ESPN, ABC & MLS Sign Major World Cup Package.

ESPN, ABC Sports and Major League Soccer have reached a multi-year, multi-faceted agreement for the live telecast of MLS matches, FIFA Men’s World Cups in 2002 and 2006 and the Women’s World Cup in 2003, it was announced by MLS Commissioner Don Garber, ESPN President George Bodenheimer and ABC Sports President Howard Katz.

ESPN’s coverage of the 2002 World Cup from Japan/Korea will begin Friday, May 31 at 7:30 a.m. ET with the event’s opening match featuring defending champion France versus first-time World Cup finalist Senegal. ESPN/ESPN2 will also feature all U.S. Men’s National Team first round matches from South Korea beginning with U.S. versus Portugal Wednesday, June 5 at 5 a.m.; against home team South Korea Monday, June 10 at 2:30 a.m.; and against Poland Friday, June 14 at 7:30 a.m.

All 2002 World Cup matches will be televised with 17 matches live on ESPN, 46 live on ESPN2 and nine on ABC Sports, including the live telecast of the title match from Yokohama, Japan, Sunday, June 30 at 7 a.m. ESPN and ESPN2 will re-air at least nine of the live telecasts later in the day.

Highlights include:

FIFA World Cups

· ESPN/ESPN2 and ABC Sports will combine to present live coverage of all matches in the 2002 and 2006 FIFA Men’s World Cups (Japan/Korea 2002 and Germany 2006).

· ESPN/ESPN2 and ABC Sports will present a minimum of 11 matches of the 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cup from China.

· FIFA World Cup matches will be aired without commercial interruptions during play. The telecasts will feature the continuous score and clock ESPN/ESPN2 and ABC Sports first introduced on American television during the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

Major League Soccer

· ESPN2, now in 82 million homes, will televise 26 live MLS matches primarily on Saturday afternoons in 2002.

· ESPN2’s telecasts will be national TV exclusives (no competing regional/national games).

· MLS and ESPN have mutually agreed to, whenever possible, schedule matches with playoff implications late in the season.

· ABC Sports to broadcast a minimum of three matches each season including the MLS Cup and MLS All-Star game

“This is a landmark agreement that combines the most valuable soccer programming in America, the World Cup and Major League Soccer,” Commissioner Garber said. “This arrangement provides the opportunity for cross-marketing, promotion, sales integration and strategic scheduling. Importantly, it keeps these properties on ABC and ESPN, America’s soccer network, for the next five years.”

Bodenheimer said: “We are pleased to bring the next three FIFA World Cup events and Major League Soccer, America’s premier league in a global sport, to soccer fans for the next several years. The World Cup is a premiere sports competition and this agreement continues our tradition of presenting the best sports to fans.”

Katz said: “Soccer has been an important part of ABC Sports’ long tradition, so it is gratifying that the next three World Cups and MLS will continue to be an important part of our schedule. We look forward to the future with our partners, ESPN and Major League Soccer.”