ESPN STAR Sports Inks Deal with Billiard Club Network
Asia’s Biggest Sports Content Provider to Showcase U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship Across the Region
December 1, 2009, St. Louis, MO – Asia’s No. 1 sports content provider ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) and Billiard Club Network (BCn) announce its first broadcast distribution agreement to showcase the 2009 U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship across Asia.
The deal gives ESS exclusive multi-platform broadcast rights including cable, satellite and terrestrial television, as well as online and mobile media rights. Billiard Club Network’s production of 13 matches featuring notable world pool superstars will be telecast across ESPN STAR Sports’ broadcast networks in 24 Asian markets. In addition to this 2009 tournament, ESS will broadcast BCn’s 2008 U.S. Open 9-Ball series.
“We are delighted to partner with Billiard Club Network to showcase their events through our extensive reach across the region on our broadcast networks and our digital media platforms,” said Manu Sawhney, Managing Director, ESPN STAR Sports. “Cue sport programming has continued to grow on ESPN STAR Sports and with the strong following for the sport in Asia, fans can look forward to the most entertaining cue sport experience on our networks.”
“ESPN provides our distribution with the star power needed to continue its growth on the international stage,” commented BCn president Rob Sykora. “This is our eighth year producing and distributing the great match-play of the U.S. Open 9-Ball and we are heartened by the growth and reach of the event’s broadcast. International TV distribution is critical for the success of any pool event and we look forward to the ESPN STAR Sports’ broadcast in Asia to provide a great break for this event and our future programs.”
Asia’s No. 1 sports content provider ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) and Billiard Club Network (BCn) announce its first broadcast distribution agreement to showcase the 2009 U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship across Asia.
In its 34th year, the U.S. Open 9-Ball has grown to a premier professional pool event due in large part to BCn’s production and TV distribution. Since 2002, when it first broadcast the U.S Open event live on Dish Network, BCn has reached more U.S. households with its cable and internet programming than any other broadcaster other than ESPN itself.
BCn’s worldwide TV distribution has reached well beyond ESPN Star Sports to include Sportsnet in Canada, Numericable in France, NTV+ and Planeta Sport in Russia, DD Sports in India, Rai Sport in Italy, along with U.S. regional sports networks Altitude Sports, Cox Sports TV, Comcast Sports, Sportsnet NY and America One. BCn also is the #1 subscribed and viewed pool and billiard channel online at YouTube, the world’s largest video portal.
ESPN STAR Sports has showcased a strong list of cue sports on its networks, such as Asia’s premier pool competition the Asian 9-Ball Tour, World Pool Championship, World 10-Ball Championship 2009, Women’s Professional 9-ball Tour, Women’s World 10-Ball Championship, Philippine Open 10-Ball Championship.