Disney said that the rebrand, due to coincide with the Super Bowl in the US on 1 February, 2009, will not change the channel's programming focus significantly, adding that it will still serve North American sports to Europe and the Middle East.
The deal hands Disney its first live sports presence in Europe. Current European offering ESPN Classic shows archive footage of classic sporting events.
The rebrand follows ESPN's acquisition of NASN in December 2006 from previous owners Benchmark Capital and Setanta Sports.
Since ESPN acquired NASN, the network has expanded to 14 million households across 43 countries, with an additional three million subscribers in the Middle East.
The channel broadcasts more than 800 live and as-live sports events each year, including Major League Baseball (MLB), National Hockey League (NHL), National Football League (NFL), NCAA American Football and Basketball. SPN America will also show the Super Bowl in several European countries, including Germany, France, the Netherlands and Poland.
"The announcement of our first ESPN-branded live television channel in Europe is a momentous day for the company," said Lynne Frank, senior vice-president and managing director of ESPN in Europe, Middle East and Africa.
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