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BT acquire ESPN's UK operation (February 2013)

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GM
Gary McEwan
rdd posted:
Just wondering, have ESPN continued with exactly the same presentation as before, or have they adopted aspects of BT Sport's look?


Looking at the website, it looks like it has remained the same presentation.
DV
DVB Cornwall
rdd posted:
Just wondering, have ESPN continued with exactly the same presentation as before, or have they adopted aspects of BT Sport's look?


Very much the same, albeit liberally splatted with BT Sport Ads and Voice overs pointing to BTS content. The test will come on Friday, when ESPN covers the first Bundesliga match of the season, whereas the majority of the weekend's BL coverage sits on the BTS channels. I'd expect to see similar presentation for all matches, so these events will be interesting to observe.
DV
DVB Cornwall
..... and on the Bundesliga, BTS are running Goal, the international magazine programme from the BL's own production team, I had thought this might get dropped in favour of an in house highlights segment, Goal is produced by the same crew that do the ITV4 highlights package. I'm very pleased to see BTS retain this.
Last edited by DVB Cornwall on 6 August 2013 6:08pm
DV
DVB Cornwall
.... some issues with ESPN tonight, seems that the incoming Fox Sports Live feed for tonight's Baseball is a network one, whoever is switching the US ads out and inserting the UK breaks isn't quite in sync. We're getting a quick 2-5 sec US ad break before the UK break kicks in, similarly at the end there's been some crashes back into the match.
GM
Gary McEwan
.... some issues with ESPN tonight, seems that the incoming Fox Sports Live feed for tonight's Baseball is a network one, whoever is switching the US ads out and inserting the UK breaks isn't quite in sync. We're getting a quick 2-5 sec US ad break before the UK break kicks in, similarly at the end there's been some crashes back into the match.


It was the same with the Reds game beforehand and I think that was a ESPN US feed....
DV
DVB Cornwall
BT Sport has announced that it has recruited media service agency Red Bee Media to provide a range of additional broadcast services; including subtitling, audio description services, rich metadata and its 3D sports analysis software, Piero.


from ……..

NEWS on THEDRUM.COM
08-Aug-2013 @ 10:52
HC
Hatton Cross
.... some issues with ESPN tonight, seems that the incoming Fox Sports Live feed for tonight's Baseball is a network one, whoever is switching the US ads out and inserting the UK breaks isn't quite in sync. We're getting a quick 2-5 sec US ad break before the UK break kicks in, similarly at the end there's been some crashes back into the match.


Hmm.. In the old ESPN America days, that break switching was done at source up in Bristol, Conn. And I don't think I ever saw more that one second of a US break starting (for a us tv advert anorak as myself, it was depressingly good!) Although for ESPN covered/produced games, I suspect more often than not they were taking a live clean feed from the ob's at the ballpark/football stadium, rather than a dirty off air feed.

So with the demise of the links to the ESPN mothership, I wonder if it's now been brought back in-house and being done from London (BTS or at IMG) hence the slippy finger delay in jabbing down the OS fader?
DV
DVB Cornwall
Not really watched much tonight, the couple of breaks I did catch seemed to start slightly early if anything.

(and Helen Skelton ... previously mentioned in this thread is leaving Blue Peter - announced today)
GE
thegeek Founding member
.... some issues with ESPN tonight, seems that the incoming Fox Sports Live feed for tonight's Baseball is a network one, whoever is switching the US ads out and inserting the UK breaks isn't quite in sync. We're getting a quick 2-5 sec US ad break before the UK break kicks in, similarly at the end there's been some crashes back into the match.


Sometimes a sports feed will be provided with a listen-only feed of director's talkback, particularly if there are going to be frequent breaks - maybe it was missing in this case, so whoever was cueing the breaks in the UK basically had a very prolonged reaction test.

As I mentioned upthread, playout for the ESPN channel is still being handled in the same way it was before the BT takeover.
DV
DVB Cornwall
ESPN Bundesliga ....

Usual BL header, then to BT Sport Studios at Olympic Park, to desk with ESPN logo on the front. Paul Dempsey and Dietmar Hamann presenting. Graphics appear to be the usual ESPN ones from video originated at the ground.

So a hybrid start. Bits of the new and old mixed up
GO
gottago
According to Media Guardian Claire Balding's flagship show managed to attract an utterly abysmal average of 1,400 viewers.
JO
Jon
According to Media Guardian Claire Balding's flagship show managed to attract an utterly abysmal average of 1,400 viewers.

Not surprising, it's not the sort of thing people subscribe to sport channels for. It was only seen as filler to most when announced.

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