• Kevin Negandhi, Jen Lada to host Opening Ceremony coverage on ABC
  
• Nightly 2022 Special Olympics USA Games programs June 7 & June 8, with feature stories, competition roundup, interviews and more

• Coverage also includes live daily streaming coverage of competition on ESPN3, June 6-11

ABC and ESPN’s networks and platforms will again be the home for coverage of the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games Orlando. From June 5-12, the 2022 USA Games will bring together more than 5,500 athletes and coaches from all 50 states and the Caribbean, for a multi-day display of athletic achievement and competition, and one of the most beloved and inspirational sporting events on the calendar.

ESPN’s coverage of the USA Games will begin Sunday, June 5 with a three-hour special broadcast on ABC capturing the inspiration and pageantry of the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games Opening Ceremony from Exploria Stadium.

Kevin Negandhi and Jen Lada will host ESPN’s Opening Ceremony coverage and will be joined by Tim Tebow, Julie Foudy and Special Olympics athlete and ESPN contributing reporter Daina Shilts.

ABC’s Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes are serving as emcees of the Opening Ceremony and will also appear in ESPN’s television coverage. Disney Live Entertainment is producing the Opening Ceremony, and the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex at Walt Disney World Resort will be the largest single competition venue of the Games, hosting 10 of the competitive sports.

ESPN2 will feature two hour-long 2022 Special Olympics USA Games programs during the week, hosted by Kevin Connors, with contributions and reports by Lada, Tebow, Foudy, Shilts and John Sutcliffe. On Tuesday June 7 at 7 p.m. and Wednesday, June 8 at 6:30 p.m. 2022 Special Olympics USA Games Nightly will bring viewers features stories, competition showcases, interviews and more – capturing the unique excitement of the Games and highlighting the stories and experiences of the athletes, coaches and families.

ESPN3 will also provide live streaming coverage of competition throughout the week, with multiple feeds daily throughout the Games, delivering more than 68 hours of live coverage, including Track & Field, Powerlifting, Esports and Tennis.

ESPN’s coverage will be rounded out with a two-hour Best of the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games program on ABC Sunday, June 12 at 1 p.m., capturing the top moments and stories from the week of coverage.

Jersey Mike’s Subs will be the presenting sponsor for the hour-long shows on Tuesday and Wednesday and will also have “Athlete Spotlight” sponsorship integrations in the Opening Ceremony and Best Of programs.

“ESPN and The Walt Disney Company are honored to bring Special Olympics events to millions and through the stories of these incredible athletes and the Special Olympics community, promote inclusion and acceptance,” said Russell Wolff, executive vice president – general manager, ESPN+ and head of business operations, ESPN Networks.

Kevin Martinez, vice president of corporate citizenship, ESPN, added: “At ESPN and The Walt Disney Company, we know that creating equal access to sports for people with and without intellectual disabilities can change lives and uplift the human spirit. We are proud to bring these Games to fans and to be part of the Special Olympics movement.”

SportsCenter and ESPN digital and social media platforms will also provide coverage throughout the week of the Games.

SCHEDULE:  2022 SPECIAL OLYMPICS USA GAMES ORLANDO

ESPN3: Live streaming competition coverage

Contacts:
ESPN
Paul Melvin:  [email protected]
John Manzo: [email protected]

ESPN AND SPECIAL OLYMPICS
ESPN’s relationship with Special Olympics spans nearly 40 years.  Since 2013 that relationship has deepened, with ESPN serving as the official media partner for Special Olympics World Games and USA Games events in Los Angeles (2015), Austria (2017), Seattle (2018), and Abu Dhabi (2019), as well as the 50th Anniversary of Special Olympics.

Additionally, ESPN and Special Olympics have a long-standing alliance to use the power of sports to promote social inclusion and acceptance through support and sponsorship of Special Olympics Unified Sports®. Dedicated to promoting social inclusion through shared sports training and competition experiences, Special Olympics Unified Sports joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. It was inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding. Since 2013, ESPN has been the Global Presenting Sponsor of Unified Sports resulting in a 182 percent increase in Unified participants globally bringing the number to over $1.8 million participants.

ESPN employees have been engaged in volunteerism with Special Olympics for nearly 40 years.