This news came down yesterday, and I chose to pass on it because the day was already pretty ESPN heavy, but today is a different day (and a slow one at that). ESPN is reportedly in discussion with cable carriers about offering an ESPNU for ESPN Classic trade. Via John Ourand at SBJ....

Executives in Bristol are set to allow cable and satellite distributors to swap ESPN’s classic sports channel for its college network, ESPNU, which they hope presents a newer, hipper alternative to Classic’s staid, dated programming.

As part of the offer, ESPN also is looking for added distribution for its Spanish-language channel, ESPN Deportes, and its broadband network, ESPN360.

An interesting wrinkle to ESPN’s proposal would allow operators to move ESPN Classic to a sports tier, where it would be ESPN’s first channel to reside on the traditionally low-penetrated mantle.

Right now, ESPN Classic is in more than 63 million homes, typically on analog and digital basic tiers.

By contrast, ESPNU is in about 25 million homes, mainly on digital basic tiers, and ESPN Deportes is in fewer than 5 million homes. ESPN360 has not yet been able to reach carriage deals with the top cable operators, though it has reached broadband agreements with Verizon and AT&T.

Though ESPN executives have spent the last several weeks pitching this plan to cable operators, talks are expected to heat up this week as the cable industry gathers for its annual trade show in Washington, D.C.

What a great idea. I'm one of the few people that probably buy the entire Sports package from Comcast (keep your boos to a minimum), and to this day, I've yet to receive ESPNU. At the present time, I get four different FOX Sports channels, Gol TV, The Tennis Channel and Horse Racing TV, but no ESPNU. I pray that my cable carrier takes them up on this deal, and post haste.

ESPN to offer Classic-for-ESPNU swap (Sports Business Journal)

I guess the wrong word to use is hype, but ESPN is using the "excitement" surrounding Barack Obama's Inauguration, and airing something that they are calling "Breaking Barriers". Not only that, but they also plan on airing Obama's swearing in as President, live on Sports Center. Via ESPN....

ESPN will commemorate and cover Barack Obama’s inauguration Tuesday, January 20, with a 10-hour marathon, Breaking Barriers, starting at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN Classic that will feature ground-breaking African-American athletes such as Arthur Ashe, Jack Johnson and Eddie Robinson. ESPN Classic will also present seven hours of Breaking Barriers on Monday, January 19, Martin Luther King Day, with programs devoted to Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron and other ground-breaking black athletes.

In addition, SportsCenter will present live coverage of President-elect Obama’s swearing-in ceremony starting at 11:30 a.m. with Jeremy Schaap reporting from the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. Schaap will also provide reaction from athletes in attendance.

ESPN’s inauguration coverage will include “Realizing The Dream” vignettes on Tuesday, January 20, in which sports figures talk about what Barack Obama and his election means to them. The vignettes will air within ESPN studio programming – including SportsCenter – and across platforms (ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN Mobile Properties, etc.). Sports figures participating in the vignettes include Magic Johnson, Tom Jackson, Paul Pierce and Craig Robinson, the Oregon State head basketball coach and brother-in-law of Obama.

The ESPN Classic stuff seems like a good enough idea, but I really don't see what the point in airing the ceremony is. It's definitely a momentous occasion, but not one that needs to be covered by the "Worldwide Leader in Sports". Here's the schedule of shows in case you want to check them out....

Breaking Barriers Schedule on ESPN Classic, Tuesday, Jan. 20

1975 Wimbledon Finals: Arthur Ashe vs. Jimmy Connors (1-3pm)
Jack Johnson documentary (3-4pm)
SportsCentury: Bill Russell (4-5pm)
National Championship: Texas Western vs. Kentucky (5-6pm)
Third and a Mile: History of the Black Quarterback (6-7pm)
Eddie Robinson's 400th Victory (7-9:30pm)
SportsCentury: Ernie Davis (9:30-10:30pm)
10:30-11 p.m. SportsCentury: Willie Jeffries

If the Marlins and Cubs just isn't doing it for you this Sunday afternoon you can head over to ESPN Classic. ESPN3 will be airing the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in its entirety starting at 1:30pm....

The 2008 Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be televised live Sunday on ESPN Classic from 1:30-4:30 p.m., ET. Rich “Goose” Gossage, Bowie Kuhn, Walter O’Malley, Dick Williams, Barney Dreyfuss and Billy Southworth will be inducted.

Brian Kenny and Tim Kurkjian will cover the ceremonies on ESPN Classic. ESPN2 will present an edited version of the induction ceremonies on Monday at 8 p.m., ET, followed by a roundtable special with Kenny, Gossage and Dick Williams at 9 p.m., ET.

Following the ceremonies, ESPN Classic will re-air two games featuring Gossage:

- 4:30-5:30- the 1978 World Series Game 6. Yankees vs. Dodgers. Gossage pitches the final two innings as the Yankees win the World Series.
- 5:30-6:30- the “Pine Tar” game. 1983 Yankees vs. Royals. George Brett’s two-run home run off of Gossage was denied by the umpires, setting off one of baseball’s most memorable moments.

I suggest actually watching the edited version on ESPN2 if you're not a fan of either player because the thing seriously drags on at times. Last year's induction of Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken seemed like it was nine hours long....and I'm an O's fan. The Gossage speech should provide plenty of tears though, and I'm a sucker for grown men sobbing.

(Via ESPN PR)

I got a few emails last week saying that there was a buzz on Soccer forums about ESPN creating an all Soccer channel. The plan would be that ESPN Classic would become ESPN3 and the network would go strong after the right to air EPL games. Well apparently that idea is gaining traction now through a website that ESPN Soccernet columnist Ives Galarcep writes....

The word I just got from a source at ESPN is that ESPN is definitely interested and the feeling around the network is that a large bid is coming because ESPN has big plans for expanding ESPN Classic into potentially an ESPN3, with the English Premier League as one of the station's marquee draws. That whole scenario may wind up being wishful thinking but what is clear is tht ESPN is interested in the EPL rights.

Obviously the EPL is huge, but I just don't think an entire channel devoted to Soccer in the U.S. would work. ESPN Classic is just sitting there though and with the various countries ESPN is aired in around the world might make the investment worth it. We shall see.

Also, with this news we're also one step closer to ESPN bringing us the "Ocho". Good times.

(Some of ) Your Questions Answered (Soccer By Ives)
Is ESPN Classic About to Become ESPN3? (Fanhouse)