Proof: OWN drew a 0.9 rating (1 million viewers) in prime-time, enough to make the newly launched network the third most-watched basic cable net for the night (behind power-houses ESPN and USA) in the Oprah-friendly women 25-54 demo, according to preliminary figures from Nielsen.

FORBES: Oprah And Discovery Backers Given Reason To Crow

The digital economy tier includes local broadcast channels, as well as popular cable channels, such as USA, Lifetime, but no ESPN.

WSJ: Customers Say to Cable Firms, 'Let's Make a Deal'

They have the rights to sell worldwide TV rights, with the exception of North America, where the Professional Golfers of the USA have sold them to NBC and ESPN.

BBC: Scotland Ryder Cup campaign stepped up

This year's Military Bowl will feature a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference and an opponent from Conference USA. It will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

WSJ: Military Bowl moving from DC to Annapolis

Women reading the USA Today article are getting this message from ESPN: women understand sports in a different way than men and have to be catered to separately.

FORBES: Is ESPN Alienating Current Female Viewers In Attempt To Attract New Ones?

USA. Atop that package or standalone, subscribers could choose a sports bundle including channels like ESPN and regional sports networks.

WSJ: Imagining a Post-Bundle World for Cable TV