ESPN kicks off Winter X Games 15 broadcasts in HD, 3D & on mobiles tomorrow
After kicking off its original 3D productions with X Games 16 last summer and airing X Games 3D The Movie back in '09, ESPN is preparing to cover Winter X Games 15 all weekend across its various platforms as well. The schedule is set for 24 hours of HD sports broadcasts on ESPN and ESPN2, while ESPN 3D is set up for 18 hours of action across nine individual windows. ESPN3 is also getting in on the action with 34 hours of coverage including 10 hours of exclusive coverage and streaming video, while ESPN Mobile TV is carrying 23 hours of coverage and owners of Android or iOS devices can snag the Winter X Games app for even more information. Along with 56 HD cameras and 13 3D cameras, the I-Movix ultra slow motion camera from the Beijing Olympics will be back in action as the Mega Mo providing replays captured at 4500 frames per second. Check the press releases after the break for more details and all the schedules and the above ESPN 3D spot.
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Eighteen Hours of Original Content on ESPN 3D
As part of the networks' continuing goal of being the leading content provider of action sports content, ESPN and ESPN2 will combine to televise 24 hours of live programming from Winter X Games 15, Jan. 27-30, in Aspen, Colo. In addition to the 24 original hours on ESPN and ESPN2, the Worldwide Leader in Action Sports will present 18 hours of Winter X Games 15 competition in 3D on ESPN 3D. Winter X Games 15 content will also be distributed across ESPN's family of international networks and global platforms, including ESPN3.com, ESPN.com/Action, ESPN Mobile TV and X Center.
Winter X Games 15 will be delivered to more than 382 million homes and will be televised live to 154 countries and territories, including Africa, Asia, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Caribbean, Europe, Israel, Mexico, Middle East, New Zealand and South America.
"It is always our mission to serve the fan." said Scott Guglielmino, Senior Vice President Programming and Global X Events." With the addition of 18 hours of original 3D coverage, including all the ski and snowboard action from the SuperPipe, Slopestyle and Big Air events, and exclusive content on ESPN3.com, we will once again deliver the most compelling winter action sports content to fans on more platforms than ever."
• Television: ESPN and ESPN2 will combine to televise 24 hours of live Winter X Games 15 action and will produce eight individual windows of original competition. Additionally, ESPN 3D will feature nine windows of original competition. X Center, ESPN2's Winter X Games highlight show, will also air each night of the event.
Hosted by Sal Masekela, the X Games telecast will once again feature a talented collection of on-air commentators. ESPN anchor Dana Jacobson will return to host Jeep X Center nightly on ESPN2. Each episode of Jeep X Center will run for one hour in length and will air a short time after the Winter X Games telecast. Veteran X Games commentators Keir Dillon, Chris Ernst and Jamie Little will collectively host 18 hours of live Winter X Games 15 coverage on ESPN 3D.
A roster of action sports experts including Kevin Pearce, Mike Douglas, Zach Crist, Keir Dillon and Chris Burandt will join Masekela for the Winter X Games 15 telecast and serve as analysts for the Skiing, Snowboarding and Snowmobile events. Winter X Games athlete Sarah Burke will join the telecast as a reporter.
In 2010, ESPN recorded its highest-rated and most-viewed Winter X Games ever. On ESPN, Winter X Games 14 averaged a 1.2 rating, 1,147,000 homes and 1,628,000 viewers (P2+). On ESPN2, Winter X Games 14 averaged a 0.5 rating, 465,000 homes and 635,000 viewers (P2+).
* ESPN3.com: ESPN3.com will distribute 34 hours of coverage from Winter X Games 15, including 10 hours of exclusive content and streaming video of competition,
* Online: ESPN.com/Action will provide on-site event coverage every day of Winter X Games 15. The 24/7 action sports website will feature live results, athlete chats, live video hosted by ESPN3.com, expert commentary with audience participation, event recaps, ZOOM photo galleries, feature stories and exclusive behind-the-scenes video. ESPN.com/Action will also be the exclusive home for Snowboard Real Snow fan voting.
* Mobile: ESPN Mobile TV will carry 23 hours of live coverage of Winter X Games 15, in addition to four hours of simulcast coverage of Days One through Four late night highlight shows. ESPN Mobile TV will also deliver encore content from Winter X Games 14 Classix. ESPN Mobile TV viewers will also be able to participate in text voting opportunities and receive 24/7 mobile alerts.
The Winter X Games 15 mobile app will be available on Android and iPhone/iPod Touch devices. The X Games 15 app features complete venue info, customizable schedules, athlete bios, results, photo galleries and more. The app can be downloaded for free by texting GUIDE to 43776 or visiting XGames.com/App.
* ESPN On Demand: TV and Mobile On Demand will carry new Winter X Games 15 content, including daily highlights, Best of Ski, Best of Snowboard and Best of Snowmobile. On Demand will also carry past highlights from Winter X Games 12, Winter X Games 13, Winter X Games14 and Shaun White titles.
* ESPN International: In addition to all the content on ESPN's U.S. based media platforms, Winter X Games 15 will be televised in more than 154 countries and territories to more than 60 million homes, including live coverage in Africa, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Caribbean, Central America, Europe, Israel, Mexico, Middle East, New Zealand and South America. The event will also be simulcast on ESPN's international broadband platforms in 12 countries.
* iTunes: From Jan. 26 - Jan.30, iTunes will feature a Winter X Games 15 page. The page will include current Winter X Games 15 content (daily highlights and discipline highlights), ESPN Films 30 for 30: The Birth of Big Air, Shaun White: Don't Look Down, Moto X: Evolution of the Trick, and Down the Barrel. The Winter X Games page will also feature Winter X 15 music playlists from our on-air broadcast and Winter X 15 Phone Aps. www.iTunes.com/WinterXGames
* Xbox LIVE: Winter X Games 15 content will include daily highlights, Best of Ski, Best of Snowboard and Best of Snowmobile. Live coverage on ESPN3.com is also available to Xbox LIVE Gold level members who receive their Internet service from an affiliated provider.
* YouTube: ESPN will produce exclusive behind-the-scenes segments from Winter X Games 15, which will live on ESPN's X Games YouTube channel. The behind the scenes segments will be produced by the ESPN Digital Media team and will feature daily content giving fans a unique point of view from Winter X Games 15 venues. All Winter X Games 15 content can be found by visiting youtube.com/xgames.
* Social Media: The X Games page on Facebook will feature a Winter X Games 15 photo gallery, live streaming video of events on the "X Cast" tab, athlete chats and a daily X Fest show: Inside X. The page will also host a custom tab integrating ESPN.com/action's headlines, the X Games YouTube channel and direct links to XGames.com event information. Facebook.com/XGames
Fans who follow the X Games on Twitter will be provided with instant event updates, breaking news, results and a behind-the-scenes look at Winter X Games 15. Twitter.com/XGames
ESPN has produced an official X Games brand page at Foursquare.com/xgames which will allow fans, athletes and spectators to check-in at the Winter X Games while in Aspen.
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3D and HD Technology
ESPN and ESPN2 will offer 24 hours of LIVE Winter X Games 15 content in high-definition, Jan. 27 through Jan. 30, 2011 from Aspen, Colo. ESPN 3D will telecast 18 hours of LIVE Winter X Games content and ESPN3.com will simulcast all 15 hours. In addition to coverage of all Winter X Games 15 competitions, X Center, the daily highlight show for the Winter X Games, will also be shown in HD on ESPN2.
HD PRODUCTION TRUCKS & CAMERAS
Trucks: 8
Cameras: Approximately 56
X Center: Entire show will be shot in HD and all highlights featured will be in HD.
3D PRODUCTION TRUCKS & CAMERAS
Trucks: 2
Cameras: Approximately 13
TECHNOLOGY
Huck Tower
The Huck Tower, a 30-foot high LED tower, will display the height of individual runs in real time during each contest. Television viewers will also see graphic inserts that display the amplitude LIVE and in replays. The technology is powered by the ESPN Emerging Technology team, which plays a major role in the Winter X Games television coverage.
At Winter X Games 15, the Huck Tower will be driven by video tracking. Four small form factor HD cameras will be placed and calibrated down each side of the SuperPipe. The footage from these cameras will then be stitched together. Using proprietary software, the athlete will be identified, isolated and tracked for their entire run. The height data will be displayed in real-time on the Huck Tower.
Quickscore
"Quickscore" is an instant scoring system used to report run scores for the Snowboard Street competition at Winter X Games 15.
Mega Mo
This Ultra-Slow-Motion device, also know as I-Movix, records up to 4500 frames per second allowing for incredibly clear and detailed replays. Mega Mo technology will be used in all Winter X Games 15 event telecasts. Two separate I-Movix cameras will be used as part of the larger telecast.
CAMERAS
FlyCam
An aerial camera, on a cable, that provides high speed tracking shots from well above the field of play. ESPN will use three Fly Cams for the Winter X Games 15 production. A 3D Fly Cam will be placed on the long straight away of the Snowboarder X and Skier X course. The camera travels at speeds up to 90 miles per hour, and covers a distance of 1,600 feet, which will provide dramatic shots of the fastest portion of the course. A 2D Fly Cam will be positioned on the Big Air course, which will capture the amplitude of the athletes and the athleticism of their tricks. A 2D Fly Cam will also be used on the Snowmobile venue to showcase the speed and thrills of all the Snowmobile events.
Strada Crane
An individual camera attached to a 90 foot long crane that will provide sweeping views of the SuperPipe and Slopestyle courses.
Robotic Camera
The Winter X Games 15 telecast will feature 17 robotic cameras that will be placed in custom housing with windshield wipers. The X Course alone will feature 8 cameras to help capture unique shots of all the competitions.
Followcams
Individual cameras which are attached to engineered rigs and carried by cameramen on skis. Followcams will be used to cover the action on the Big Air, SuperPipe and Slopestyle courses.
GRAPHICS
Neartime Visual Effects
ESPN will be introducing a new form of on-air graphics for the Winter X Games 15 telecast. "Neartime Visual Effects," developed by ESPN's Emerging Technology team, takes an entirely new approach to on-air graphics and allows the production team to display information in a unique way that naturally blends in with the environment.
AUDIO
Winter X Games 15 will be telecast in discreet 5.1 surround sound.
ESPN HD FACTS
ESPN HD Launch Date: March 31, 2003
ESPN2 HD Launch Date: Jan. 5, 2005
ESPNEWS HD Launch Date: March 30, 2008
ESPN 3D Launch Date: June 11, 2010
WINTER X GAMES 15 LIVE TELECAST SCHEDULE
DATE/TIME NETWORK COMPETITIONS
Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011
7:30 p.m. - 8:15 p.m. ESPN3.com Skiing SuperPipe Women's Elimination
9:30 p.m. - 11 p.m. ESPN3.com Skiing SuperPipe Men's Elimination
Thursday, Jan. 27, 2011
12 p.m. - 3 p.m. ESPN2 Skiing Slopestyle Men's Elimination
Snowmobile Freestyle Elimination
12 p.m. - 2 p.m. ESPN 3D Skiing Slopestyle Men's Elimination
3 p.m. - 4 p.m. ESPN3.com Skiing Slopestyle Women's Final
9 p.m. - 11 p.m. ESPN Snowboard SuperPipe Men's Elimination
Snowmobile Freestyle Final
9 p.m. - 12 a.m. ESPN 3D Snowboard SuperPipe Men's Elimination
Skiing Slopestyle Women's Final *
Skiing SuperPipe Women's Final
11 p.m. - 12 a.m. ESPN3.com Skiing SuperPipe Women's Final
1 a.m. - 2 a.m. ESPN2 X Center
Friday, Jan. 28, 2011
11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. ESPN3.com Snowboard X Men's and Women's Seeding
12 p.m. - 3 p.m. ESPN2 Skiing Slopestyle Women's Final *
Skiing SuperPipe Women's Final *
Snowboard Slopestyle Men's Elimination
1 p.m. - 3 p.m. ESPN 3D Snowboard Slopestyle Men's Elimination
2 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. ESPN3.com Skier X Men's and Women's Seeding
4 p.m. - 5 p.m. ESPN3.com Snowmobile Speed & Style Men's
Seeding
7 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. ESPN Skiing SuperPipe Men's Final
Snowboard Best Method
Snowmobile Speed & Style Final
Snowboard Big Air Final
7 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. ESPN 3D Skiing SuperPipe Men's Final
Snowboard Best Method
Snowboard SuperPipe Men's Elimination
Snowboard Big Air Final
Skiing Slopestyle Women's Final *
Skiing SuperPipe Women's Final *
12 a.m. - 1 a.m. ESPN2 X Center
Saturday, Jan. 29, 2011
11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. ESPN3.com Mono Skier X Qualifying
Snowboard SuperPipe Women's Elimination
Snowboarder X Men's
4 p.m. - 6 p.m. ESPN2 Snowboarder X Women's Finals
ESPN3.com Skiing Slopestyle Men's Final
4:30 p.m. - 6 p.m. ESPN 3D Skiing Slopestyle Men's Final
9 p.m. - 11 p.m. ESPN & ESPN 3D Snowboard SuperPipe Women's Final
Skiing Big Air Final
12 a.m. - 1 a.m. ESPN2 X Center
Sunday, Jan. 30, 2011
12:30 p.m. - 6 p.m. ESPN Snowboard Slopestyle Women's Final
Skier X Men's & Women's Finals
Snowmobile SnoCross Final
Snowmobile SnoCross Adaptive Final
Snowboarder X Men's Final *
Mono Skier X Final
Snowboard Slopestyle Men's Final
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. ESPN 3D Snowboard Slopestyle Women's Final
3:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. ESPN 3D Snowboard Slopestyle Men's Final
7 p.m. - 10 p.m. ESPN Snowboard Street Final*
Snowmobile Best Trick Final
Snowboard SuperPipe Men's Final
8:30 p.m. - 10 p.m. ESPN 3D Snowboard SuperPipe Men's Final
10 p.m. - 11 p.m. ESPN2 X Center
Times and events listed are Eastern Time (ET) and are subject to change. Please consult your local listings.
All events are telecast live, unless marked with *
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