All information contained in this press release, including dates and times, are as of December 18, 2008. For the most up-to-date scheduling information please refer to the 24-hour program schedule. |
ESPN Networks and ABC Highlights
Highlights for:
January | February | March
JANUARY 2009
ESPN, ESPN2 & ABC
WINTER X GAMES 13
The Winter X Games, the premier winter action sports event in the world, will be held January 22-25, 2009 from Aspen/Snowmass, Colo. The annual event features athletes from across the globe competing for medals and prize money in the following sports: Skiing, Snowboard and Snowmobile. All Winter X Games competitions will take place at the resort’s Buttermilk Mountain. Winter X Games 13 will air live on ESPN and ABC and will feature nighttime events. The event will remain at Aspen/Snowmass through 2010, for a total of nine consecutive years (2002-2010).
- Winter X Games Classix, featuring highlights from some of the best performances in the history of Winter X Games, Jan. 6-10, generally at 1 a.m. ET (10 p.m. PT).
- The most up-to-date news and information surrounding that day’s Winter X Games 13 events will be available during X Center, January 23-24, at 2 a.m. and January 25 and January 27, at 1:30 a.m.
TENNIS
The Australian Open, tennis' first Grand Slam of the year, will begin Sunday, Jan. 18, at 7 p.m. on ESPN2, with daily, exclusive coverage totaling at least 120 hours and continuing through the women's (Saturday, Jan. 31, at 3:30 a.m.) and men's (Sunday, Feb. 2, at 3:30 a.m.) finals.
NBA
ESPN’s 11 game schedule will include weekly NBA Wednesday and NBA Friday games in addition to a NBA Special Edition game Sunday, Jan. 25, at 6:30 p.m. when the Detroit Pistons host the Houston Rockets. Highlights:
- Two appearances by defending Western Conference champions Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant: at San Antonio, Wed., Jan. 14, at 9 p.m. and vs. Orlando, Fri., Jan. 16, at 10:30 p.m.;
- Eastern Conference Finals rematch when the Boston Celtics visit the Detroit Pistons Fri., Jan. 30, at 7 p.m.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Men’s
ESPN’s weekly College GameDay Driven by State Farm men’s college basketball series and the Saturday Primetime game-of-the-week telecast will return for a fifth season beginning January 17. The college basketball version of the popular College GameDay football series – featuring two one-hour shows each Saturday, at 11 a.m. and generally at 8 p.m. -- will originate from the site of the Saturday Primetime game (at 9 p.m. except January 24) for eight consecutive weeks and will generally be presented from inside or around the arena. The season will tip off in Chapel Hill, N.C. Saturday, Jan. 17, site of the ACC showdown between Miami and North Carolina, at 9 p.m. on ESPN.
Women’s
The month’s nine game schedule, on ESPN2, will feature two Sunday doubleheaders, two ACC showdowns and a battle for state supremacy:
- The UTEP Miners will host fellow Texans, the Houston Cougars, as part of ESPN2’s Sunday afternoon doubleheader January 11, at 2 p.m. (Xavier will visit Charlotte in the earlier game, at 12 p.m.)
- Three teams that made it to last year’s Elite Eight will make back-to-back appearances when Duke hosts Maryland, Monday, Jan. 12, at 7:30 p.m., Connecticut vs. North Carolina, Monday, Jan. 19, at 7 p.m., and North Carolina vs. Maryland, Sunday, Jan. 25, at 7 p.m.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
- ABC will televise two New Year’s Day bowl games: the Capital One Bowl, Thursday, Jan. 1, at 1 p.m. followed by the BCS Rose Bowl Game Presented by Citi, at 4:30 p.m.
- ESPN will televise the 50th Anniversary Autozone Liberty Bowl, Friday, Jan. 2, at 5 p.m. in addition to the last game before the BCS National Championship: the GMAC Bowl Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 8 p.m.
- The ESPN2 bowl game schedule will conclude with the International Bowl Saturday, Jan. 3, at 12 p.m. and the East West Shrine Game, Saturday, Jan. 17, at 4 p.m.
- CFB All-Star Skills Challenge Saturday, Jan. 31, at 4 p.m. on ESPN.
MISCELLANEOUS
- Burger King High School Football Skills Challenge, Friday, Jan. 2, at 7 p.m. on ESPN2 and the Under Armour All-America High School Football Game from Orlando, Fla., Sunday, Jan. 4, at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
- Bowling: Live action from the PBA Tour Sundays, generally at 1 p.m. on ESPN.
- ESPN2 Friday Night Fights returns from a winter hiatus January 2, at 9 p.m.
- Track & Field event live Friday, Jan. 30, at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.
ESPN Classic
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
- ESPN College Basketball Game of the Week - Classic will offer a weekly Sunday morning replay of the best ABC/ESPN college basketball game from the weekend (9 - 11 a.m.).
AUTO RACING
- Russo & Steele Car Auction - Packed with auction block excitement, in-depth reviews and automobile assessments of Russo and Steele’s stellar selection of American Muscle, European Sports, Hot Rods and Custom automobiles in their seventh annual “Sports and Muscle in Monterey” event. The series will air each Tuesday in January at 9 p.m.
- NHRA
- ESPN Classic will feature a different classic NHRA Drag Race each Monday in January (except Jan. 5) at 4 and 4:30 p.m.
SPORTSCENTURY
ESPN Classic’s Emmy and Peabody Award-winning signature series, SportsCentury, will continue most weekday mornings in January at 9 a.m. Scheduled shows include Willie Shoemaker (Jan. 2), Marvin Hagler (Jan. 13), Rick Pitino (Jan. 21), and Bobby Hull (Jan. 29).
60 MINUTES ON CLASSIC
60 Minutes On Classic will continue on ESPN Classic with half-hour episodes Fridays at 9:30 p.m. Highlights include Bobby Bowden/Stars on the Parallel Bars (Jan. 2), Pat Summitt/Debbie McIntosh (Jan. 9), Martina Navratilova/They’re #1 (Jan. 16), George Steinbrenner (Jan. 23), and Kobe Bryant/Phil Jackson (Jan. 30).
MOVIES
- Reel Classics, ESPN Classic’s weekly Sunday movie series will continue commercial free each week at 8 p.m. with Ali: King of the World (Jan. 4), Prefontaine (Jan. 11), Fighting Back: The Rocky Bleier Story (Jan. 18), Any Given Sunday (Jan. 25).
- ESPN Classic will ring in the New Year with a New Year’s Day movie marathon of ESPN originals beginning at 9 a.m. including The Junction Boys at 11 a.m., The Greatest Game Ever Played at 7 p.m. and 3 at 9 p.m.
ESPNU
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
- ESPNU will air 70 exclusive Men's college basketball games featuring:
- Notre Dame vs. St. John’s – Saturday, Jan. 3, at 2 p.m.
- Connecticut vs. West Virginia – Tuesday, Jan. 6, at 5 p.m.
- Miami (FL) vs. Boston College – Saturday, Jan. 10, at 7 p.m.
- Texas A & M vs. Texas – Saturday, Jan. 24, at 8 p.m.
- Pittsburgh vs. Villanova – Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 7 p.m.
- Colorado vs. Kansas – Saturday, Jan. 31 at 4 p.m.
- Thirteen exclusive women's college basketball games including:
- Georgia vs. Virginia – Friday, Jan. 2, at 7 p.m.
- Rutgers vs. Louisville – Sunday, Jan. 11, at 2 p.m.
- Mississippi vs. Tennessee – Thursday, Jan. 29, 7 p.m.
- The network will continue to re-air college basketball games from ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 throughout the month.
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
- A minimum of five exclusive high school basketball games featuring:
- Four games on Monday, Jan. 19 featuring:
- Putnam City (OK) vs. St. Anthony (NJ) at 10 a.m.
- Wheeler (GA) vs. St. Benedict’s (NJ) at 12 noon
- Leflore (AL) vs. Lincoln (NY) at 2 p.m.
- Mater Dei (CA) vs. Whitney Young (IL) at 4 p.m.
COLLEGE HOCKEY
- ESPNU will air four, exclusive hockey games – each Sunday in January at 4 p.m.:
- New Hampshire vs. Maine – Jan. 4
- St. Lawrence vs. Clarkson – Jan. 11
- Holy Cross vs. Army – Jan. 18
- Harvard vs. Dartmouth – Jan. 25
- Re-airs of college football bowl games from ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC.
- The Herd with Colin Cowherd on ESPN Radio will continue to be simulcast Monday through Friday live from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
- ESPNU Recruiting Insider, a 30-minute show on ESPNU that evaluates the top high school football recruits and programs throughout the season, continues to air Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. Lowell Galindo hosts alongside ESPN Scouts, Inc. recruiting analyst Tom Luginbill.
ESPN, ESPN2 & ABC
NASCAR
ESPN2’s NASCAR Nationwide Series coverage will begin with the season-opening event from the Daytona International Speedway February 12-14. The network, home of the series, will televise NASCAR Countdown prior to each race. Racing action will continue throughout the season.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Season Preview Tuesday, Feb. 10, 3 p.m. on ESPN2 , followed by NASCAR Nationwide Series preview.
BASKETBALL
NBA
The NBA on ABC schedule will start off the month of February with the Detroit Pistons hosting LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers Sunday, Feb. 1, at 2:30 p.m. The following week Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs will visit the defending champions -- Boston Celtics -- Sunday, Oct. 8, at 1 p.m. After the NBA All-Star break, Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets will make two back-to-back ESPN NBA Friday appearances: vs. Los Angeles, Feb. 20, at 10:30 p.m. and at home against Milwaukee, Feb. 27, at 7 p.m.
- NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, Friday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m.
COLLEGE
Women’s
Big Monday Presented by Bud Light
Big Monday Presented by Bud Light on ESPN2 will continue with four games featuring the best programs in Division I women’s basketball. The prime-time game-of-the-week schedule for February includes two appearances by Tennessee and Duke: Tennessee at Oklahoma (Feb. 2, at 7:30 p.m.); Duke at North Carolina (Feb. 9, at 7:30 p.m.); Duke at Tennessee (Feb. 16, at 7:30 p.m.); Oklahoma at Texas A&M (Feb. 23, at 7:30 p.m.).
February Frenzy
Similar to regionalized coverage in the NCAA Tournament, 16 teams will be on display during February Frenzy Sunday, Feb. 15, as ESPN2 showcases eight games within two telecast windows. For a second year in a row, ESPN will support The V Foundation for the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund during its annual “February Frenzy” women's college basketball games. At 1 p.m., ESPN2 will feature Rutgers at Maryland, Marist at Hartford, Illinois at Purdue and Georgia at Vanderbilt. During the 3 p.m. window, Virginia plays Kay Yow’s N.C. State squad, along with Southern Mississippi at Marshall, Texas at Iowa State and Pittsburgh at Connecticut. The games will be regionalized with frequent switches and updates from the other games. In the 16 home markets of the competing teams, ESPN2 will start and remain primarily with the game of local interest.
- NCAA Honors Celebrations from Indianapolis, Ind., Monday, Feb. 9, at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
MISCELLANOUS
- NFL Flag Football National Championship from Lake Buena Vista, Fla., Sunday, Feb. 8, at 3 p.m. on ESPN.
- Champions Skins Game from Lahaina, Hawaii, Saturday, Feb. 28, at 2 p.m. on ESPN.
- Bowling: Weekly PBA Tour action Sundays generally, at 1 p.m. on ESPN.
- ESPNU Recruiting Insider: National Signing Day Special from Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, Feb. 4, at 3 p.m. on ESPN2.
- Bassmaster Classic February 21, at 7 and 10 a.m. and February 22, at 10 p.m.
- 2009 ESPN Arena Football Preview Show, Friday, Feb. 27, at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
ESPN, ESPN2 & ABC
BASEBALL
ESPN will present multimedia coverage of the 2009 World Baseball Classic including coverage across ESPN, ESPN HD, ESPN2, ESPN2 HD, ESPN Deportes, ESPN International, ESPNEWS, ESPNEWS HD, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN360.com, ESPN Mobile Properties and more. Coverage will begin Thursday, March 5, at 4:30 a.m. ET on ESPN2. Highlights include:
- Up to 39 games via ESPN International distribution;
- ESPN and ESPN2 combining to televise 23 games in the U.S. beginning March 5, 2009;
- The semifinals – Saturday, March 21, and Sunday, March 22 – and final, Monday, March 23, from Dodger Stadium;
- All ESPN and ESPN2 telecasts simulcast via ESPN360.com and ESPN Mobile TV;
- ESPN Deportes, ESPN’s Spanish-language network in the U.S., televising 23 games;
- 23 games (ESPN and ESPN2 telecasts) available in Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands; 23 games available on ESPN Deportes in Puerto Rico.
BASKETBALL
NBA
The NBA on ABC schedule will continue with a Sunday afternoon doubleheader March 1 when the defending world champion Boston Celtics host Allen Iverson and the Detroit Pistons at 1 p.m. followed by Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers at Phoenix. The weekly Sunday schedule on the network will also include two at home appearances by Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs March 8, at 3:30 p.m. versus Phoenix and March 22, at 1 p.m. versus Houston. Additional highlights on ESPN:
- Paul Pierce and the Celtics will make an appearance on the ESPN NBA Friday schedule March 6, at 8 p.m. and two appearance on the NBA Wednesday schedule: at home vs. Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat, March 18, at 7 p.m. and vs. Orlando, March 25, at 8 p.m.
- Three NBA Special Edition telecasts on Sunday evening.
COLLEGE
Men’s
Championship Week Presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods – March 5-15
- Twenty-fourth season of wall-to-wall conference tournament action featuring 62 Division I men’s games – four more than last year -- from 26 conferences - including 24 championship games.
- Coverage includes SEC for the first time, a new day and time for the Big 12 Championship (Saturday at 6 p.m.) and three additional games from the WAC.
NCAA Tournament Opening Round Game – ESPN, March 17
For the eighth straight year, ESPN (simulcast on ESPN360.com) will feature the matchup of seeds #65 and #64 from Dayton (March 17, 7:30 p.m.).
NIT – ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN360.com, March 17-April 2
For the second consecutive year, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN360.com will combine to feature extensive coverage of the NIT, culminating with coverage of the semifinals (March 31, at 7 and 9 p.m. on ESPN2) and championship (April 2, at 7 p.m. on ESPN) from New York (ESPN360.com will simulcast every ESPN and ESPN2 game).
- ESPNU Bracketology Presented by Staples, from Bristol, Conn., Sunday, March 15, at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
Women’s
The Tennessee Lady Volunteers, winners of back-to-back NCAA Championships, will host intra-state rivals Vanderbilt Sunday, March 1, at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. The rivalry will continue the following day during ESPN2’s “Big Monday” telecast when Connecticut visits Rutgers at 7:30 p.m.
ESPN will continue to present the exclusive live announcement of the 64-team NCAA Tournament field as part of Selection Monday, March 16, at 7 p.m., with ESPNU offering bonus coverage with an additional hour of NCAA Women’s Basketball Selection Special: Extended Coverage from 8–9 p.m. In addition, for the seventh consecutive year, the ESPN networks will combine to present all 63 games from the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship. During the first two rounds, ESPN and ESPN2 will present the 48 games within 12 telecast windows in a whip-around format with home market protection. ESPN360.com will offer complete game telecasts of all 63 games, while ESPNU will offer select ESPN and ESPN2 early-round games in their entirety. The final 15 games (regional semifinals on) will have national telecast windows on ESPN or ESPN2.
- NCAA Division II Championship, Friday, March 27, at 8 p.m. on ESPN2.
HIGH SCHOOL
- Old Spice High School Showcase from Washington, D.C., Oak Hill Academy (Va.) vs. Montrose Christian (MD), Friday, March 6, at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.
- 2009 Powerade Jam Fest from Miami, Fla., Monday, March 30, at 8 p.m. on ESPN2.
NCAA HOCKEY
Prior to ESPN2’s coverage of two pivotal semifinal games, the network will provide live coverage of the NCAA Hockey Selection Show Sunday, March 22, at 11:30 a.m. Semifinal coverage will begin with the West Regional Semifinal #1 Friday, March 27, at 5:30 p.m. and continue the following day with the Northeast Regional Semifinal #2 at 5 p.m.
MISCELLANEOUS
- ISU World Figure Skating Championships, Saturday, March 28, at 3 p.m. on ABC.
- 2009 Bass: Battle on the Border from Del Rio, Texas Saturday, March 21, at 9 a.m. on ESPN2.
- Bowling: Weekly live PBA coverage on ESPN generally at 1 p.m.
- NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships from St. Louis, Mo., Saturday, March 21, at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN.
- 2009 Champions Skins Game from Lahaina, Hawaii, Sunday, March 1, at 2 p.m. on ESPN.
- Soccer: UEFA Champions League Tuesday, March 10, at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN and Thursday, March 12, at 12 a.m. (9 p.m. PT) on ESPN2.
- Tennis: ATP Masters Series from Indian Wells, Calif., March 20-22 on ESPN2.
- Major League Lacrosse -- teams to be announced at a later date -- Saturday, March 28, at 12 p.m. on ESPN2.
- Horse Racing – 2009 Lane’s End Stakes live Saturday, March 21, at 5 p.m. on ESPN2.
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