Seen on Screen: ESPN2 to Simulcast NBA Christmas Day Game in Spanish; CSN Chicago Reairs Cubs World Series Run

Seen on Screen provides a roundup of recent sports-programming news, including new original programs and scheduled live game coverage. ESPN2 will simulcast ESPN Deportes’ Spanish-language coverage of the Clippers-Lakers on Christmas day, CSN Chicago presents Chicago Cubs: This Was The Year, The Pro Bowl Skills Showdown heads to ESPN, Golf Channel revisits the most memorable moments from 2016, and ESPN ESPN presents The Undefeated In-Depth: Serena with Common – detailing Serena Williams’ life and career. 

… ESPN2 will simulcast ESPN Deportes’ Spanish-language coverage of the L.A. Clippers vs. Los Angeles Lakers as the two teams meet for the first time this season, live at 10:30 p.m. ET on Christmas. The telecast will be led by ESPN Deportes’ Alvaro Martin who will call the action alongside analyst Carlos Morales. Nación ESPN is an interactive sports talk show tailored to young, bilingual U.S. Hispanic sports fans which launched earlier this year and airs Mondays from 5-6 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The coverage of the Clippers vs. Lakers game is part of ABC and ESPN’s holiday sports tradition of delivering extensive NBA coverage on Christmas Day. This season the networks will combine to televise five star-studded games that also include the defending NBA Champion Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James and Kyrie Irving hosting the Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant in a rematch of the most-watched NBA Finals in ABC history at 2:30 p.m. (ABC). In total, more than 13 hours of continuous NBA coverage will unfold across ESPN platforms. Here is the full schedule…

…CSN Chicago will provide its viewers with a special programming gift this holiday season entitled Chicago Cubs: This Was The Year presented by Chevy. Beginning Thursday, December 22 at 6:30 PM CT, this five-day (December 22-26) holiday journey will give viewers the opportunity to relive (and DVR) all of the excitement and glory of the Cubs amazing World Series Championship run with the original, nationally-televised game replays of EVERY Cubs MLB Postseason victory in the National League Division Series vs. the San Francisco Giants, the National League Championship Series vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers – plus the 2016 World Series Championship against the Cleveland Indians. As an added bonus for every Cubs Postseason game replay, CSN will provide a number of brand new, between-inning interviews, featuring personal reflections on key moments of a particular game and their own personal remembrances of this historic season from the following individuals:Joe Maddon (Cubs Manager), Jed Hoyer (Cubs EVP/GM), Tom Ricketts (Cubs Chairman), Crane Kenney (Cubs President, Business Operations), David Kaplan (CSN Cubs studio host), Todd Hollandsworth (CSN Cubs studio analyst), Kelly Crull (CSN Cubs beat reporter), along with the recently retired/beloved fan favorite, team catcher David Ross…

The Pro Bowl Skills Showdown, pitting AFC and NFC All-Stars against each other in unique competitions, will air during Pro Bowl Week on Thursday, January 26 at 7:00 PM ET on ESPN. The Skills Showdown is a part of the re-imagined Pro Bowl Week, culminating in the 2017 Pro Bowl, which features a return to the traditional AFC vs. NFC format following three years using a revised, “unconferenced” structure. The 2017 Pro Bowl Legends Captains, JEROME BETTIS and RAY LEWIS of the AFC and TONY GONZALEZ and CHARLES WOODSON of the NFC, will lead their respective squads. Each team in the Skills Showdown will feature a mix of quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, linemen, linebackers, and defensive backs. Taking place at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando, the Skills Showdown will be produced by A. Smith & Co. Productions, producers of such shows as American Ninja Warrior and Hell’s Kitchen. Competitions include Epic Pro Bowl Dodgeball (Pro Bowlers will compete in a game of dodgeball), Power Relay Challenge (Four team members will compete in a timed relay race), Precision Passing (Two players on each team will battle it out, trying to hit moving targets of varying size and distance), Best Hands (Quarterback and wide receiver duos from each team will show off their skills, connecting on as many pass attempts as possible before time runs out)…

…Golf Channel will tie a bow on 2016 by giving viewers a look back on some of the most memorable moments from the year that was, beginning today and continuing through Friday, Dec. 30. From Lydia Ko claiming her first major championship in April, Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson’s unforgettable duel at Royal Troon in July; golf’s return to the Olympic Games for the first time in more than 100 years in August; and the United States’ Ryder Cup redemption at Hazeltine, 2016 has provided no shortage of memorable moments in golf. In total, more than 300 hours of encore 2016 tournament programming will air between today and Friday, Dec. 30. For the first time, Golf Channel will air an encore of every 2016 PGA TOUR final round airing in succession, Tuesday, Dec. 13 through Sunday, Dec. 18. And, the top-10 “Fan Favorite” rounds from 2016 as voted by viewers will air in primetime (in descending order) Monday-Friday, Dec. 19-23 and Dec. 26-30…

…ESPN will present The Undefeated In-Depth: Serena with Common – an exclusive conversation between tennis champion and sports star Serena Williams and Oscar and Grammy Award-winning artist Common – on Sunday, Dec. 18 at 9 p.m. ET. The one-hour program taped October in Brooklyn, New York, and earlier this month in Compton, Calif., will feature Williams discussing her career as one of the world’s greatest athletes, the challenge of being an African American at the top of her sport, coming to terms with her body, her decision to speak up on social issues, and more. “Serena with Common” is the third in a series of multimedia content initiatives by The Undefeated featuring up-close and personal conversations between African Americans who are accomplished in their chosen professions and recognized as impactful leaders across different fields. Serena Williams has 22 Grand Slam titles, tying her with Steffi Graff as winner of the most titles in the Open Era. Common, a recording artist, actor, producer and poet, is one of the leading entertainment voices of his generation…