Every sports fan in America knows that ESPN is a leader in sports broadcasting, but what one might not know is the unique connection we have to covering one of the world’s most prestigious soccer tournaments — the FA Cup.
Each year, more than 750 teams from all levels of the English Football Association vie for the “Cup of Dreams” in England’s FA Cup — a tournament first contested in 1871. Lower level soccer clubs can find themselves on the same pitch with giants such as Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea, the 2012 Cup champion.
Earlier this month in the UK and Ireland (as well as throughout the Caribbean, New Zealand and Australia), ESPN UK provided live and exclusive coverage of three matches from the FA Cup’s Third Round, the distinctive mid-point in the knockout tournament that marks one of the biggest weekends on the UK’s (and the soccer worlds) sporting calendar.
Fans anywhere in the world can follow the FA Cup news and scores online via ESPN.co.uk and ESPNFC.com,— part of ESPN’s ongoing commitment to soccer coverage.
In this Front Row post, London-based ESPN Communications manager Tristan Carroll provides an inside look at what it takes for ESPN UK to cover the FA Cup.
You can also check out the photo gallery below.