ESPNews HD Debuts Sunday
New Service Launches In 3.2 Million Homes; Features New ‘HD Sideline’ Graphic
By Mike Reynolds -- Multichannel News, 3/30/2008 12:28:00 AM
ESPNews makes its HD bow Sunday, sporting a new high-definition studio and new look.
The service was slated to launch March 30 at 8 a.m. with some 3.2 million subscribers through carriage with Comcast Corp., DirecTV and Time Warner Cable, according to ESPNews HD officials. The standard definition ESPNews, which debuted Nov. 1, 1996 in some 1.5 million homes, now counts 63 million subscribers.
The network’s first hour will be simulcast on ESPN HD, while ESPN2 HD will simulcast its new enhanced sister service at 11:30 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. The more established HD channels have 17 million and 12 million subscribers, respectively.
One innovation in the 16x9 HD delivery of ESPNEWS is the “HD Sideline” graphic. The latest incarnation of the traditional “BottomLine” wraps around the top, left and bottom of the screen, allowing for additional real-time news, scores, stats, headshots and standings, while still delivering 16 x 9 HD video in the remaining space. The BottomLine on ESPNEWS' standard-definition presentation has also been redesigned to convey additional text, headshots and graphics.
The new studio is larger that its predecessor, with two primary desks seating up to four and five people, respectively, allowing for interviews, debates and more. A new area has been designed for anchor "stand-ups," affording ESPNews HD much more flexibility in its presentation. The backdrop of the set is ESPN's new multimedia newsroom.
In addition, there are changes to both the network's look and sound. The current orange and red color scheme is being replaced by shades of steel blue supplemented by yellow and red. The animation package, including show opens and other signature elements, has been redesigned.
“March 30 will be a special day for ESPN and sports fans,” said Bryan Burns, ESPN vice president of strategic business planning and development, in a statement. “The launch of ESPNews HD comes on the fifth birthday of ESPN HD, which jump-started the move to high-definition television in the U.S. Everyone involved with ESPNews has worked very diligently over the last year to prepare our first service that provides information not available on its standard definition counterpart. This is a milestone concept at ESPN, and one we believe our affiliates and consumers will rapidly label as a “must-have.”
