ESPN will have a presence in the upcoming LA Live Sports and Entertainment District in downtown Los Angeles.
Details of the ESPN facilities, expected to open in 2009, will be unveiled as part of a groundbreaking for the AEG-developed LA Live, a 4 million-sq ft project adjacent to the STAPLES Center that will feature an 1100-guest room hotel, a 7100-seat theater, cinemas, restaurants, housing and a 40,000-square-foot open air plaza.
The 120,000sq ft building will include:
- Two high-definition television studios and a radio studio
- An ESPN Zone sports-themed dining and entertainment center
- Production facilities, including state-of-the-art control rooms, editing suites, graphics area, screening and production facilities
The top three floors of the building will accommodate 70,000sq ft of production facilities, highlighted by two large high-definition studios: one 7500sq ft and one 5000sq ft. The floors will also contain supporting television production components, such as control rooms, master control facilities, editing facilities, a screening and newsroom area, and production space.
Additional production locations in the building, such as outside balconies and glassed-in areas, will overlook LA Live, STAPLES Center and other parts of downtown Los Angeles, providing a lively television backdrop. While specific plans are not finalized, a variety of programs are expected to originate from the LA-based studios, including ESPN Original Entertainment (EOE) series and “SportsCenter” segments.
The bottom two floors will house an approximately 30,000sq ft ESPN Zone, featuring a retail section, a dining area and an arcade. Some ESPN production offices will also be located on the second floor.
