Two “firsts” will be noted on Sunday, March 30, when the latest ESPN channel to go HD, “ESPNews,” will unveil its new HD studio while also covering the first regular-season game to be played of a new Major League Baseball park. The Washington Nationals play host to the Atlanta Braves on March 30 at Nationals Park near Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
Starting at 8 a.m. (EDT), part of the broadcast day on ESPNews on March 30 will be simulcast with ESPN HD. Twice later in the day (11:30 a.m. and 11:30 p.m.) ESPNews HD programming will be simulcast in half-hour intervals on ESPN2 HD. ESPNews afternoon coverage will include the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Regional Finals.
ESPNews HD’s 16:9 telecasts will include what the sports programmer is calling its “HD Sideline” graphic, which will wrap around the top, left and bottom of the screen for HD viewers to allow real-time sports news, scores, stats, photos, standings, and more, surrounding a 16:9 HD video window.
ESPNews HD’s current orange and red color scheme is being replaced by shades of steel blue supplemented by yellow and red. The animation package (including show opens and other signature elements) has been redesigned for the HD era.
