ESPN Unveils Full Presenter Line-up
ESPN, which has launched its new UK channel this week, has announced its main line-up of broadcasting talent, with the addition of six new hosts and commentators for its live coverage of 46 Barclays Premier League, 30 Clydesdale Bank Premier League matches and other key international football matches.
Rebecca Lowe will be the new co-host of ESPN’s football coverage, joining Ray Stubbs. Mark Chapman, Kelly Cates and Darrell Currie will also join Lowe and Stubbs on the presenting team Jon Champion and Derek Rae will be ESPN’s commentators, with years of top flight match commentary between them.
Rebecca Lowe’s rise to fame through the BBC’s Talent Search for a football reporter has lead her to work on Final Score, Football Focus and Match of the Day, as well as reporting from the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.
Heading up ESPN’s Barclays Premier League match commentary as Chief Commentator, Jon Champion brings with him over 20 years of broadcasting experience, from FA Cup and Premier League matches through to cricket, swimming and rugby.
Sports presenter, journalist, BBC 5 Live anchor and Radio 1 DJ, Mark Chapman has recently presented Match of the Day, anchoring the BBCs live coverage of Italy v Northern Ireland.
Chapman has also hosted Five’s live Serie A coverage, Football Italiano, as well as its weekly football show, Football Night.
Having established herself as one of the main faces of Sky Sports News, Kelly Cates (formerly Kelly Dalglish) also went on to cover the World Cup and European Championships.
ESPN secured the rights to 46 Barclays Premier League games for the 2009/10 season. The new ESPN channel begins its top flight football coverage on Saturday 15th August at 5.30 pm with the clash between Everton and Arsenal, last season’s 4th and 5th place finishers, at Goodison Park.
The Scottish Premier League awarded Sky Sports and ESPN the exclusive live rights to Clydesdale Bank Premier League games for the next five seasons. ESPN’s opening live coverage of the season will feature the 7:45pm fixture between Dundee United and Hearts on Saturday 17th August.
ESPN plans to make its new live sports coverage widely available across multiple pay-TV platforms. As part of this distribution strategy, ESPN has already reached agreements for its coverage to be retailed by Sky and Virgin Media.
