In just four years, U.S. English-language television coverage of soccer's European Championship has gone from mostly pay per view to every game being aired on an ESPN network.

ESPN's commitment this time around covers 31 matches from Saturday through June 29. A quarterfinal and the title game will be broadcast on ABC.

"For ESPN, it's important in that Euro itself is a marquee, world-class event that we certainly want to be associated with bringing that to fans," said Scott Guglielmino, vice president for programming and acquisitions.

It's part of broader efforts by ESPN to expand its soccer coverage, which includes the rights to the men's and women's World Cups through 2014. Televising Euros and other events allows ESPN to create a continual buildup to the next World Cup so soccer is a regular presence to American sports fans, not just a once-in-four-years diversion.

ESPN will also follow World Cup qualifying by the U.S. team, which begins June 15 against Barbados at Carson, Calif.

"It all weaves together nicely," Guglielmino said.

Euro 2008 games will air in the morning and afternoon in the United States.

The Euros' appeal to ESPN goes beyond English-language TV coverage. Games will also air in Spanish on ESPN Deportes in the United States, on ESPN International in Latin America and the Caribbean, and online.

Changing demographics in the United States make ESPN executives confident there are more soccer fans out there.

"The U.S. population, the way it is now and going forward, soccer from our perspective is going to become incredibly more important to a diverse audience," Guglielmino said.