ESPN COMPLETES BIG FIGHT ACQUISITION AND ENHANCES LIBRARY

          ESPN has acquired the sports library of The Big Fights,
     Inc., which contains more than 10,000 individual pieces of
     footage dating back to the late 1800s.  ESPN will make the
     footage available to all its entities, including ESPN
     Classic Sports and ABC Sports.  ESPN will continue to
     license the footage for syndication, as well as making the
     films available worldwide.  The Big Fights footage will also
     be used to enhance special projects including the upcoming
     "SportsCentury" series (ESPN).  In N.Y., Jon Elsen reports
     that sources put the deal at $80-100M.  In addition to
     buying the library, sources say that Disney has hired Big
     Fights Founder Bill Cayton as a consultant for 12 years, "at
     roughly" $1M a year.  Others who reportedly bid on the
     library include HBO, the NBA, MSG and Fox/Liberty Sports. 
     But Elsen adds that a Fox/Liberty spokesperson denies they
     were in bid negotiations (Jon Elsen, N.Y. POST, 5/13).