As part of its European expansion in 2004, ESPN Classic Sport has launched a new English-language service that offers viewers a mix of the greatest sporting moments from Europe and around the world, from the last fifty years. The service is available to cable and satellite subscribers in more than fifty countries across Europe. The network will initially be available on systems in Belgium, Germany, Latvia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Russia, Scandinavia, and Switzerland, rolling out to additional European territories throughout 2004. A separately produced English-language network for the U.K. is under consideration.
ESPN Classic Sport already has widespread distribution among multi-channel homes in France and Italy, and is also available as a three-hour branded block to 2.3 million subscribers in Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia.
Roch Pellerin, Managing Director of ESPN Classic Sport, said: Were excited about launching our third full-time network in Europe. An English-language service will give us additional programming flexibility at a time when sport will be a top viewing priority in 2004, with great anticipation building up around EURO 2004 in Portugal and the Olympic Games in Athens.