Xbox Live to sport ESPN content

ESPN is the latest media company bringing its content to the mostly young male aud of Microsoft's Xbox Live.

Disney-owned sports net is bringing a broad array of sporting events and programming to the service, through which users can download video onto the Xbox 360 vidgame console.

Content going to Xbox Live includes college football and basketball games, Summer X Games, "The World Series of Poker" and videogame reality show "Madden Nation."

All of the programming also is available for download on Apple's iTunes. A small portion of the video, including NCAA games, will be available to download in high definition via Xbox Live, which is the only digital download service with high-def content.

"Establishing this relationship with Microsoft on Xbox 360 provides an innovative way to reach our target demographic," said Matt Murphy, senior veep of digital video distribution for Disney and ESPN Media Networks.

ESPN sibling the Walt Disney Studios started making its movies available for digital rental on Xbox Live this summer. Other media companies on the service include CBS, MTV Networks, New Line, Paramount and Warner Bros.

ESPNU Scores More Fans, Via Time Warner Deal

ESPNU, the 2-year-old network launched in response to College Sports Television (CSTV), will double its distribution this month, thanks to a sprawling deal between parent company Disney and Time Warner Cable.

TWC will make the channel available on its digital basic tier to 10 million of its subscribers by Sept. 1, taking ESPNU's availability to 20 million homes in time for football season, when it promises 70 games.

The rollout includes homes in New York by Aug. 30 and Los Angeles by Aug. 31.

ESPNU also stands to gain TWC subscribers quickly, since its deal gives it promised distribution to all TWC customers with digital basic--and more customers from a lower basic tier are upgrading. So far, 68% of TWC's 14.6 million customers have digital basic.

ESPNU's distribution bump is an outgrowth of a broader deal with Disney that gave TWC the rights to carry its owned-and-operated ABC stations and other benefits, such as providing a Disney Channel subscription VOD offering. In exchange, Disney received promises for distribution for a slew of cable channels, including ESPNU. The deal also included a renegotiation of the sub fees TWC would pay Disney for carriage of ESPN and ESPN2.

ESPNU launched in some 3 million homes in 2005.

ESPN, MediaFLO USA, Verizon Align for New Mobile TV Channel

SAN DIEGO/LOS ANGELES/BASKING RIDGE, July 26: ESPN, MediaFLO USA and Verizon Wireless have teamed up for the delivery of the first mobile TV channel dedicated to action sports, EXPN, on Verizon’s V CAST Mobile TV, complementing X Games coverage.

EXPN will carry exclusive mobile coverage of competitions, behind-the-scenes action and commentary from X Games 13. The new mobile TV channel will be available for the duration of X Games 13. The new dedicated channel will feature live coverage of events provided by ESPN for eight hours each day from August 2 through August 5, everything from practices to qualifying events to event finals, a daily "Best of the X Games" segment that will show viewers all of the extreme highlights, and an ESPN debut of a double box segment during the rally car races that will give fans the opportunity to see the race from each driver's viewpoint as they compete side-by-side. Highlights of previous years' X Games also will be shown on the EXPN from July 22 through August 1, and "Best of the X Games" and X Game 13 replays will air August 6 through August 7.

"X Games fans want to see the action as it happens,” stated John Zehr, the senior VP of digital media production at ESPN. “By teaming with MediaFLO USA to offer this channel through Verizon Wireless, ESPN is reaffirming our commitment to our fans by showing all the extreme action while expanding our multi-platform approach. Through this dedicated channel, X fans will see Travis Pastrana's practice runs or Shaun White grab big air during the skateboarding finals even if they aren't near a big-screen TV."

ESPN to Air on Gas Station Pumps

ESPN will provide 45-second telecasts to Gas Station TV's Internet-based, at-the-pump television network. The first viewers are in Atlanta, Dallas and Houston, where 1,000 gas pumps sport the screens. ESPN says: "It's another opportunity for fans to be able to watch us." according to LA Times.