Wide World Of Scores: ESPN Launching Int'l Scoreboard Site

Bodenheimer Discusses ESPN's Plan For Int'l Scoreboard Web Site

ESPN in '08 will launch ScoreCenter.com, "which eventually will provide live scores for 23 sports in 180 countries," according to Paul Gough of the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. ESPN/ABC President George Bodenheimer, speaking to investors and analysts at the UBS media conference in N.Y., indicated that "the goal is to provide live scoring from every significant sport on Earth." The Web site will "encompass six languages and have country-specific content and advertising." Bodenheimer said, "I believe this is ESPN's most international product." The site will be managed by ESPN units in Bristol, Connecticut, N.Y., London and Bangalore, India (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 12/4).  Bodenheimer added that ESPN "isn't threatened by the proliferation of RSNs and league-centric networks" such as NFL Network and Big Ten Network. Bodenheimer said, "Our business is so far beyond looking at (linear) ratings ... we have left that business model in the dust. Anything that grows the popularity of sports is right in our wheelhouse" (CABLEFAX DAILY, 12/4). Bodenheimer also indicated that ESPN is seeing a 50% "premium on CPMs via geotargeting of online ads." Additionally, ESPN 360 will have 2,500 events this year, and will be in over 20 million HHs by February. Bodenheimer said, "I'm not sure of any other media company that has a similar model as we do with ESPN 360 ... this feels a lot like ESPN in the beginning" (PAIDCONTENT.com, 12/3).  Meanwhile, ESPN in August '08 will debut ESPNU in HD, which is projected to air more than 200 HD events in its first year (ESPN).

RSN EFFECT: Liberty President & CEO Greg Maffei, whose company will acquire several RSNs when its acquisition of DirecTV from News Corp. closes, said at the UBS conference, "These RSNs are good businesses, but they're scary to the degree that you're cutting deals with these content owners, the leagues or the teams, and then you're turning around and trying to collect good rents from the distributors." Maffei "several times ... mentioned the 'enormous' nature of sports costs, saying he didn't know when consumers and distributors will decide enough is enough." Maffei: "We like the sports business both as a way of pushing our differentiated offerings at Direct, we like to some degree the cash flow asset that we have, but I'm worried about investing too heavily given those risks.(CABLEFAX DAILY, 12/4).