ESPN International Announces Live Olympic Programming Plans for South America

ESPN International will air over 1700 event hours of the London 2012 Olympic Games in Portuguese and Spanish throughout South America.  With one of the widest, multichannel coverage plans ever of the Olympic Games in the region, ESPN will dedicate six networks — at least three per country — to fulltime, high-definition coverage of London 2012 in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

This is the fifth time that ESPN Brazil, and the first time that ESPN in Spanish-speaking Latin America, will air the Olympic Games.

“ESPN is proud to bring the Olympic Games, the greatest gathering of athletes in the world, to fans,” said Tim Bunnell, senior vice president of production, programming and marketing, ESPN International. “Our ability to dedicate multiple networks in-region to London 2012 is truly exceptional. Our signature team of journalists and correspondents, many of whom have covered numerous Olympic Games, are sure to make it one of the most memorable and rewarding Olympic Games of recent times.”

Daily event coverage on ESPN networks will be tailored to athletes and competitions of the most regional and national importance. ESPN will complement its event broadcasts with daily London 2012 highlights and recaps on special editions of SportsCenter and Olympics-themed studio programming originating in London.

A renowned team of journalists, along with special correspondents and expert production staff, will call ESPN International’s three London studios home for the duration of the event.

ESPN Brazil’s team of journalists includes Marcelo Duarte, André Kfouri, Helvidio Mattos, Joao Palomino, André Plihal, and Jose Trajano.

ESPN Brazil’s special correspondents and Olympic Games medalists include: Wlamir Marques (basketball, bronze Rome 1960 and bronze Tokyo 1964) and Ana Moser (volleyball: bronze Atlanta 1996).

ESPN’s Spanish-speaking South America team of journalists includes: Pablo Ferreira, Tito Puccetti, Miguel Simon, Juan Yankilevich and Quique Wolff.  Wolff, a former international football star from Argentina, will be a torchbearer on June 16 in Newcastle, England.

The Spanish-speaking South America special correspondents and Olympic Games medalists joining the ESPN team for London 2012 will be announced soon.