ESPN to televise the II World Cup of Softball - (women)

[fastball]

Subject: ESPN to televise the II World Cup of Softball 
Date: Wed, 8 Mar 2006 13:08:49 -0600 
From: "Brian McCall" <bmccall(at)softball.org> 



ESPN to televise the II World Cup of Softball
March 8, 2006

 

Oklahoma City, OK—The Amateur Softball Association of America
(ASA) announced today that it has reached an agreement with ESPN
that makes ESPN networks the exclusive domestic home of the II
World Cup of Softball, July 13-17 in Oklahoma City.

 

In 2005, over 18,000 fans attended the five-day event where Japan
upset the USA, the 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist, 3-1. Fans from
over 30 different states visited Oklahoma City with over $1 million
generated in economic impact. The event was televised in over
20 different countries and watched by over six million U.S. households.


ESPN and ESPN2 will offer six live telecasts, highlighted by
the ESPN2 telecast of the July 17 championship game from the
ASA Hall of Fame Complex in Oklahoma City.  ESPN will televise
all five of Team USA’s round robin games against China, Japan,
Great Britain, Australia and Canada.  A detailed broadcast schedule
is below:

Date                                       Game             
                       Time (Eastern)
Thursday, July 13                USA vs. Australia          
      7:30 PM 
Friday, July 14                      USA vs. China          
           7:00 PM
Saturday, July 15                 USA vs. Canada            
     12:00 PM
Saturday, July 15                 USA vs. Japan             
       8:00 PM
Sunday, July 16                   USA vs. Great Britain     
    1:00 PM
Monday, July 17                  Championship Game         9:00
PM 

"ESPN has done a terrific job in broadcasting softball events
throughout the world and we are excited to continue our relationship
with them," said Ron Radigonda, Executive Director of the ASA.
 “This world class event brings tremendous exposure to our sport
as we continue to emphasize the ever increasing global competitiveness.”

“Our team is looking forward to bringing the Cup back where it
belongs”, adds USA Softball Women’s National Team Head Coach
Mike Candrea.   “Japan really took it to us last year in the
Championship Game so trying to find ways to motivate our team
won’t be a problem.” 

“Softball has been a ratings winner for our networks and we couldn’t
be more pleased than to feature the USA Softball Women’s National
Team in one of the biggest events of the year” said Laura Sandillo,
ESPN’s Strategic Program Planner.  “Last year’s inaugural World
Cup was a complete success and we expect an even better event
in 2006.”         

Tulsa, OK-based Winnercomm will handle all aspects of the television
broadcast related services including sponsorship sales, remote
production and production design.  Leverage Sports (New York
City) has also been retained for national sponsorship sales.
      

The final details for global distribution are still being finalized
but will at minimum include deals in Asia, parts of Europe, Latin
America, Central America, Canada and Australia.  ESPN will also
have rights for all its new media platforms including Mobile
ESPN (the company's new mobile phone), ESPN.com and ESPN360 (broadband).


Tickets for the II World Cup of Softball are now on sale and
can be purchased by visiting www.softballoutlet.com or by calling
1-800-654-8337. All-session reserved seats are $50 and all-session
general admission tickets are available for $30. 

Fans can also purchase the Ultimate Fan package which includes
an all-session reserved seat in the premier section of the stadium,
a personalized replica jersey and dinner with Team USA as well
as an autograph session with the team. The Ultimate Fan Package
can be purchased for only $250. 

II World Cup of Softball
The II World Cup of Softball, a 6-team tournament sanctioned
by the International Softball Federation (ISF), will feature
the best fast pitch softball players in the world competing for
their respective national teams. The six teams invited to participate
in the event will compete in pool play from July 13-July 16.
The top two teams from pool play will be seeded into the Championship
Game while the remaining teams to battle for third and fifth
place respectively.  

ESPN AND ASA
Last September, ESPN and the Amateur Softball Association reached
an agreement affording the sport with guaranteed windows of programming
for mutually agreed upon softball content including the USA Softball
Women’s National Team and the ASA Gold 18-Under National Championship.
  

ASA AND WINNERCOMM
Last October, the ASA signed a sales and production related services
agreement with Tulsa, OK-based Winnercomm allowing for unprecedented
full service agency representation and broadcast design for softball
related content on ESPN.  The ASA and Winnercomm are currently
seeking business partners interested in targeting teenage girls
and adult men and women with an active family oriented lifestyle.

ABOUT THE ASA
The Amateur Softball Association, founded in 1933, is the National
Governing Body of softball in the United States and a member
of the United States Olympic Committee. The ASA has become one
of the nation’s largest sports organizations and now sanctions
competition in every state through a network of 87 local associations.
The ASA has grown from a few hundred teams in the early days
to over 240,000 teams today, representing a membership of more
than three million. For more information on the ASA, visit www.asasoftball.com.

ABOUT WINNERCOMM
Winnercomm, Inc. is America’s largest independent sports production,
program development, marketing services and sales representation
company with offices in Tulsa, Dallas, New York, Chicago and
Nashville.  Winnercomm-produced telecasts have won 12 Emmy Awards.
 The company produces over 1,000 hours of programming annually
for ESPN and 13 other networks and owns the high-flying Skycam
that has produced the unique overhead shots on ABC's Monday Night
Football and ESPN's Sunday Night Football.  Winnercomm programming
includes horse racing (NTRA), professional rodeo (PRCA Wrangler
National Finals Rodeo, Wrangler ProRodeo Winter and Summer Tours,
Pace Picante Finales, Xtreme Bulls), soccer (MLS, U.S. Soccer),
bowling (PBA), lacrosse (MLL), softball (ASA/USA World Cup of
Softball), cheerleading and dance (Varsity Brands), golf (LPGA,
Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational, People vs. the Pros, Trump
Million Dollar Invitational), fishing (BASS), snowmobile and
ATV racing (PowerSports Entertainment), hunting, sporting dogs,
adventure and original entertainment. 

ABOUT LEVERAGE SPORTS AGENCY

Leverage Sports Agency, LLC is a full sports service sports marketing
agency focused on sponsorship sales for leagues, events and television
properties with offices in NYC, Boston, Chicago and Charlotte.
 Leverage Sports works with the National Lacrosse League, ASA/USA
Softball, NASCAR, Champions Cup Tennis Tour, America's Swim and
Fitness Festival among other events and sports properties.

 

 
From: "Brian McCall" <bmccall(at)softball.org> 
 

 

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