While ESPN+ has brought sports fans access to more live broadcasts and content, there are still some sports that just don’t get seen. Enter ESPN 8: The Ocho, which will once again air a day of unique programming on August 8th.
- If the ESPN 8: The Ocho moniker sounds familiar, it’s because it comes from the 2004 comedy Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story starring Vince Vaughn, Christine Taylor, and Ben Stiller.
- Last year, ESPN rebranded ESPNU to The Ocho for a day, airing little-seen sports.
- This time around, The Ocho will take over ESPN2 starting at midnight on August 8th through midnight on August 9th and will be bookended by airings of Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story.
- Sidenote: Dodgeball was released by 20th Century Fox, so by this time next year it could actually be a Disney film.
- Supporting content for The Ocho will also be featured in ESPN The Magazine, ESPN.com, and beyond.
- Additionally, KFC will serve as the presenting sponsor.
https://youtu.be/8sVQzpy2ayc
The “Sports” on Display:
- SkyZone Ultimate Dodgeball Championship: 32 teams compete for the ultimate title in trampoline dodgeball.
- 2018 Dodgeball World Cup: The best dodgeball teams from around the world will compete for the title at Madison Square Garden Saturday, August 4.
- US Open Ultimate Championships: A self-officiating competition with two teams on a field similar to a football field, but the object used is a disc. The objective of the game is to catch a pass in the opponent’s end zone.
- Spikeball East Tour Series: Spikeball is essentially volleyball around a small trampoline instead of a net. Two teams of two players pound a small ball off the trampoline and must avoid letting the ball hit the ground.
- Cornhole: ACL Pro Invitational: The ACL Pro Invitational brings together the best cornhole players from around the United States to compete for over $70,000 in cash prizes.
- Major League Eating: The 2006 Johnsonville Brat Eating World Championship and the 2006 Krystal World Hamburger Eating Championship highlight the world’s best iron stomachs.
- World Championship of Ping Pong: In its eighth year, the World Championship of Ping Pong has played an important role in the resurgence of the sport and elevating it to the international television stage.
- Fenway Hurling Classic: A series of hurling matches played at Fenway Park in Boston.
- Amazing Games:
- Spain: Running of the Bulls, Human Castle and Grass Cutting.
- Korea: War of the Wagons, Korean Wrestling and Blitz Chess.
- England: Lawn Mower Racing, Cumberland Wrestling and Jousting.
- Premier League Darts: The tournament, launched in 2005, features 10 of the best players from the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) circuit competing in a round-robin format.
- Kabaddi: A contact team sport that originated in India involving two teams and a unique rule. The goal is for each team’s “raider” to tag as many of the opposing team’s players as possible and return to his/her home half all while taking just a single breath.
- The Saber Legion 2018: Awakening: The world’s biggest custom dueling organization founded in 2015 highlighting the best in high-level light saber combat.
- World SUMO Challenge: 24 World Class International SUMO wrestlers compete at Madison Square Garden.
- Women’s Flat Track Derby: Women’s Flat Track Roller Derby is a fast-paced contact team sport spotlighting speed, strategy and athleticism. The flat track style of roller derby rolled onto the scene in 2001and has grown to more than 400 leagues worldwide per the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
- Chess Boxing: Yes, you read that correctly. Chess boxing is a hybrid sport started in 2003 that is designed to test both the body and the mind with three minute rounds of each sport for a total of 11 rounds.
- Moxie Games: A relatively new event that combines a variety of sports into one, such as dodgeball and juggling, martial arts and volleyball, and table tennis and soccer.
Specialized ESPN Programs
- E:60 on ESPN8: Jeremy Schaap hosts a special edition of E:60 on ESPN8: The Ocho. Join Schaap as he shares some of the most unique stories from the E:60 vault including frog jumping, catfish hunting, Japanese monster wrestling and cheese rolling, to name a few.
- SportsCenter on ESPN8: A highlight driven program hosted by Kenny Mayne displaying the very best in seldom seen sports.
ESPN 8: The Ocho Schedule
| Date | Time (ET) | Programming | Network |
| Tue, Aug 8 | Midnight | “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story” | ESPN8 |
| 2 a.m. | SkyZone Ultimate Dodgeball Championship | ESPN8 | |
| 3 a.m. | US Open Ultimate Championships | ESPN8 | |
| 4 a.m. | Spikeball East Tour Series | ESPN8 | |
| 5 a.m. | Cornhole: ACL Pro Invitational | ESPN8 | |
| 6 a.m. | 2006 Johnsonville Brat Eating World Championship | ESPN8 | |
| 6:30 a.m. | 2006 Krystal World Hamburger Eating Championship | ESPN8 | |
| 7 a.m. | World Championship of Ping Pong | ESPN8 | |
| 8 a.m. | Fenway Hurling Classic | ESPN8 | |
| 9 a.m. | Amazing Games: Spain | ESPN8 | |
| 9:30 a.m. | Amazing Games: Korea | ESPN8 | |
| 10 a.m. | Premier League Darts | ESPN8 | |
| 11 a.m. | E:60 on ESPN8 | ESPN8 | |
| Noon | SportsCenter on ESPN8 | ESPN8 | |
| 12:30 p.m. | Amazing Games: England | ESPN8 | |
| 1 p.m. | Kabaddi | ESPN8 | |
| 2 p.m. | The Saber Legion 2018: Awakening | ESPN8 | |
| 3 p.m. | World Sumo Challenge | ESPN8 | |
| 4 p.m. | Women’s Flat Track Derby | ESPN8 | |
| 5 p.m. | Best of Chess Boxing | ESPN8 | |
| 6 p.m. | Moxie Games | ESPN8 | |
| 8 p.m. | 2018 Dodgeball World Cup | ESPN8 | |
| 10 p.m. | Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story | ESPN8 |