ESPNews To Launch HD Service

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Sports fans enjoying ESPN HD will soon be have access a high-definition version of ESPNews beginning in March 2008.

ESPN has already signed carriage deals for ESPNNews HD with satellite provider DirecTV, Comcast and Time Warner Cable, according to network executives.

It’s the third ESPN network to offer an HD feed, following the 14 million-subscriber ESPN HD and 9.4 million-subscriber ESPN2 HD.

The ESPNews HD service will feature an innovative HD sideline graphic, which will wrap around the top left and bottom of the HD screen, according to network executives.

The HD Sideline will offer the display of textual information, headshots, news, and scores, while still delivering a window to accommodate all video highlights in the HD format. It will also offer additional content not available on the standard definition ESPNews feed, which itself will get a new, redesigned bottom line graphic.

Both the high definition and standard definition services will have increased capacity to display breaking news and news of the day.

“Our HD viewers will have an unprecedented opportunity to view pristine 16x9 HD highlights accompanied by an abundance of real-time information from all areas of the sports world,” according to Rick Paiva, ESPN's vice president of creative services in a statement.

Source: Multichannel News