World Series of Beach Volleyball 2017: Start time, TV channel, and live stream for Thursday

The World Series of Beach Volleyball will begin on Thursday, and will run through the weekend from Long Beach, California. Some of the best of the sport will compete for the ultimate title, including Kerri Walsh-Jennings, a three-time Olympic gold medalist.

Thursday will feature men’s and women’s main draw pool play, with the women’s quarterfinals taking place on Friday, the women’s semifinals and finals taking place on Saturday, and the men’s schedule one day behind that one.

ESPN will carry television coverage throughout the event, though the first day will not be televised. The only way to watch the action on Thursday will be an online stream on ESPN3. That stream will be available in browsers at WatchESPN and in the ESPN app on various connected devices.

The FIVB-sanctioned event includes junior play all the way up to the top level in the sport. Tournament organizers have stated they want the event to be a “pop-culture event appealing to a mass audience.”

International, domestic, junior and even amateur volleyball is being played at the Marina Green Park. The main event, so to speak, is the FIVB Presidents Cup, which this year will have a USA-versus-the-world format. The total purse is $300,000 and the tournament is by invitation only.

Walsh-Jennings will not be teaming with longtime partner April Ross for the event. Ross will be paired with Lauren Fendrick, while Walsh-Jennings will be paired with Nicole Branagh. The format will see two pools of USA teams and two pools of international teams per gender, with the top two teams advancing to a single-elimination bracket.

Things will heat up proper on Friday and later days, but there will still be plenty to watch on Thursday. Below is all you need to know to watch the action on Thursday.

Date: Thursday, July 12

Location: Long Beach, Calif.

Time: 1 p.m. ET

Online Streaming: WatchESPN, ESPN app