It was only a matter of time before a 3-D network hit the airwaves, and to no one's surprise, it's coming from ESPN. Starting with the first game of this year's World Cup, ESPN 3D will air a total of 85 live games in 2010....

ESPN will launch ESPN 3D - the industry’s first 3D television network - it was announced today by George Bodenheimer, Co-chairman, Disney Media Networks, and President, ESPN and ABC Sports. ESPN 3D will showcase a minimum of 85 live sporting events during its first year, beginning with the first 2010 FIFA World Cup match on June 11 featuring South Africa vs. Mexico. Other events to be produced in 3D include up to 25 2010 FIFA World Cup matches, Summer X Games, college basketball, and college football, which will include the BCS National Championship game in Glendale, Ariz., January 10, 2011. Additional events will be announced at a later date.

”ESPN’s commitment to 3D is a win for fans and our business partners,” said Bodenheimer. “ESPN 3D marries great content with new technology to enhance the fan’s viewing experience and puts ESPN at the forefront of the next big advance for TV viewing.”

“This will be a meaningful step to drive adoption of 3D television sets and afford opportunities for our affiliates to create value through new product offerings, and our advertisers, who want fresh sponsorship opportunities,” said Sean Bratches, executive vice president, sales and marketing.

I have to admit that, while I thought this technology was years away, I'm kind of excited to see how ESPN does in 3-D. I guess the next move is for ESPN to come up with a way to look while wearing 3-D glasses. In fact, that might just be impossible.

I'm still not sure why ESPN chose to start their local website launch in Chicago, but obviously it was successful enough that they decided to expand. The "Leader" announced the addition of three new local sites in New York, Los Angeles and Dallas. Via ESPN PR....

ESPN announced today that it will roll out three more city-specific sports sites in the months ahead, with Dallas, Los Angeles and New York joining the successful ESPNChicago.com. ESPNDallas.com is slated to launch this Fall, followed by ESPNNewYork.com and ESPNLosAngeles.com in the first half of 2010. Like ESPNChicago.com, each site will feature an integrated home for ESPN’s news and information, online video and digital audio powered by the flagship ESPN Radio station in each market, giving local fans a destination for their sports on-air, online, on-site and on mobile devices.

“Our commitment to expand ESPN’s network of localized sites is a testament to our dedication to serve sports fans and their passions,” said Marc Horine, vice president digital partnerships and sales development, ESPN Digital Media. “We understand that local sports interests ignite strong passions, and Dallas, New York and Los Angeles have some of the most storied franchises and fan bases in history. We’re excited by the early success we’ve had with ESPNChicago.com and the opportunities that lie ahead.”

Like ESPNChicago.com, each site will have its own short-form SportsCenter, hosted by SC anchors and providing an original 3-6 minute roundup of the city’s sports news, teams and figures each day.

According to the figures, ESPN Chicago is the city's most popular website by attracting almost 600K worth of traffic. Obviously if other local sites by ESPN could put the same amount of a dent in the market, then this is another death blow to the flailing newspaper industry. You can look for ESPN Dallas this fall, and NY and LA to launch shortly after that.

Businesses across the country have been reeling in this economic downturn we find ourselves in, and apparently even the "WWL" isn't immune to the climate. According to Broadcasting & Cable, ESPN plans to cut over 100 jobs in the coming months, from PAs all the way up to execs....

Disney’s ESPN is the latest media outfit to go forward with a restructuring, as the cable giant will shed around 100 positions in a shift previously predicted by chief George Bodenheimer.

The network released the following statement to B&C Wednesday evening: "Most of the jobs are being repurposed in support of initiatives which will more effectively grow our company, and our headcount number, ultimately, will remain consistent with current levels.”

The jobs cut are expected to be across a wide variety of levels, from production assistants up to executive roles, according to sources with knowledge of the company’s plans.

Back in January, the network said it would be making cost-reduction moves in line with much of the media world as a result of the slumping economy, including a hiring freeze for the remainder of 2009 and a reduction of as many as 200 open jobs.

Well that's depressing. The latest news was that ESPN/Disney was one of the few companies turning a profit, but I guess no one is safe these days. I would personally rather see ESPN keep some PAs, and get rid of some of the pointless "talent" (*ahem* Skip Bayless!), but who am I to tell them what to do?

ESPN Goes Forward With Restructuring Plans (Broadcasting & Cable)

ESPN's studios and on-site setups are obviously always in use year-round, so the "WWL" has decided to create a testing lab at their headquarters at Disney's Wide World of Sports. The "ESPN Innovation Lab" won't be a tourist attraction, but rather a full-time research facility. Via the Orlando Sentinel....

Dubbed the "ESPN Innovation Lab," the facility will allow the cable-sports giant to test new applications such as virtual graphics during events staged at Disney's sports venues. Think concepts such as the "EA Virtual Playbook" that ESPN has used as part of its pro football and basketball coverage or the strike-zone graphics used during baseball games.

The lab, which will be housed in a renovated building at Wide World of Sports, won't be a typical tourist attraction. ESPN intends it to be a working research facility, though it'll likely include big bay windows that allow people to look in and see the company's emerging-technology staff at work.

ESPN has already moved five employees to Orlando from its Bristol, Conn., headquarters to work at the lab, and more could follow. The Innovation Lab is expected to formally open this fall.

Seems like a good idea, given all of the new technology that keeps popping up on the network. Heck, maybe they could use the place for focus groups as well. You know, to test out the reaction to nonsense like "Who's Now" or "Mount Rushmore".

ESPN to open new research facility at Disney's Wide World of Sports (Orlando Sentinel)

Neil Best has been posting some interesting Michael Irvin quotes today, including one where he talks about the mile high club. While that is certainly interesting in its own right, the one that I'm most interested is the for ESPN Analyst saying that the "Leader" works its analysts "too hard"....

Irvin said there are no hard feelings between the company and him, as evidenced by the fact he has a daily radio show in Dallas on an ESPN station.

"They work people hard; that's the best way I can say it," Irvin said of ESPN. "They put you through the car wash. [He made a grinding sound.]

"And it's exclusivity. They don't let you do anything else. I had other movies and things I wanted to do.

"But I love ESPN. It was just a decision. With ESPN, they own everything. All the intellectual property, so I could never do this other stuff without being under their cover, or they would have owned it. So it works out best for everybody. And I thank them. They were great."

I can understand the aspect of wanting to do other things, and not being able to. But saying your employer works you too hard, just makes you look lazy. All work is hard, but working in Sports is one of the toughest fields. You get paid very little, work long hours and the team/network basically becomes your family. I respect that Irvin wanted to branch out, but you can't say in one breath that you wanted to do more work, and then say that they worked you too hard.

Michael Irvin says ESPN works its TV analysts hard (Watchdog)

On the heels of a variety of widely successful database sites (i.e.- Wikipedia), ESPN has decided to create one of their own. For Sports obviously. ESPNDB.com will debut in the next few days, and according to MediaPost, will be launched with heavy NFL Draft content.

While ESPNDB's number of pages might someday be uncountable, initially it will focus simply on the coming NFL Draft. Still, even with that somewhat limited scope, there will be more than 500 pages, including profiles of 400 potential draftees.

While ESPNDB has two editorial staffers of its own, some of its content will come from ESPN's Stats & Information group. That unit is constantly generating a deluge of profiles, statistical packages and other data for multiple ESPN platforms. But much of its output ends up on the "cutting-room-floor," which could eventually be parked on ESPNDB.

After the draft, ESPNDB plans to build a similar reference hub for the NBA Finals in June. ESPNDB may be able to gain a leg up on Wikipedia and other reference sites with video it can offer culled from ESPN's vast library.

For the NFL Draft section, a profile of Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford -- who is expected to be a top pick -- is likely to include some video of him in action, as well as an audio link.

There is no firm timetable for an official ESPNDB.com debut. The initial NFL Draft rollout will have an area where visitors can email comments to the editors.

While certainly an interesting idea, it might be extremely tough to make waves in the reference site game. Everyone is already trained to go to Wikipedia or Google, and if the information is the same on ESPNDB, then there doesn't seem to be much of a point to go there. I do like the outside the box thinking though.

ESPN Prepares To Launch Sports Information Site (MediaPost)

Media Watch posted a very interesting interview with Terry McDonell, Sports Illustrated's Managing Editor today. In it he stated that contrary to popular belief, the magazine competes with networks rather than other magazines, and that SI might lack the resources to do so.

SI's conundrum reflects the troubles of magazines, especially weeklies. Yes, SI publishes a terrific issue every week. Problem is, ESPN can boast not only a popular magazine of its own, but also an iconic television and radio network. It's not hard to figure out which of the entities deserves the moniker "The Worldwide Leader in Sports."

It's not all SI's fault, though. I find it inexplicable that Time Warner, which also owns CNN and the Turner broadcasting channels, hasn't jumped in to give SI greater TV exposure. Perhaps Walt Disney's brands simply work together better than Time Warner's do. But that is no excuse for why Time Warner hasn't done more to make SI a bigger name in sports media and entertainment. Time Warner is blowing a terrific business opportunity.

"SI does not compete with magazines," McDonell said correctly. "We compete with networks. We have to be much more than a magazine. Our challenge is to find ways to compete vigorously with people who would seem to have more resources."

As usual, I'm not one to tell someone how to run their business, but I'm with Media Watch on this one. I always thought SI and Time Warner blew a terrific opportunity to challenge ESPN back in the 90s, and am not really sure why they haven't attempted it again. Maybe now isn't the time to be embarking on such an undertaking, but I hope they give it another shot in the future. The Sports World definitely deserves it.

Sports Illustrated hopes to continue the momentum (Market Watch)

I mentioned a month or so ago, that ESPN was launching a city-specific website for Chicago, and it was launched yesterday. There is a column by Scoop Jackson featured, all Chicago-based news and even a complete Sports Center entirely devoted to the city. Oh and they even got Chris Berman to host it!

While the undertaking is certainly impressive, it makes you wonder even more about the state of newspapers in the Windy City, and why they couldn't pull something like this off. Obviously time will tell if people respond to it, but it doesn't look good for print in Chicago.

Nothing is really going to change with the way Sports Center is presented, but ESPN LA will officially hop on-air tonight at 1am EST (10pm PT). The complex itself is what's really impressive. The over 12,000 square foot studio will be home to 80 employees, and according to the LA Times, it contains "three production control rooms, two master control rooms, a newsroom-screening area, eight editing suites, a music room, a radio control room and studio, a voice-over room and two studios."

The other extremely impressive thing about the new LA digs, is that it is the only studio in the world that can broadcast in 1080P high definition production. It's no small undertaking and that certainly has the powers that be a little nervous....

"I'm very excited, very nervous," Cordray [ESPN LA's VP and GM] said Sunday. "Somebody asked me early last week if I was nervous and I said no. But now I'm getting first-day butterflies. The energy level is rising."

Cordray said that like any Hollywood production, the last few days have been spent rehearsing. She was unwilling to talk about how different the future of "SportsCenter" and ESPN might look with the new Los Angeles facility.

"Really all I can think of is getting this first 'SportsCenter' launched," she said. "What will things look like in the future? We'll think about that after we get through" the opening.

Everyone on the Left Coast thinks ESPN has a pretty prominent East Coast Bias, and while the network has always denied such a thing, this new building will certainly give the network more access to USC....er, ummm....the West Coast. Stan Verrett and Neil Everett will be your hosts tonight, and you can expect multiple cameos from Stu Scott.

Oh and one more thing. The first featured interview for the LA studio will be Magic Johnson sitting down with Larry Bird to talk about the 30th anniversary of their NCAA title clash.

ESPN's studio in L.A. debuts (LA Times)

The first part of the latest Simmons vs. ESPN went down on Friday, but Bill Simmons not only hosted ESPN Senior VP & Exec Editor John Walsh on his podcast, he also got ex-Ombudsman LeAnne Schreiber to discuss the current "State of ESPN". Simmons has obviously been vocal in his distaste for his employer lately and the two guests talked about everything from commenting on employees (i.e.- Kornheiser on MNF) to the role of sex in Sports (i.e.- Erin Andrews). Here's are a few quotes (some quotes via Sports Business Daily) from both and then an audio snippet from both interviews....

Walsh and Simmons on discussing current ESPN employees: Walsh: "We don’t want to have people doing things critically within a company, going after one another."

Simmons: "For me the Kornheiser thing, the root of the issue, is ... fundamentally people watching a football game want to hear from people who played football or coached it. Anybody outside of that realm they just don’t trust their opinion on it."

Simmons on Sports Center: "I watch ‘SportsCenter’ and it’s like, all right we made money there, we made money there. To be honest, I miss the old ‘SportsCenter.’ I just feel like we make enough money as a company that we don’t need to bleed ‘SportsCenter’ with all these different zingers."

Schreiber on Announcers: "ESPN is the only way you can experience the game, and the announcers have a tremendous impact on it. So I think they care a lot about who the announcers are and how they're operating. I received almost no complaints for instance about, very few complaints about play-by-play announcers."

"The analysts and color commentators, you know, there were a lots of complaints about them and the all essentially come down to essentially one thing. You're too much of a presence between us and the game."

Simmons and Schreiber on random ESPN Segments and Sponsors: Simmons: "My personal biggest, I don't know if it's a fear or I just don't quite understand about ESPN is that they care so much about being a media entity, and reporting news, and being on top of things, and having the best editors and reporters, breaking stories. And then on the other hand, you know....the Budweiser Hotseat, and the Coors Light Top Five, and all that other stuff.

Schreiber: "Yeah that's the trick. You have the argument that could be made, that you have a sponsored segment and what you do on that segment better be something that is justifiable in and of itself that is news."

"Simmons: "Did you feel that was consistently the case?"

Schreiber: "No. It felt it was variable, but I felt it was actually getting better.

And that's just a small taste of the over two hours and thirty minutes (!) worth of audio. I had recently thought that Simmons was just trying to get fired, but if his gripes cause this much discussion, you have to consider his complaints/bitching one of the most productive things to happen to ESPN in years.

As far as the quotes above, nothing sums up everyone's feelings on the network better than the last exchange between Simmons and Schreiber above. I am in the group of people that think ESPN has certainly has improved, but for every step they take forward....they take a giant leap back.

Hopefully these discussions help the network, and I have an idea. If ESPN won't have me on as the Ombudsman, they should get Simmons to try out the role.

John Walsh (ESPN: BS Report)
LeAnne Schreiber Part One (ESPN: BS Report)
LeAnne Schreiber Part Two (ESPN: BS Report)
Simmons Discusses Gripes With ESPN Senior VP & Exec Editor Walsh (Sports Business Daily)

While newspapers like the Detroit Free Press are just now figuring out the worthiness of the Internet, ESPN has been championing the Sports media charge to the tubes. Over the past few years, the "Leader" has actually been the "Leader" in finding new ways to get games and news to the masses. They've redone their online content, including revamping the already genius ESPN360, and have made videos on the website easily accessible.

Well today comes even more news (and rumors) that Disney is expanding it's visibility on the Internet. They have apparently been looking into NBC's Hulu as a host for its content, but it looks like plain old Youtube could be the place to find full ABC/ESPN episodes in the future. Here's info on both moves....

Via the WaPo: "Disney (NYSE: DIS) and YouTube are in the final stages of negotiations to put clips from ESPN, ABC and other Disney assets on YouTube, according to sources familiar with the situation. The two companies would share revenue, with Disney controlling the ad inventory; YouTube and Google could get some inventory to sell. As important, YouTube would refer back to ESPN.com, ABC.com and the other Disney sites. Disney declined comment; a YouTube spokesman said the company does not comment on rumor or speculation.

In addition, the two are discussing a full-episode deal?a multi-year pay-for-play deal that would put ABC and some other Disney programming on YouTube instead of NBC Universal-News Corp joint venture Hulu. I am told these discussions have gone as high as Disney CEO Bob Iger and Google Chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt but that they are not as far along as the short-form deal?or as advanced as Disney's negotiations with Hulu."

Via DVice: "Do you Hulu? Apparently, ABC and ESPN want to Hulu. According to inside sources, Disney is in serious negotiations with Hulu to carry ABC, and less likely, ESPN and some Disney Channel content. It should be noted that Hulu is partially owned by NBC/Universal, DVICE's parent company, and Mickey owns ABC and ESPN.

The speculation implies that Disney wants a longer commitment from NBC to Hulu. Disney/ABC probably doesn't want to get onboard without knowing that NBC isn't about to jump ship. ABC will also want to maintain the player on its own website."

It actually amazes me that ESPN doesn't have a channel on Youtube already. The thinking for the longest time was that if people are looking for content on Youtube, they aren't looking for it on our site. We now know that is false, in fact, it's completely the opposite. Videos on other sites actually drive content back to your website.

AA is a fine example, certainly on a smaller scale, of that line of thinking. It's always better to show someone, rather than tell them about it.

ABC, ESPN coming to Hulu? (DVice)
Disney Finalizing Deal For Clips On YouTube; Full-Episode Talks Ongoing; Could Hulu Lose Out? (Washington Post)

Versus' President, Jamie Davis, talked with the Washington Times recently, and had some interesting things to say about the direction of the network. Among the highlights were discussions about the NHL, and rights that they're trying to acquire, but the most interesting part was the comparison to ESPN. Not only does Davis not agree with the comparison, but he flat out said that Versus isn't interested in copying the "Leader's" model....

A lot of people look at Versus and compare it to ESPN. That may not necessarily be fair, but I'm wondering what the biggest challenges have been so far in getting the viewership and distribution up to that level.

First, I want to be clear that we're not trying to become ESPN. They do a great job, but that's not what we want to become. We are trying to serve a fan base that we believe has been underserved in the past, which is to take certain sports and jump thigh-deep into them and really serve them. We're in over 75 million households; we were in 60 million households when we were the Outdoor Life Network. So the migration has rapidly allowed us to extend our reach. Versus is available to everyone across the country...we weren't like that before, and I think it's because now we've extended our offering. It's become a more broad offering to sports fans and therefore more sports fans have expressed a desire to get Versus. We also launched in December our 24/7 HD channel. Versus HD is in 16 million households already and is continuing to grow.

Obviously there are pros and cons when it comes to competing with ESPN, the main one being that you're starting a race about 100 laps down, but it's about time that someone took a stab at it. Part of the problem with ESPN in recent years was their sheer lack of accountability due to the fact that they're a monopoly. People don't have any other options, so they know they're not going anywhere. Obviously that has changed for the better over the past few years, but another player on their level would make the landscape even better. Competition breeds quality and responsibility.

The article is a good piece about a growing network, and you should check it out if you have the time.

Versus' Jamie Davis (Washington Times)

If you took any business classes in College, you've certainly heard the mantra that the woman is the decision maker in the household. But the world of advertising is ever-evolving, and ESPN is now saying that the adage might no longer be true. Ed Erhardt, President of ESPN/ABC Sports Customer Sales and Marketing, conducted an interview with Media Post, and says there's been a shift towards targeting men....

For years, advertisers that targeted women believed they played a "head of household" role and made the majority of purchasing decisions for the family. But ESPN's Ed Erhardt says that cause-and-effect relationship is changing.

Men are becoming more involved in making household spending choices--perhaps because of the economy--and that could increasingly open doors for ESPN with its male audience.

"Most of the research now shows it is a dual decision," says Erhardt, president of ESPN/ABC Sports customer sales and marketing. "A guy is very much involved in that, so I think there's a change in the male consumer--there's a change in the economy and we like our position based upon that going forward."

In ESPN's case, Erhardt says large packaged goods companies (Kraft and Johnson & Johnson, for example) along with travel advertisers and other traditional female-oriented marketers are shifting dollars in an attempt to reach men.

Very interesting. You could certainly see this coming with all of the "Men's" products that have come out in the past few years. I personally always thought that the woman as the "decider" line of thinking was a little off base, because years ago women were mainly homemakers. As the business environment changes, and roles in the household become equal between men and women, so do the target audiences of ads.

ESPN's Erhardt: Men Changing, Advertisers Reacting (Media Post)

There's been a ton of weird things going on at the "Leader" the past couple of weeks, Mount Rushmore, Hannah Storm's outfits, and now this. ESPN is launching an all Chicago Sports based website. The site will be called ESPNChicago.com and will launch in April. Via the Tribune....

ESPN believes Chicago has big enough shoulders for another local sports outlet, as it will launch its first Web site devoted to local sports fans.

ESPNChicago.com will provide a “24/7 Chicago sports news operation” starting in April, said Marc Horine, a vice president with ESPN digital media.

Prospective advertisers previewed the site last week, and brewer MillerCoors will be the site’s charter advertiser. If the venture is successful, ESPN could roll out more city-specific sites across the country.

“We already have a user base with millions of people coming to [ESPN.com] looking for Chicago sports,” Horine said. “At its core, the mission is simple: to super-serve Chicago sports fans.”

In addition to sports news, the site will have social-networking aspects, a travel partnership and even a way to organize your local softball team.

I wonder why they went with Chicago, over the likes of New York and DC? Seems unlikely that this will succeed, but who knows....maybe Chicago is desperately in need of online Softball planning tools.

ESPN to launch new site devoted to Chicago sports (Chicago Tribune)

ESPN is already providing support to a local high school in New York, and now they're bringing the youth demographic Sports coverage via Disney. Yes, ESPN will be providing Sports news on a new “boy-focused, girl-inclusive,” network called Disney XD. Via the New York Times....

On Friday the entertainment giant is introducing Disney XD, a brand aimed at boys ages 6 to 14, a group that market researchers say accounts for about $50 billion in spending worldwide.

At the center of the effort are a cable channel, scheduled to start at 12:01 Friday morning and offering action-adventure programs and youth-oriented sports news (provided via ESPN, which is owned by Disney), and a Web site offering games, music and social networking tools.

“We realized that a true headquarters for boys has been missing from the marketplace,” said Anne Sweeney, co-chairwoman of Disney’s Media Networks division. “There is a huge opportunity here to super-serve boys the way that Disney Channel has girls.”

Disney XD, billed by the company as “boy-focused, girl-inclusive,” will immediately have a huge presence. In the United States, Disney renamed its struggling animation channel, Toon Disney, which is available in about 72 million homes, to Disney XD. It will rename channels it operates around the world as Disney XD by the end of 2009, including Jetix, a children’s entertainment network in Europe that Disney bought last year.

Tapping into the young demographic is by far one of the best groups to get, but is certainly not easy. It took SI years to develop SI for Kids, but if you can succeed in developing a brand, you can move the younger generation through your set of products as they grow older. And when they've grown up and are watching PTI, the process can start all over with their children.

Seems like a great idea if it's done right.

Disney Aims for the Boy Audience With a Cable Channel and a Web Site (NY Times)

ESPN the Mag, the A.D.D. reader's dream, is going through yet another makeover. According to Sports Business Daily, "The Mag" will not only get a new look but will also receive a stronger online presence across ESPN's platforms. Via SBD....

ESPN is prepping a major relaunch of ESPN The Magazine that will include a full-scale visual redesign of both the print magazine and the ESPNTheMag.com Web site; a deeper tie with ESPN.com's Insider service, which has included a subscription to the magazine; and a much stronger embrace of digital distribution methods. Exact launch dates for many of the initiatives have not yet been established, but some efforts such as multi-platform ad sales around the magazine brand have already begun. And company execs are aiming for a full-scale presentation of the magazine's new look and identity at this spring's advertising upfronts. The moves come after several months of unfounded industry rumors of a potential demise for the print version of the 11-year-old magazine. "This is about expansion, not contraction," ESPN Publishing GM & Editorial Dir Gary Hoenig said. "We are not abandoning the idea of a printed magazine. It remains a cornerstone of what we're doing. But what we're after is an evolution of the brand."

The goal, the network says, is to try and get "Insider" subscriptions up where the "Mag" subscriptions are. The current numbers are a shocking 1.75 million apart, and that alone might explain why I get two copies of the magazine, and haven't paid for Insider in about three years. Many of you have relayed similar stories, and that's certainly not the best way to keep a publication in circulation.

I still think it's a futile effort in the end, but at least they're trying to salvage it. It's really not THAT bad of a read.

ESPN Preps Redesign Of ESPN The Magazine, Accompanying Web Site (Sports Business Daily - $)

So yeah, that whole thing about ESPN having their own High School from earlier....is completely untrue. According to ESPN, the Associated Press ran the story without getting a comment from them, and in turn, completely distorted the whole thing. Via CNBC....

Today, the New York Post had a story about the New York City Department of Education teaming up with ESPN to create a school called the Business of Sports School or BOSS. The high school, the paper said was "part of a push to create 21st-century versions of what are rapidly becomeing out-of-date vocational or trade schools."

I actually saw the story first on Awful Announcing and found out that the Associated Press had picked up on the story. Surprised that there was no comment from ESPN, I corresponded with spokesman Mike Soltys who sent this to me via e-mail.

"Reports suggesting ESPN is launching a high school are overstated," Soltys said, via e-mail. "ESPN the Magazine has made a non-financial commitment to help develop a curriculum, in addition to providing other volunteer-based support."

Thanks for the credit and thanks for clearing that up, Darren. It really did seem too good to be true, and very odd that the Post ran with it without doing some fact checking first. What's that you say? AA did that too??? Well I'm a blog, I can get away with that sort of thing.

The real story is that the school is a Career and Technical Education school, and that ESPN the Mag will be helping it out with curiculum, internships, speakers and the like. You can read more about B.O.S.S. through the link below if you're interested....

THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS SCHOOL (NYC.gov)

ESPN Says Sponsored School Story Is Overblown (CNBC: Sports Biz)
Introducing ESPN "The High School" (Awful Announcing)

ESPN pimps everything from cell phones and clothing, to movies and film festivals, so it isn't a surprise that there will soon be an ESPN-themed High School in New York City. Wait, that actually is a surprise. I take that back. The "Leader" will be working with the city to create something called B.O.S.S., or the "Business of Sports School", and it will be opening its doors this September. Via the Associated Press....

NEW YORK (AP) — ESPN and the New York City Department of Education are teaming up to create a new high school focusing on the business side of sports.

The Business of Sports School, or BOSS, will open in September with 81 ninth grade students.

The school plans to emphasize real world skills through mandatory internships at companies like ESPN The Magazine, ABC Sports, and VitaminWater.

The school is part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's push to modernize outdated vocational or trade schools.

Really? I was all set to make fun of this whole thing, but that actually sounds pretty darn cool. I would have killed to join a school like that when I was young, and to give kids internship opportunities like that in high school, is definitely going to help them when they get to College.

There is one problem though. How are they ever going to field a good Sports team with a school full of team managers?

ESPN to help create NYC sports-themed high school (AP)

It's been awhile since we've had any news on ESPN's acquisition of the English Premier League, but Reuters is reporting that Disney is still interested in the Soccer league. And that....well that's really it at the moment....

LONDON, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) ESPN TV network is interested in acquiring further sporting rights if it fits with its business, including for the English Premier League, a spokesman said on Wednesday.

However, the spokesman declined to comment further on its immediate plans, following a report by the Bloomberg news agency that said ESPN planned to bid for some of the live rights.

Bloomberg said the most watched U.S. sports channel was considering bids for one or two of the six packages on offer, citing a person familiar with the plans, who declined to be identified because the bidding process had not started yet.

The FA Premier League sent out invitations last month to tender for the rights for 2010 to 2013.

"We are interested in all rights, including the Premier League, as long as they fit our business," the ESPN spokesman said. "But we don't have any comment on the Premier League despite press speculation about it."

Well that's telling us a whole lot of nothing, isn't it? I'm almost positive that the EPL will be in ESPN's hands soon. I guess it's just a matter of when.

ESPN says interested in English soccer rights (Reuters)

Really weird item from Media Week this evening. Apparently ESPN is really trying to beef up it's "Outdoor" content, and in doing so, has started a classified section for campers. For the low low price of $6.95 per month you can get multiple ads to sell your used tent and hunting gear!

ESPN has partnered with online classifieds vendor Raceway Media to launch a free, consumer-targeted classifieds section on ESPNOutdoors.com.

Both individual users and small businesses can log onto ESPNOutdoors.com to sell or shop for items such as ATVs, boats and camping tents. Using Raceway’s technology platform, the site has established three classified categories to start: Hunting, Fishing and Camping. Vendors can post two ads per month for free, or multiple ad packages are available starting at $6.95 per month.

Besides classifieds, the two companies said they will collaborate on display advertising appearing within the new section. In addition, Raceway has committed to promote ESPNOutdoors.com Classifieds on its other partner sites.

That's just odd. I didn't know that there was such a big market for used camping equipment. You really do learn something new everyday, don't you?

ESPN, Raceway Ink Web Classifieds Deal (Media Week)
ESPN Outdoors Classifieds (ESPN)