WFTDA signs ESPN3 deal for two broadcast dates in 2016

The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association has agreed with ESPN3 to deliver two broadcast events in 2016: a Division 1 doubleheader from the Emerald City Roller Girls’ (Eugene, OR) WFTDA-Recognized Tournament, The Big O, on April 30; and the final round of the 2016 International WFTDA Championships hosted by the Rose City Rollers (Portland, OR) on November 6. Both events will be streamed live in the United States through ESPN3 and on WFTDA.tv outside of the US, making these matchups easily accessible to millions of households worldwide.

The Big O broadcast will feature the first-ever roller derby doubleheader on ESPN3, with 2015 WFTDA Champions Rose City Rollers taking on the now #2 ranked Victorian Roller Derby League, and top-ten teams Texas Rollergirls and Angel City Derby Girls challenging for top rankings spots.

Get all the information you need about accessing ESPN3 or Watch ESPN in the U.S. and on WFTDA.tv for the rest of the world at WFTDA.tv/espn.

The Division 1 and 2 Third Place and Championship games will be shown live on ESPN3 Nov. 6. The first two days of the tournament, Nov. 4 and 5, will be available via pay-per-view on WFTDA.tv, as they have been in past years. Viewers outside of the United States will be able to watch the entirety of Championships via WFTDA.tv.

The April broadcast marks the return of roller derby to ESPN3, after a successful inaugural broadcast from the 2015 International WFTDA Championships last year.

“By broadcasting the WFTDA Championships on ESPN3 in 2015 our audience for the weekend more than doubled from the previous year,” WFTDA Director of Broadcast Erica Vanstone said. “We received such excellent coverage and online engagement from the event that it made sense for us to return to ESPN3 to see what we could continue building on together for 2016.”

Since 2012, the WFTDA has been presenting high-quality productions and exciting matchups through the organization’s online portal, WFTDA.tv. The WFTDA will produce the ESPN3 content, ensuring that it will showcase the revolutionary athleticism that WFTDA roller derby has to offer.

The content will be repeated in ESPN3’s regular schedule. Archives of games will remain on ESPN3’s portal–WatchESPN–for 30 days after the event, giving viewers even more opportunity to engage with the highest level of roller derby available.

ESPN3 is available via online streaming and the WatchESPN app to anyone whose internet or cable provider has a contract to carry ESPN.