ESPN is beginning to unveil its plans for next summer's World Cup, the final time the network will have the rights to the quadrennial tournament.
The network will call Rio de Janeiro's Clube dos Marimbas its home for the month-long tournament; Brazil is the host country for the World Cup. Clube dos Marimbas is a well-known sailing club on the southern tip of Copacabana Beach.
ESPN will construct two separate studios: One for its ESPN Deportes/ESPN International coverage and the other for its English-language networks. The third floor of Clube dos Marimabas will be the network's global production headquarters. All of ESPN's FIFA World Cup branded shows
will air from there. All together, ESPN is planning more than 280 original hours of coverage across its English-language networks -- ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNEWS -- as well as its mobile offering WatchESPN.
"The selection of Clube dos Marimbas as the broadcast location for our World Cup presentation reflects the unparalleled ambition we have for Brazil 2014," said Jed Drake, ESPN senior VP and executive producer. "The club's scenic backdrop and the Copacabana Beach setting will help us deliver to our audience the unique atmosphere around this event, as we embark on an exploration of the rich Brazilian culture through our presentation."
The 2014 World Cup will be held June 12-July 13.
Fox and Telemundo will have the U.S. rights to the tournament in 2018 and 2022, as well as the women's versions in 2015 and 2019.
