ABC’s ESPN Block to Launch September 2

NEW YORK, August 11: ESPN will become the brand for all
sports programming carried on ABC, replacing ABC Sports, beginning with the
launch of college football season on September 2.

ESPN on ABC will
begin with the College Football Countdown, followed by regional college
football games that day. The first prime-time college football series on
broadcast television, Saturday Night Football, will launch at 8 p.m. with Notre Dame at Georgia
Tech.

"Our collection of multimedia sports assets is
unmatched in the industry, and we will now extend the ESPN brand across all
platforms," said George Bodenheimer, the president of ESPN and ABC Sports
and co-chairman of Disney Media Networks. "ESPN has been infused with ABC
Sports' history of innovation, and we are committed to building upon that legacy
as we continue to serve fans and our partners more effectively through ESPN on
ABC.”

The network will acquire NASCAR's Nextel Cup next year. ABC
already features the NBA finals, Indy 500, Rose Bowl, Belmont Stakes, British
Open, World Cup, WNBA, MLS and the Little League World Series, broadcasting 500
hours of sports a year.