FACT SHEET
ESPN International is a division of ESPN, Inc., which has grown to include ownership — in whole or in part — of 27 television networks outside of the United States, as well as a variety of additional businesses that allow ESPN to reach sports fans in over 61 countries and territories across all seven continents. ESPN International business entities include television, radio, print, internet, broadband, wireless, consumer products, and event management. The company and its holdings maintain offices or production facilities in key locations around the world including Bangalore, Bristol, CT, Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, London, Mexico City, Miami, FL, Melbourne, Mumbai, New York City, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Singapore, Sydney, and Toronto. Since 1983, ESPN (originally founded in Bristol, Connecticut, in 1979) has grown around the world, establishing itself as the leading global sports media brand. The company’s philosophy to global growth is to always serve sports fans and be locally relevant to them, with content and products that tap into their great passion and dedication.
ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc., which is an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The Hearst Corporation holds a 20 percent interest in ESPN. The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise with four business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment and consumer products.
JUMP LINKS
– ESPN INTERNATIONAL PRIMARY BUSINESS ENTITIES
– E S P N A R O U N D T H E W O R L D
– ESPN NETWORKS
– SPORTSCENTER
– PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS
RUSSELL WOLFF – EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & MANAGING DIRECTOR, ESPN INTERNATIONAL
As Executive Vice President and Managing Director, Russell Wolff is responsible for all of ESPN’s businesses outside of the United States. He is based in New York and reports directly to Jimmy Pitaro. Wolff serves on the boards of CTV Specialty Television, Inc. and the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
Reporting to Wolff are:
- Tim Bunnell – Sr. Vice President, International Programming, Ad Sales, Production and Marketing, ESPN International
- Charly Classen – Vice President and General Manager, ESPN EMEA
- German Hartenstein – Managing Director, ESPN Brazil
- Guillermo Tabanera – Sr. Vice President & Managing Director, ESPN Latin America
ESPN INTERNATIONAL PRIMARY BUSINESS ENTITIES
Television: 26 networks serving 61 countries and territories across all seven continents in 4 languages (English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish).
Program Syndication: The Media Distribution team distributes a diverse library containing over 130 leagues and sports, including Boxing, NFL, MLB, IndyCar, NCAA, World Series of Poker, ICC cricket international events – including Cricket World Cup, and NokiaT20 Champions League and ESPN Films, including ESPN’s award-winning documentaries. ESPN syndicates to partners in 200 countries.
Radio: Broadcasting in Argentina, the Bahamas, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Mexico, ESPN Radio offers a combination of live events, sports news, information and sports talk. ESPN’s sports talk radio content is also heard on numerous CTV affiliates in Canada.
ESPN Mobile: Currently available in English, Portuguese, Spanish, (and Japanese for some services) on every major handset and mobile operating system. ESPN Mobile offers its content via mobile web, mobile messaging, applications on smart phones and tablets, as well as new and emerging mobile technologies.
Online: ESPNFC.com (English, Portuguese, Spanish), ESPNCricinfo.com, ESPNScrum.com (English, Spanish), ESPNF1.com, ESPN.com (Spanish), ESPN.co.uk, ESPN.com.br (Portuguese), ESPN.footytips.com.au (Australia), ESPNCaribbean.com; TSN.ca (English / Canada), and RDS.ca (French / Canada).
Broadband Video: ESPN offers live and on-demand video content through a range of compelling broadband platforms. Branded WatchESPN, ESPN Player, ESPN Play, and ESPN3 across its various global territories, the platforms offer live and on demand sports video to subscribers of select television affiliate and/or Internet Service Provider partners in Spanish-speaking Latin America (ESPN Play and ESPN3), the Caribbean (ESPN Play), Brazil (WatchESPN), and Australia/New Zealand (ESPN3). In Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, ESPN Player is offered directly to consumers on a subscription basis.
Consumer Products: ESPN and X Games branded consumer products, including apparel, skateboards, backpacks, books, and DVDs are available in many markets globally, and ESPN Shop online store serves multiple territories around the world.
Publishing: In 2006, ESPN distributed its first Spanish-language book in Latin America entitled Hablemos de Fútbol. In 2008, the brand launched its first Spanish-language edition of ESPN The Magazine in Mexico followed by ESPN Magazine in Brazil, in 2009. In 2012, ESPN The Magazine became exclusively available on mobile and tablets- with three local versions (Mexico, Argentina and Brazil) – via the app ESPN Magazine.
X Games: ESPN is the leading action sports content provider, and creator of the X Games, the world’s premier action sports competition and festival. With relevance to contemporary youth, X Games is also a lifestyle brand that brings together music, entertainment and digital media elements that are part of the fabric of the action sports lifestyle. In the past the X Games has successfully organized action sports events, qualifiers and demonstrations in Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Philippines and UAE.
Advertising Sales: ESPN’s global advertising sales teams offer exclusive advertising and sponsorship opportunities across all of ESPN’s multimedia platforms around the world, allowing marketers and brands to reach sports fans globally, locally, or across specific targeted regions or content segments. They offer market-leading and award-winning innovation in providing customized solutions for clients, and delivering unique connections with passion, personality and knowledge.
E S P N A R O U N D T H E W O R L D
ASIA / INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT / PACIFIC RIM
In the Asia/Pacific Rim region, ESPN operates a diverse business that includes a broad portfolio of leading online and mobile brands and services, a leading television and digital media business in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands,and the Pacific Islands, a collaboration with Sony in India and Tencent in China, and partial ownership of J Sports in Japan, with whom it also syndicates content.
In Australia and New Zealand, ESPN offers a multi-channel, multi-media lineup including ESPN, ESPN HD, ESPN2, ESPN2 HD and ESPN3.com and the #1 digital sports business in the market. The channels deliver fans a diverse portfolio of major global sporting events and properties, as well as locally-relevant content on the FOXTEL and SKY New Zealand platforms. The sports schedule across ESPN channels includes UEFA Champions League and Super Cup, FA Cup, NFL (including the Super Bowl), NBA, RBS Six Nations Rugby Union, ATP tennis, Major League Baseball, AMA Supercross, MLS, World Series of Poker, as well as NCAA American college football and basketball, and the Global X Games (expanded to six global events annually, beginning 2013). Additionally, ESPN delivers high quality studio shows, such as SportsCenter, ESPNFC (formerly known as Press Pass) and Pardon the Interruption (Australia version), as well as the award winning show shot on location – Aussie’s Abroad. ESPN launched a HD service in Australia in May 2008, which is carried on the FOXTEL HD service. In Australia, ESPN also delivers select ESPN 3D telecasts, including the X Games and NCAA college basketball and NBA. In the digital space, ESPN’s 24 hour broadband sports network, ESPN3.com, delivers live streaming sports to fans who get ESPN on TV, wherever they are, across digital devices. ESPN’s other digital properties, including ESPNFootytips.com.au, ESPNcricinfo.com (cricket), ESPNFC.com (soccer), ESPNscrum.com (rugby), ESPNF1.com(Formula 1), XGames.com (action sports) and ESPN.com (US-led multi-sport) as well as local social media – Facebook, Twitter & You Tube – continue to provide the most up to date information for fans 24 hours a day.
In China, ESPN and Tencent, one of China’s (and the world’s) leading providers of online products and services, began a ground-breaking collaboration in February 2016, which covers content licensing, production, localization and promotion. Through the agreement, exclusive, original and localized ESPN content (in Mandarin Chinese-language) is available on Tencent’s digital platforms – reaching an audience hundreds of millions of Chinese sports fans. ESPN has dedicated Chinese-speaking experts, editors, on-air talent and production staff (based in combination of China and US locations) to support the collaboration. Beginning in April 2016, ESPN NBA experts provide live on-site analysis from multiple NBA games weekly, as well as original studio programming, to complement Tencent’s live coverage of the NBA in China. Additionally, ESPN-branded news, analysis and video content is featured on an ESPN-branded section on Tencent’s QQ Sports (China’s leading Digital Sports portal), and across other sections of QQ.com. Content includes both original Chinese-language (Mandarin) stories and analysis and a selection of ESPN’s award-winning English-language basketball and soccer news, information and video – all adapted and translated for the Chinese market. Also through the agreement, Tencent licenses from ESPN the exclusive, live digital rights in mainland China to the NCAA Basketball Championship Tournaments (aka “March Madness®”) and the X Games, as well as more than 100 regular season college basketball games.
In India, ESPN operates a market leading digital business and is in a long-term collaboration with Sony’s Multi Screen Media (MSM) for co-branded media. Since October 2015, MSM and ESPN came together to to serve fans in India via SONY ESPN branded sports channels and a new multisport website and app (launching in 2016). The collaboration between two of the most respected brands in Indian media and sports provides a powerful portfolio of sports rights and sports media assets in India. Digitally, ESPN has been the market-leading digital sports company in India for years. ESPN also owns and operates ESPNcricinfo, India and the world’s leading digital cricket brand, serving cricket fans with the best digital sports content and products across the rapidly expanding number and variety of devices. It is joined by other growing properties ESPNFC.com (dedicated to football/soccer news, analysis, opinion and multimedia) and ESPNF1.com. ESPN’s technology, editorial and product teams in Bangalore and Mumbai also serve as an integral part of ESPN’s leading global digital media portfolio and business.
Throughout Southeast Asia, ESPN is a growing leader in digital media, with ESPNFC.com, ESPN.com and ESPNcricinfo.com leading the way in its portfolio of brands. Fans in the region log tens of millions of visits and hundreds of millions of minutes via computers and mobile devices each month, with mobile traffic and online video views growing by double digit percentages year-on-year.
Since its launch in March 1990 (as Japanese Sports Channel), ESPN has been a partner with several Japanese companies in J Sports. Across its channels, J Sports offers Japanese fans coverage of top Japanese and European soccer/football (including the Barclays Premier League and Japanese J League), MLB and other baseball (including the Asia Series, Little League World Series and more), rugby, motorsports, cycling, basketball, MMA, table tennis, badminton and more. In addition to J Sport, ESPN also offers Japanese fans localized mobile and digital versions of ESPNF1 and works closely with the Walt Disney Company in Japan to examine and develop new opportunities and products.
ESPN was a 50/50 partner with News Corporation in Asia for 16 years in the launch and operation of ESPN Star Sports. ESPN and The Walt Disney Company reached agreement with News Corp. in late 2011 to sell its 50 percent stake in the joint venture, a transaction which was completed in October 2012.
CANADA
Through its equity interest in CTV Specialty Television, Inc., ESPN has seven sports networks televised in Canada: TSN, TSN2, TSN3, TSN4, TSN5, RDS, RDS2, ESPN Classic, and RIS Info Sports. TSN is Canada’s Sports Leader and Canada’s most-watched specialty network. Delivering more sports coverage in high definition than any other network in Canada, TSN’s comprehensive broadcast schedule features an exciting lineup of sports including NHL, MLB, CFL, NFL, NBA, MLS, the IIHF World Junior Championship, Season of Champions Curling, Golf’s Majors, F1, NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series, Grand Slam Tennis, EURO 2016, the Tour de France, NCAA March Madness tournament and Championship Boxing events. In2008, TSN2 was launchedandnow ranks as the most-watched digital sports channel in Canada bringing fans a jam-packed line-up ofexclusive live major league sports action. RDS is the only sports network in the world that broadcasts entirely in French, 24-hours a day. ESPN Classic was launched September 7, 2001. TSN properties include TSN2, TSN MOBILE and the industry-leading sports website TSN.ca.TSN3, TSN4 and TSN5 were launched in August 2014.
EUROPE / MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA
In Europe, the Middle East and Africa ESPN is a leading multimedia sports brand, operating digital media and sports content distribution businesses.
In the UK and Ireland BT Sport has operated an ESPN-branded channel – ESPN on BT Sport – since July 2013 as part of a long-term collaboration agreement between ESPN and BT (British Telecom). ESPN had previously operated pan-regional TV channels in the EMEA region for 15 years, including ESPN networks in Africa, the Middle East, the UK and Ireland, as well as ESPN Classic and ESPN America pan-regional networks.
ESPN also operates pan-regional sports streaming service ESPN Player, which delivers live and on-demand streaming of sports events including NCAA college sports (including the College Football Playoff and the March Madness® tournaments), motorsports (including the IndyCar Series and its flagship Indy500), X Games, World Series of Poker and more to fans in more than 50 countries.
As a leading digital sports brand across the region, ESPN operates online, mobile and broadband services that leverage its position as the world’s leading digital sports provider and one of the leading technology and content companies in the world and has a part of its global advertising sales team in based in London.
Online and on mobile throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa, ESPN reaches millions of fans every month. ESPN’s industry-leading portfolio of digital brands serving the EMEA region include, ESPN.com, ESPN.co.uk, ESPNcricinfo (cricket), ESPNFC (football), ESPNscrum (rugby), and ESPNF1 (Formula 1).
ESPN also operates a mature sports content distribution business, which syndicates sports content to more than 100 clients around the region.
LATIN AMERICA / CARIBBEAN
Launched in 1989, ESPN’s pan-regional Latin America network transmits to 19 countries and territories, in high definition, divided by North, South, Brazilian and Caribbean feeds to better serve the fans in each region, broadcasting in Spanish, Portuguese and English. ESPN is currently available in over 39.5 million homes in the region. ESPN offers regional networks that include ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN+ Sur (Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay); ESPN+ Andina (Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia); ESPN Brasil; ESPN+; and ESPN3, which was introduced in 2011 as the first ESPN network in the region available via television, computers, tablets and mobile. ESPN3 has two feeds (North and South) to better serve the region. The networks offer a wide variety of sports events relevant to each market including all major soccer leagues and events, rugby, tennis, cricket, golf, motor sports, MLB, NFL, NBA, etc.
ESPN also offers two English-language networks in the Caribbean including ESPN (offered in HD) and ESPN2. These offer the best in world sports while also providing a Caribbean focus on what viewers in the region most want to see. ESPN’s Caribbean networks air in 32 countries and territories. Key programming includes America’s Cup Yachting, 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, 2014 ICC World T20 and the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, Caribbean Premier League T20, Caribbean Super 50 and Karbonn Smart Champions League T20, English Premier League, German Bundesliga, Spanish La Liga, Italian Serie A Soccer, Golf Majors, NFL, the NBA, MLB and Grand Slam tennis, as well as popular regionalized studio shows like ESPNFC.
ESPN’s broadband platforms continue to expand in the region. Spanish-speaking Latin America’s ESPN Play – and Brazil’s WatchESPN – is offered to subscribers of select partners across Latin America in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela and the Caribbean. The platform presents exclusiveon-demand sportsvideo, live events and high quality long-format video. Subscribers have access to exclusive events such as live UEFA Champions League matches, Italian Serie A soccer, the four tennis Grand Slams, the Indianapolis 500, NBA, MLB and College Football and Basketball, among other major sporting events. ESPN Play & WatchESPN alsofeature local content including a growing video library of ESPN events such as the X Games and original studio news shows.
Online, ESPN also operates leading websites in Latin America. ESPN.com, one of the leading Spanish-language sites in the region, averages over 104 million page views every month. The site covers more than 20 different sports with up-to-the-minute sports news, statistics, analysis and real-time scores; extensive video and audio programming; multiple free fantasy games; live event webcasts; live chat with players, ESPN experts and other sports personalities; a wide array of enterprise journalism; and user-generated content. ESPN.com also offers specialized sub-sites that include ESPNFC.com (soccer), ESPNTenis.com (tennis), Scrum.com (rugby), and ESPNRun.com (running). ESPN Guía (guia.espn.com) is another website provided by ESPN that includes TV listings information, programming highlights and information related to all the ESPN platforms in Spanish-speaking Latin America. ESPN.com.br is offered in Portuguese for users in Brazil. As one of the top-ten sports sites in the market, ESPN.com.br delivers news and information with the same journalistic spirit that characterizes the ESPN network in Brazil.
The brand also offers apps across the region. The ScoreCenter app, available for iPhone and Blackberry users, features scores, news and standings from sports leagues, teams and players around the world. The app allows users to follow their favorite teams wherever, whenever while staying up to date on the latest scores with personalized scoreboards and alerts. The ESPN FC app is available to mobile users presenting soccer news coverage and highlights.
In Argentina, the ESPN107.9 app for iPhone and Blackberry users, offers streaming audio 24/7 as well as some live sporting events. In Brazil, ESPN offers the ESPN Radio app, and recently launch the ESPN Brazil app that features the latest news and scores of sports relevant to the region.
In addition to apps, ESPN Mobile offers two mobile TV channels, one featuring a variety of ESPN content and a second presenting content exclusively dedicated to X Games.
All-Digital versions of ESPN The Magazine are available in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico via regionalized apps and with content tailored to each market. ESPN The Magazine features sports news, prominent sports personalities, industry background and culture. Originally, The Magazine had printed version in all three markets until 2012 when they all transitioned to apps.
ESPN International Radio began syndicating content in 2000 and is available in five markets. Since 2002, ESPN Radio Rivadavia airs in Argentina (AM 630), with national coverage through 64 repeating stations in every province in the country. Programming includes the award-winning daily afternoon news program La Oral Deportiva, which celebrates its 80th anniversary on air in 2013, with a second early afternoon extension, and live coverage of the local soccer tournaments and international games of the Argentine national team. In 2010 ESPN launched ESPN 107.9 FM in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the first FM station with a sports and music programming mix, SportsCenter news flashes every half hour, exclusive live interviews with sports personalities and in-depth coverage of several tournaments with field reporters in every site.
In Mexico, the audio programming line-up includes ESPN Radio Formula, a national syndicated daily radio show simulcast on TV that focuses on daily sports news and analysis. ESPN Radio in Brazil is available on the Internet via espn.com.br. Since July 2013, ESPN Brasil began syndicating sports content in Rádio Capital (AM 1040), one of the most recognized radio stations in São Paulo. In the Caribbean, ESPN Radio has two stations, ZSR-FM (103.5) in the Bahamas and 104.5 FM y 690 AM in the Dominican Republic.
ESPN NETWORKS
Canada
TSN (The Sports Network)
TSN2
TSN3
TSN4
TSN5
RDS
RDS2
RDS Info
ESPN Classic Canada
Latin America / Caribbean
ESPN (North)
ESPN (South)
ESPN (Brazil, HD)
ESPN Caribbean (HD/SD)
ESPN2 Caribbean
ESPN Brasil (HD)
ESPN+ (Brazil)
ESPN2
ESPN+ Sur
ESPN+ Andina
ESPN HD (Spanish-speaking Latin America)
ESPN3 (North)
ESPN3 (South)
Pacific Rim
ESPN Pacific Rim (New Zealand and Pacific Islands)
ESPN2 Pacific Rim
SPORTSCENTER
ESPN’s award-winning flagship news and information program SportsCenter has been adapted and customized into 8 local versions in English, Portuguese, and Spanish for key markets in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Latin America, and Mexico. The U.S. version is also aired on ESPN International networks in Australia and New Zealand.
Where Can I Watch SportsCenter?
ESPN (pan regional, Spanish)
ESPN + Andina (Spanish)
ESPN + (Spanish)
ESPN (Latin North version, Spanish)
ESPN (Latin South version, Spanish)
ESPN2 (Spanish)
ESPN Brasil (Portuguese)
TSN Canada (English)
PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS
Examples of programming televised by ESPN networks around the world
Soccer
Argentine Football
Brazilian League Campeonato Paulista & Brasileirao
Capital One Cup (English League Cup)
Copa del Rey
Copa do Brasil, including U-17 and U-20
Ascenso MX
Copa MX
Coppa Italia
Dutch Eredivise
England U-21 National Team games
English FA Cup
English Premier League
FIFA World Cup 2014 Qualifiers
FIFA World Cup 2014
FIFA World Cup Archived Matches
French Ligue 1
German Bundesliga
German Cup
Greek League
Italian Serie A
Liga MX
MLS
NextGen Series
Portuguese Liga ZON Sagres
Russian Premier League
Spanish La Liga
Super Classicos Latinoamericanos
UEFA Champions League
UEFA Europa League
UEFA Euro 2016
Ukrainian League
Rugby
Aviva Premiership
Campeonato Argentino (South America)
French Top 14
Sanzer
IRB Rugby World Cup
Nacional de Clubes (South America)
RBS Six Nations Rugby
Rugby Championship
Super Rugby (South America)
URBA Championship (South America)
Vodacom Cup (South America)
Cricket
Caribbean T20
Caribbean Super50
ICC
Karbonn Smart Champions League T20
Golf
Champions Tour
LPGA
Masters
PGA Championship
Sr. PGA Championship
U.S. Open
Women’s U.S. Open
PGA Tour (including The Players Championship, The President’s Cup, OHL Classic at Mayakoba and FedEx Cup Playoff events)
World Golf Championships
Tennis
ATP World Tour (1000’s and 500’s)
Australian Open
Roland Garros
Wimbledon
U.S. Open Tennis Championships
Mexican Open
Basketball
FIBA Copa America (Basketball)
NBA (National Basketball Association)
WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association)
U.S. Sport
Little League World Series
MLB (Major League Baseball)
NCAA College Football (Reg. Season, Conference Championships, College Bowls and College Football Playoff)
NCAA College Basketball (Pre-season Tournaments, Reg. Season, Conference Tournaments, post-season tournaments including NCAA Championship (March Madness for both men and women)
NCAA Championship Events-25 different championships
NFL (National Football League)
NHL (National Hockey League)
Motor Racing
AMA Supercross and Motocross
IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500
MotoGP
NASCAR
NHRA (National Hot Rod Association)
And:
America’s Cup Yachting
Argentine Polo Open
Giro d’ Italia
ESPN Films
ESPN Los Capitales del Futbol
ESPY Awards
Figure Skating (US Championship)
FIH Champions Trophy Hockey
FIVB World League Volleyball
Hurlingham Polo Open
IAAF Track and Field
Ironman Triathlon
La Vuelta a España
Mega Fight Historical Boxing Films
NYC Marathon
Premier Boxing Championship Series
Tortugas Polo Open
Tour de France
Venezuelan League Baseball
World Series of Poker
X Games Aspen Austin and Oslo 2016
Studio Shows Include:
+Motor
#Redes
A Los Golpes
Aussies Abroad
Balón Dividido (soccer discussion)
Bate Bola (soccer discussion)
Béisbol Esta Noche (Baseball Tonight)
Bola da Vez (athlete interviews)
Capitanes
Cronómetro (Spanish-language version of ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption)
Duetto (sport discussion)
ESPN Radio Formula (leading AM/FM radio network in Mexico)
ESPN Report
ESPN Run
ESPN FC
ESPN Dance
ESPN Yoga
Fuera de Juego (soccer discussion)
Fora de Jogo (Brazil soccer discussion show)
Fútbol Picante (Mexican soccer)
Futebol no Mundo
Goles de Europa
Golpe a Golpe (boxing discussion show)
Hablemos de Futbol (soccer discussion)
Hazañas Doradas
Juca Entrevista (studio interview show)
Linha de Passe (sports round table)
Los Capitanes (sports discussion)
Loucos por Futebol (soccer history)
MotoGP Highlights
Nacion ESPN (Spanish-language version of ESPN’s SportsNation)
NBA Tonight
NFL Esta Noche (NFL Tonight)
NFL Primetime (Spanish Version)
NFL Semanal (NFL weekly)
Pardon the Interruption (Australia)
Pontapé Inicial
Pura Química (talk show)
Revista del Turf
Segredos do Esporte (ESPN Sports Science)
Simplemente Fútbol (soccer)
SportsCenter (news/information)
SportsCenter Headliners
SportsCenter Primera Plana
The Book is on the Table
Toque Inicial
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