2014 Celebration to Include 200 Vignettes Featuring New England Sports Moments and One-Hour Special on the History of NESN
March 20, 2014 – NESN will celebrate its 30th Anniversary over the next nine months beginning on Friday, March 21, the 30th anniversary of the network’s first game broadcast. Thirty years ago on March 21, 1984, NESN went on the air for the first time with a Red Sox spring training game against the Detroit Tigers from Lakeland, Florida. The fledgling start-up network with only a few viewers in March of 1984 became the highest rated cable network in New England and the preeminent regional sports network in the country. Forbes also recently ranked NESN as the 8th most valuable sports brand in the world.
Two Hundred Vignettes: New England Sports Moments, presented by New England Honda Dealers
Every day, beginning this Friday through the end of 2014, NESN will celebrate its 30th anniversary by airing one of the 200 vignettes during Red Sox and Bruins pre- and postgame shows and on “NESN Sports Today,” which airs nightly at 10 p.m. or immediately following postgame coverage. This collection of iconic and memorable moments from all of New England’s sports teams over the past 30 years will often debut on or around the date the actual event took place (e.g. April 5, 1991, Cam Neely’s Playoff Hat Trick to beat the Hartford Whalers, April 29, 1986, Roger Clemens strikes out 20 to set a new MLB record, etc.).
The first three vignettes will be introduced on Friday, March 21 during NESN’s Hockey East Semifinal and Boston Bruins hockey coverage:
Vignette #1:
NESN’s First Televised Game (3/21/1984) Presented at 5 p.m. before Game #1 of the Hockey East Semifinals, Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy kick-off NESN’s 30th anniversary celebration by visiting Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, the site of NESN’s first game.
Vignette #2:
Boston University wins 2009 NCAA Hockey Championship (4/11/2009) Presented during intermission coverage of Game #1 of the Hockey East Semifinals with NESN’s Hockey East Studio Analyst Colby Cohen (who scored the winning goal for BU).
Vignette #3:
NESN’s First Bruins Game (10/11/1984) Presented during “Bruins Face-Off LIVE” at 8:30 pm with NESN’s Andy Brickley and Barry Pederson (both played in the game).
NESN’s 30th Anniversary Special to Air in June
NESN will also produce a special one-hour retrospective on the history of the network that will air in June. The documentary will look at NESN’s birth and growth from the perspective of the people who were instrumental in getting the network off the ground and building it into one of the most successful regional sports networks in the country.
About NESN
NESN has consistently been one of the top-rated regional sports networks in the country with award-winning Red Sox and Bruins coverage. Celebrating 30 years in 2014, the network is delivered to over 4 million homes throughout the six-state New England region and an additional 5 million homes nationally as NESN National. Forbes Magazine recently ranked NESN as the 8th Most Valuable Sports Business Brand in the world. NESN.com, the network’s online sports news service, is the most visited regional sports network website in the country. NESN also produces a number of distinctive programs under its umbrella Original NESN Entertainment (ONE). NESN’s social responsibility program, NESN Connects, is proud to support and connect its employees with charitable organizations in our communities (NESN.com/Connects). NESN is owned by Fenway Sports Group (owners of the Boston Red Sox) and Delaware North (owners of the Boston Bruins).
