BROADCASTER ABC SECURES RIGHTS TO 12 WORLD CUP GAMES

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American World Cup TV plans were settled last month when the ABC network announced plans to broadcast 12 live matches, including the final on July 9 and the USA’s first-round game against Italy on June 17. All of ABC’s games will be on Saturdays and Sundays.

ESPN and ESPN2, part of the same parent company as ABC, will televise the remaining 52 games. ESPN will broadcast 21 and ESPN2 31 games, all of which – along with the games on ABC – will be broadcast in HDTV. Not all cable companies offer HDTV, however.

Because of the six-hour time difference, games will be start at 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. on the US East Coast. In 2002, because of a 13-hour time difference between the U.S. East Coast and Japan/South Korea, ABC’s only live broadcast was the final.

Univision has secured the Spanish-language rights to the tournament in the U.S.