ESPN, INC. COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT

ESPN PLUZn, BRISTOL, CT OBOW'74S4

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THE WORLDWIDE LEADER IN SPORTS

For Immediate Release April 4, 2005

ESPNU TO OFFER LIVE "INSIDE OUT" COVERAGE OF THE NFL DRAFT APRIL 23 10 Hours To Focus On College Perspective; Top ESPN Commentators Involved

ESPNU, the college sports network which launched March 4, will provide live coverage of the annual NFL Draft from a completely different perspective when it presents ESPNU: NFL Draft Inside-Out, Saturday, April 23 from 12-10 p.m. ET. The 10-hour telecast will mirror the NFL Draft time slots on ESPN and ESPN2 that day; however, the approach will be focused on the Draft from thecollege side, it was announced by Burke Magnus, ESPNU Vice President and General Manager. In addition, on the secondday of the NFL Draft - Sunday, April 24 -- ESPNU will provide live Draft updates three times per hour (11-6 p.m.) plus a live recap show from 6-7 p.m. Some of ESPN's top college football commentators will be part of ESPNU's coverage. Rece Davis will host ESPNU: NFL Draft inside-Out from the network's Charlotte, N.C. production headquarters and he will be joined by analysts Mike Gottfried and Bob Davie. Reporter will provide reports from Draft headquarters in , while ESPNU signature anchor as well as ESPNU studio host Mike Gleason will also contribute to the telecast. Todd McShay from Scouts, Inc. will offer statistical and player personnel analysis. In addition, the commentators working the ESPN and ESPN2 telecasts will contribute to ESPNU: NFL Draft Inside-Out and portions of the ESPNU show will be integrated into the ESPN and ESPN2 telecasts. "The NFL Draft is a franchise event for the ESPN networks," Magnus said. "Naturally, the focus to date has been on what the picks mean to the NFL teams. With the advent of ESPNU, it's logicalfor us to supplement ESPN and ESPN2's coverage by looking through the college sports prism. College football fans never lose their desire for information about their teams even when top players depart for the NFL. By emphasizing the impact each Draft pick will haveon their college teams, this show will essentially become an extensive, early 2005 college football preview." Examples of the ESPNU: NFL Draft inside-Out approach will include • When a safety is drafted, ESPNU may examine his college team's secondary without him. • When a top passing quarterback is drafted, ESPNU may focus on how his loss would change the overall strategy of the college team's offense. Will they become more run oriented? • ESPNU's telecast will feature appearances by college football coaches (and returning players) from top programs to analyze the Draft's impact. • The show is expected to include live interviews with high school football stars (TBD) recruited to play college football next season. • ESPNU will also present footage from college football spring practices and games, .com ESPNU The ESPNU schedule will feature approximately 300 live events (regular-season and championships) in the network's first year. Actionincludesa variety of top football and men's and women's basketball mixed with baseball, softball, volleyball, lacrosse, ice hockey, wrestling and more. ESPNU will also offer comprehensive studio programming, replays of ABC Sports, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Regional Television games, plusspecials and more. ESPNU has secured distribution agreements with DIRECTV, Adelphia, several smaller affiliates and is close to distribution agreements with others. The 24-hour television network is the key component of the multi-media ESPNU initiative that will deliver college sports content across ESPN's family of services, such as ESPN.com, ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Mobile (wireless), ESPN Radio, ESPN Interactive, ESPN360 (broadband), merchandising and more. Original winner Mike Hall serves as ESPNU's signature anchor, hosting the majority of the network's studio programming from Charlotte, N.C., headquarters of ESPN Regional Television (ERT), which handles production responsibilities for ESPNU.

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Media Contact: Josh Krulewitz iosh.krulewitz(a)espn.com at (860) 766-2000