Soccer fans in Washington will be able to follow all the action of today’s UEFA Champions League Quarterfinals at popular soccer bars in the area. Meanwhile if you don’t want to head out in the rain you still see the action on ESPN 360 today starting at 2:30p.m.
Damon Phillips is the executive in charge of ESPN 360 and we talked about soccer and the network.
JW: Why show the UEFA Champions League Quarterfinals at bars in Washington?
Phillips: “We wanted to partner with Verizon to offer a free gathering place for soccer fans to come and watch the best soccer in the world. So we identified bars in the area that were popular gathering places for soccer fans. We made sure that everyone will have a chance to watch games on ESPN as well as ESPN 360 on large screens and enjoy the games. But people can do the same thing at their homes or offices around the country and we hope that they do.”
JW: I have seen the quality online of ESPN 360 and it is television quality. How have you been able to accomplish that feat?
Phillips: “We pride ourselves on being a network just like any of the ESPN family of networks. With that in mind we have worked hard to make sure that tech wise our broadband picture is as close to HD quality as it possibly can be. We know that the future is headed to broadband. Over the years we have done everything possible to make sure that our fans could enjoy programming from college football to cricket on 360 and on cell phones that is totally clear and close to watching TV as possible.”
JW: Has soccer been a winner for ESPN 360?
Phillips:” It really has. We have seen great numbers from the UEFA Champions League as well as all of our Italian, German, and of course our World Cup offering have been very well received by our users. Look if you can watch a game on a 50” plasma TV at home or in a bar that is great. However if you are traveling or at the office we offer fans a very good option and one that seems to be getting more popular each and every day.”
ESPN 360 is a free service and if you have read any of my columns you know that I am a big fan of the network and that I am a big fan of watching sports on broadband. 360 is not available everywhere so you need to check with your broadband service provider.
The games today offered on ESPN and ESPN360 will be:
Bayern vs. Barcelona at 2:45p.m.
Chelsea vs. Liverpool also at 2:45p.m.
Tues., 4/7: Lucky Bar (1221 Connecticut Ave NW)
Summers Bar (1520 N. Courthouse Rd, Arlington, VA)
Fado (808 7th St. NW)
Wed., 4/8: Lucky Bar (1221 Connecticut Ave NW)
Summers Bar (1520 N. Courthouse Rd, Arlington, VA)
Ireland Four Courts (2051 Wilson Blvd)
Tues., 4/14: Lucky Bar (1221 Connecticut Ave NW)
Summers Bar (1520 N. Courthouse Rd, Arlington, VA)
Ireland Four Courts (2051 Wilson Blvd)
Wed., 4/15: Lucky Bar (1221 Connecticut Ave NW)
Summers Bar (1520 N. Courthouse Rd, Arlington, VA)
Fado (808 7th St. NW)
** All Events Run From 2:00PM – 6:00 PM; All Games Begin at 2:30 PM **
COST: Free of charge and open to all individuals 21+
