ESPN will launch North American Sports Network (NASN) and ESPN Classic on the DSmart platform in Turkey.The fast-growing networks will launch on DSmart on May 1 and June 1 respectively, and will provide sports fans in Turkey with the best of both North American and classic sport. Representing another forward step in ESPN’s global growth, these two channels offer a comprehensive portfolio of sporting entertainment for millions of sports fans across the region.
Lynne Frank, ESPN senior vice president and managing director of Europe, Middle East, and Africa, said, “Turkey is an important and growing media market for ESPN and we are therefore delighted that NASN and ESPN Classic will now be available to sports fans on the same platform. May and June is exciting time for our company. In addition to our business in Turkey, we also launch NASN and ESPN Classic in 22 countries across the Middle East and ESPN Classic in 46 countries across Africa.”
Murat Saygı, CEO of D-Smart, said they are very glad and excited that ESPN channels will broadcast in Turkey only over the D-Smart platform. He further added that they consider the presence of the ESPN channels within the D-Smart platform very highly, in order to introduce to the Turkish viewers alternative and novel sports branches that are viewed with interest worldwide.
ESPN will be available for the first time on the DSmart platform. The May 1 launch of NASN is the latest step in the channel’s rapid growth, providing access to North American sports for fans around the world. Since September 2006, the channel has grown its reach from 1 million households across 6 countries to more than 13 million households now across 43 European countries. NASN will feature North American sports, including over 800 live and as-live sports events each year with more than 200 live games from the National Hockey League; 250 live Major League Baseball games; as well as NCAA basketball and football. ESPN Classic has also grown rapidly since French and Italian feeds were launched in 2002. ESPN launched a European feed in January 2003 and a U.K. channel in March 2006. The channel now reaches more than 23 million households across 40 countries in Europe.
D-Smart, which is part of the Doğan Group of Companies, started sales in February 2007, and is an interactive digital platform with its dedicated channels, more than 100 local and international channels, and radios. Through D-Smart, it is also possible to access the latest news, money-market updates, weather, etc. with a single click. D-Smart channels include: Well known documentary and lifestyle channels Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Discovery World, Discovery Science, Discovery Travel; World Fashion which is the leader in the world of fashion, style, and beauty; Fashion TV; movie and sitcom channels MovieSmart, Yeşilçam, ComedySmart, PembeSmart, Loca where you can view the latest feature films and popular sitcoms; lifestyle, culture, and art channels D Plus, Z TV, Yaşam TV; children’s channels D Çocuk, Kidsco, Luli, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network. All national channels and more than one hundred TV and radio channels in Turksat are offered in the D-Smart platform. Through double satellite dishes, it is possible to view more than 5000 channels with D-Smart.
Source:ESPN and Wires
