- Nearly Nine Hours of Live Studio and Sport Each Sunday; New pre- and post-match for Serie A, Bundesliga; Milan Derby featured in debut Sunday lineup
- Programmes lead into and out of UK and European Football, Rugby and more
- New Sports Comedy Chat Show – OFF THE BALL – to debut on 12 January
Beginning Sunday, 15 January ESPN will introduce a new live Sunday sports and studio programming schedule running for nearly nine hours from 1:45pm GMT until 10:30pm each week, with live coverage of multiple sporting events, all with pre-and post-match studio shows that will deliver results, highlights, analysis, discussion and more. The Milan Derby – between AC Milan and Inter Milan – and programming around it will feature as a part of the new schedule the first Sunday.
Surrounding ESPN’s live coverage of key football and rugby from the UK and Europe will be a new line-up of studio programming bringing viewers the game around the games, including goals, match previews and analysis, discussion, guest interviews and more. The schedule will introduce new live pre- and post-match studio programmes for its Bundesliga and Serie A live matches as well as ESPN’s existing pre-and post-match studio presentation of its coverage of the Barclays Premier League, FA Cup, Clydesdale Bank Premier League, and Aviva Premiership Rugby.
In addition to the enhanced pre- and post-match studio programmes ESPN’s new Sunday sports day will include a re-focused version of ESPN’s weekly studio show Talk Of The Terrace (moving from Monday nights) that will look back at the week’s Premier League and FA Cup action, provide expert analysis (including tactical analysis utilising ESPN Arena), interviews and fan feedback via social media.
Throughout the day, each programme will feed directly to the next, providing a full day of live sport and studio programming.
ESPN’s live Sunday sport coverage will vary from week to week depending on schedules, but will often be anchored by multiple live football matches from around Europe and the UK, including action from some combination of the Barclays Premier League, FA Cup, Italian Serie A, the German Bundesliga, Clydesdale Bank Premier League and more. That will be joined some weekends by other live sports coverage including Aviva Premiership and Top 14 Ruby, WRC and more.
The exact lineup of ESPN’s new Sundays will change from week to week based on the weekend’s live sports coverage, but the schedule for 15th January will include:
- 1.45pm – Serie A Live – Juventus v Cagliari
Presenter – Kelly Cates
Guest – Gabriele Marcotti
Review of all the latest news in the Serie A as well as build-up to the live game which kicks off at 2.00pm.
Match commentators – Jim Proudfoot & Iain Dowie - 4.30pm – Bundesliga Season So far
A review of all the action to date in the Bundesliga this season.
Presenter – Gary Imlach
Guests – Dietmaar Hamann & Henning Wehn - 6.30pm – Talk Of The Terrace
A round-up of goals and talking points from the Barclays Premier League and the world of football.
Presenter – Kelly Cates
Guest – TBC - 7.15pm – Serie A Live – AC Milan v Inter Milan
A review of all the goals from the weekend’s Serie A action, followed by build-up to the big one, the Milan Derby.
Presenter – Mark Chapman
Guest – Paul Ince
Guest – Gabriele Marcotti
Match Commentators – Derek Rae & Craig Burley - 10.00pm – PTI (Pardon The Interruption)
The usual mix of debate and banter
Presenter – Mark Chapman
Guest – Steve Bunce
NEW STUDIO SHOW: “OFF THE BALL” – Thursdays at 10pm
Along with the changes to its Sunday live and studio sports coverage, ESPN will introduce a new weekly studio discussion and comedy programme in early January, “Off The Ball“. The new 30-minute weekly show will begin on 12 January and air each Thursday night at 10pm.
“Off The Ball” will deliver a weekly TV dose of wit and wisdom examining the goings-on around all things football related, from the Barclays Premier League to the FA Cup, the Scottish League, Serie A, etc., where regular panellists line up alongside host Will Buckley to sift through the goals, transfers, manager sackings, controversies, sending-offs, off-the-field shenanigans and more.
Each week, Buckley will be joined by three other panellists who will take it in turn to discuss a wide range of topics, from the latest news to the patently absurd. Panellists will include writer/comedian Martin Kelner, writer Harry Pearson and comedians Henning When, Ian Stone and Bob Mills.
With the nature of LIVE Sport broadcast times are subject to change. Please check the TV schedule
