Viewers on DStv and GOtv can look forward to even greater sporting variety, with some thrilling action coming their way on ESPN and ESPN 2 from Friday 14 to Thursday 20 August 2020.
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ESPN
As viewers head into the weekend, they can get their fill of news from the National Football League (NFL) and National Basketball Association (NBA) with live airings of NFL Live and The Jump on the evening of Friday 14 August (7:00pm and 8:00pm LIVE on ESPN) – the subsequent editions of these programmes will also air on Monday 17 to Thursday 20 August at the same broadcast times.
Fans of Australia’s National Rugby League (NRL) can catch the clash between the Tigers and the Bulldogs on the morning of Sunday 16 August (07:05am LIVE on ESPN).
The working week features a bevy of magazine shows and specials, headlined by the ESPN documentary ‘O.J.: Made in America’, which will see parts one through four aired from Monday 17 to Thursday 20 August (6:00pm on ESPN).
First aired in 2016, ‘O.J.:Made in America’ is a five-part special about the life, career and criminal trials of football star O.J. Simpson, taking a fascinating investigation into how his story parallels 50 years of racial tension and conflict in the United States.
“[Director] Ezra Edelman pulls back, way back, like a news chopper over a freeway chase. Before you hear about the trial, the documentary says, you need to hear all the stories – the stories of race, celebrity, sports, America – that it’s a part of,” said the New York Times of ‘O.J.: Made in America’.
You can also keep up to date with the latest news and opinions from all around the sporting world, with early evening airings of SportsCenter (4:15pm on ESPN), Pardon the Interruption (4:30pm on ESPN except for Monday) and ESPN FC (6:35pm on ESPN) aired from Monday 17 to Thursday 20 August.
ESPN 2
National Rugby League (NRL) action dominates the morning of Saturday 15 August, with the Titans visiting the Sharks (06:00am LIVE on ESPN 2). The former team has been handed a massive boost with this past weekend’s news that winger and regular try scorer Anthony Don has re-signed until the end of the 2021 season.
“I thought I’ve been playing okay this year and I’m really happy that the club wants to have me around next year,” Don said. “It [2021] is likely to be my last year next year but you never know. I know if the Titans didn’t want to re-sign me that I was probably finished up in the NRL, so I’m really happy that I’ve got another year and that I get to keep playing for the Titans.”
Sunday evening is dedicated to motor sports fans, with the IndyCar Series qualifying (6:00pm LIVE on ESPN 2) for next weekend’s 104thedition of the iconic Indy 500. For the first time in history, the 500 will be held behind closed doors, as confirmed by the race organisers.
“As dedicated as we were to running the race this year with 25 percent attendance at our large outdoor facility, even with meaningful and careful precautions implemented by the city and state, the COVID-19 trends in Marion County and Indiana have worsened,” a statement from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway said.
“Since our 26 June announcement, the number of cases in Marion County has tripled while the positivity rate has doubled. We said from the beginning of the pandemic we would put the health and safety of our community first, and while hosting spectators at a limited capacity with our robust plan in place was appropriate in late June, it is not the right path forward based on the current environment.”
Visit www.dstv.com and www.gotvafrica.com to subscribe or upgrade and join in on the excitement. And while you’re on the move, you can stream the action on DStv Now.
ESPN Broadcast Highlights
Friday 14 August & Monday 17 to Thursday 20 August
7:00pm: NFL Live – LIVE on ESPN channel 218
7:00pm: The Jump – LIVE on ESPN channel 218
Sunday 16 August
07:05am: NRL, Tigers v Bulldogs – LIVE on ESPN channel 218
Monday 17 to Thursday 20 August
4:15pm: SportsCenter – on ESPN channel 218
4:30pm: Pardon the Interruption – on ESPN channel 218
5:00pm: ‘O.J.: Made in America’ – on ESPN channel 218
6:35pm: ESPN FC – on ESPN channel 218
ESPN 2 Broadcast Highlights
Saturday 15 August
06:00am: NRL, Titans v Sharks – LIVE on ESPN channel 219
Sunday 16 August
6:00pm: IndyCarSeries, Indy 500 qualifying race – LIVE on ESPN channel 219