ESPN Classic (UK)

Infobox TV channel

name= ESPN Classic
logofile=ESPN Classic Euro.png launch= March 14, 2006
owner= ESPN Inc. (The Walt Disney Company)
country= United Kingdom
sister names= NASN, Disney Channel, Playhouse Disney, Disney Cinemagic
share=
share as of = April 2008
share source = [http://www.barb.co.uk/viewingsummary/monthreports.cfm?report=monthgmulti]
sat services=1
sat serv 1=Sky Digital
sat chan 1=Channel 442
sat serv 1= D-Smart
sat chan 1= Channel 76
Cable serv 1=Virgin Media
Cable chan 1=Channel TBC ( From March 2008. )

website= [http://www.deadgoodsport.co.uk The ESPN Classic website] The British version of ESPN Classic launched on March 14, 2006 [http://sportsbiz.wordpress.com/2006/03/14/espn-classic-sport-kicks-off-nostalga-in-uk] on Sky Digital Channel 442, the first channel in the UK under the ESPN branding. It broadcasts a range of archive sports coverage, with an emphasis on football, including 1970s and 1980s editions of Match of the Day (though these are shown without the opening and closing titles and branded "The Dead Good Match", and are sometimes truncated, with only one of the matches covered in a particular programme being shown). The channel is currently only available on the satellite network Sky Digital.

Programming

The channel also transmits some archive ITV football coverage, FA Cup, European Cup, European Cup Winners Cup and League Cup finals, matches from the Premiership, and some England games.

Though most coverage on the channel is from the colour era, it has shown original black and white footage of European Cup finals going back as far as 1959. Most football matches on the channel have the original UK commentary, from the likes of John Motson, Barry Davies, Brian Moore and, for earlier games, David Coleman or Kenneth Wolstenholme, but Premiership games from the 1990s tend to feature commentary dubbed on more recently by Jon Champion, or commentary by Sky Sports broadcasters such as Martin Tyler and Alan Parry which seems to be from the international feed of the time. Some 1960s European Cup finals have also had a new commentary dubbed on by Tony Jones.

The channel also shows rugby union international matches from the 1970s to the 2000s, some archive cricket coverage, a wrestling programme introduced by Sid Waddell, vintage boxing matches, and some skateboarding programmes, often featuring Tony Hawk.

ee also

*ESPN
*NASN
*ABC1
*ESPN on ABC

External links

* [http://www.espnclassic.com/home.php?territory=UK ESPN Classic website]