Hello Celebritys

Today our company took an historic step forward with the launch of the ESPN network in the UK. This is an incredible feat. In less than six weeks since winning the rights to Barclay’s Premier League, we have launched with a full programming lineup and extensive distribution--a record time frame, even for ESPN.

ESPN in the UK joins sister networks ESPN America and ESPN Classic, and will launch throughout the UK via distribution agreements with SKY, Virgin Media and others, in both standard definition and high definition. It will showcase our 46 live Barclay's Premier League matches, one of the world's most sought after sports properties, beginning August 15 with Everton vs. Arsenal.

In addition, fans will also see a great mix of international and U.S. sports on the new network including recently acquired events like the Clydesdale Bank Premier League from Scotland, the TOP 14 ORANGE-French Rugby Championship, the FIBA European Basketball Championship, UFC events and, reminiscent of the early days of ESPN in the U.S., the Australian Football League.

Top-level talent with experience at the BBC, ITV, Sky and other established media companies have all agreed to join us at launch, a striking demonstration of the impact we are having in the marketplace. Ray Stubbs, Rebecca Lowe, Mark Chapman, Kelly Cates, Darrell Curries, and Jon Champion are joining ESPN. We are also pleased to be tapping into our existing expertise as Derek Rae will join the group to call Scottish Football. All are household names to sports fans in the UK, and we are proud to have them with us at the outset.

Extending our brand in Europe is a critical component to the future growth of our company, so today's launch is a win for us all. Special recognition and my sincere gratitude goes to everyone in London, Bristol and New York whose tireless work ethic and determination to succeed led to today's ESPN milestone.