The New TNN to Telecast Seven Regular Season Games, Four Playoff Contests
CHICAGO - The Arena Football League and The New TNN: The National Network, the primary television home of Arena Football during the 2002 season, kicks off its seven-game schedule on Sunday, June 9 at 4:30 PM ET/PT, when the Tampa Bay Storm travel down Florida's Interstate-4 to battle the Orlando Predators at TD Waterhouse Centre.
Each Sunday afternoon at 4:30 PM ET/PT (unless otherwise noted) from June 9 through July 21, The New TNN will telecast a live, action-packed, hard-hitting Arena Football game from venues all across the country. Among the schedule highlights for the 2002 season:
TNN brings Arena Football fans into the "Snakepit" of America West Arena in Phoenix, Ariz. on Sunday, June 16. Coached by former Dallas Cowboys QB DANNY WHITE, the two-time ArenaBowl Champion Arizona Rattlers host the expansion Dallas Desperados in the Texas team's first-ever nationally televised appearance. The Desperados, owned by the JERRY JONES football family, are coached by current Cowboys special teams coach, JOE AVEZZANO.
ArenaBowl XV Champion Grand Rapids Rampage defend their title against the Georgia Force on Sunday, June 23. The Rampage suffered only three losses all season in 2001; the Force host their home contests at Atlanta's Philips Arena.
The first-ever nationally televised AFL game from Allstate Arena in Chicago, Ill., featuring the Chicago Rush and the New York Dragons on Sunday, June 30. The Dragons averaged more than 64 points per game last season, while the Rush became only the fourth team in history to earn a playoff win in their first season.
Los Angeles Avengers head coach ED HODGKISS returns to Indiana, to face his former team, the Firebirds, at Conseco Fieldhouse on Sunday, July 14. Hodgkiss spent five seasons with the Firebirds, but joins the Avengers, who make their home at STAPLES Center, for his first-ever role as head coach.
The following is TNN's seven-game regular season AFL schedule*:
Week 1 Sunday, June 9, 4:30 PM ET/PT Tampa Bay @ Orlando
Week 2 Sunday, June 16, 4:30 PM ET/PT Dallas @ Arizona
Week 3 Sunday, June 23, 2:00 PM ET/PT Georgia @ Grand Rapids
Week 4 Sunday, June 30, 4:30 PM ET/PT New York @ Chicago
Week 5 Sunday, July 7, 2:00 PM ET/PT Orlando @ Tampa Bay
Week 6 Sunday, July 14, 4:30 PM ET/PT Los Angeles @ Indiana
Week 7 Sunday, July 21, 2:00 PM ET/PT San Jose @ Carolina
TNN talent for Arena Football games will be announced during the next few weeks. Along with its regular season package, TNN will telecast four AFL playoff games. The TNN playoff schedule is below:
FIRST ROUND
Saturday, July 27, 2:00 PM ET/PT
Saturday, July 27, 4:30 PM ET/PT
QUARTERFINAL ROUND
Saturday, August 3, 12:30 PM ET/PT
Sunday, August 4, 3:00 PM ET/PT
The New TNN also plans to televise the championship game of arenafootball2, ArenaCup 2002. The date of the telecast, which marks the network's third consecutive season covering the ArenaCup, will be announced soon. The AFL's grassroots, developmental league, arenafootball2 has teams in 34 secondary markets.
ARENA FOOTBALL LEAGUE
The Arena Football League consists of 23 teams including eight in the 10 largest U.S. media markets. Sixteen teams will kickoff the AFL's 16th season on April 19, 2002 including new teams in Atlanta (Georgia Force) and Dallas (Desperados). An additional seven expansion teams (Denver, Jacksonville, Nashville, New Orleans, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.) have already been approved to be added over the next three years. The AFL ownership group includes nine NFL owners who have applied for AFL teams, and more are expected.
The Arena Football League is one of sports' fastest growing leagues with three million fans expected to attend AFL and arenafootball2 (af2) games this season.
The AFL's current national broadcasting agreements with TNN, ESPN and ABC expire at the end of the 2002 season. Teams competing in the 2002 AFL season are: Arizona Rattlers, Buffalo Destroyers, Carolina Cobras, Chicago Rush, Dallas Desperados, Detroit Fury, Georgia Force, Grand Rapids Rampage, Indiana Firebirds, Los Angeles Avengers, New Jersey Gladiators, New York Dragons, Orlando Predators, San Jose SaberCats, Tampa Bay Storm and Toronto Phantoms. Earlier this month, NBC Sports and the AFL reached a broadcast agreement to begin in 2003.
THE NEW TNN: THE NATIONAL NETWORK
The National Network - The New TNN - is America's fastest growing entertainment network among all basic cable. Since joining the MTV Networks family in September 2000, The New TNN has set ratings records each and every month and has brought a whole new audience to its schedule. Anchored by some of the most popular series around the world, including STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION, BAYWATCH and basic cable's number-one program, WWF RAW - as well as original series and top-rated theatrical movies - TNN is a top ten network for Adults 18-49 and is currently seen in more than 85 million U.S. homes. TNN and all related title, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom International.
*All games are subject to change
