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ESPN announced today at The espnW Summit NYC that it will be the exclusive broadcaster of the inaugural Aurora Games Festival, designed to provide a platform to shine a light on women’s sports and culture. From August 20 – 25, the landmark event, being held at the Times Union Center in Albany, New York, will air on ESPNU and ESPN3 all six nights.
“What better way to showcase what women are capable of than a festival dedicated to a wide variety of women’s sports, and what better platform to share it than ESPN?” Said Carol Stiff, vice president of programming and acquisitions for ESPN. “We are thrilled to tell the unique stories about athletes that shine brightest in their fields, and this special partnership gives us an excellent chance to serve new and existing audiences with coverage of this landmark event and the women behind it.”
Sports at the festival include tennis, gymnastics, basketball, ice hockey, figure skating and beach volleyball, with table tennis featured as an exhibition offering. The competition will be between Team Americas (consisting of athletes from North and South America) and Team World. Three-time Olympic gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee will captain Team Americas and five-time Olympic gold medalist Nadia Comăneci will captain Team World.
“From the outset, the idea behind the Aurora Games was to provide a platform that shows that women’s sports at the highest levels should have its own platform. With wall to wall live coverage on the ESPN family of networks we have a chance to do just that,” said Jerry Solomon, executive producer and creator of the Aurora Games Festival. “The Aurora Games will create memorable moments and tell personal stories that will be captured for a worldwide audience that will have a chance to become familiar with world class women’s sports as never before.”
Approximately 150 athletes will compete at the six-day festival, representing more than 20 countries and boasting more than 100 Olympic, World and National medals.
Among the athletes confirmed to participate are:
- Team Americas: Bianca Andreescu, Lindsay Whalen, Haley Skarupa, Ashley Wagner, Sarah Pavan
- Team World: Garbine Muguruza, Peng SzuChin, Susanna Tapani, Michelle Timms, Venla Hovi
To see the complete schedule of events for the Aurora Games Festival, please visit auroragamesfestival.com. More information, including where specific competitions will air, will be announced in the coming months.
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Media Contact: Olivia Wilson, ESPN Communications, [email protected]
Mark Bardack, Aurora Games Festival Communications, [email protected]
About the Aurora Games Festival
Aurora Games Festival, LLC owns and operates the Aurora Games and holds all of the rights and intellectual property associated with the Games. The Aurora Games were conceived of and created by Jerry Solomon. Mr. Solomon has been one of America’s top sports marketing executives for more than 30 years. The Aurora Games, named in honor of the Roman goddess of the dawn, will be held every two years beginning with the inaugural edition at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY, August 20-25, 2019. Designed to celebrate the best in women’s sports, entertainment and culture, the Aurora Games will welcome all-star athletes, as well as coaches and trainers, representing more than 15 countries to downtown Albany to compete in an international competition of teams comprised of the Americas vs. the World. The six-day event will include team and individual competitions in basketball, tennis, figure skating, gymnastics, ice hockey and beach volleyball. Fans will also enjoy musical performances, food tastings, sports clinics, autograph sessions and seminars in the Aurora Games Fan Zone at the Albany Capital Center. For up-to-date information about the Aurora Games, visit AuroraGamesFestival.com or follow the Games on Twitter @AuroraGamesFest.
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