• by Paul Gough , May 27, 2004

Are you ready for ESPN: The Flavor?

Millions of bottles of Gatorade Berry have gotten a temporary makeover in ESPN's latest foray into multiplatform marketing--the network's three-month effort to mark its 25th anniversary.

What started as a small cable network based in Bristol, Conn. has grown into one of television's biggest and most recognizable brands: Multiple channels, a radio network, a magazine, a Web site, and even a chain of restaurants called ESPNZone. It was there that some of the channel's executives and an on-air host who has been with the network almost since the beginning unveiled the details of "ESPN25." It's 32 hours of programming tied to--but not exclusively, or even mostly--the 25 years of sports that have occurred since ESPN signed on the air in early September 1979.

ESPN25 kicks off May 30, with vignettes (sponsored by Gatorade) every night during Sportscenter that will count down the 100 biggest moments in sports during the last 25 years. There will be special programming every Tuesday night for the next 14 weeks, including:

* A two-hour "Then and Now," which focuses on how the sports world has changed between 1979 and 2004.

* "Who's #1" and "The Headlines," which focuses on the stories of the past 25 years.

ƒÞ"Sportscenter: The Next 25 Years" will attempt to predict what kinds of changes will happen in sports during the next quarter century.

* Silver Anniversary Special, the only portion of the 32 hours that will focus on ESPN.

Beyond Gatorade, there are other sponsors for ESPN25, including Bud Light (which will also carry the logo on its cans) and McDonald's, which will feature the promotion in its Happy Meals.