ESPN To Unveil ESPN2 HD In January 2005; Joins Highly Successful ESPN HD As Companyís Second High-Definition Service

7-Sep-04

ESPN and ABC Sports President George Bodenheimer announced today on ESPNís 25th Anniversary, another chapter in ESPNís history, the January 2005 launch of ESPN2 HD, the companyís second high-definition sports service. ESPN2 HD will launch as a simulcast of ESPN2 and will include over 100 live telecasts in its first year of operation - featuring college football plus menís and womenís and college basketball, the Little League World Series, Major League Baseball, and the National Hockey League - originally produced and distributed in high-definition television. Together, ESPN HD and ESPN2 HD will immediately offer viewers over 6,000 hours of originally produced high-definition programming and over 2,000 original programs. The combination of the two high-definition services with the construction of the ESPN Digital center, one of the most sophisticated digital facilities in the world, solidifies ESPNís position as the leader in the high-definition sports arena. ìESPN made a significant commitment to spur the growth of high-definition television with ESPN HD, and its success has driven us to launch ESPN2 HD,î said Bodenheimer. ìESPN has led the digital transition by marrying the highest quality content, like ESPN2, with the most advanced technology, and weíre pleased to provide our distribution partners with what we believe to be the most compelling HDTV content.î Sean Bratches, President, Disney and ESPN Networks Affiliate Sales and Marketing said, ìESPN HD is driving our affiliatesí high-definition business, and the addition of ESPN2 HD makes the consumer proposition that much more compelling. Our affiliates, our advertisers, and most importantly, our viewers are requesting more HD content, and as weíve seen the demand skyrocket, weíre committing to fulfilling that need.î All high-definition programming on ESPN HD and ESPN2 HD will be delivered to cable systems and satellite providers in the 720p high-definition format.For more information, please visit www.espn.com.

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