By Neha Aggarwal
Table tennis fans in the US will be able to watch the finals of the Seamaster 2016 ITTF Women’s World Cup LIVE on ESPN2 on 9th October 2016 at 7pm EST. Five hours of live programming leading up to the finals (quarter finals and semi finals) will be aired on ESPN3. Additionally, all quarterfinal, semifinal and finals matches will be streamed live on WatchESPN and the ESPN App.
This is the first time ever that ESPN will be broadcasting table tennis live in the US. This historic deal, that was announced by the CEO of USATT Gordon Kaye is a prestigious milestone for the sport of table tennis in the US.
With a fast growing and diverse presence of Asians in the US, this is a new set way for the table tennis given the popularity of the sport amongst the Asians.
The city of Philadelphia will be hosting the Seamaster 2016 ITTF Women’s World Cup from 7-9th October 2016 at The Liacouras Center, Temple University.
Commenting on this new feat, Gordon Kaye said: “Table tennis fans now across the country will get the chance to tune in on ESPN2 and ESPN3 and see the world’s best women play for one of the most prestigious titles in our sport, ” said Kaye. “Hosting the tournament here in the United States and having it broadcast on ESPN is a huge step forward in the promotion and growth of our sport here.”
Around 49% of the US households consume ESPN’s content over a course of an month, thus broadcasting table tennis LIVE is a big growth for the sport.
An ESPN spokesperson commented on the deal, “ESPN3 serves a wide range of sports fans by delivering nationwide exposure to thousands of exclusive live events. We look forward to delivering the Women’s World Cup to table tennis fans in the U.S.”
Out of the 20 players competing, 17 qualified through their respective continental cups, one through a wild card entry and two players as substitutes.
The broadcast schedule (all time Eastern Standard Time):
Saturday, October 8
- 7:00-10:00pm Quarter Finals ESPN3/WatchESPN
Sunday, October 9
- 2:00-4:00pm Semi Finals ESPN3/WatchESPN
- 6:00-7:00pm 3rd/4th position ESPN3/WatchESPN
- 7:00-8:00pm Finals ESPN2/WatchESPN
Event information: