WOMEN'S SOCCER LOOKING TO THE DEUCE TO PROLONG ITS LIFETIME?

          ESPN2 and Lifetime TV "are the leading candidates to
     become the national cable carriers" for the National Soccer
     Alliance (NSA), the proposed women's soccer league,
     according to sources of Mike Reynolds of CABLE WORLD.  One
     source said ESPN2 "would give the league access to hard-core
     sports fans; Lifetime would provide female viewers."  NSA
     Exec Jen Rottenberg "confirmed that the league has spoken to
     ESPN2, Lifetime and others," but "declined to identify any
     additional outlets" when asked about Fox Sports Net and The
     Family Channel.  Reynolds adds that one network "evidently
     not interested in carrying NSA matches is Discovery
     Channel."  Discovery Networks Founder & CEO John Hendricks
     is "one of the primary investors of the league," but a
     Discovery spokesperson said that there "will be no
     programming tie-ins" with the NSA.  Reynolds also writes,
     "Several sources indicated that the league has sponsorship
     commitments from Nike, Reebok and adidas, among others,
     valued at some $8 million" (CABLE WORLD, 10/13 issue).