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ABC Sports is a division of ABC, responsible for the televising of many sports events on the network.
As of 2006, the division is very tightly integrated with ESPN - which, like ABC, is controlled by The Walt Disney Company - but remains nominally separate from the cable network. For example, ESPN pays the NBA for its television rights and buys time on ABC to air select games. This is noted in copyright beds at the conclusion of the telecasts, i.e. "The Preceding Program has been paid for ESPN, Inc."
Between 2000-2002, many ABC Sports programs utilized graphics almost identical to those of ESPN. One notable exception was Monday Night Football. Now, ABC changes graphics each fall.
George Bodenheimer is president of both ABC Sports and ESPN, Inc.
Trivia
When ABC was airing the Saturday morning cartoon series Laff-A-Lympics between 1976 and 1979, commentators Snagglepuss and Mildew Wolf were drawn to be wearing the then-traditional yellow jackets of ABC Sports commentators.
ABC usually carries the biggest events started on ESPN, like the Little League World Series, PGA events, and the National Spelling Bee.
ABC has carried the Indianapolis 500 every year since 1964, or the 58th running.
Programs over the years
- Monday Night Football (1970-2005, now on ESPN)
- Monday Night Baseball (1976-1988, telecasts moved to Thursday for 1989)
- Baseball Night in America (1994 and 1995)
- The NBA on ABC (1965-1973; 2002-present)
- The NHL on ABC (1992-1994, 1999-2004)
- College football (1961-present, former home of exclusive NCAA package, currently first pick of ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-10 matchups, Saturday nights beginning in 2006)
- Summer Olympic Games (1968, 1972, 1976, 1984)
- Winter Olympic Games (1964, 1968, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988)
- World Cup Soccer (1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010)
- British Open golf
- U.S. Open golf (early 1960s-1994, now on NBC)
- Indianapolis 500 (since 1964)
- Allstate 400 at the Brickyard (1994-2000; will return in 2007)
- Wide World of Sports (1961-1996 as a series, a blanket title since)
- Pro Bowlers Tour (1962-1989)
- Little League World Series (since 1967)
- X Games (since 1997, began on ESPN and ESPN2 in 1995)
Main Competitors
Logos
External link
ABC network shows | ABC Sports | ESPN | American sports announcers
"ABC Sports"