ESPN to launch 24 hour classic sports channel in UK

by Ian Quinn, Media Week 14-Feb-06, 14:07

American sports giant ESPN is launching a 24-hour Classic Sports channel in the UK.

The broadcaster, which has begun the pitch process to find a third party advertising sales house, is planning to unveil the ESPN Classic Sport format on the Sky Digital platform, as early as the end of the month.

The channel shows major sporting events from the past three decades, including everything from past Superbowl clashes to action from the British Open golf.

It hopes its vast archive will attract sports fans, despite the high volume of live action and highlights available elsewhere on channels such as Sky Sports and Eurosport.
ESPN's classic sports format, which is also expected to launch on cable, first appeared in Europe in France in 2002 and is now available in nearly 40 European countries, including Germany and Italy.