ESPN Goes High-Def

[Steve Mehs]

ESPN announced its plans to provide a high-definition simulcast service of its premier network ESPN, which will be launched in April 2003.

ESPN HD will include in its first year 100 live telecasts - featuring Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association (NBA), the National Football League (NFL), and the National Hockey League (NHL) - produced and distributed in high-definition television (HDTV).

In addition, SportsCenter will be added in 2004 providing an additional 3,700 hours of originally produced HDTV programming. All high-definition programming on ESPN HD will be delivered to cable systems and satellite providers in 720p high-definition format. ESPN will digitally convert the rest of the existing ESPN signal to 720p for viewing on high-definition television sets.

From SkyRetailer (http://www.skyretailer.com/archive/oct2002/r100102.shtm#siz) (Used with Permission)

[invaliduser88]

let me guess...Dish won't be able to carry it unless the merger goes through. And even then, it will be a subscription service above and beyond the ATxxx packages.

:D

[rbonzer]

This is great news! Finally, a national "common" channel that "everyone" wants. Locals are great, but as we DBS owners know, you have to get those OTA. For HBO and Showtime, they are just movie channels. ESPN, I believe, is going to be the turning point in HD to the masses.

Its good they are giving me advance notice, because I don't have the money yet to switch to HDTV, but now I have the reason.

The first provider who gives me my locals and ESPN in HD, AS WELL AS pvr functionality is going to get my money for a long time.

I hope that this will also get Fox Sports (NW in my case) to commit as well.

Six months. I hope I can find the money.

[Unthinkable]

I am totally hoping that NHL 2 Night will get the HD treatment as well as it's usually the last thing I watch at night before heading off to bed.

[HTguy]

:welcome:

[Mike123abc]

I love the Best Buy commercial where the two guys are so mesmerized by HDTV sports that eventually one guy passes out.