Morgan Freeman to Participate in 2016 INVICTUS GAMES Opening Ceremony

ESPN's coverage of the Invictus Games 2016, the only international adaptive sporting event for injured active duty and veteran service members, will begin Sunday, May 8, at 8 p.m. ET with live coverage of the Games' star-studded Opening Ceremony, hosted by Chris Fowler and Marysol Castro. Legendary Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman and a variety of musical acts will participate.

The Opening Ceremony will be held at Champion Field at ESPN Wide World of Sports at WALT DISNEY WORLD in Orlando. ESPN's viewers will witness the Parade of Athletes from the 14 nations, as well as performances by British sensation Laura Wright and international star James Blunt. The Ceremony will feature an unprecedented number of military performances, including the U.S. Army Herald Trumpets, U.S. Army Band, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps and the U.S. Marine Corps Silent Drill Team. In addition, the audience will hear emotional first-person narratives from injured servicemen MSgt Israel Del Toro Jr., LCpl John-James Chalmers and Louis Nethercott.

The Invictus Games will be carried in the U.S. on ESPN2 and ESPN3 (event schedule). ESPN2's coverage will also be available via a stream live on WatchESPN across computers, smartphones, tablets and connected devices via an affiliated video provider. Parts of ESPN's coverage will be carried in 60 countries and territories throughout Spanish-speaking Latin America, Brazil, the Caribbean, Australia, New Zealand, Canada as well as through the American Forces Network.

ESPN2's coverage will culminate Thursday, May 12, with the Closing Ceremony live at 7 p.m. at Champion Stadium. The Closing Ceremony will feature musical performances by international pop star Rachel Platten, who will perform her No. 1 single "Fight Song". In addition, best-selling country group Rascal Flatts, former AMERICAN IDOL winner Phillip Phillips, Florida native and Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist Flo Rida, THE VOICE Season nine winner Jordan Smith and the first nationally-recognized wounded warrior band, Vetted, will all perform.

About the Invictus Games Presented by Jaguar Land Rover, the Invictus Games are the only international adaptive sporting event for injured active duty and veteran service members. The Games use the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding and respect of all those who serve their country as well as their families and caregivers. The Invictus Games Foundation has been established to pursue and develop the legacy of the Invictus Games, Prince Harry's sporting event for wounded, ill and injured servicemen and women.

The Invictus competitors are men and women who have come face-to-face with the reality of making a sacrifice for their own country. The word 'invictus' means 'unconquered' and the event embodies the fighting spirit of the wounded, injured and ill service personnel and what these men and women can achieve post service. For more information on the 2016 Invictus Games, including tickets, volunteer and sponsorship opportunities, visit https://invictusgames2016.org/.

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