Up Close is an American sports interview show that aired on ESPN+ in 2021 and had aired on ESPN from 1981–2001.
35-480: The program debuted in 1981 on USA Network and was created by the advertising agency Foote, Cone and Belding to advertise one of its clients, Mazda cars. Mazda SportsLook moved to ESPN in 1982 and was subsequently rechristened Up Close . Once it arrived at ESPN, SportsLook was slotted before SportsCenter . The show aired at 6 p.m. Eastern time , followed by SportsCenter at 6:30. The show remained in that slot until September 1999 , when SportsCenter
70-955: A carriage agreement with Spectrum in September 2023, ESPN+ became available to Spectrum TV Select Plus subscribers for no extra cost. On November 14, 2024, Disney announced the ESPN hub will be launched in the US on Disney+ on December 4, 2024, It will be similar to Hulu hub on Disney+. ESPN+ initially focused on overflow content, similar to that of ESPN3 (which is distributed to subscribers of participating internet and television subscribers). Some of ESPN3's content has since moved to ESPN+. It has since been incorporated more extensively into ESPN's later media rights deals. Its launch content included boxing (including Top Rank events and archive content through 2025, and includes 36 exclusive fight cards), college sports events (including Ivy League events, with
105-532: A deal with the Savannah Bananas to livestream two games of their Banana Ball World Tour on April 8 and 9. In May 2022, ESPN announced its acquisition of the third-tier media rights to Oklahoma Sooners athletics; the events will be carried on ESPN+ under the "SoonerVision on ESPN+" branding, and will include one exclusive football game per-season (which had previously been distributed by Bally/Fox Sports pay-per-view). The deal will be in effect through
140-610: A minority stake in BAMTech , a spin-out of MLB Advanced Media 's streaming technology business, for $ 1 billion, with an option to acquire a majority stake in the future. It was also announced that Disney subsidiary ESPN was planning to develop an over-the-top service based on BAMTech technology as "an exploratory OTT project", drawing primarily from ESPN-owned rights for events not broadcast on television . ESPN already used BAMTech's platform for its TV Everywhere service WatchESPN . Disney CEO Bob Iger remarked that despite declines in
175-521: A new long-term deal through 2030. In March 2019, the American Athletic Conference announced a 12-year media rights deal with ESPN, under which ESPN+ will carry the majority of events not aired by ESPN's linear channels. In May 2019, it was announced that ESPN+ would carry 18 World TeamTennis matches. In September 2019, ESPN+ announced its acquisition of rights to Germany's Bundesliga soccer league beginning in 2020, under
210-669: A new seven-year deal beginning in the 2021–22 season . Under this contract, ESPN+ holds exclusive rights to 75 games per-season, which will also be available on Hulu , simulcast rights to all games on ABC (including the NHL All-Star Game and the Stanley Cup Finals in selected seasons), and streams all out-of-market games. A week later, as part of ESPN's renewal of its rights to the NFL, ESPN+ gained simulcast rights to Monday Night Football broadcasts beginning in
245-465: A reboot of Up Close , exclusively on the digital subscription service ESPN+ . The first episode of the reimagined show was made available for streaming to ESPN+ subscribers on June 30, 2021. 1981 in television 1981 in television may refer to: ESPN%2B ESPN+ is an American over-the-top subscription video streaming service available in the United States, owned by
280-644: A six-year deal. In the 2019–20 season, ESPN+ acquired the third-tier media rights for all but two Big 12 Conference teams; these telecasts are carried under the branding Big 12 Now . The deal excluded the Oklahoma Sooners—whose third-tier rights were held by the SoonerSports.tv streaming service and Bally Sports Oklahoma , and the Texas Longhorns—who have an existing agreement with ESPN and IMG College to run Longhorn Network . During
315-539: Is also available for purchase within the ESPN+ platform, and offers daily games during their regular seasons. PGA Tour Live (which was also run by BAMTech) was included for the 2018 PGA Tour season, but moved to NBC Sports Gold in 2019. ESPN+ will offer supplemental feeds during the PGA Championship beginning 2020, including during CBS broadcast windows. In 2022, PGA Tour Live returned to ESPN+ as part of
350-477: Is marketed as an add-on to ESPN's core linear networks, with some of ESPN+'s content previously offered exclusively to cable subscribers via ESPN3 and the ESPN app. ESPN+ does not include access to these services, as they continue to only be available through television providers. Thus, some of ESPN's sports rights are not carried on ESPN+. Featured content on ESPN+ includes combat sports (including coverage of
385-614: The 2020 Major League Baseball season 's Wild Card Series round, ESPN+ aired Squeeze Play —which featured live look-ins and analysis of the seven series ESPN held rights to (in a similar manner to the ESPN Bases Loaded service it offered during the NCAA baseball tournament ), as well as Statcast broadcasts of selected games. On March 10, 2021, ESPN re-acquired rights to the National Hockey League under
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#1732791309621420-623: The 2021 NFL season . Beginning in 2022, ESPN+ will hold exclusive rights to one NFL International Series game per-season in a Sunday morning window. In September 2021, Disney began to wind down the U.S. version of Hotstar , a streaming service targeting Indian Americans , and migrated its content exclusively to ESPN+ and Hulu. This, in particular, includes its rights to home matches of the India national cricket team and Indian Premier League , which had been sub-licensed to ESPN+ via its sister network Star Sports . On April 8, 2022, ESPN announced
455-673: The Ultimate Fighting Championship and Top Rank boxing), college sports , hockey (including 75 exclusive National Hockey League games per-season and all out-of-market games), soccer , golf (including PGA Tour Live and coverage of the PGA Championship ), tennis and cricket . Major League Baseball 's out-of-market sports package , also operated through BAMTech, is sold through the platform as an add-on. The service also features archive content, ESPN original documentaries and access to premium content on ESPN.com . In August 2016, The Walt Disney Company acquired
490-509: The pay television industry due to cord-cutting , "live sports has really thrived, even in a world where there's so much more for people to do and to watch." In August 2017, Disney invoked its option to acquire a controlling stake in BAMTech, and announced that it planned to launch its ESPN OTT service in 2018, followed by a Disney entertainment OTT service in 2019 (thus ending its relationship with Netflix ). At this time, Disney stated that
525-822: The 2024–25 athletics season, after which the Sooners will exit the Big 12 and move to the Southeastern Conference (SEC)—whose media rights are fully-owned by ESPN. Later that month, ESPN announced a rights agreement with the Northwoods League to stream select games of their 2022 season each day exclusively on ESPN+, along with the Northwoods League All-Star Game, the Major League Dreams Showcase,
560-461: The ESPN division of The Walt Disney Company , in partnership with ESPN Inc. , which is a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and Hearst Communications (which owns the remaining 20%). It is one of Disney's three flagship subscription streaming brands in the United States, alongside Disney+ and Hulu , and operates using technology of Disney subsidiary BAMTech, now known as Disney Streaming . ESPN+
595-601: The League playoffs and Summer Collegiate World Series. In May 2018, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) announced new five-year digital and linear television rights deals with ESPN, effective January 2019. 20 UFC on ESPN+ Fight Night cards per year are streamed exclusively by the service, as well as preliminaries for 10 UFC on ESPN Fight Night cards per year. ESPN+ will also hold rights to supplemental content such as Dana White's Contender Series , archive content and PPV encores, and offer sales of UFC Fight Pass within
630-709: The conference having reached a 10-year media rights deal with ESPN prior to the service's launch), coverage of Tennis Grand Slams , as well as international cricket ( India national cricket team , Cricket Ireland and New Zealand Cricket ), soccer (including Major League Soccer , the United Soccer League , the U.S. Open Cup , 2019 Copa America , the English Football League (including Cup ), Serie A , Eredivisie , A-League , FFA Cup , W-League , FA Cup and UEFA Nations League ) and College Rugby . In October 2018, ESPN+ obtained
665-411: The criminal beating of Nicole and characterize it as an argument that got a "little loud," asserting that he and Nicole were "both guilty." These assertions, which were contrary to the public record, were not only unchallenged by Firestone, but were actively encouraged and endorsed by him. This criticism was renewed upon the release of the documentary OJ: Made In America which included an excerpt from
700-569: The highest ratings in the history of the program. Gary Miller was the show's host when Up Close signed off in 2001 . Sage Steele became the host when the show was brought back in 2021 . Roy Firestone was the subject of extensive criticism regarding what has been characterized as a "softball" and "chummy" 1992 ESPN interview with O. J. Simpson (or, as he called Simpson in the interview, "Juice") during which he asserted that Simpson's January 1989 arrest and subsequent conviction for beating his wife, Nicole, unfairly distorted Simpson's reputation to
735-531: The interview in which Firestone expresses these sentiments and where the "chumminess" is apparent. Firestone has recently expressed remorse for how he handled the interview, stating, "The Simpson interview is one of the most tragic examples of how the media (including me) and the public trusted and accommodated their heroes, believing their mythology and perpetuating their deification." Chris Myers would later also interview O. J. Simpson live in November 1995 ; this
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#1732791309621770-528: The new ESPN service would draw from ESPN-owned sports rights, as well as MLB , NHL and MLS content (although lacking major ESPN-owned rights such as the NBA and NFL ), and that an accompanying redesign of the ESPN app would make it a "premier digital destination" for sports content. During Disney's fourth-quarter earnings call, Iger revealed that the service would be known as ESPN+. In December 2017, Disney announced its intent to acquire 21st Century Fox after
805-496: The newly formed Disney business segment, Disney Direct-to-Consumer and International , on March 14, 2018. On April 2, 2018, ESPN announced that ESPN+ would officially launch on April 12, 2018, and confirmed its $ 4.99 per-month pricing. On August 21, 2018, ESPN.com 's existing subscription service ESPN Insider was discontinued and folded into ESPN+, adding its premium web content (such as exclusive beat reports , and advanced sports statistics, analytics and fantasy sports tools) to
840-796: The platform. The first ESPN+ event, UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Dillashaw , generated 525,000 new subscribers on the day of the event alone. On March 18, 2019, it was announced that ESPN had reached a two-year extension of its contract with the UFC. Beginning with UFC 236 , ESPN+ became the exclusive U.S. distributor of all UFC pay-per-view events for residential customers; they are no longer sold through television providers, and viewers must have an ESPN+ subscription in order to buy them. Spain England Germany Netherlands Sweden Belgium ESPN+ also carries ESPN original programming and documentaries, such as
875-418: The point that Simpson was portrayed by the press as "the bad guy" merely for having "a little bit too much to drink." He further expressed his annoyance with the press' reports of Simpson's arrest and conviction for beating Nicole because the press, in reporting the facts, had the temerity to portray Simpson as "a wife beater" (the offense for which he was convicted). He then gave Simpson a free pass to downplay
910-631: The rights for the Swedish Allsvenskan and the Danish Superliga as well, declaring their intent to broadcast one match per week for each league. In February 2021, ESPN+ obtained the rights for the Belgian Pro League , and are expected to broadcast 3 matches per week. ESPN+ features out-of-market Major League Soccer matches at no additional charge for subscribers (replacing the previous MLS Live service), and
945-486: The rise of a confrontational style of talk eventually led to the show's cancellation, which occurred on Friday, October 19, 2001. Three days later, Up Close was replaced with Unscripted with Chris Connelly , which updated the Up Close format to be more contemporary. The new program lasted less than a year. On May 27, 2021, SportsCenter anchor Sage Steele revealed during the show's noon ET episode that she would host
980-472: The service held exclusive rights to all regionally televised Chicago Fire matches through 2020 (as the second MLS team, behind Los Angeles FC 's deal with YouTube TV , to sell its regional rights to a streaming service). As of the 2021–22 season , ESPN+ carries out-of-market National Hockey League games under the NHL Power Play on ESPN+ banner (replacing the previous NHL.tv service). MLB.tv
1015-401: The service. Both services shared the same monthly price, but ESPN Insider subscribers continued to receive the complimentary subscription to ESPN The Magazine that was included (until its discontinuation in September 2019), and annual subscribers were grandfathered under its previous $ 39.99-per-year price (as opposed to $ 49.99 for ESPN+). On October 31, 2018, ESPN executive Russell Wolff
1050-481: The spin-off of certain businesses. The deal was to include the Fox Sports Networks group of regional sports networks (which Disney was ordered to divest under antitrust grounds), which led to suggestions that Disney wanted to incorporate FSN's regional sports rights into the service. In February 2018, Iger stated that ESPN was aiming for a monthly price of $ 4.99. ESPN+ and BAMTech were placed into
1085-500: The standalone monthly price of ESPN+, which reached $ 6.99 per month in 2021 following two smaller increases, would jump by three dollars, or 43%, to $ 9.99 per month beginning in late August. Observers speculated that the increase was intended to promote uptake of the Disney Bundle, which continued at the then current $ 13.99 price point, while remaining competitive relative to other standalone sports streaming services. Following
Up Close - Misplaced Pages Continue
1120-629: Was Simpson's first full-length interview since he was acquitted in the " trial of the century " a month earlier. Some interviews, notably those with college basketball coaches Jim Valvano and Bob Knight , are still occasionally shown on ESPN Classic under the name Up Close Classics . In 1999 , Up Close broadcasts were moved from studios in Los Angeles to the ESPN Zone in Anaheim , on Disneyland property. Declining ratings and
1155-572: Was also announced that video simulcasts of the ESPN Radio programs The Dan Le Batard Show , Greeny , The Max Kellerman Show and Chiney & Golic Jr. , as well as Jorge Ramos y Su Banda , would be moved exclusively to ESPN+ from the ESPN networks. In March 2021, ESPN+ programming became available via the Hulu website and apps for those who are subscribed to both services, via a branded "ESPN+ on Hulu" hub. In July 2022, Disney announced that
1190-414: Was expanded to an hour and Up Close , as it was then renamed, moved to 5:30 p.m. The original host of Up Close was Roy Firestone , who served as host for 13 years. During this time, both Firestone and the show won many CableACE Awards , then the gold standard for cable television programming. When Firestone left in 1994 , Chris Myers became the new host; he stayed there until 1998 and enjoyed
1225-497: Was named executive vice president and general manager. In October 2019, ESPN+ began to add pre-roll advertising to on-demand content on the service. Concurrent with the launch of Disney+ on November 12, 2019, the Disney Bundle was introduced, allowing users to subscribe to ESPN+, Disney+ and the ad-supported tier of Hulu for $ 12.99 per month. On October 22, 2020, it was announced that a larger amount of ESPN.com articles (primarily analysis) would become paywalled behind ESPN+. It
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