LPWire: Take a Seat in History as ESPN Auctions Offers a 'SportsCenter' Desk

Take a Seat in History as ESPN Auctions Offers a 'SportsCenter' Desk
Auction Celebrates the 25,000th 'SportsCenter' Show

ESPN Auctions presented by eBay (www.espnauctions.com) will present an auction featuring exclusive items from SportsCenter, led by an authentic ancillary anchor desk from a former set of SportsCenter. More than 20 ESPN anchors, including Dan Patrick, Chris Berman, Stuart Scott, Rich Eisen, Linda Cohn and Chris Fowler, have sat on this set during its on-air tenure between 1996-2000. The auction is August 22-29.

"This is a major milestone for ESPN, and we wanted to auction off an item that would exemplify the 25,000th SportsCenter show,'" said Rick Alessandri, vice president, ESPN. "ESPN Auctions is delighted to be a part of the excitement surrounding the 25,000th SportsCenter show."

Other auction items include: Props from the current "This is SportsCenter" advertising campaigns and "What SportsCenter Do You Watch?" posters signed by Wayne Gretzky and family. Each of the above items will be auctioned individually. Partial proceeds from these auctions will benefit The Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research.

About the 25,000th "SportsCenter"

SportsCenter, ESPN's flagship program that revolutionized the way sports news is covered, will become the first program in television history to celebrate its 25,000th live show Sunday, Aug. 25 at 11 p.m. ET. Long-time ESPN anchors Chris Berman, Linda Cohn, Rich Eisen, Bob Ley, Dan Patrick and Stuart Scott will host the historic, 90-minute telecast.

SportsCenter, synonymous with quality sports news and information, was the first program televised by ESPN, on September 7, 1979. Live editions are currently aired at 6 p.m., often for 90 minutes, 11 p.m., 1 a.m. and weekend mornings. The 1 a.m./2 a.m. shows are re-aired weekday mornings from 5 a.m. to noon.

About ESPN Auctions

ESPN Auctions presented by eBay is an online marketplace from ESPN featuring its authentic, exclusive sports experiences and products. Based in Bristol, Ct., ESPN, Inc., "The Worldwide Leader In Sports," is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc., which is an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The Hearst Corporation holds a 20 percent interest in ESPN. ESPN, Inc. includes six domestic television networks: ESPN International, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Regional Television, SportsTicker and ESPN Enterprises, overseeing brand extensions such as the ESPN Zone. Sister auction Web sites from The Walt Disney Company include Disney Auctions (www.disneyauctions.com) and ABC Auctions (www.abcauctions.com).

--Posted August 21, 2002
Source: ESPN Auctions