Tag Archives: espn

American Cornhole League SuperHole IV To Feature Fitzpatrick, Lockett, Turner and Pederson Live on ESPN

The American Cornhole League (ACL) is thrilled to announce the return of “SuperHole,” presented by Johnsonville – an annual pro-am series of competitive cornhole events that kicks off the Friday before the Big Game and pairs ACL Pros with celebrities to compete LIVE on ESPN in what has become one of TVs “must see events” around Big Game weekend. 

SuperHole IV is a multi-event cornhole series hosted throughout the year where 32 ACL Pros are paired with 32 celebrities to compete for charity – culminating in the finals alongside the ACL World Championships, which take place this August. The first prelim will be held on Friday, February 10 live at 10:30 PM MST / 12:30 AM EST from Scottsdale, Arizona and features a “football vs baseball” theme, with former QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and star WR Tyler Lockett joining current baseball stars Justin Turner and Joc Pederson to square off in everyone’s favorite backyard game under the bright lights.

The ACL will also debut its third annual ACL Pro Shootout Series airing live on ESPN2 immediately following SuperHole IV. The Pro Shootout Series is presented by DIRECTV who joins the ACL family for the first time as the presenting sponsor of the series as well as a supporting sponsor of SuperHole IV’s kickoff broadcast. Representing DIRECTV in Scottsdale will be Tyler Lockett, who will qualify to play for Ronald McDonald House Charities in Rock Hill should he win.

Since launching in 2016 the ACL has become one of the fastest growing sports in the world, attracting broadcast deals with ESPN and CBS / CBS Sports. The league’s tagline “Anyone can play, anyone can win” along with its ability to be played anywhere has the league on a fast track for success.  Along with the “SuperHole”series, the ACL hosts a variety of pro and amateur events. The ACL’s strong sponsor support includes year-long partners Johnsonville, Bush’s and AllCornhole.com, along with individual event sponsors Ultra Cornhole and Reynolds Bags.

The first SuperHole began in 2019 as a one time event where Daniel Jones and Sam Darnold in a “battle of New York” match-up. Since then a multi-event series has taken off with a variety of personalities  participating, including two-time SuperHole champion Doug Flutie, Rashad Jennings, Mac Jones, Devonta Smith, Jay Cutler, Shemar Moore, Phil Hellmuth, David Lim, Dawn Staley, Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, Dale Moss, Chuck Lidell, Vernon Davis, Zach Miller, Dion Dawkins, Kyle Van Noy, Greg Gaines, Terry Kirby, Brett Young, Jeff Mauro and more.

“We’re excited to continue building on the popularity of SuperHole, which has been a huge success in past years with fans – last year’s model of extending the excitement throughout the season was a resounding hit with our audience, both in person and with those tuning in from home,” said Stacey Moore, Commissioner and Founder of the American Cornhole League. “This year will feature all of the action, celebrities, and competition cornhole fans have come to know and love.” 

“I played in a lot of cities in my career, and one thing was consistent across all of them – cornhole being the game of choice for tailgaters,” added former QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. “While I obviously never had a chance to join them before, I’m excited to show off my bag skills!” 

“I know the fans love this game, it’s perfect for tailgating – you can even pick up cornhole bags with my name and jersey number at our team shop,” remarked star WR Tyler Lockett. “I’m planning on going out there and showing the fans that their favorite players can mix it up on the cornhole boards as well as on the gridiron.” 

“Me and my wife Kourtney love to play cornhole, we even had it at our wedding– it’s actually one of our favorite pastimes,” said all-star 3B Justin Turner. “Hopefully I can go out there and make her proud!”

“When I heard Justin was playing I couldn’t resist the opportunity to go out and compete against him,” added star OF Joc Pederson. “Sure, we’re friends but once the bags and boards are out all that goes out the window!” 

SuperHole IV Matchups on Friday, Feb. 10 at 10:30pm MT  include:

ACL Pro Cheyenne Bubenheim (current Women Singles World Champion) and star WR Tyler Lockett vs

ACL Pro Ryan Smith (5 time ACL Title Winner) and former top QB, Ryan Fitzpatrick

ACL Pro Daymon Dennis (5-time Senior singles World Champion) and All-Star 3B Justin Turner vs

ACL Pro Jimmy McGuffin (current Senior Singles World Champion) and baseball star Joc Pederson

The American Cornhole League hosts competition and tournaments across the amateur, collegiate, and pro ranks with thousands of players taking part every year. For additional information on how to participate visit iplaycornhole.com.

National Lacrosse League, San Diego Seals Announce First-Ever Outdoor NLL Game March 4

The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the world’s largest and most successful professional lacrosse league, and the San Diego Seals today announced that the Seals’ March 4th game against the Las Vegas Desert Dogs will be staged outside at San Diego’s new Snapdragon Stadium, the first regular season outdoor game in the history of the NLL. The game will be played at 4:30 pm ET/1:30 pm PT and will be distributed live on ESPN+, TSN.ca and the TSN app. Additionally, the game will re-air the same day on ESPNU at 11:00 pm ET/8:00 pm PT.

“Our goal for the NLL and for the sport of lacrosse is to continue to increase awareness, enthusiasm and enterprise value well beyond where it exists today. This epic setting gives us another unique opportunity to showcase our world class athletes and on-field product, and not only engage with our core audience but attract diverse sports’ fans in search of new entertainment passions,” said Brett Frood, NLL Commissioner. “We are looking forward to working with the Seals and all our supporters in Southern California to making this an event to remember.”

“The Seals have been working on this event for a long time now, and we’re very excited to see this idea come to life. It’s crazy that in the 36-year history of the league this has never been done before,” said Seals President Steve Govett. “We can’t wait to build our box on the field of Snapdragon and play in the San Diego sunshine. Let’s take this outside!”

“We’re honored to host the Seals first ever outdoor NLL game,” added Adam Millar, General Manager of Snapdragon Stadium. “Looking forward to seeing another amazing San Diego team out on our field, and excited to welcome a whole new set of fans to the stadium!”

In addition to the Seals-Desert Dogs game on Saturday, Snapdragon Stadium will also be hosting an NCAA Women’s lacrosse tournament with two games on Friday and two on Sunday. Teams include: San Diego State University, Stanford University, Kent State University, and UC Davis.

This will be a weekend celebration of lacrosse in San Diego that lacrosse fans around southern California will not want to miss. Broadcast talent and other events connected to the game will be announced in the coming weeks.

Snapdragon Stadium will be scaled for 10,100 seats for the special event. A limited number of tickets for the Snapdragon Showdown are now available at SealsLax.com. If you are interested in a group outing for game, please contact the Seals at 619-375-3755 or email [email protected]

The Seals will open their home season this Friday against the Saskatchewan Rush at 7:00 pm at Pechanga Arena, available to watch on ESPN+, TSN.ca and the TSN app.

National Lacrosse League Announces Playoff Format and Playoff Schedule For 2022-23 Season

The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the world’s largest and most successful professional lacrosse league, today announced its eight-team playoff format for the 2022-23 season. The format will again feature the top four teams from the East Conference and top three from the West Conference, plus a “wild card” entry with the best record between the fourth-place team in the West standings and the fifth-place finisher in the East. This “wild card” will play in the West Conference side of the bracket as the fourth seed.

The first round of the 2023 NLL Playoffs, beginning the weekend of May 5-7, will be single elimination, while the Conference Finals and NLL Finals will each be a best-of-three series. Game 1 and 2 of the NLL Finals will be played during Memorial Day Weekend, while Game 3 of the NLL Finals, if necessary, is scheduled for the weekend of June 2-4.

“The NLL will have a regular season that every fan and every team in any sport desires, one where every regular season game will have meaning and relevance, “said NLL Commissioner Brett Frood. “We saw last year how the new playoff system drove interest and excitement down the stretch and are confident that this format will again maintain that season-long momentum, with the intensity reaching a crescendo with our playoffs.”

The full NLL regular season schedule, which begins this Friday when the Philadelphia Wings take on the Halifax Thunderbirds on TSN, ESPNews and ESPN+ at 6pm ET, is available at https://www.nll.com/schedule/full-schedule/. All games will be carried on ESPN+, TSN.ca and the TSN app.

About the National Lacrosse League

The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is North America’s premier professional lacrosse league. Founded in 1986, the NLL ranks third in average attendance for pro indoor sports worldwide, behind only the NHL and NBA. The League is comprised of 15 franchises across the United States and Canada: Albany FireWolves, Buffalo Bandits, Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Georgia Swarm, Halifax Thunderbirds, Las Vegas Desert Dogs, New York Riptide, Panther City Lacrosse Club (TX), Philadelphia Wings, Rochester Knighthawks, San Diego Seals, Saskatchewan Rush, Toronto Rock, and Vancouver Warriors.

For the latest scores and developments in the National Lacrosse League, please visit: NLL.com and find the NLL on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

National Lacrosse League, ESPN Announce 2022-23 Linear Broadcast Schedule

The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the world’s largest and most successful professional lacrosse league, and ESPN today announced the schedule of 10 regular season games to be broadcast on its linear networks during the upcoming 2022-23 season. The slate, which will feature games on ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPNews, begins with a matchup between Philadelphia and Halifax on Friday, December 2, on Face Off Weekend. On Friday, December 16, ESPN2 will showcase the Las Vegas Desert Dogs in their inaugural home game when they face Panther City at 10:30 p.m. ET.

“Our expanded relationship with ESPN continues to provide added exposure for our teams and our athletes across all platforms, which will again help expose not just the NLL, but the sport of lacrosse to a larger audience of fans throughout the winter and spring,” said NLL Commissioner Brett Frood. “This schedule, along with our larger schedule on TSN across Canada, will keep helping us raising the bar, and the enterprise value, for all. We can’t wait to get the season started.”

The ESPN TV schedule is as follows (all times ET, schedule subject to change):

· Friday, December 2, Philadelphia at Halifax, 6 p.m., ESPNews
· Friday, December 16, Panther City at Las Vegas, 10:30 p.m., ESPN2
· Friday, January 6, Philadelphia at Las Vegas 10:30 p.m., ESPNews
· Saturday, January 7, Calgary at Colorado, 10 p.m., ESPNU
· Saturday, March 25, Buffalo at San Diego, 10 p.m., ESPNews
· Friday, March 31, New York at Georgia, 7 p.m., ESPNews
· Saturday, April 1, Buffalo at Toronto, 7 p.m., ESPNU
· Friday, April 14, San Diego at Colorado, 9 p.m., ESPNU
· Saturday, April 22, Toronto at Buffalo, 8 p.m., ESPNU
· Saturday, April 29, TBA, TBA, ESPNU

Other highlights of the ESPN linear broadcasts include:

· American born, Joe Resetarits (Hamburg, NY) and his new team, the Philadelphia Wings open the season at Halifax, December 2 on ESPNews. Resetarits holds the record for most points scored in a single season by an American with 111 which he set last season with the Albany FireWolves. He was also tied for the league lead in goals with 47 a year ago.
· The 2022 NLL Champion Colorado Mammoth raise their championship banner in their first home game on January 7 on ESPNU against the Calgary Roughnecks who they defeated in the quarterfinals on their way to the championship.
· The Buffalo Bandits travel to San Diego for an East/West showdown, March 25 on ESPNews.
· Reigning Rookie of the Year, Jeff Teat and the New York Riptide, take on 2017 MVP, Lyle Thompson and the Georgia Swarm, on March 31.
· A rematch of last season’s thrilling East Conference Finals between Buffalo and Toronto on April 1 on ESPNU, is also being featured as the NLL Game of the Week on TSN for Canadian viewers. These two teams will also play on April 22.
· Seals’ free agent acquisitions Curtis Dickson and Kevin Crowley will play the Colorado Mammoth on April 14 on ESPNU in what could decide the top seed in the West Conference.

The NLL has also announced the two broadcast teams for the season. Back on the call will be play-by-play voice Brendan Glasheen (@BrendanGlasheen) and analyst Mitch Belisle (@MBelisle85). The second broadcast team will be Cooper Perkins on play-by-play and Nick Ossello on color. Devan Kaney and Tabitha Turner return to report between the benches.

For the second straight year, all NLL regular season games will be distributed on ESPN+, the largest number of live televised games in the history of the league.

The full NLL regular season schedule is available at https://www.nll.com/schedule/full-schedule/.

National Lacrosse League Announces 2022-23 Schedule; Face Off Weekend Set for December 2-3

The National Lacrosse League (@NLL) today announced the largest schedule in its history – 135 games – as the 2022-23 regular season gets underway with Face Off Weekend on December 2-3, 2022. The NLL’s 36th year opens with six games, three matchups in Canada and three in the U.S., as part of a 22-week schedule through April 29. Fans can view the entire slate at https://www.nll.com/schedule/full-schedule/.

Face Off Weekend will include two TSN Game of the Week contests on Friday, December 2 (Philadelphia Wings at Halifax Thunderbirds, 6 p.m. ET) and Saturday, December 3 (Vancouver Warriors at Toronto Rock, 5 p.m. ET). All 135 games during the regular season are available on ESPN+ and through TSN’s platforms, including TSN.ca and the TSN app. The complete national broadcast schedules for TSN and ESPN and the League’s playoff schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.

“Our fans have been eagerly anticipating Face Off Weekend since our sensational Final’s series capped an incredible season and playoffs in the spring,” said NLL Commissioner Brett Frood. “We expect that the passionate fan bases at the six venues opening the 2022-23 regular season will pillar momentum for the rest of the year, and the broad reach of TSN and ESPN ensures that fans across North America can join in the celebration.”

The Las Vegas Desert Dogs, the NLL’s 15th and newest franchise, open Week 2 at Panther City, and will play their inaugural home game on Friday, December 16, at Michelob ULTRA Arena. The game at Las Vegas will be televised on ESPN2 at 10:30pm ET. The defending champion Colorado Mammoth will hoist their 2022 NLL Championship banner on Saturday, January 7, 2023, against the Calgary Roughnecks.

Some other highlights of the 2022-23 NLL schedule include:
• Four other Face Off Weekend games will be contested on December 3, including the Albany FireWolves at Buffalo Bandits, San Diego Seals at New York Riptide, Rochester Knighthawks at Georgia Swarm and defending champion Colorado Mammoth at Saskatchewan Rush
• Each team will play 18 games (nine home and nine away) over the 22 weeks
• There are five weeks in which all 15 NLL teams will be in action (Week 9, Jan. 27-28; Week 10, Feb. 3-4; Week 16, March 17-19; Week 17, March 24-25, Week 18, March 31-April 2

For the latest scores and developments in the National Lacrosse League, please visit: NLL.com and find the NLL on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

ESPN, TSN To Provide Most Extensive Coverage of National Lacrosse League Entry Draft

The National Lacrosse League (@NLL) today announced the broadcast coverage plan for the 2022 NLL Entry Draft, which will be held on Saturday, September 10 beginning at 2 p.m. ET at the historic The Carlu in downtown Toronto. This year’s first round will be available for the first time on TSN.ca and the TSN app in Canada and ESPN+ in the United States, with additional rounds covered in real time on NLL social channels. It marks the most extensive live coverage of the NLL Draft in the league’s history.

“We are proud to be able to work with our North American broadcast partners ESPN and TSN to be able to provide in-depth, wide ranging coverage of the 2022 NLL Draft for the first time,” said NLL Commissioner Brett Frood, who officially assumes the fulltime position September 1. “Being able to showcase the personalities of these elite athletes on such a special day to a passionate and engaged fan base is essential to the continued growth of the league and sport. We look forward to utilizing the draft as a catapult to foster authentic and meaningful connections between our players, teams, fans and communities throughout the 2022-23 season and beyond.”

The 2022 NLL Draft coverage will be hosted by Devan Kaney with TSN’s Teddy Jenner and Pat Gregoire providing analysis. TSN’s Ashley Docking will report from the floor of the Draft adding analysis and interviews with the decision makers, influencers and prospects and their families in attendance. The live broadcast starts at 2 p.m. ET and will include a 10-minute pre-show prior to the first pick. Following the conclusion of Round 1 (23 picks), continuing coverage of Rounds 2-6 will be published, in real time, on the league’s social media channels with supporting video.

The Draft will be open to the public, free of charge, with initial seating for up to 200 at The Carlu. More seats may become available as the draft nears. Fans interested in attending can reserve their seat by registering at this link. The NLL Entry Draft was held virtually in 2020 and 2021 following a two-year run at Philadelphia’s Xfinify Live! in 2018 and 2019.

Media who are interested in attending should fill out this form to request a credential.

The Rochester Knighthawks will make the first overall selection in the draft followed by the Las Vegas Desert Dogs making their inaugural selection.

The full first round NLL Entry Draft order, as of August 30, pending pre-Draft transactions, is as follows:

1. Rochester (from Las Vegas)
2. Las Vegas (from Rochester)
3. Vancouver
4. Albany (from New York)
5. Panther City
6. Saskatchewan
7. Albany (from Georgia)
8. New York (from Philadelphia via Albany)
9. Panther City (from Albany via Halifax)
10. Calgary
11. Georgia (from San Diego)
12. Halifax
13. Buffalo (from Toronto)
14. Buffalo
15. Colorado
16. Las Vegas (additional compensatory selection)
17. Albany (compensatory selection)
18. Las Vegas (from Calgary) (compensatory selection)
19. Buffalo (compensatory selection)
20. Georgia (compensatory selection)
21. Panther City (from Albany) (compensatory selection)
22. San Diego (compensatory selection)
23. Philadelphia (from Saskatchewan) (compensatory selection)

For the latest scores and developments in the National Lacrosse League, please visit: NLL.com and find the NLL on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

National Lacrosse League Playoff Pairings, Schedule Set As Buffalo, San Diego Win Conference Titles

The National Lacrosse League (@NLL) regular season is complete, with Saturday’s results completing the expanded playoff format as eight teams have advanced to the NLL “Chase for the Championship,” beginning on Friday, May 6. Buffalo (14-4) and San Diego (10-8) are the East and West Conference regular season champions, respectively, and will have home floor advantage in Quarterfinal single-elimination games, along with Conference runners-up Toronto (13-5, East) and Calgary (10-8, West).

In the new NLL postseason format, the top four teams in the East (Buffalo, Toronto, Halifax, Albany) and top three in the West (San Diego, Calgary, Colorado) and one wild card team (Philadelphia) qualified. The Wings’ thrilling 11-10 victory in OT over Georgia last night gave them the final slot over the Swarm. Albany also secured its berth with a win over New York.

The Quarterfinal matchups are as follows:

(E3) Halifax at (E2) Toronto, Friday, May 6, 7:30 p.m. ET, Sports Interaction Game of the Week on TSN, ESPN+
(W3) Colorado at (W2) Calgary, Friday, May 6, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+, TSN.ca, Altitude
(E4) Albany at (E1) Buffalo, Saturday, May 7, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+, TSN.ca
(WC) Philadelphia at (W1) San Diego, Saturday, May 7, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+, TSN.ca, WPSG, FOX5

The Quarterfinal winners will meet in best-of-three Conference Finals: the first games are set for May 12-16), with Game 2 (May 19-23) and Game 3 (if necessary, May 26-30) set to close out the month (dates subject to change). The best-of-three NLL Finals will take place June 2-6, June 9-13, and June 16-20 (if necessary). Exact dates and broadcast schedules for media partners TSN and ESPN for the Conference Finals and NLL Finals rounds will be announced once the pairings and dates are set.

For the latest scores and developments in the National Lacrosse League, please visit: NLL.com and find the NLL on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

National Lacrosse League Championship Sets Whirlwind Seven-Week Playoff Schedule Outline

The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the largest and most successful professional lacrosse property in the world, today announced the outline of the 2022 Playoff schedule, which runs up to seven weeks from May 5 through June 20. Under the new expanded playoff format instituted for this season, the top four teams in the East, top three teams in the West and one wild card team with the next best record qualify. With 34 games on the schedule to determine playoff spots and seeds, the Chase to the Championship begins tomorrow, March 31 when the Philadelphia Wings host the East Conference leading, Buffalo Bandits, the first and only team to qualify thus far.

Media partners ESPN and TSN will provide live broadcasts of every game (beginning with the single-elimination quarterfinal matchups held May 5-9. The first game of the best-of-three Conference Finals is set for the following week (May 12-16), with Game 2 (May 19-23) and Game 3 (if necessary, May 26-30) set to close out the month (dates subject to change).

The best-of-three NLL Finals will take place June 2-6, June 9-13 and June 16-20 (if necessary). Exact dates and the TSN and ESPN broadcast schedules for all rounds will be announced once the teams have clinched playoff home games in each series.

“With a month left in the season, every team is still in the playoff hunt and all but one slot is still up for grabs,” said Jessica Berman, NLL Deputy Commissioner. “The Chase to the Championship gives every one of those games playoff implications, and fans are excited to watch their favorite teams vie for the title.”

For the latest scores and developments in the National Lacrosse League, please visit: NLL.com and find the NLL on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

ESPN, Genius Sports Announce Immersive Experience For The 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship

Genius Sports Limited (“Genius Sports”) (NYSE:GENI), the official data and technology partner that powers the ecosystem connecting sports, betting and media, today announced a collaboration with ESPN for the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship using AI-powered tracking data and live video augmentations.

Through its Second Spectrum division, Genius Sports will provide ESPN and consumers with the first live augmented video feeds for women’s basketball, delivering new levels of interactivity and insight to a rapidly growing audience. ESPN will be able to select from a suite of data-driven visualizations, including split-second shot probabilities and distances to 3-point special effects, captured through optical tracking technology that identifies and delivers the precise coordinates of every player and the ball, 25 times a second.

Genius Sports’ technology and augmentation solutions will be utilized during the Women’s Final Four and National Championship games, when this year’s champion is crowned Sunday, April 3 (8 p.m. ET) at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Fans will be able to experience the Second Spectrum enhancements as an alternate viewing option in addition to ESPN’s traditional telecasts of each game.

“Expanding our relationship with Second Spectrum to support of the Women’s Tournament and their fans is another exciting first for us,” said Kevin Lopes, ESPN Vice President, Sports Business Development & Innovation. “The augmented feeds for the NCAA Women’s Final Four and National Championship game will provide fans with an exciting viewing option that leans into innovative stats and visuals.”

ESPN will also have access to Genius Sports’ unique Insight tool, generating advanced statistical insights on individual teams and players. As the Official Optical Tracking Provider of the NBA, Second Spectrum has worked closely with ESPN for the last six years, capturing rich tracking data and delivering augmentations as well as helping to power the first-of-its-kind ‘Marvel’s Arena of Heroes’ alternate broadcast on ESPN in 2021.

“It’s appropriate that during this Women’s History Month we make this announcement with ESPN to bring immersive, player tracking technology to ‘March Madness’ on the Women’s Basketball side. The days of women’s sports being considered second class are behind us,” said Mark Locke, CEO of Genius Sports. “We are proud to work with ESPN, through the best-in-class work Second Spectrum does, to give the millions of fans young and old, an immersive experience for March Madness that will set a new course not just for the NCAA Championships, but for all of sport that is played by women the world over. It is a new high bar that we will push, and there is no better place to raise that bar than the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament with ESPN.”

Genius Sports is the exclusive supplier of official NCAA data, having worked alongside the governing body since 2018 to develop NCAA LiveStats, the NCAA’s official tool for the collection, management and distribution of game statistics. Genius Sports is the Exclusive Supplier of Official NCAA Data having worked alongside the governing body since 2018 to develop NCAA LiveStats, college sports’ official tool for the collection, management and distribution of game statistics. NCAA LiveStats will be courtside at every game of the NCAA DI Women’s Basketball Championship, capturing every shot, dunk, rebound, assist and more.

Data Driven Sports/ShotTracker to Provide Data and Advanced Analytics for Big 12 Basketball

Data Driven Sports (DDSports), the parent company of ShotTracker, today announced they have entered into an agreement with ESPN to provide data and analytics for Big 12 Conference basketball games. The multi-year deal gives ESPN the opportunity to integrate ShotTracker data throughout its linear and digital properties to drive fan engagement, enhanced storytelling and broadcast automation. The first stage of the collaboration kicked off last Saturday afternoon with advanced graphics integrated into ESPN’s broadcast of the Kansas vs. Texas Tech men’s basketball game on ESPN2. The video can be seen here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFpMRT5C2Jw

ShotTracker is entering its second year of partnership with the Big 12 Conference, which has integrated ShotTracker’s sensor-based technology in its arenas and practice facilities for the men’s and women’s programs, as well as into basketballs and player jerseys. The output of this integration is sub-second X-Y-Z player and ball location data and over 100 real-time stats, including advanced analytics such as lineup efficiency, ball movement stats and screen types with outcomes. ESPN will now have access to the same advanced stats that Big 12 coaching staff utilize on the bench via the ShotTracker team app to optimize their lineups and play calling.

“We are thrilled to be working closely with ESPN to drive what will be unprecedented innovation in sports,” said Davyeon Ross, ShotTracker Co-Founder and President. “Our autonomous, sub-second data has the potential to impact many areas of their business, including not only personalized fan engagement but also broadcast efficiencies and increased content output.”

As part of the new ESPN Edge Innovation Center, ShotTracker is working closely with ESPN to test various new enhancements across ESPN’s fan-facing platforms.

“We are excited to use ShotTracker technology as it provides sports fans with more in-depth stats and analysis for the sports they know and love,” said Kevin Lopes, Senior Director of Content Business Development & Innovation at ESPN.

National Lacrosse League Signs Historic Multiyear Agreement with ESPN

The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the largest and most successful professional lacrosse property in the world, today announced the most extensive United States media rights agreement in its history, giving ESPN and ESPN+ exclusive rights in the U.S. and the rest of the world outside Canada for live NLL games. All NLL games will be carried on an ESPN network or platform. ESPN linear networks – with a minimum of 10 live games annually – and ESPN+ will combine to carry up to 139 games exclusively each year. It will be the largest number of live televised games in the history of the league.

“We are so proud, honored and excited to work with ESPN and ESPN+ in this unprecedented landmark announcement for the NLL. Never before in the 35-year history of the league have fans, sponsors, teams and players had this type of access and exposure across the United States,” said NLL Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz. “While we, our sport and the industry continue to focus on digital native fans, we will also have the benefit of expanded reach through live distribution on ESPN linear networks. We’ve been steadily building on our media strategy and towards this kind of distribution over the last few years and are excited about the momentum an announcement like this generates heading into NLL Faceoff Weekend, December 3-4.”

“We’re thrilled to reach this new multi-year rights agreement with the National Lacrosse League, adding to our already extensive commitment to the sport of lacrosse on ESPN platforms. The NLL features elite players competing in an exciting and fast-paced game that we look forward to showcasing across ESPN and ESPN+ in the years ahead,” said Dan Margulis, Senior Director, Programming & Acquisitions, ESPN.

The broadcast schedule for the 2021-22 season on ESPN’s linear networks will be announced in the coming weeks. The regular season begins with the Vancouver Warriors at San Diego Seals on Friday, December 3; and six games on Saturday December 4, including the debut of the expansion Panther City (TX) Lacrosse Club at the Philadelphia Wings and the 2019 NLL Championship Finals rematch between the Calgary Roughnecks and Buffalo Bandits in Buffalo.

The agreement with ESPN follows an earlier announcement for TSN in Canada for both linear television and live streaming coverage of NLL games, the first broadcast deal for the NLL in Canada since 2016.

For the most up-to-date information and breaking news, sign up for the NLL newsletter at NLL.com. Also follow Deputy Commissioner Jessica Berman and Commissioner Sakiewicz on Twitter @JessicaBerman1 and @NLLcommish, respectively.

ESPN To Broadcast Cornhole World Championships This Week

It’s not just a backyard sport anymore; it’s the real deal. 256 professional cornhole players and over 800 amateurs from across the country will gather in Rock Hill, SC though Sunday to attend the American Cornhole League World Championships. 

In attendance will be ESPN personalities Ryan McGee and Marty Smith, plus former Carolina Panthers running backs Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert. The four VIP guests will each be paired with an ACL Pro and go head-to-head in a televised cornhole tournament at Friday’s ACL Pro Celebrity event, which will air on ESPN2 at 9:00pm EST for ESPN’s infamous Ocho Day.

Open to the public, the World Championships expect to draw a crowd of approximately 2,500 people to the newly renovated Sports and Events Center in Historic Downtown Rock Hill. Just minutes away from the future Carolina Panthers headquarters, the space is also the newfound headquarters of the American Cornhole League after previously being based in the Queen City. 

The national sports organization relocated in late 2020 after experiencing exponential growth despite the Covid-19 pandemic. This growth was largely due to the profound scarcity of televised sporting events once lockdown commenced. Cornhole thrived due to its low-contact nature and flexibility of the sport, making it ideal content for ESPN coverage.

At the World Championships, the 256 ACL Pros will duke it out to claim highly-coveted titles including Man of the Year, Woman of the Year, Pro Singles Champion, Pro Doubles Champion, and more.

Guests can enjoy choice food and beverages, play in blind draw tournaments, purchase merchandise from local vendors, visit the new ACL Headquarters, and sit courtside while watching the ESPN-televised broadcasts.

There is no entry fee to attend, but parking is available for $5.00 per car per day.

Chief Marketing Officer Trey Ryder stated, “We couldn’t be more excited to be hosting the ACL World Championships here in our home of Rock Hill, SC! With over 1000 of the best cornhole players in the world flocking to the region, fans will be spoiled with seven days of competitive play, over 40 hours of livestream coverage, and six hours of ESPN television coverage.”

ESPN will cover the following events during the American Cornhole League World Championships:

August 5 – ACL Pro Singles Bracket Finals at 8:00pm EST on ESPN3

August 6 – ACL Pro Celebrity Event at 9:00pm EST on ESPN2

August 7 – ACL Pro Singles Playoff and Co-Ed Doubles Final at 1:00pm EST on ESPN

August 8 – ACL Pro Doubles Playoff and Women’s Doubles Final at 1:00pm EST on ESPN2

Fantasy Games Market 2019 Size, Top Key Player Analysis

ReportsnReports added a latest market research report on “Global Fantasy Games Market Professional Survey 2019 by Manufacturers, Regions, Countries, SWOT Analysis, Business Intelligence, Revenue Module, Industry Growth, Research Methodology, Types and Applications, Forecast to 2024”.

Fantasy Games industry 2019-2024 research report is useful to comprehend the worldwide and provincial market circumstances and to decide how the market will develop. The report has been set up by pro players having profound learning, knowledge, attention to help each organization in this industry to accomplish their favored market position. The report gives showcase investigation from 2019-2024.

Top Manufacturer of Fantasy Games Market Include: FanDuel, DraftKings, Yahoo, ESPN, CBS, NFL Fantasy, Fox Sports Fantasy Football, and MyFantasyLeague

According to the ReportsnReports market research, the Global Fantasy Games Market Report is a full-scale exploration that assesses the world’s present rise in market structure. The Fantasy Games Market Report, which consists of a satisfying and precise framework, such as SWOT inspections, reflects a complete evaluation of the remarkable specialists on the market for Fantasy Games. Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) feelings are determined for particular time periods by market reports. This will assist you to comprehend and fix the correct choices for you. The study provides a market summary that discusses briefly the market situation and the major sectors. It also cites the top players on the worldwide market for Fantasy Games. This Research Report also offers granular market share analysis, segmentation, income forecasts and market geographic areas.

Global Fantasy Games industry market professional research 2014-2024, is a report which provides the details about industry overview, industry chain, market size (sales, revenue, and growth rate), gross margin, major manufacturers, development trends and forecast.

Market segmentation, by product types:

Fantasy Football
Fantasy Hockey
Fantasy Baseball
Fantasy Soccer
Fantasy Basketball
Fantasy Car Racing
Others
Market segmentation, by applications:

Private
Commercial
Market Segmentation, By Regions:

North America (United States, Canada), Europe (Germany, France, UK, Italy, Russia, Spain), Asia Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand), Middle East & Africa (Middle East, Africa), Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, C. America, Chile, Peru, and Colombia)

The Report Can Answer the Following Questions:

  1. North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, Latin America market size (sales, revenue and growth rate) of Fantasy Games industry.
  2. Global major manufacturers operating situation (sales, revenue, growth rate and gross margin) of Fantasy Games industry.
  3. Global major countries (United States, Canada, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Russia, Spain, China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, Middle East, Africa, Mexico, Brazil, C. America, Chile, Peru, Colombia) market size (sales, revenue and growth rate) of Fantasy Games industry.
  4. Different types and applications of Fantasy Games industry, market share of each type and application by revenue.
  5. Global market size (sales, revenue) forecast by regions and countries from 2019 to 2024 of Fantasy Games industry.
  6. Upstream raw materials and manufacturing equipment, industry chain analysis of Fantasy Games industry.
  7. SWOT analysis of Fantasy Games industry.
  8. New Project Investment Feasibility Analysis of Fantasy Games industry.

ESPN, Caesars Announce Sports Betting Content Deal

Caesars Entertainment Corporation logo. (PRNewsFoto/Caesars Entertainment Corporation)

ESPN is joining forces with Caesars Entertainment (NASDAQ: CZR) to bring the best in sports betting news and entertainment content to fans around the world. The deal includes building a new ESPN-branded studio at The LINQ Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, where sports betting-themed content will be created, along with segments for ESPN’s recently launched sports betting-related show, Daily Wager. Caesars’ data and branding will also be integrated across ESPN programming within the coming weeks for use across ESPN’s content.

“The sports betting landscape has changed, and fans are coming to us for this kind of information more than ever before,” said Mike Morrison, VP of Business Development at ESPN. “We are poised to expand our coverage in a big way and working with a category leader like Caesars Entertainment will help us serve these highly engaged, diverse sports fans with the best and most relevant content possible.”

Added Chris Holdren, EVP and Chief Marketing Officer at Caesars Entertainment: “We’re really excited about the long-term value this collaboration with ESPN will create and thrilled that, starting immediately, ESPN’s platforms will begin featuring odds information generated by Caesars Entertainment. Millions of sports fans look to ESPN as a sports authority, and Caesars is honored to have been selected for having the best odds to serve those fans. When you combine that level of exposure alongside the unique opportunity to build a studio along the famed Las Vegas Strip, this deal is truly unique.”

The studio will serve as a Vegas hub for odds-related content and will contribute to any number of ESPN linear, digital and social shows as well as ESPN.com and the ESPN app. It will also play a vital role during major sporting events, and especially during the growing number of marquee events hosted in Las Vegas. The new studio will launch in 2020. 

Caesars will also serve as ESPN’s official odds data supplier across TV and digital, receiving associated attribution across ESPN. Additional advertising and sponsorship activations will roll out in the coming months and throughout the deal term. 

“Between an increased interest in sports betting among fans, regularly hosting marquee sporting events – like the upcoming NFL Draft and NBA Summer League as well as premier UFC and Top Rank bouts – and the arrival of the Golden Knights and the Raiders, Las Vegas has become an epicenter of sports culture,” said Connor Schell, EVP of Content, ESPN. “Having a great partner in Caesars Entertainment and soon a full studio presence in Las Vegas will help us create content that taps into that culture and grows our offerings to avid bettors and more casual fans.”

More than two-thirds of avid sports bettors already watch ESPN (Source: Langer Research Associates, 2018). This agreement with Caesars builds upon a stable of betting-related content that dates back more than 10 years. In addition to the previously referenced Daily Wager on ESPNEWS, ESPN betting-related content has included:

  • Behind the Bets with Doug Kezirian podcast 
  • Stanford Steve and The Bear podcast (football season) 
  • Betting news, discussion segments in signature shows (SportsCenter, OTL)
  • “Bad Beats” on SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt
  • ESPN Insider content – PickCenter tools, projections, recos, analysis, news articles, etc

DraftKings Finds Another Partner With A Million Dollars At Stake

By @TheDailyPayoff

You have to give it to DraftKings for looking high and low to find not just the bigger partnerships, but the most creative niche ones to draw attention in their Mano a Mano battle with Fan Duel as leaders in daily pay sports fantasy.

It’s latest partnership came Tuesday, when DK joined forces with another “disruptor” in sports, the Boston-based, The Basketball Tournament (TBT), a single-elimination, five-on-five, winner-take-all, open-application tournament.

The pair joined forces to come up with a promotional partnership for their 2015 event, which runs in July and August on ESPN (another DraftKings partner by the way). One of the 96 teams will get some elite status as being the “official” DK entry in the field.

Here’s how it works according to the press release: In order to win the DraftKings sponsorship, teams and their fans will compete in a DraftKings daily fantasy game centered on the NBA Conference Finals. Whichever fan or TBT participant wins the contest will also win a premium experience for himself or herself, a guest, and each member of his or her team.

The DraftKings sponsorship package includes travel to a region of the team’s choice, DraftKings-sponsored uniforms, and an apparel package from other official TBT providers, including Rock ‘Em Socks and iSlides. The uniform sponsorship represents a first for DraftKings and a first for TBT as well.

The interesting aspect of the partnership is its ties to the play in the NBA Conference Finals. This way a wide number of the participants ( 96 teams in the field when it is unveiled)  makes for a solid growth pattern for a sport – hoops – that is not as much in the DK sweet spot as say baseball or the NFL. It also gives DK visibility in July when fans might be away from pay fantasy and are getting ready to gear up for NFL, which remains the big money area for pay fantasy.

“Our business is built around the passion of sports fans. The idea that anyone can build and be part of a championship team in The Basketball Tournament aligns perfectly with our DFS offering,” said Jeremy Elbaum, Vice President of Business Development at DraftKings in the release. “At DraftKings, any given day someone could skillfully create the perfect line-up and become a millionaire.”

In 2015, The Basketball Tournament will have 96 teams playing for a winner-take-all prize of $1 million. Opening rounds begin July 10-12 at regional sites in Los Angeles and Atlanta and continue July 17-19 in Chicago and Philadelphia with the winners playing down to an August 2 final in New York. ESPN’s platforms will carry a bulk of the early round games, with the semi-finals and finals airing live on ESPN as previously reported.

The question looms will this type of promotion change the game for Draft Kings? No. However like some of their other niche partnerships they are showing creativity and flexibility that brings casual sports fans to their platform and helps increase brand loyalty overall. Every time they touch a fan in a sport they are interested, they have a chance at conversion and for sure anyone interested in TBT is a core hoops fan or participant. It is low cost, with a chance at solid impact for DraftKings, and a nice talking point for an event looking to find its footing, a solid bet on a partnership for all involved.