North American Sports Network

Infobox TV channel
name= North American Sports Network
logofile=NASN Logo.png logoalt=NASN logo
launch= 5 December 2002
closed date=
share=N/A
share as of= Data Unknown
share source=
owner= ESPN, Inc.
CEO=Amory B Schwartzweb = [http://www.nasn.com/ www.nasn.com]
availability note=
terr serv 1=
terr chan 1=
terr serv 2=
terr chan 2=
sat serv 1=Sky Digital
sat chan 1=Channel 417
sat serv 2=Canal Digital
sat chan 2=Channel 23
sat serv 3=Canal Digitaal Satelliet
sat chan 3=Channel 33
sat serv 4=Canal Sat
sat chan 4=Channel 95
sat serv 5=n
sat chan 5=Channel 65
sat serv 6=SKY Italia
sat chan 6=Channel 213
sat serv 7=D-SMART Turkey
sat chan 7=Channel 79
sat serv 8=meo Satélite
sat chan 8=N/A
cable serv 1= Virgin Media
cable chan 1= Channel 533
cable serv 2= UPC Ireland
cable chan 2= Channel 410
cable serv 3= UPC Romania
cable chan 3= Channel 80
cable serv 4= Cablecom
cable chan 4= Channel 104
cable serv 5= Com Hem
cable chan 5= Channel 110
cable serv 6= Ziggo (Netherlands)
cable chan 6= Channel 412
cable serv 7= Cabovisão Digital
cable chan 7= Channel 69
cable serv 8= UPC Austria
cable chan 8= Channel 303
dummy parameter=
|

NASN, the North American Sports Network, is an European sports network, focusing on professional sports of the United States and Canada. Originally launched in December 2002, NASN broadcasts a selection of top North American professional and collegiate sports leagues (MLB, NHL, NFL, NCAA, CFL, plus more) 24 hours a day on digital cable and digital satellite. The channel has been owned by ESPN since March 2007.cite press release
title = ESPN TO ACQUIRE NASN
publisher = NASN
date =
url = http://www.nasn.com/content/nasn/portal.nsf/content/espnrelease
accessdate = 2007-08-07 ]

NASN programming

Programming on NASN varies from country to country. Currently, the channel operates at least two feeds throughout Europe. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy and the Scandinavian countries events currently seen on NASN include Major League Baseball, the College World Series, NCAA college football and college basketball, the National Hockey League and the Frozen Four plus the Arena Football League, Major League Lacrosse, and the NCAA Men's Final Four. NASN paid £11.6m in March 2006 for the rights to show ten live Major League Baseball games a week.cite news
last = Sabbagh
first = Dan
coauthors =
title = NASN to show live baseball in Europe
work =
pages =
language =
publisher = The Times
date = 2006-03-13
url = http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/article658043.ece
accessdate = 2007-08-07 ]

In 2006, ESPN programs, including "Baseball Tonight", "Around the Horn" and "Pardon the Interruption" were dropped from the schedule as the contract between NASN and ESPN ended, but they returned from 1 April 2007 when the contract was renewed.cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = ESPN Programming Is Back On NASN
work =
publisher = NASN
date =
url = http://www.nasn.com/content/nasn/portal.nsf/content/ESPNprogramming?open&region=uk
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-08-07 ]

NASN also airs other specialty single-sport programs, like "College Football Live" and "NASCAR Now".

ale to ESPN

In late 2006, NASN's owners, Benchmark Capital Europe and Setanta Sports, agreed to sell the network to ESPN for €70m.cite news
last = Hancock
first = Ciaran
coauthors =
title = Ireland: TV3 grabs Setanta stake
work =
pages =
language =
publisher = The Times
date = 2006-12-03
url = http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/article658043.ece
accessdate = 2007-08-07 ]

The sale was completed in March 2007 but NASN continues to be part of the Setanta Sports Pack on satellite television. [cite web
title = Overview of Setanta Sports Pack
publisher = Setanta.com
date =
url = http://www.setanta.com/SetantaSportsPack/Overview.aspx
accessdate = 2007-09-10]

In December 2007, it was announced that ESPN was interested in making a bid for the 2009 contract to air the FA Premier League. It also announced that it would also soon begin focusing more on UK sports, with plans to relaunch under the ESPN name, although a date was not specified. [ [http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/broadcasting/a81401/espn-wants-premier-league-rights.html Broadcasting - News - ESPN wants Premier League rights - Digital Spy ] ]

On 2 October 2008, it was announced that the channel would be rebranded as ESPN America on 1st February 2009 to coincide with Super Bowl XLIII. The channel will continue to provide its current lineup of North American sports programming.cite web
url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/broadcasting/a131634/nasn-to-become-espn-america.html
title=NASN to become ESPN America
publisher=Digital Spy
date=2008-10-02
accessdate=2008-10-02]

ee also

*Eurosport
*ESPN
*ESPN Classic (UK)
*Setanta Sports

References

External links

* [http://www.nasn.com Official NASN website]