ESPN’s Beckham Coverage Won’t Be Sparse

Even
though ESPN is planning an unprecedented avalanche of coverage for David
Beckham’s American debut later this month, it’s not going to be all Becks-Cam,
all the time.

There will
be 18 other cameras to chronicle the deeds of the English soccer superstar,
too.

One,
though, will remain exclusively on Beckham throughout the entire exhibition
match between his Los Angeles Galaxy and English Premier League team Chelsea at
the
Home
Depot

Center in

Carson,
Calif.

Fans who
haven’t gotten their fill of Beckham-mania during ESPN’s planned three-hours of
lead-in programming can watch his every move on ESPN360.com, where they’ll be
treated to a torrent of stats, facts, and the occasional peep at his family.

Yes,
Beckham coverage wouldn’t be complete without mention of his wife, Victoria
Beckham, the erstwhile Posh Spice who has her own one-hour special set to air
on NBC five days before her husband puts on his Galaxy uniform for the first
time.

Speaking
of celebrities, ESPN plans to have a camera devoted to watching them in the
stands, while yet another will swoop up and down the pitch on cables to cover
the action — typical for NFL coverage from the network, but not for an MLS
exhibition.

“Beckham’s
move to Major League Soccer is a landmark moment for the league and for soccer
in

America,”
Scott Guglielmino, ESPN’s vice president of programming and acquisitions, said
in a statement. “Our coverage will appear across several ESPN platforms
and will chronicle this historic moment well beyond the game telecast with the
depth and context it deserves.”

Disney-owned ESPN plans to kick off the coverage
with an extended “SportsCenter,” followed by the hour-long
documentary, “David Beckham: New Beginnings.” There will also be a half-hour
pregame show hosted by Rob Stone and Julie Foudy.