AM to 10 AM on ESPN and ESPN2.

Executives[link]

• John Skipper: President, ESPN, Inc.^[7]
• Sean Bratches: Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing^[8]
• Christine Driessen: Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer^[9]
• Ed Durso: Executive Vice President, Administration^[10]
• Charles Pagano: Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer^[11]
• Norby Williamson: Executive Vice President, Programming^[12]
• Russell Wolff: Executive Vice President and Managing Director, ESPN International^[13]
• John Wildhack: Executive Vice President, Production
• John Kosner: Executive Vice President, Digital and Print Media
• John A. Walsh: Executive Vice President and Executive Editor

In popular culture[link]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2011)

ESPN has become a part of popular culture since its inception. Many movies with a general sports theme will include ESPN announcers and programming into their storylines (such as in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, which gently lampoons the channel's multiple outlets by referencing the as-yet-nonexistent ESPN8, "The Ocho,"^[14] a reference to a nickname formerly used for ESPN2, "the Deuce"; the slogan for the network was "If it's almost a sport, you'll find it here!"). In the film The Waterboy, Adam Sandler's character Bobby Boucher has his college football accomplishments tracked through several fictional "SportsCenter" newscasts including the "Bourbon Bowl." Also, ESPN.com Page 2 columnist Bill Simmons often jokes that he is looking forward to running a future network; SportsCenter anchors appeared as themselves in music videos by Brad Paisley (I'm Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin' Song)) and Hootie and the Blowfish (Only Wanna Be With You); and the 1998 TV series Sports Night was based on an ESPN-style network and its titular, SportsCenter-analogue flagship sports results program. Also, Ron Burgundy, Will Ferrell's character from the film Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, fictitiously auditions for a position on SportsCenter just days before the network's launch in 1979, and fails miserably. He then claims that the idea (of a 24 hour sports network) will never become popular, and will be a financial and cultural disaster (claiming it's as ridiculous as a 24-hour cooking network or an all music channel). This was originally shot as a SportsCenter piece celebrating ESPN's 25th anniversary in 2004, and was subsequently included as an extra on the Anchorman DVD.

Many jokes have been made by comedians about fake obscure sports that are shown on ESPN. Dennis Miller mentioned watching "sumo rodeo," while George Carlin stated that ESPN showed "Australian dick wrestling." One of several Saturday Night Live sketches poking fun at the network features ESPN2 airing a show called Scottish Soccer Hooligan Weekly, which includes a fake advertisement for "Senior Women's Beach Lacrosse." SNL also parodies ESPN Classic with fake archived obscure women's sportscasts from the 1980s such as bowling, weight lifting and curling, with announcers who know nothing about the sport, and instead focus on the sponsors which are always women's hygiene products. In the early years of ESPN, Late Night with David Letterman even featured a "Top Ten List" poking fun at some of the obscure sports seen on ESPN at the time. One of the more memorable sports on the list was "Amish Rake Fighting." A recurring skit on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon named Sports Freak-Out! is a parody of SportsCenter's overexcited anchors.

A common joke in comedic television and film involves people getting ESP (an abbreviation for Extrasensory Perception, and an irony considering ESPN was initially supposed to be named "ESP") confused with ESPN, often including someone saying something along the lines of "I know these kind of things, I've got ESPN". Electronic Arts in the early 1990s used to have a faux sports network logo on their sports games called EASN (Electronic Arts Sports Network), but soon changed to EA Sports after ESPN requested that they stop using it. There are at least 22 children named after the network.^[15][16][17]

Criticism[link]

ESPN is often accused of having a bias towards certain teams, including those in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), particularly the Duke Blue Devils and North Carolina Tar Heels.^[18] ESPN and the ACC have a rights deal that extends through the 2026-27 season which provides additional football, men's and women's basketball and Olympic sports coverage on a variety of platforms, suggesting the bias may have a financial motivation.^[19]

It is also commonly accused of having bias towards the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Philadelphia Phillies, among other teams, when airing highlights and games.^{[citation needed]} Red Sox-Yankees games are common on ESPN Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday night baseball broadcasts.

ESPN has been criticized for not reporting a taped recording of Bernie Fine's wife apparently acknowledging that she knew her husband may have molested children, ^[20] particularly because ESPN ran a number of articles criticizing Joe Paterno for not taking enough affirmative action to report Jerry Sandusky's alleged child abuse. ^[21]

Network slogans[link]

• The Total Sports Network (1979–1985)
• The Number One Sports Network (1985–1991)
• All Sports, All the Time (1991–1994)
• America's No.1 Sports Network (1994–1998)
• The Worldwide Leader in Sports (1998– )

Competitors[link]

National Sports Networks

• CBS Sports Network
• NBC Sports Network
• Universal Sports

Speciality Networks

• Fox Soccer
• GOL TV
• Golf Channel
• MLB Network
• NBA TV
• NFL Network
• NHL Network
• Speed Channel
• Tennis Channel
• TVG Network
• WWE Network

See also[link]

Notes[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Miller, James Andrew; Tom Shales (2011). Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 978-0-316-04300-7. 

External links[link]

• Official website (Mobile)
• ESPN Video Archive Official ESPN Video Archive
• ESPN Fan Zone (Official ESPN Research via Surveys and Forums)
• ESPN Jobs