ESPN

Nix’s contract was expiring and not renewed.

Nix will be replaced on College Football Live by Kelsey Riggs, who joined ESPN in 2019 as a host at the ACC Network.

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ESPN’s live coverage of 2023-24 NFL season starts tomorrow (September 8).

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It’s not known yet if the Toy Story Sunday Football will be shown live in Australia.

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Globally, it will be available in more than 95 markets live and/or replay.

The 95 markets may not include Australia, even if ESPN has pay TV rights to the NFL here.

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I guess the feeling is “I don’t see why they wouldn’t at least have it on replay”, but it would obviously be a Disney+ only thing here (it’s not even on linear TV on ESPN in the US, being relegated to ESPN+).

I doubt they’ll bother having it live here though, it *is* a game out of London that starts at 12.30am AEDT. The timeslot works very well in the US to try this though, 9.30am Eastern.

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New NBL graphics?

That whole game is ESPN+ exclusive (outside of the teams’ home markets)

These seem to have been introduced for the NBL Blitz pre-season tournament, where they have used the NBL1 graphics for the other pre-season games. They only refreshed their graphics last year for the NBL though, but they could be new for this season. They do give off Fox Sports vibes though.

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On Kayo Freebies, so maybe that’s why?

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It’s basically just a fresh lick of paint on the NBL1 graphics; it might be the basis of what they’re looking at when they put the full stats system behind it in the season proper, but again it might not.

The Blitz being on Kayo Freebies part isn’t new, it’s at least the second year they’ve done that.

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Yeah maybe though these graphics are new “Fox-style” basketball graphics (given these games are exclusive to Fox through Kayo Freebies) while ESPN will continue with the normal ones.

I wouldn’t say they’re Fox-style so much, besides the black.

They use the “Connected Stadium” setup that FIBA offer to leagues and federations; the NBL1 look is the default yet this looks like an upgraded skin - it looks more like the current FIBA font (that they use for their logo, and in their LiveStats app, such as used by the WNBL site) than anything else. That FIBA link has example images of their software, of which one helpfully appears to be from or based on the final of the 2019 NBL1 South [the first season after the old SEABL], so :upside_down_face:.

The NBL often used the Connected Stadium stuff while Basketball Australia were in control of the league (ie. up to a few years ago), albeit with their own skin - and certainly an elaborate skin while One HD had the rights (example from the 2012/13 grand final series) but I recall it still being FIBA gear behind it. Although the new ownership would likely use it too, they’ve at least gone out of their way to hook it up with the stadium clocks and shot clock.

Usually the giveaway that they haven’t tried to integrate it with the stadium clocks are things like no 10ths of seconds on the clock and the leading zeroes on the minutes, by default (and often being out of sync with the clocks on the court if they’re not careful). I seem to recall that phase of the NBL eventually fixed that (and the current NBL definitely have) but I doubt that’d be in the cheapest/default package, which’d be flatly aimed for lower leagues and streaming.

Notably this was just in Australia, as Sky NZ use their own system for Breakers home games - they still do, although they at least try to match the Australian graphics now rather than actually having them Sky Sport branded like they did in that era [I guess partly because the NBL logo then was based on Basketball Australia’s logo, so…].

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We have the answer to this now - on the ESPN side at least in AUS/NZ, the Toy Story special of the London NFL game will be on ESPN2 live (so at 12.30am AEDT), opposite the usual coverage on the first channel.

I’m sure it’ll end up on Disney+ too obviously.

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ESPN’s coverage 2023/24 NBL season starts this Thursday (September 28) when Melbourne United host South East Melbourne Phoenix at John Cain Arena. Sydney Kings begin their premiership defence with a Saturday night clash against Illawarra Hawks at Wollongong.

Every game of the 2023/24 season and every finals game will be shown live on ESPN and Kayo.

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Hopefully they return the actual arena (at least in Melbourne) & not call games remotely from Melbourne studio

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Studio again. Maybe the opening game they’ll do from the arena.

The special will be shown live on ESPN 2 in Australia and NZ.

NFL fans will also be able to enjoy a full replay on the ‘Toy Story Funday Football’ available on-demand via Disney+, as well as Foxtel, Kayo Sports, Fetch TV and Sky NZ.

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The NBL broadcast will be bigger and better this season.

In-stadium commentary will return for select blockbuster games during the 2023/24 Hungry Jack’s NBL season, as the League also introduces more new talent to the broadcast team.

Australian Opal and WNBL star, Alice Kunek, will join the line-up along with Australian netballer, Kelsey Browne, who plays in the Super Netball League.

Former NBA player and Boomer, Ryan Broekhoff will return in a wider capacity, as will South East Melbourne Phoenix forward, Alan Williams.

ESPN basketball insider, Olgun Uluc, will be welcomed to the team to break all the biggest news during the NBL’s new Friday pre-game, Saturday Switch and Overtime shows.

The League will pay homage to Corey ‘Homicide’ Williams, who is in the fight of his life with cancer by displaying the former MVP’s Townsville Crocodiles jersey across the first round.

Andrew Gaze, Leigh Montagna, Jack Heverin, John Casey, Derek Rucker, Liam Santamaria, Jenna O’Hea, Lanard Copeland, Peter Hooley, and Mitch Creek are among some of the names returning for perhaps the biggest season in NBL history.

All games will be broadcast on ESPN via Kayo Sports, with the Sunday games to be simulcast on 10 Peach and 10 Play.

NBL fans can keep up with all the latest scores, news, and stats by downloading the NBL App. Click here to download.

The 2023/24 Hungry Jack’s NBL Season begins tonight when Melbourne battles South East Melbourne at John Cain Arena. The game will tip-off at 7:30pm AEST and be broadcast live on ESPN via Kayo Sports.

In Stadium Commentary Returns

I’m guessing select games means games in Melbourne and maybe Sydney.

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NBL going to be shown on ESPN3 & ESPN app in :us:

https://nbl.com.au/news/espn-to-beam-nbl-into-usa?cid=e8afb0b9c83d1e8d3fb78f330254f1eb7ca9498f

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