ESPN
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HDTV Listings for April 2, 2006
What we're watching: Crash, the Academy Award Winner for Best Picture premieres tonight at 8 on Showtime. It's got plenty of competition however, with new episodes of Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, Sopranos and Cold Case all at the same time. We'll probably be checking out even more Final Four action as the women go at it tonight on ESPN-HD.Of course, you can always check out the second part of Jeremy Piven's Journey of a Lifetime on Discovery. So many choices, so few tuners on the DVR.Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
Mobile ESPN gets MLB
Not that it should come as much of a surprise that Mobile ESPN would secure content for one of the two biggest sports in the US, but they announced clip highlights, scoreboards, Fantasy team management, and team alerts for the 2006 Major League Baseball season. You know what you gotta do to get access, friends; we're thinking of joining up just to see the spectacle that is the Mets take on yet another season... on our phone.[Via Mobile Tracker]
TSN Sportscentre & CFL games in HD
Football, futbol or Canadian football, it's better in high definition, so it's certainly nice to see our neighbors to the north will be getting more of it next year. Along with every CFL game being televised, TSN (Canadian ESPN) will be showing at least 17 games in HD next year. CBC has yet to make an announcement on regular season games, but they did show last seasons Grey Cup for HDTV viewers last season, so we'll see. Also, TSN announced today that they will be switching their nightly Sportscentre program to HD in September. TSN HD will be the first Canadian broadcaster putting out daily news of any kind in high definition.
Video podcasting the Super Bowl ads
So, have you selected your favorite Super Bowl ad? I liked the giant monster and robot who gave birth to the Hummer. Yeah, it was creepy, but I laughed at the tagline, "It's a little monster."If you still haven't made your selection, you can review all of the commercials via this video podcast set up by Podcasting News. Unlike ESPN's Sports Center, you don't have to pay to watch these commercials.*Descriptions, links, and complete coverage of the Super Bowl 2006 ads can also be found by our friends over at AdJab. Check out their extensive coverage here.*Yes, I realize the Sports Center ads are free now.[Via Micro Persuasion]
ESPN content back in iTunes
It would seem that the ESPN "This is Sports Center" ads [link] that were giving people the "...not available in the US store" error in the iTunes Music Store last week are working again. Also, extended highlights and gold medal runs from the 2006 Winter X Games [link] have been added as well.Don't forget, today is "New Music Content Tuesday," in the iTMS, so hunt around to see what you can find.
New ESPN content in iTunes
Reader Radical Bender has alerted us to some additional ESPN/ABC Sports clips that have shown up in the iTunes Music Store [Link]. Specifically, the best of the X Games (both current and from the X Games 9 in Aspen), shorts from Sports Century, five episodes of Street Ball and several of the very funny "This Is Sports Center" ads. Check it out.
ESPNZone HD
Ok, so you might not be able to get the Super Bowl in HD via your cable provider, but if you live near an ESPNZone you are in luck. The ESPNZone's in New York, Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore are all going to be fully high definition in time for the big game February 5th. Now word on the exact equipment or resolutions, but ESPN is going with Philips LCD's, plasmas and projectors.The upgrade is more than just screens however, as each location is equipped with HD-compatible satellite and cable receivers, not to mention all the cabling and switching equipment that had to be upgraded. Chicago, Anaheim, Atlanta and Denver ESPNZone's won't be ready in time for the Super Bowl, but will be upgraded later this year. I've never been to one of these, but I've driven past the Las Vegas location so many times in PGR3 I feel like I have. Any HDBeat readers planning on getting their 720p fix at ESPNZone?
ESPN, ABC Sports content coming to iTunes Music Store
Sports fans rejoice! Sports programming is officially coming to the iTunes Music Store starting today. ESPN and ABC Sports will be offering sports programs on iTMS. ABC Sports programming will kick off today when condensed versions of yesterday's Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and Nokia Sugar Bowl will be available. Today's Orange Bowl and tomorrow's Rose Bowl will each be available the day after they air.Later this month we'll see content from ESPN, including The Best of the X Games, Sports Century interviews, This is Sports Center commercials, and Knight School (an upcoming reality program starring Texas Tech basketball coach Bobby Knight).The Walt Disney Company will be also be offering some new non-sports programming on iTMS later this month. Promised programs include: Wildfire - an ABC Family original series; Kim Possible, and The Proud Family - Disney Channel animated series; Soapography - SOAPnet's original biography series; America's Funniest Home Videos; School House Rock vignettes; and Ebert & Roeper episodes. iTMS will also offer free, ad-supported video podcasts from ABC News, including segments from the Good Morning America and World News Tonight webcast.As of this writing, we don't see the promised sports content on iTMS. Let us know as soon as you see it.UPDATE - 5 p.m. EST - The Fiesta Bowl and Sugar Bowl highlights are now available for $1.99 each.[via Business Wire]
