ESPN to basically replicate Setantas offering

[chinny]

Hi guys

ESPN have put out an e-mail address for potential customers to register their interest now that they have the prem rights. We don’t know what form the channels will take yet (except that they will definitely have a HD channel). It may even just show prem league. Anyway, on the off chance, I’ve sent them the below mail and would urge anyone else of a similar view to do the same…who knows, a few voices here and there could make all the difference.. The e-mail address is '[email protected]'

________________________________________
From: Me
Sent: 23 June 2009 14:53
To: '[email protected]'
Subject: register of interest

Although I would like to register my interest in the proposed ESPN offering, my real interest is in the boxing output currently/previously broadcast by Setanta Sports. I and many of my boxing fan peers are hoping that as entrants to the UK market, ESPN will look at and if possible replicate / hire Setanta’s output and talent.

Setanta’s boxing coverage has been consistently excellent for the last 2 to 3 years. They have had partnerships in place with a number of top promoters both overseas and in the UK. These included links with Top Rank (Bob Arum’s stable including Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquai) and Hayemaker (David Haye).

A key element of the experience for UK boxing fans has been the presentational output led by Steve Bunce and his ‘Bunce’s boxing Hour’, which was recently nominated for a ‘broadcast digital’ award (http://www.broadcastdigitalawards.co.uk/shortlist.htm). It would be a great shame if this format and team is lost. The main sport and in particular boxing fan internet forums in the UK (eastsideboxing.com, boxrec.com) regularly highlight what an excellent job they do

Features which make boxing broadcasting attractive:

1. Targets young male demographic key to advertisers
2. Complements audience of EPL
3. US shows can be purchased for secondary UK market as one off payment without the production costs involved in filming/ site fees etc. Commentary is included in the international market sale by the host promoter so incremental costs are limited to local studio. Setanta have followed this model very effectively with the team of Steve Bunce and Andy Kerr.

I hope you will consider taking on some or all of Setanta’s existing boxing team and output.

I’d be happy to give any other feedback if it would be of any use

Yours sincerely

[alexpaterson]

Good idea lets hope they pick it up because without Setanta we get FFN a prospect against a no hoper usually and the very occasional Eurosport bill we need ESPN and lets hope they pick up Buncey as well

[Spud]

Yep with this one - I will put an email in - I hope others follow suit.

[jspain]

i would encourage everyone to get behind this. i cant believe they will just show english soccer and nothing else. there is talk of them going for the spl as well. now that setanta are gone we will find out soon enough if espn are interested in some of their other rights.

it looks espn will be on sky as an add on as a standalone channel or pack and be in the region of 10 pounds sterling a month according to some reports.

[alexpaterson]

Got my email in as well hope they do get it as it would be a huge loss if the Setanta boxing coverage just went

[Spud]

Come on guys - lets get them emails in - this is a good thread - come on support it!!!

[Boxingnut]

Sent mine. Come on lets do this!!

[chinny]

this looks promising

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... ition.html

Come on chaps lets give this a go. Get your e-mails sent off to ESPN.

Lynne Frank is in charge

http://www.sportbusiness.com/news/16254 ... and-africa

[jspain]

you can also contact espn through their website.

http://proxy.espn.go.com/espn/contact?f ... ry=ireland

you would need to change the country to uk or spain as the case may be but contacting them this way might be a better bet than the other email address for now. i have been reading that people are just getting back automated replies. at least by contacting them we might get some idea or info about their plans.

we need to lobby espn to get some boxing on. sky might take up the odd bill here and there but i doubt they are going to start showing all the boxing setanta did. id imagine espn will be on air soon (in a month or so) and their going to need something other than football. it might be a good thing that espn go from 46 to 23 games as well bacause they will have to compensate for that with other things.

read on one of those articles that they have a uk office. is there any email address for this?

[stujones]

Couldn't think confuse their deal with Channel 5?

[Poncey]

ESPN, the American sports broadcaster that has won the rights to show 46 Premier League matches next season, intends to set up a new channel in the UK.

The new ESPN channel, which will run alongside its existing UK channels, ESPN Classic and ESPN America, will be available across every platform.

The company has already signed a deal with Sky, which is expected to offer the new channel to the estimated six million who subscribe to its sports package, for a monthly fee of around £10.

[slapbangwhallop]

This sounds like a bit of good news.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/footba ... tches.html

[hitman09]

Excellent. Great news.

[alexpaterson]

Brilliant news hope it happens

[Captain Hook]

Good news....

[Spud]

FANTASTIC news - this is perhaps the best avenue for the "Bunce Campaign"!!!

[stujones]

Still a concern that the lack of the word boxing in the article.

[caffrey]

got my email in. Good job guys,even if we dont get any boxing at least weve tried and not just sat on our backsides whinging

hope espn carry racing uk aswell and refrain from employing chimpanzees as customer service like setanta did

[sweetscience]

lets just hope they dont try and charge £12.99 or its good bye ESPN

[youngrell]

Still a concern that the lack of the word boxing in the article.

It mentions World Championship Boxing at the bottom fella

[DavidPayne]

Can they wait til September - I'd been thinking what I could spend the £12.99 on.

Coconut Mushrooms was one, haven't had them in ages or a can of Lilt.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Can they wait til September - I'd been thinking what I could spend the £12.99 on.

Coconut Mushrooms was one, haven't had them in ages or a can of Lilt.

Coconut mushrooms, yeah, what happened to them. Lilt was the nuts back in the day, but couldn't hold a candle to 'Ting' the refreshing carbonated grapefruit drink from the jewel of the carribean.

Had some Marks and Spencers own version of 'skips' the other day, forgot how bonzer potatoes they were.

[SteveO]

Thanks for the info chinny - I have sent an e-mail

[DavidPayne]

Can they wait til September - I'd been thinking what I could spend the £12.99 on.

Coconut Mushrooms was one, haven't had them in ages or a can of Lilt.

Coconut mushrooms, yeah, what happened to them. Lilt was the nuts back in the day, but couldn't hold a candle to 'Ting' the refreshing carbonated grapefruit drink from the jewel of the carribean.

Had some Marks and Spencers own version of 'skips' the other day, forgot how bonzer potatoes they were.

And you can never tire of digging Frazzle remnants out of your back teeth.

[chinny]

Whoever changed the title of this thread is jumping the gun a bit to say the least.

Keep the pressure on chaps
ESPN have just set up a UK website. There is only 'register of interest info on at the moment, but once there are more contact details on there lets ramp it up again

http://www.espn.co.uk/