Just in time for college football season and NFL kickoff, ESPN is making it even easier for sports fanatics to fulfill all their sports needs.
The traditional sports network was spread out among what feels like a dozen channels, but that changes today as ESPN is jumping into the streaming wars with its own platform. Even more enticing is that it houses all of its stations, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACC Network, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+, and ACCNX.
As with all streaming platforms, there are distinct tiers, and ESPN kicks it off with the select plan that’s $11.99, the ESPN unlimited tier that’s $29.99 a month, and boasts 47,000 live events a year to make your couch rotting all the more rewarding.
ESPN is even throwing in a Disney+ and Hulu bundle that will also be $29.00 a month, but the deal only lasts a year.
But the destination is more than just the games and SportsCenter you can watch; it’s also customized. For starters, there’s “Sportcenter For You,” full of clips to feast on that pertain to your favorite teams and leagues, thanks to AI technology.
Then there’s ESPN Verts, a swipeable feature to breeze through short-form videos, StreamCenter that lets you watch games on your TV while watching real-time stats on your phone, and Multiview to watch up to four games at the same time. There’s also Catch Up To Live, which lets users skip through a game, only seeing key plays, which should come in handy for those snoozeworthy 3-plus hour long NFL games.
Similar to ESPN’s new deals with the NFL and WWE, the sports giant is excited to enhance the fan experience through its new platform, offering direct access and its signature storytelling.
“This is a monumental day for all of us at ESPN, for The Walt Disney Company and, most importantly, for our fans,” said Jimmy Pitaro, ESPN’s chairman, in a statement. “ESPN DTC and the ESPN App are a powerful combination marking a major turning point in how we serve sports fans – anytime, anywhere – for years to come. We’ve put a lot of hard work into this launch, with the full force of ESPN and Disney behind it, and we can’t wait for fans to experience all of ESPN in the ESPN App. The best part is, we’re just getting started. What we’re launching today will evolve with regular enhancements over time. As we have since 1979, we’ll continue to listen, adapt and innovate, with sports fans at the center of everything we do. There is no finish line.”
