ABC to Air Indianapolis 500 In HD

Washington, D.C. (May 9, 2007) -- For the first time ever, the Indianapolis 500 this year will be broadcast in High-Definition.

ESPN on ABC will air the 91st Indy 500 in high-def on Sunday, May 27 at 1 p.m. ET. The race will take place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

"The start of the Indianapolis 500 is one of the most dramatic moments in sports, and providing flag-to-flag coverage of 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing' in High Definition will add to our viewers' enjoyment of the race," said John Wildhack, ESPN's executive vice president for programming.

ESPN and ABC, which will also provide high-def coverage of weekend qualifying races prior to the Indy 500, has partnered with Sony on the HD technology.

"We consider the Indianapolis 500 the kind of world-class event that will come to life like never before in HD technology," said Robert Willox, director of Sony Electronics' content creation group.

Catch Danica Patrick in high-def on the Indy 500.

Joie Chitwood, president and COO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, said fans have been calling for the race to be in high-def.

"One of the most frequent requests from our fans is a high-definition telecast of the Indianapolis 500, and we're thrilled to fulfill that demand," said Chitwood. "This will bring home the color, pageantry and excitement of 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing' in vivid detail to the ever-growing numbers of homes with HD sets."

Marty Reid will be the lead announcer for the ESPN on ABC broadcast while Brent Musberger will host. Pre-race coverage will begin at noon ET.

(Note: ESPN on ABC is the term used by the network for a ESPN production that airs on ABC; ESPN and ABC are sister networks owned by Disney.)

Click here to see ABC & ESPN's high-def schedule for the month's Indy 500 qualifying races and related events.

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