Sundance Square will be the TV headquarters for ESPN’s NCAA Final Four studio coverage in April 2014. ESPN will construct a set in the new Sundance Square Plaza beginning March 31, 2014 with live telecasts set for April 2 – 7, 2014, Sundance Square officials announced this morning.
“ESPN was a great partner during Super Bowl XLV and we are beyond excited to have them back in Sundance Square in 2014,” said Johnny Campbell, president and CEO of Sundance Square. “ESPN brings great visibility to Fort Worth and allows us to showcase our heritage, as well as our current offerings in Sundance Square including the new plaza which will open in November 2013.”
Sundance Square was the site of ESPN’s live coverage during Super Bowl XLV in 2011. More than 110 hours of live television and radio coverage were telecast from Sundance Square and, even with the winter storm that week leading up to the Super Bowl, Sundance Square broke sales records. Retail and restaurant sales exceeded previous best day reports in the 35-block development’s history. Pedestrian traffic the weekend prior to the Super Bowl was double a normal weekend and during the week, pedestrian counts more than tripled normal weekly counts.
Sundance Square is currently building Sundance Square Plaza, set to open Nov. 1. The new plaza includes two new buildings, the Westbrook and the Commerce Building as well as a large public area featuring outdoor patios, fountains, benches, a multi-purpose stage and a 2,000-square-foot pavilion