Multiple Media Platforms will Bring Action of Bassmaster Classic to Fans Worldwide
Any way they want it, that’s the way they’ll get it: Fans will be able to fully experience the biggest tournament in professional bass fishing, the Feb. 20-22 Bassmaster Classic on the Red River, whether they click in, tune in or attend the event in Shreveport-Bossier City, La.
Three days of ESPN and BASS coverage will originate from land and water, beginning daily before dawn and extending well into the evening. Hour by hour, fans will be able to track the 51 Classic competitors as they go for a piece of the $1.2 million payout, including the $500,000 first-place prize and coveted Classic trophy.
All the Classic news and views will be online 24/7 at Bassmaster.com and BASSInsider.com. Besides blogs, standings, stories, analysis and photo galleries — all frequently updated— Bassmaster.com will host a slate of video content, including the EXPO Cam that will highlight interviews, product reviews and competition updates; the River Cam, with a locked shot on current weather conditions and activity on the river near the launch area; and a live Behind-the-Scenes Cam, where ESPN hosts will interview the anglers as they queue up for the weigh-in.
Other highlights on Bassmaster.com include live digital audio of the weigh-in show along with a real-time leaderboard. Fans can also download on-demand the Bassmaster Tournament podcast, which will highlight all the news and action from the tournament. Fantasy games will include a Fantasy Fishing Challenge on Bassmaster.com, with daily picks available during the tournament. BASSCast technology, which allows viewers to see first-hand what happens on the water during a tournament -- conditions, location, casting technique, reaction, equipment and more -- will be made available along with BASSTrakk, an unofficial leaderboard for real-time action and unofficial results. Other features include daily Bassmaster text alerts during the tournament, exclusive fan favorite photo galleries and an ESPN Outdoors fan profile group.
Members of BASS Insider receive exclusive live coverage of daily press conferences and access to the archived footage of the weigh- ins 48 hours after the completion of each competition day.
With a wealth of unique video content on Bassmaster.com, the live, daily weigh-ins will be housed on ESPN360.com. The Classic will make its debut on ESPN360.com, ESPN’s 24/7 broadband sports network for live streaming sports events, with live coverage of the weigh-ins from the CenturyTel Center available exclusively each night from 5-7 p.m. ET.
And, as it has for previous Classic competitions, ESPN2 will be pulling out all the stops for the 39th Classic. ESPN2 programming begins Saturday, Feb. 21, from 8-11 a.m. ET, with coverage of Day One’s competition. Then, a full two hours of Day Two action will be aired Saturday beginning at 10 p.m.
On Sunday, Feb. 22 at 6 a.m. ET — just about when the Classic competitors will be heading to the Red River for the final day of competition — fans can tune in to ESPN2 and stay there until noon for all the Classic news. Sunday at 10 p.m., a two-hour show will feature the final weigh-in extravaganza and reveal the new Classic champ to the world. The full television schedule for ESPN2 and ESPN Classic can be found below.
ESPN Classic jumps into the mix this year with a block of programming Sunday, Feb. 22, starting at 1 p.m. ET. ESPN Classic will present five shows, each with highlights from a previous Bassmaster Classic.
ESPN’s Mike Golic and Erik Kuselias will help kick off the Classic with a live broadcast of ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike in the Morning from Red River South Marina on Friday, Feb. 20, 6-10 a.m. ET. The two popular hosts first brought the event to listeners in 2008, when the Classic was held at South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell.
ESPN viewers outside the United States can catch the Classic. The international airings via ESPN Pac Rim will be of particular interest to those who are closely tracking the progress of Australian native and pro angler Kim Bain-Moore, the first woman to compete in the Bassmaster Classic in its 38-year history. ESPN Pac Rim is in 2.3 million households in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific islands.
ESPN International will also air the event on ESPN Africa, ESPN Middle East, ESPN Israel, ESPN Pac Rim, ESPN 2 Caribbean and ESPN Dos. The coverage will account for 106 countries and more than 10 million International viewers on ESPN Networks.
Full TV and online schedules will be posted at Bassmaster.com.
Fans who attend the 39th Classic are invited to daily launches presented by the Red River Waterway Commission at 7:15 a.m. CT, Feb. 20-22, at the Red River South Marina, Highway 71 South in Bossier City. The daily weigh-ins will be at the CenturyTel Center, 2000 CenturyTel Center Drive, Bossier City. CenturyTel’s doors will open at 3:30 p.m. CT, except on Saturday, Feb. 21, when a free concert by Zac Brown Band will begin at 3 p.m. CT.
The 2009 Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods will be at the Shreveport Convention Center, 400 Caddo St. Hours will be Friday, noon-9 p.m. CT; Saturday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. CT; and Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. CT.
All events are free and open to the public.
Bassmaster Classic on ESPN2
Bassmaster Classic Day One
Saturday, 2/21/09, 8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m., ESPN2
9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., ESPN2
Bassmaster Classic Day Two
Saturday, 2/21/09, 10:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m., ESPN2
Sunday, 2/22/09, 6:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m., ESPN2
Sunday, 2/22/09. 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m., ESPN2
Bassmaster Classic Day Three
Sunday, 2/22/2009 10 p.m. – 12:00 a.m., ESPN2
Feb. 22 Bassmaster Classic Mini-Marathon on ESPN Classic (All Times ET)
1 pm 2008 Bassmaster Classic Highlight Show
2 pm 2005 Bassmaster Classic Highlight Show
3 pm 2004 Bassmaster Classic Highlight Show
4 pm 2003 Bassmaster Classic Highlight Show
5 pm 2007 Bassmaster Classic Highlight Show
