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 10 to Thursday 16 September 2021.
DStv and GOtv is your home of the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network.
ESPN
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The first live-action on ESPN arrived on the evening of Friday 10 September. EFL Championship clashed in which Birmingham City played host to Derby County (20:40 LIVE on ESPN).
Birmingham manager Lee Bowyer has sung the praises of Lukas Jutkiewicz after a fine showing against Barnsley before the international break: “If he keeps doing what he’s doing and working hard he will get rewarded for it and today he did. He’s done really well for the team. He is a great attribute to the squad, works so hard, and brings so much.”
The football action continues through Saturday 11 September, with a Major League Soccer clash between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Portland Timbers (04:00 LIVE on ESPN), a Scottish Premiership match between St Johnstone and reigning champions Rangers (13:25 LIVE on ESPN), and an Eredivisie showdown between AZ Alkmaar and PSV Eindhoven (20:50 LIVE on ESPN).
Sunday 12 September features more action from ‘The Beautiful Game, with the Edinburgh derby between Hearts and Hibernian (12:55 LIVE on ESPN) followed by an EFL Championship meeting of Nottingham Forest and Cardiff City (14:55 LIVE on ESPN).
Hearts boss Robbie Neilson has praised the fans for inspiring his team to a strong start to the 2021-22 Scottish Premiership season: “The fans were unbelievable. It was absolutely brilliant,” he said after a win away to Dundee United. “They sang for the full 90 minutes and right at the end they push us on to get that final goal and get us the three points.”
The focus switches to Major League Baseball on the morning of Monday 13 September, with the New York Mets facing the New York Yankees (02:00 LIVE on ESPN), before another MLS match takes center stage, as LAFC host real Salt Lake (04:35 LIVE on ESPN).
ESPN will be your home of premier program viewing for both the National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Football League (NFL), with ‘The Jump’ and ‘NFL Live’ at 21:00 and 22:00 LIVE on ESPN respectively on each evening from Monday 13 to Thursday 16 September.
ESPN 2
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ESPN 2 features the return of competitive National Football League action, with the opening game of the 2021-22 season seeing the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, take on the Dallas Cowboys on the morning of Friday 10 September (02:20 LIVE on ESPN 2).
Buccaneers’ veteran quarterback Tom Brady says he has no plans to retire anytime soon, so long as he can continue to play at the highest level: “I’ll know when the time’s right,” said the 44-year-old. “If I can’t… if I’m not a championship-level quarterback, then I’m not gonna play. If I’m a liability to the team, I mean, no way. But if I think I can win a championship, then I’ll play.”
Friday evening features live Major League Baseball action, as the Chicago Cubs face the San Francisco Giants (20:00 LIVE on ESPN 2), while the afternoon of Saturday 11 September sees the focus switch to NCAA College Football (from 15:00 LIVE on ESPN 2).
The NFL then takes over on ESPN 2 from the evening of Sunday 12 September, with back-to-back games: Buffalo Bills v Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints v Green Bay Packers (19:00 and 22:25 LIVE on ESPN 2).
Packers’ young quarterback Jordan Love had some wobbles in pre-season, but coach Matt LaFleur is hopeful the 22-year-old will learn from the experience and be ready to shine when competitive action gets underway.
“I think for the most part he’s done a nice job,” LaFleur said of Love. “Certainly these are teachable moments, and I think you have to experience those and go through those in a game setting to really learn from them, so I’m pretty certain that he will learn from those mistakes and hopefully he doesn’t repeat them.”
The mornings of Monday 13 and Tuesday 14 September bring further live NFL games, with the Los Angeles Rams v Chicago Bears (02:20 LIVE on ESPN 2) and Las Vegas Raiders v Baltimore Ravens (02:15 LIVE on ESPN 2) respectively.
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ESPN selected broadcast highlights
All times CAT
Friday 10 September
20:40: EFL Championship: Birmingham City v Derby County – LIVE on ESPN
Saturday 11 September
04:00: MLS, Vancouver Whitecaps v Portland Timbers – LIVE on ESPN
13:25: Scottish Premiership, St Johnstone v Rangers – LIVE on ESPN
20:50: Eredivisie, AZ Alkmaar v PSV Eindhoven – LIVE on ESPN
Sunday 12 September
12:55: Scottish Premiership, Hearts v Hibernian – LIVE on ESPN
14:55: EFL Championship, Nottingham Forest v Cardiff City – LIVE on ESPN
Monday 13 September
02:00: MLB, New York Mets v New York Yankees – LIVE on ESPN
04:35: MLS, LAFC v Real Salt Lake – LIVE on ESPN
Monday 13 – Thursday 16 September
21:00: The Jump – LIVE on ESPN
22:00: NFL Live – LIVE on ESPN
ESPN 2 selected broadcast highlights
All times CAT
Friday 10 September
02:20: NFL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers v Dallas Cowboys – LIVE on ESPN 2
20:00: MLB, Chicago Cubs v San Francisco Giants – LIVE on ESPN 2
Saturday 11 September
15:00 – 05:00, ESPN College GameDay & NCAA College Football matches – LIVE on ESPN 2
Sunday 12 September
19:00: NFL, Buffalo Bills v Pittsburgh Steelers – LIVE on ESPN 2
22:25: NFL, New Orleans Saints v Green Bay Packers – LIVE on ESPN 2
Monday 13 September
02:20: NFL, Los Angeles Rams v Chicago Bears – LIVE on ESPN 2
Tuesday 14 September
02:15: NFL, Las Vegas Raiders v Baltimore Ravens – LIVE on ESPN 2