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HDTV is poised to take off like a rocket, believes Bryan Burns, ESPN's vice president of strategic business planning and development. His network has made a big push with high-def programming over the past year, and is pushing it even harder this year.

Far more than network dramas and sitcoms, sports can be the compelling content that drives consumers to purchase HD equipment. This year's Super Bowl was a stunning success both for the NFL and for the viewers who were able to enjoy it in its full glory. "People want to watch sports in high-definition," says Burns, "In the last 90 days, HD has caught fire."

ESPN is launching its spring HDTV season with Major League Baseball's March 30 season opener – the Texas Rangers vs. the world champion Anaheim Angels. The following weekend, the NCAA Women's Final Four basketball championship series will be aired in HD. More major league baseball will follow in May and June, in addition to the NCAA College World Series, and playoff games in the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League. ESPN will also offer high-def pro football this coming fall, with National Football League Sunday Night.

High-def programming at present includes offerings from Home Box Office, ShowTime, HDNet, Discovery Networks U.S. and Bravo. ESPN HD will be part of a monthly subscription package expected to cost approximately $10. " We want to be in there with a number of other services," said ESPN sales v.p Sean Bratches. " We think that has worked well for the industry." The sports network will promote digital TV with the deployment of HDTV screens in train terminals, airports, sports arenas and retail stores. "You have to see and experience this product," Bratches said.

Notifications and references to HD will be peppered throughout ESPN programming to constantly remind viewers of what they are seeing – or what they are missing. "We will use all the various media to tell the sports fan the story of ESPN HD," Burns said. ESPN will produce 100 live HD events this year, with up to 4000 hours of studio-produced HDTV content to come once the new production facility is completed.

The network's format will be 720p, because its engineers say it works best for the motion shots of fast action sports better than 1080i.

Coming HD events on ESPN:

March 30: MLB, Texas at Anaheim

April 1: Women's NCAA Basketball Tournament, regional finals

April 6: Women's NCAA Basketball Tournament, semifinals

April 8: Women's NCAA Basketball Tournament, finals

April 9: NBA, to be announced

April 13: MLB, Los Angeles at San Francisco

April 16: NBA, to be announced

April 20: MLB, Texas at Oakland

April 24: NHL, to be announced

April 27: MLB, Boston at Anaheim

May 2: NBA, to be announced

May 4: MLB, Seattle at Chicago White Sox