Contact: Sunny Mindel/Curt Ritter 212-788-2958
Also on hand for the evening celebration were some of the greatest athletes of the 20th Century, including hockey great Wayne Gretzky, NFL Hall of Famer Jim Brown, NBA Hall of Famer Bill Russell, Olympic Champion Carl Lewis and Tennis great Martina Navratilova.
"It's a pleasure to be here for the opening of ESPN Zone - another terrific addition to the New Times Square, and to The Sports Capital of the World," said Mayor Giuliani. "There's no better City in which to be a sports fan than New York City. Whether it's baseball, football, hockey, basketball, soccer, tennis, golf, or any other sport, New York City has it all. It's only appropriate that this sports fan's fantasy made real is in Times Square, where millions of New Yorkers and visitors from around the world will be able to enjoy it.
"I want to thank Disney for its continued support and investment in Times Square, which has been critical to the area's dramatic turnaround, and for this project, which will bring hundreds of jobs to the City. The addition of ESPN Zone further shows Disney's ongoing commitment to the revitalization of the Crossroads of the World," the Mayor concluded.
Art Levitt, Disney Regional Entertainment President, said, "We are thrilled to open ESPN Zone in the greatest sports city in the world - New York. New York City is home to some of the most memorable moments and greatest athletes in the history of sports and fans now have a home to root for their favorite teams. We think the fans will discover that ESPN Zone is an unparalleled environment to experience sports, enjoy great food, watch their favorite team and immerse themselves in the most entertaining interactive games."
George Bodenheimer, President of ESPN, said, "It is appropriate that we unveil ESPN's SportsCentury's 20 greatest athletes during the Grand Opening of this unique facility. This event illustrates the kind of excitement and energy fans will experience when they enter ESPN Zone."
ESPN Zone has more than 200 video monitors, and features a triplex design with three separate themes. One floor, the Studio Grill, recreates the atmosphere of ESPN Studios and offers a 70-item menu. It will feature replica studio sets from ESPN's SportsCenter - NBA 2Night and NHL 2Night. A second floor - the Screening Room - will provide televised sporting events from around the world. This section will offer state-of-the-art technology, multi-game viewing, direct audio control for all televised games, statistical updates by the minute and a dozen 36-inch video monitors. In addition, this area will feature individual skyboxes for private dining and remote broadcasting capabilities. A third floor - the Sports Arena - will feature 10,000-square-feet of interactive and proprietary sports games developed exclusively for ESPN Zone, which enable over 200 fans to compete simultaneously.
Showcasing New York City, the ESPN Zone d‚cor will feature more than 30 one-of-a-kind sports art displays created exclusively by more than a dozen local artists. In addition, video monitors throughout ESPN Zone will replay some of the most memorable moments and classic games in New York City sports history.