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NEW YORK - ESPN and the Arena Football League have entered into a five-year agreement that includes extensive multimedia rights and a minimum of 26 televised games per season, beginning in 2007. ESPN has also purchased a minority ownership stake in the AFL as part of the agreement that enhances ESPN's football programming lineup, the most comprehensive in sports television, with year-round football on Monday nights.
ESPN will televise a minimum of 17 regular-season games and nine playoff games -- including a minimum of three Wild Card games, three Divisional Playoff games, both Conference Championships and the ArenaBowl -- on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC. ESPN will also have an exclusive window for weekly Monday night primetime games on ESPN2 -- continuing to establish Monday night as the "football night" for fans year-round.
"This is the longest and most comprehensive media partnership in AFL history," said Commissioner DAVID BAKER. "ESPN's brand is ingrained in sports fans, who watch, read and listen to its multiple media properties. Through its equity purchase, ESPN now owns a piece of the AFL and has the ability to provide exciting football content on Monday nights for fans on a year-round basis. There is no better partner to help continue the AFL's growth as a leading global, multimedia property than ESPN."
Similar to recent major ESPN content acquisitions, the agreement entails a broad range of rights. Fifteen ESPN platforms will benefit from this new agreement, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN on ABC, ESPN Classic, ESPN HD and ESPN2 HD; ESPN.com; Spanish-language ESPN Deportes; ESPN360 (the company's growing interactive and customizable broadband service); Mobile ESPN Publishing (the company's wireless content licensing business); ESPN Radio, ESPN The Magazine and other ESPN-branded services (i.e., iPod, video-on-demand). ESPN also gains the right to both air and syndicate Arena Football League games through ESPN International.
"We are committed to the Arena Football League and its exciting brand of football. We will help grow the league across all of our multimedia platforms. As the league grows, so will our business, and we see a bright future for us both," said JOHN SKIPPER, executive vice president, content, ESPN.
ESPN's 2007 AFL coverage will kick off on ABC with a pair of regional games - defending ArenaBowl champion Chicago Rush at Kansas City Brigade and Dallas Desperados at New York Dragons -- on Sunday, March 4 at 12:30 p.m. ET. ABC will broadcast ArenaBowl XXI live on Saturday, July 29 at 3 p.m. from New Orleans Arena as the city of New Orleans hosts its first team championship since the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.
2007 Arena Football League ESPN TV Schedule:
Date Teams Network/Time Regular season Sun., March 4 Chicago at Kansas City ESPN on ABC (regional) 12:30 p.m. Dallas at New York ESPN on ABC (regional) 12:30 p.m. Mon., March 12 Los Angeles at Orlando ESPN2 7 p.m. Thurs., March 22 Colorado at Philadelphia ESPN2 7 p.m. Mon., March 26 Dallas at Orlando ESPN2 7 p.m. Sun., April 1 Los Angeles at Chicago ESPN2 1:30 p.m. Mon., April 9 Georgia at Philadelphia ESPN2 7:30 p.m. Mon., April 16 Philadelphia at Dallas ESPN2 8 p.m. Mon., April 23 Philadelphia at Columbus ESPN2 7:30 p.m. Mon., April 30 Philadelphia at Chicago ESPN2 8 p.m. Mon., May 7 Colorado at Chicago ESPN2 8 p.m. Mon., May 14 New York at Philadelphia ESPN2 7:30 p.m. Mon., May 21 New Orleans at Philadelphia ESPN2 7:30 p.m. Mon., May 28 New York at New Orleans ESPN2 8 p.m. Mon., June 4 Colorado at Utah ESPN2 10:30 p.m. Mon., June 11 Los Angeles at Arizona ESPN2 10 p.m. Mon., June 18 Chicago at Colorado ESPN2 10 p.m. Mon., June 25 Dallas at Colorado ESPN2 10 p.m.
Postseason* Fri., June 29 Wildcard ESPN 7 p.m. Sat., June 30 Wildcard ESPN 12 p.m. Sat., June 30 Wildcard ESPN 3 p.m. Mon., July 2 Wildcard ESPN2 10 p.m. Sat., July 7 Playoff ESPN 3 p.m. Sat., July 7 Playoff ESPN 8 p.m. Sun., July 8 Playoff ESPN2 9 p.m. Mon., July 9 Playoff ESPN2 7:30 p.m. Sat., July 14 Conference Championship ESPN 3 p.m. Sun., July 15 Conference Championship ESPN2 12:30 p.m. Sun., July 29 ArenaBowl XXI (New Orleans, La.) ESPN on ABC 3 p.m.
* ESPN will broadcast a minimum of three Wildcard games and three Divisional Playoff games listed above
