• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, May 16, 2007

The most arresting aspect of ESPN's upfront presentation Tuesday morning wasn't the pitches about multiplatform opportunities, potent male targeting or new programming. Quite simply, it was the timing.

The cable network has become so important to at least two entities--advertisers and parent company Disney--that it opted to hold its presentation right in the middle of the broadcast upfront week. The move is probably a first--cable networks traditionally take a backseat and cede the ground to the higher-profile broadcasters.

But ESPN sought to signal that it's now playing on the same field. And it can make a powerful case. It's arguably a first stop for big-budget advertisers looking to reach young males. And it's a booming growth engine for the Disney company, benefiting from less than formidable competition as a national sports network and multiplatform brand. The majority of on-air programming will involve further distribution on other platforms, ranging from mobile to radio to ESPN magazine.

Among its announcements Tuesday, ESPN said it would bulk up advertiser opportunities on ESPN.com with ESPN Select, allowing marketers to geo-target within the top-50 DMAs. Also coming is the debut of ad-supported video podcasts on iTunes.

In the more traditional on-air arena, ESPN is mounting a challenge to HBO "Real Sports" with the new series "ESPN Reports," a magazine-style show in which top journalists will tell compelling stories about leading athletes and provide investigative reporting. The news-magazine even has a potential Andy Rooney in popular commentator/columnist Bill Simmons. The show will debut Oct. 16 in prime time.

On New Year's Eve, it will try to pry viewers away from the Times Square ball-dropping with a show involving action-sports athletes trying to break records. Before that, it has a new daily college-football program coming to complement its popular "College GameDay" on Saturdays. Come July, expect the debut of the original mini-series "The Bronx is Burning," about the 1977 New York Yankees. MasterCard is already teed up as a presenting sponsor.

In addition to the college-football show, the network will continue its devotion to America's new pastime with a college game schedule that includes 23 games on Labor Day weekend and prime-time Saturday games on ABC. (Sports on the network now comes under the ESPN brand, another sign that ESPN is moving into broadcast territory.) There's also the second season of "Monday Night Football," where ESPN turns Monday into a full day of pre-game content leading up to kickoff. ESPNews will also dive further into the fantasy sports craze with a weekly Sunday a.m. show in August.

Then, to commemorate the 300th spot in its iconic "This is SportsCenter" campaign, the network will air a series of originals in September delving into behind-the-scenes aspects of the effort, now in its 14th year. The final show will mark the premiere of spot 300.