ESPN Plus
Encyclopedia
ESPN Plus, the popular name of ESPN Regional Television, is an American
television program syndicator
. ERT is based along with sister network ESPNU
in Charlotte, North Carolina
. Prior to its purchase by ESPN, this sports package's syndicator was known as Creative Sports, which in turn merged with Don Ohlmeyer
's self-titled Ohlmeyer Communication Corporation (OCC).
Games air on broadcast stations
, regional sports network
s, and on ESPN GamePlan
and ESPN Full Court
, both of which are out of market sports packages
, and also on ESPN3 (formerly known as ESPN360.com) since 2007. Most games are produced in SD
. However, beginning with the 2009-10 basketball season, select Big East games have been produced in High-Definition.
Since ERT shares its production facilities with those of ESPNU, there are some crossovers in production. Dari Nowkhah
, who is also an anchor on ESPNEWS
, hosts pregame, halftime, and postgame shows on the ESPN Plus telecasts. ERT also airs Studio 66, named for Big 12 sponsor Phillips 66
, as the pregame show before the basketball telecasts. During the conference tournament, it travels to the tournament site.
football and basketball, Mountain West Conference
football and basketball, and Big Ten Conference
football and basketball, but has since lost them as detailed below:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television program syndicator
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
. ERT is based along with sister network ESPNU
ESPNU
ESPNU is a television channel that specializes in college sports, and is produced by, affiliated with and owned by parent network ESPN. ESPNU originates out of ESPN Regional Television's ESPNU (often referred to as The U) is a television channel that specializes in college sports, and is produced...
in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
. Prior to its purchase by ESPN, this sports package's syndicator was known as Creative Sports, which in turn merged with Don Ohlmeyer
Don Ohlmeyer
Don Ohlmeyer is an American television producer and former president of the NBC network's West Coast division. Currently, Don Ohlmeyer is a Professor of Television Communications at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California...
's self-titled Ohlmeyer Communication Corporation (OCC).
Telecasts
ESPN Plus produces and syndicates the following telecasts:- Big East ConferenceBig East ConferenceThe Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
footballCollege footballCollege football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
and men's college basketballCollege basketballCollege basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
(starting with the 2008 football season these games are branded as the Big East Network with SportsNet New YorkSportsNet New YorkSportsNet New York is a New York City-based regional sports cable network which airs in the New York metro area and all of New York state, and nationwide via satellite. It is owned jointly by the New York Mets, Time Warner Cable, and NBCUniversal...
as the flagship station) - Big 12 ConferenceBig 12 ConferenceThe Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
basketball (under the name Big 12 Network beginning in the 2008–09 season). - Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball (under the name Jayhawk Television Network for games broadcast only on local Kansas television affiliates).
- Mid-American ConferenceMid-American ConferenceThe Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
football, basketball - Metro Atlantic Athletic ConferenceMetro Atlantic Athletic ConferenceThe Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the northeastern United States. MAAC teams compete in the NCAA's Division I. Most of the members are Catholic or formerly Catholic institutions; the only exception is the private but secular Rider...
basketball - Sun Belt ConferenceSun Belt ConferenceThe Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions...
football (under the name Sun Belt Network) - University of OregonOregon DucksThe Oregon Ducks refers to the sports teams of the University of Oregon, located in Eugene, Oregon. The Oregon Ducks are part of the Pacific-12 Conference in the Division 1 of the NCAA. With seventeen varsity teams, the Oregon Ducks are best known for their football team and Track and Field...
football and basketball (select games under the name Oregon Sports NetworkOregon Sports NetworkThe Oregon Sports Network is a local sports network made up of radio stations and TV network CSN Northwest. The channel is the official flagship for the University of Oregon's athletic program. The network began in 1987 including radio...
) - Western Athletic ConferenceWestern Athletic ConferenceThe Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
football and men's basketball - Southeastern ConferenceSoutheastern ConferenceThe Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
football and basketball (starting in 2009, taking over for Raycom SportsRaycom SportsRaycom Sports is an American syndicator of sports television programs. It is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, and owned and operated by Raycom Media.-Founding:...
). It is branded The SEC NetworkSEC NetworkThe SEC Network, or SECN is a syndication package featuring college football and basketball events from the Southeastern Conference. The package is owned and operated by ESPN Regional Television and is shown in more than 50 percent of households in the United States, mostly Southeastern United...
. - Atlantic Coast ConferenceAtlantic Coast ConferenceThe Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
football and basketball (effective with the 2011-12 seasons, again taking over for Raycom) and branded as the ACC Network as of 2010. Raycom will sublicense an over-the-air game of the week in football and some college basketball games as well.
Games air on broadcast stations
Terrestrial television
Terrestrial television is a mode of television broadcasting which does not involve satellite transmission or cables — typically using radio waves through transmitting and receiving antennas or television antenna aerials...
, regional sports network
Regional sports network
In the United States of America and Canada, a regional sports network, or RSN, is a cable television station that presents sports programming to a local market. The most important programming on an RSN consists of live broadcasts of professional and college sporting events, as those games generate...
s, and on ESPN GamePlan
ESPN GamePlan
ESPN GamePlan is a Out-of-Market Sports Package offering college football games to viewers throughout the United States.GamePlan begins on Labor Day weekend and continues through the first Saturday in December. It includes all regional telecasts on ABC, as well as games from various syndicators...
and ESPN Full Court
ESPN Full Court
ESPN Full Court is an out-of-market sports package in the United States that carries college basketball games. It is available on most major cable and satellite television providers, and on any computer whose broadband Internet service is provided by one of ESPN.com's business partners.The package...
, both of which are out of market sports packages
Out-of-Market Sports Package
In the North America, an Out-of-Market Sports Package is a form of subscription television that broadcasts sporting events to areas who are unavailable to see them because the games are not broadcast in their local market....
, and also on ESPN3 (formerly known as ESPN360.com) since 2007. Most games are produced in SD
Standard-definition television
Sorete-definition television is a television system that uses a resolution that is not considered to be either enhanced-definition television or high-definition television . The term is usually used in reference to digital television, in particular when broadcasting at the same resolution as...
. However, beginning with the 2009-10 basketball season, select Big East games have been produced in High-Definition.
Since ERT shares its production facilities with those of ESPNU, there are some crossovers in production. Dari Nowkhah
Dari Nowkhah
Dari Nowkhah is a current ESPN SportsCenter anchor. He also hosts extensive college football and college basketball programming on the ESPN Networks. On July 27, 2011, Nowkhah will become the lead anchor for ESPNU, replacing Lowell Galindo who is headed to the Longhorn Network. Since January...
, who is also an anchor on ESPNEWS
ESPNEWS
ESPNEWS , launched on November 1, 1996, is a 24-hour-a-day sports news television channel...
, hosts pregame, halftime, and postgame shows on the ESPN Plus telecasts. ERT also airs Studio 66, named for Big 12 sponsor Phillips 66
Phillips 66
Phillips 66 is a brand of gasoline and service station in the U.S. It is owned by the ConocoPhillips Company.Phillips 66 will also be the name of the future downstream company created when ConocoPhillips repositions its integrated assets and businesses into two independent, publicly-traded...
, as the pregame show before the basketball telecasts. During the conference tournament, it travels to the tournament site.
Former rights
ESPN Plus once had rights to Conference USAConference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
football and basketball, Mountain West Conference
Mountain West Conference
The Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999...
football and basketball, and Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
football and basketball, but has since lost them as detailed below:
- Conference USAConference USAConference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
- Broadcast rights to C-USA football and basketball games not selected to air nationally on ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
or ESPN2ESPN2ESPN2 is an American sports cable television network owned by ESPN. The channel debuted on October 1, 1993.Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was initially branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross,...
are owned by CBS Sports Network. - Mountain West ConferenceMountain West ConferenceThe Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999...
- Broadcast rights to MWC football and basketball games are now owned by CBS Sports Network and partner channel MountainWest Sports NetworkMountainWest Sports NetworkMountainWest Sports Network, informally known as the mtn. , is an American regional sports network dedicated to the Mountain West Conference.-History:...
. VersusVersus (TV channel)Versus is a sports-oriented cable television channel in the United States. It was previously known as Outdoor Life Network and was launched on July 1, 1995, focusing on fishing, hunting, and other outdoor sports...
also has rights to MWC football and basketball. - Big Ten ConferenceBig Ten ConferenceThe Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
- Broadcast rights to Big Ten Conference football and basketball games not selected to air regionally or nationally on ABC, ESPN, or ESPN2 are owned by Big Ten Network. ESPN Plus lost the rights to the new network in August 2007.
Event organizer
In addition to the syndicated telecasts, ERT promotes a number of special events:- It organizes the following college footballCollege footballCollege football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
bowl games, which are televised on either ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
or ESPN2ESPN2ESPN2 is an American sports cable television network owned by ESPN. The channel debuted on October 1, 1993.Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was initially branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross,...
: Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl St. Petersburg, BBVA Compass Bowl, New Mexico Bowl, Maaco Bowl Las Vegas, Bell Helicopters Armed Forces BowlArmed Forces BowlThe Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl is an annual postseason college football bowl game that was inaugurated in 2003 as the Fort Worth Bowl under corporate sponsorship of PlainsCapital Bank. In 2005, the game was without corporate sponsorship...
, and Sheraton Hawaii BowlHawaii BowlThe Hawaii Bowl is a post-season National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Bowl Subdivision college football bowl game that has been played annually at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii since 2002. Typically played on either Christmas Day or Christmas Eve, the game matches teams from either...
and (as of 2010) the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas. Most of these games (except the Armed Forces, BBVA Compass and Texas Bowls) are usually held before ChristmasChristmasChristmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
and until 2006 were branded under the name "Bowl Road Trip," while ESPN telecasts after Christmas were referred to as "Capital OneCapital OneCapital One Financial Corp. is a U.S.-based bank holding company specializing in credit cards, home loans, auto loans, banking and savings products...
Bowl Week." (As of the 2007 bowl season, however, Bowl Week now covers all non-BCS games shown on ESPN, ESPN2, or ABCESPN on ABCESPN on ABC is the brand used for sports programming on the ABC television network. Officially the broadcast network retains its own sports division; however, for all practical purposes, ABC's sports division has been merged with ESPN, a sports cable network majority-owned by ABC's parent, The...
.) - It also organizes the MEACMid-Eastern Athletic ConferenceThe Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference is a collegiate athletic conference of historically black colleges and universities in the Southeastern United States...
-SWACSouthwestern Athletic ConferenceThe Southwestern Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which is made up of historically black universities in the Southern United States...
Challenge, a regular season game between teams representing two conferences of historically black colleges and universitiesHistorically Black Colleges and UniversitiesHistorically black colleges and universities are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention of serving the black community....
in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision. - It is also behind the following college basketballCollege basketballCollege basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
events: ESPNU BracketBusters, the Old Spice ClassicOld Spice ClassicThe Old Spice Classic is an annual college basketball tournament played over Thanksgiving weekend. The inaugural tournament was held November, 23, 24, and 26, 2006. The tournament is played at the HP Field House at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. In the current format, the...
held at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, the Sonic All-College Basketball Classic in Oklahoma CityOklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
, the Puerto Rico Tip-OffPuerto Rico Tip-OffThe 5 Hour Energy Puerto Rico Tip-Off is an ESPN Regional Television owned and operated preseason college basketball tournament that takes place in late November of each year, usually the week before Thanksgiving. It takes place in San Juan, Puerto Rico at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico...
, the 76 Classic (formerly AnaheimAnaheim, CaliforniaAnaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
Classic) in California, the Big East-SEC Challenge, the Charleston ClassicCharleston Classic-2008 standings:-2009 Tournament:ESPN confirmed that the 2009 field of eight schools have been selected for the tournament as follows: South Carolina, La Salle, Miami, Penn State, South Florida, Tulane, UNC Wilmington and Davidson. Davidson was the representative from the host Southern Conference...
in South CarolinaSouth CarolinaSouth Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, the Diamond Head ClassicDiamond Head ClassicThe Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic is a three-day invitational college basketball tournament held at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, Hawaii on the campus of the University of Hawaii-Manoa. Each team plays three games, winners facing winners and losers facing losers. The Western...
in Honolulu, HawaiiHonolulu, HawaiiHonolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
, and the Cancun Governor’s Cup. Most games in these tournaments are shown on ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU; those not shown on television air on ESPN3.com. - In golfGolfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, ERT produced the PGA TourPGA TourThe PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
's LG Skins Game and the Champions TourChampions TourThe Champions Tour, a golf tour run by the PGA Tour, hosts a series of events annually in the United States and the United Kingdom for golfers 50 years of age and older. Many of the PGA Tour's most successful golfers have gone on to play on the Champions Tour.The Senior PGA Championship, founded in...
's Wendy's Champions Skins GameWendy's Champions Skins GameThe Wendy's Champions Skins Game is an unofficial golf tournament on the Champions Tour. It is played annually in January/February in Maui, Hawaii at Kaanapali Golf Resort...
, which aired on ABC and ESPN2 respectively. ERT also organizes the National Golf Challenge for amateur players. - ESPN+ also produces the Warrior Lacrosse Challenge and NHRANational Hot Rod AssociationThe National Hot Rod Association is a drag racing governing body, which sets rules in drag racing and host events all over the United States and Canada...
telecasts for ESPN2.