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ESPN goes on offense
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September 3, 1997: 12:06 p.m. ET
Cable channel acquires Classic Sports Network for an undisclosed amount
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - ESPN Inc. went on offense Wednesday in the battle to control the cable sports television playing field, acquiring Classic Sports Network for an undisclosed sum.
Classic Sports Network is a cable television venture launched in May 1995, featuring archival and original sports programming. It also has exclusive rights to the world's largest library of boxing films.
The New York-based network is available in about 10 million homes nationwide.
ESPN wouldn't comment on the value of the deal. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC Inc. which, in turn, is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Co.
Other cable sports ventures have emerged to challenge ESPN recently, including the teaming of CNN and Sports Illustrated to create CNNSI, a sports news network.
Perhaps an even bigger threat to ESPN could be Fox Sports Net, a joint project between Fox/Liberty Networks and Cablevision Systems Corp. that could reach as many as 55 million homes. ESPN currently is available in more than 73 million homes, with its spin-off network, ESPN2, in 51 million homes.
ESPN also has its own sports news channel, ESPNEWS, which is available in only 5 million homes.
-- Randy Schultz
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Classic Sports Network
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