• Official cross-platform kick-off to 22nd season of ESPN’s No. 1 Fantasy Football game;
• Includes special fantasy themed editions of ESPN shows, stunts and features;
• Matthew Berry and Adam Schefter to appear on air throughout the Marathon, again;
• The Fantasy Show to premiere post-Marathon on ESPN August 16.

The ESPN Fantasy Football Marathon presented by DraftKings returns for the 2017 season with another 28 straight hours of live fantasy football news, analysis and fun. Starting Monday, Aug. 14 at 7 p.m. ET through Tuesday, Aug. 15 at 11 p.m. ET, the Marathon will include Fantasy Football specials in primetime, segments on multiple editions of SportsCenter, and Fantasy Football-themed editions of popular ESPN shows, including First Take, Jalen & Jacoby, Mike & Mike, NFL Live, OTL and SportsNation, as well as a special live TV edition of the ESPN Fantasy Focus Football podcast. Also returning is the ESPN “Fantasy Island” and the Celebrity Fantasy Draft, live podcasts on ESPN Audio, special editions of Mock Draft Mondays, and more.

Senior Fantasy Sports Analyst Matthew Berry and NFL Insider Adam Schefter will again appear on air during the 28-hour Marathon, and Trey Wingo will return to host primetime shows on both nights, along with Kenny Mayne sharing his football insights and unique humor and wit. Special guests and celebrities will provide fantasy football analysis, insight and advice for fans throughout the event. All programs during the Marathon will be streamed live on the ESPN App across mobile and OTT devices. Video: ESPN FFM Fact #86 / No Sleep.

“Our first Fantasy Football Marathon last year was one of our most creative and collaborative ideas, and it was so much fun for us and our fans, we decided to do it again,” said Norby Williamson, ESPN Executive Vice President, Production. “Fantasy football is a big part of how fans experience the season, so we’ve made a commitment to use all of our resources across ESPN platforms to give fans access to the most comprehensive fantasy content possible. It’s a lot of work, but the Fantasy Football Marathon is simply a great way to kick off the new football season that’s both informative and fun.”

Building on the success of ESPN Fantasy Football and ESPN Fantasy content across television, digital and audio, the return of the Fantasy Football Marathon is part of an expansion of programming on all ESPN platforms for the 2017 ESPN Fantasy Football season. This includes the launch of The Fantasy Show hosted by Emmy Award-winning ESPN fantasy analyst Berry every weekday beginning Aug. 16 at 3:00 p.m. ET on ESPN, as well as new content available exclusively on the ESPN App and ESPN Fantasy App across mobile and OTT devices.

ESPN Fantasy Football, the No. 1 most popular fantasy football game, is in its 22nd season with new content and game play features on the ESPN Fantasy App and ESPN.com, along with the most comprehensive collection of expert analysis, news, tools and statistical information in the fantasy sports industry across app, web, television and audio. Last year’s first-ever ESPN Fantasy Football Marathon drove the two biggest days ever in the history of ESPN Fantasy Football, counting a record 1,753,511 teams drafted during the Marathon.

Stunts and features throughout the Fantasy Football Marathon will include:

Exclusive Marathon Pre-Show Live on YouTube – Just prior to the start of the Fantasy Football Marathon on Monday, Berry and Schefter will present their top five ESPN Fantasy sleeper picks live exclusively on YouTube at 6:20 p.m. ET.

ESPN “Fantasy Island” – In addition to Berry and Schefter, Mike Golic, Jr., and Sarah Spain will endure the 28 hours of the Marathon as they take a “road trip across America”. Using the ESPN Fantasy App to strategize their drafts and the ESPN App to watch every minute of the Marathon, Golic and Spain will check in from wherever they are “across the country” in Studio A on ESPN’s Bristol campus.

ESPN Celebrity Draft – In the final hours of the Marathon, celebrities and ESPN personalities will take part in an eight-team draft, including a crash course on everything fans need to know about drafting a team, using the ESPN Fantasy App and more. Celebrities set to participate include WWE wrestler Seth Rollins, Jordan Rodgers and fiancé JoJo Fletcher from The Bachelorette, comedian Roy Woods, Jr., and Andy Buckley from The Office, as well as ESPN’s Molly Qerim, Stephen A. Smith, Max Kellerman, Field Yates, Stephania Bell, Jay Bilas and his son Anthony. Following the draft, ESPN fantasy experts will recap, analyze and evaluate each team.

Fantasy Fails – ESPN will bring the members of two ESPN Fantasy Football leagues to Bristol to show how last year’s losing players in each league will suffer the consequences of a last place finish. Details will not be revealed until shown live on air. Video: SC Featured Fantasy Fails.

Bobby Flay (Mock) 30 for 30 – During last year’s first-ever ESPN Fantasy Football Marathon, Bobby Flay flew in the face of conventional wisdom and blew up the draft board when he chose David Johnson with the No. 1 pick in the Celebrity Fantasy Draft. Bringing all of ESPN’s reporting and storytelling resources to bear, Wingo, Schefter and Mike Golic reflect on Flay’s decision in this “poignant” 30 for 30 piece.

Special Fantasy Focus Football Podcast Live on TV – For the first time ever, ESPN’s award-winning Fantasy Focus Football podcast will be live on television during the Marathon on Tuesday from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. ET. Hosted by Berry and Yates, with injury expert Bell, Fantasy Focus Football, the No. 1 most popular fantasy sports podcast in the industry, provides player previews, game overviews and strategies, as well as featured guests, surprise games and other hijinks.

Live Mock Draft Monday – Giving fans the unique opportunity to practice draft strategies against ESPN fantasy football analysts as part of the Marathon, ESPN analysts Eric Karabell, Mike Clay and Daniel Dopp will lead a special edition of Mock Draft Mondays from Studio W on Monday, Aug. 14 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET. Also, Anita Marks will join Karabell and Clay to host a special Tuesday edition of Mock Draft Monday on Aug. 15 from 1:30 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 8 p.m.

ESPN Fantasy App 101 – During each hour of the Marathon, Berry, Schefter and other ESPN personalities will provide tips and tricks to help fans learn how to join ESPN Fantasy Football leagues, research players, draft and manage teams, conduct mock drafts, add logos and other fun elements to their teams and more, all on the ESPN Fantasy App. Video: FFM ESPN Fantasy App Demo 101 (SVP).

In addition to ESPN Fantasy Football and NFL analysts, commentators and hosts, celebrity guests and performers scheduled to appear during the Marathon include:

• Comedian/impersonator Frank Caliendo returns to the Marathon during primetime and Mike & Mike with his wide array of uncanny impressions of sports figures and other famous personalities.
• DJ Rob Swift returns as one of the Marathon’s primary DJ’s in Studio W, along with El Dusty, the Latino Grammy-nominated producer, DJ and electro cumbia pioneer.
• Jim Cramer of CNBC’s Mad Money and Squawk on the Street will give fans his fiery fantasy football advice with all the energy and passion he brings to Wall Street investing.
• Chef Carl Ruiz, a New Jersey restaurateur, is the overall champion of Guy’s Grocery Games: Diner’s, Drive-Ins and Dives Tournament on the Food Network.

ESPN Fantasy Football Marathon Television Schedule

Teaser Videos:
ESPN FFM Superheroes (Odell Beckham Jr.): https://vimeo.com/228962781
ESPN FFM Superheroes (Le’Veon Bell): https://vimeo.com/229018124

ESPN Images: Fantasy Football Marathon 2016: http://bit.ly/2fyhrt0

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