ESPN acquires rugby news site Scrum.com

by Jacquie Bowser, Brand Republic 21-Aug-07, 10:50

LONDON - Sports entertainment company ESPN has acquired rugby news and information website Scrum.com for an undisclosed sum, ahead of the Rugby World Cup which begins next month.

The site, which launched in 1997, contains rugby news, scores and information and is popular among rugby fans worldwide.

The acquisition of Scrum.com is part of ESPN's ongoing digital expansion plan and follows on from its recent acquisition of the world's biggest cricket website, Cricinfo.com in June and the launch of French, German, Spanish and Italian versions of ESPNsoccernet.com.

Lynne Frank, managing director of ESPN, EMEA, said: "We now offer sports fans world class online coverage of the top three sports in many of our markets.

"We are particularly delighted that Scrum.com joins ESPN prior to this year's Rugby World Cup. In Europe, rugby fans will also be able to watch all the best games from the previous Rugby World Cups on ESPN Classic."

ESPN hold an agreement with the European Rugby Cup as the exclusive broadcaster of the Heineken Cup through 2010 in Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East and North Africa.

The company's other digital properties include sports website ESPN.com, online sports radio ESPNRadio.com and an online sports content service called ESPN Insider.