Get ready for another busy week of sports on the tube as the World Cup continues, Wimbledon gets underway and the NBA Draft hits primetime on Wednesday.
This week also caps a record-breaking month for ESPN/ABC as they have indeed proven to be the worldwide leader in sports television.
World Cup fans will have two games each day this week as the knockout round continues from Germany on ESPN and ESPN2.
The World Cup’s first round ratings are up dramatically and despite the United States’ early exit that should continue. Thus far, ratings up over 150 percent comparedto 2002.
Wimbledon served up
ESPN2 will be home to over 150 hours of live coverage from Wimbledon.
“Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova have been underseeded in the draw,” ESPN/NBC tennis expert Mary Carillo told me. “Both are former champions and deserve more respect for their success here.”
Wednesday is the NBA Draft
For the fourth straight year, ESPN will present live coverage of the NBA Draft. On Wednesday at 7 p.m. from The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, Dan Patrick will host for the first time. Patrick will be joined by analysts Jay Bilas and Greg Anthony and NBA insider Stephen A. Smith.
Bilas’ top five draft prospects: 1. Tyrus Thomas, LSU; 2. Adam Morrison, Gonzaga; 3. Brandon Roy, Washington; 4. Rudy Gay, Connecticut; 5. Shelden Williams, Duke.
Worldwide, literally
Spanning the Globe was the tagline for ABC’s “Wide World of Sports.” They certainly lived up to it in June as they have aired The NBA Finals, World Cup, French Open, PGA Golf, the NCAA College World Series, Major League Baseball and the usual number of live auto racing and studio events. Simply put, ABC did more live sports programs on TV than any other network in history from all over the world.
Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer.
