Jordan Love: Matthew Golden is going to be a stud
It's early, but quarterback Jordan Love has been impressed with the young wideout. In an interview with ESPN's Kevin Clark for This is Football, Love called Golden the Packers' most impressive newcomer.
'Man, I think he's shown up since Day 1 and just really shown his play style, shown what he's all about,' Love said. 'He came in really polished and has been making plays since Day 1. He's got very aggressive hands, he's a smooth route runner, he's got speed. So I think for him, it's just continuing to understand the playbook and wrap his head around everything we have in. We have a very deep system.
'But you can see, when he knows what he's doing, and he's feeling confident, he's been playing lights out. He's gonna be a stud.'
Golden, 22, played his first two college seasons at Houston before transferring to Texas last year. He caught 58 passes for 987 yards with nine touchdowns in 16 games for the Longhorns.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
30 minutes ago
- New York Times
As ESPN navigates shifting media landscape, Jimmy Pitaro leads launch of new streaming era
ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro's big bet is not all-or-nothing. On Thursday, Pitaro and the sports media behemoth will launch a highly anticipated direct-to-consumer streaming service that will allow fans to go straight to ESPN for all its offerings, including live games such as 'Monday Night Football' and studio shows such as 'First Take.' No longer will fans need another television subscription for cable, satellite or any other service to access ESPN, as long as they're willing to pay ESPN directly each month. Advertisement It is a moment that Pitaro, ESPN and its parent company, Disney, have worked toward for eight years. ESPN is not shy about what going direct-to-consumer means, as the network that once proclaimed itself 'The Worldwide Leader in Sports' — an immodest but accurate description among media companies — is now going with 'The Next Era' for its latest venture. The service's unveiling is a landmark moment for the company and the industry. ESPN's dual cable revenue sources of subscription and advertising is arguably the greatest business model in media history. With its location in the lowest basic cable tier, it has meant that everyone, sports fans or not, paid for ESPN. By 2011, a little more than three decades into its existence, ESPN reached 100 million subscribers, generating hundreds of billions in revenue over the decades and allowing ESPN to keep pace on a spending spree of nonstop, wide-ranging rights and talent acquisitions to sustain the model's flywheel. In the digital age, this subscriber number has eroded as cord-cutters (viewers leaving the cable bundle) and cord-nevers (younger people who never even subscribed to cable in the first place) have become more the norm than the exception during the digitized YouTube- and Netflix-ization of viewing habits. In May, for the first time, more viewers consumed streaming services than traditional networks, per Nielsen. ESPN is in around 61 million homes today, between cable, satellite and services like YouTube TV. ESPN receives around $15 per subscriber monthly from distributors for all of its networks. That results in the still-not-too-shabby math of around a billion dollars per month of revenue, and that's before ESPN sells one commercial. The model still allows the network to spend very big, which it has to do to protect the cable deals as much as possible — and to power its direct-to-consumer moment. Pitaro, a diehard Yankees fan, has been compared to George Steinbrenner because he has outlayed in the neighborhood of $80 billion over his seven years in charge to create the greatest live-sports portfolio in media, while doling out hundreds of millions for on-air talents such as Stephen A. Smith, Peyton Manning, Joe Buck, Pat McAfee and others. Advertisement Pitaro and ESPN's hand is very good — they have the best allotment of sports programming in the game — but they don't have everything. There are many examples, but NBC, owners of "Sunday Night Football," has the next Super Bowl. With the cable subscription numbers diminishing, ESPN had no choice but to offer fans a more modernized delivery platform. The price of the new service, simply named "ESPN," will be $29.99 per month. Pitaro called the rate more of an art than a science, but it does seem notable that it is exactly double the wholesale cable fee. Without non-sports fans paying for ESPN (as they mostly do when they have cable) and with streaming subscribers more likely to cancel after any given month than cable subscribers, this potentially provides a revenue cushion. It also could make the cable bundle more attractive. Cable and satellite subscribers will be able to access all of ESPN networks traditionally, and most will have access to the new direct-to-consumer product that will have enhanced features and programming to go along with ESPN's 12 networks and services. The new app will feature new betting and fantasy game integrations, among other items. Pitaro describes it all as being in "the first inning," with new features coming monthly. The Steinbrenner-like checkbook is still out. "The Next Era" is intended to reflect the company's current mission statement and serving fans "Anywhere. Anytime.' Before Thursday, the cord-cutters and cord-nevers had no legal way to access ESPN's programming. The new service is also intended to create new bundles: A deal with the NFL to include RedZone in its packaging; a combo with Fox One (Fox Sports and News' new DTC product) for a 25 percent discount; and an in-house promotional bundle of ESPN, Disney+ and Hulu for $29.99 per month (eventually going to $35.99 per month). Advertisement Pitaro and his team say they believe the new app will only be additive, another place to find sports fans and to offer even more to its longtime subscribers. It is a big bet, and may very well determine ESPN's future. The plan aims to do two things at once: Preserve as much of the past as possible while addressing the present and future of sports consumption. "We thought it was the right thing to do for the sports fan because the trends were not slowing down,' Pitaro told The Athletic. 'If anything, they were accelerating." ESPN is facing more competition than ever before, from its traditional rivals at Fox, CBS and NBC, to streamers Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, YouTube and then, like everyone else in the industry, social media and the changing habits of younger generations. To create a moat of live sports to keep its importance on cable systems and prepare to distribute itself directly to customers, Pitaro has outlayed at least $80 billion in rights acquisitions that have resulted in the network's first Super Bowl in February 2027, the NBA Finals every season, the College Football Playoff every year and more. "I think it is fair to say that we have the deepest and best rights portfolio that we have ever had at ESPN, and I believe it is the best in the industry," Pitaro said. Last week, the network announced a deal with WWE for its 10-12 top events per year, including Wrestlemania. Most importantly, ESPN made four separate agreements with the NFL that gave the league a 10 percent ownership stake in ESPN (at a valuation of an estimated $2.5 billion) in exchange for more games, NFL Network and access to RedZone, among the assets swapped. The full deal still needs regulatory approval — so NFL Network won't be part of the ESPN DTC until next year at the earliest, and maybe not until the beginning of 2027. Advertisement Pitaro first began game-planning for Thursday's launch eight years ago, before he was in charge of ESPN. At the table were ESPN president John Skipper, Disney CFO Christine McCarthy and Disney head of strategy Kevin Mayer, all of whom reported to Disney CEO Bob Iger. Pitaro was Disney's leader of consumer products and interactive media. It's been a while. Pitaro's old job doesn't even exist anymore, and Skipper, McCarthy and Mayer are all gone from the company. Iger has retired and unretired. The plan stayed on course. "We decided to pursue a 'crawl, walk, run' strategy for ESPN in the direct-to-consumer world," Pitaro said. ESPN began making moves to build for this moment. Disney invested in, then acquired MLB's BAMTech for nearly $4 billion, assuming full ownership in 2022. That technology powered the 2018 launch of ESPN+, a smaller direct-to-consumer service that has featured UFC and a sliver of ESPN programming. The company says ESPN+ currently has 24 million subscribers, and it will still be available for 'select' programming at $11.99 per month, while the full $29.99 ESPN app is described as "unlimited." ESPN+ will be included in the full app. In 2019, Disney also created Disney+, its entertainment and kids DTC offering, gaining 128 million subscribers. While all this was taking place, Iger and Pitaro targeted 2025 for ESPN's defining DTC move. "It was probably 2023 where we really decided we were going to do this soon," Pitaro said. ESPN has most of its cable and satellite platforms on-board to allow consumers with those subscriptions to freely "authenticate" when logging into ESPN's app when it launches Thursday. (Notably, YouTube TV consumers will not have access at launch, as ESPN and YouTube are still negotiating long-term rights.) Cable operators already offer authenticated access to ESPN+, and they can market access to the entirety of ESPN's relaunched app as a benefit of sticking with a cable subscription (call it "bundle+"). "They are aligned with our strategy," Pitaro said of the cable, satellite and digital multi-video providers. In the 46-year history of ESPN, Pitaro is the first leader of the company who did not come up through Bristol, the Connecticut town that has unexpectedly been the capital of sports media for decades. For seven years now, Pitaro has made the regular drive past Dollar General, the last store before the network's sprawling complex, as ESPN's chairman. Advertisement Pitaro, 56, has made some outsider moves, such as licensing Peyton and Eli Mannings' "Monday Night Football" alternative "ManningCast" broadcasts, McAfee's midday show and, coming this NBA season, importing Charles Barkley's "Inside The NBA" from TNT Sports. But among those who work with Pitaro, he is very much ESPN, with an around-the-clock work ethic and a sports obsession that sometimes makes him sound like a WFAN caller. His chairmanship has probably come during the most tumultuous time in ESPN's history. After it picked up NFL game rights as a nine-year-old company in 1987, its fortunes rose; it became the most dominant force in sports media and the base of Disney's financial success for decades. Before the digital revolution, when cable reigned, ESPN appeared unstoppable. Mark Shapiro, now the president of TKO and WME group, ran ESPN programming nearly a quarter century ago, playing a large role in creating hits such as Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon's "PTI" and negotiating the rights to move Monday Night Football from Disney-owned ABC to ESPN, which exemplified the power of cable and the sports network in 2005. With TKO, Shapiro was recently instrumental in the WWE deal that Pitaro hopes will prevent churn. An issue in moving from cable to the digital world is that subscribers are more likely to cancel in any given month, once the programming they are interested in is out of season. ESPN wanted WWE's recurring schedule of top events on ESPN's new service to help avoid that. It is part of the "crawl, walk, run" plan. "Jimmy has created a new era for ESPN, and he's done it in difficult, unpredictable times with eyes wide open and the utmost integrity," Shapiro said. "He doesn't play games. What you see is always what you get. He truly embodies the ESPN culture." ESPN has morphed into a lot of things over the years at the center of American life. It has been mixed in with politics, satirized on "Saturday Night Live" and had books written about it. At its core, though, it has been the place to watch the game. The new service will have 47,000 live events each year, starting with the NFL. In 1987, when ESPN received a half-season package of Sunday night NFL games, it changed its fortunes and elevated how much it could charge all basic cable subscribers. Shapiro added Monday Night Football two decades ago; now Pitaro has picked up Super Bowls. He just spent years finalizing its expanded relationship with the NFL, allowing the league to take that 10 percent stake in the network. Advertisement It is not a coincidence that ESPN direct-to-consumer service will start on the eve of the NFL and college football season. That was always the plan, Pitaro said. The network may be betting on "The Next Era," but it doesn't care where fans subscribe, just as long as they do, be it direct-to-consumer, cable or wherever they want it. "It is the first inning," Pitaro said. "I've been very clear, internally and externally, that this is a marathon, not a sprint. This is going to launch with significant enhancements, but not all the enhancements that we have on the roadmap. There is going to be a steady drumbeat of improvements weekly, monthly, annually." Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
New York Times
30 minutes ago
- New York Times
U.S. Open mixed doubles: How a controversial tennis spectacle came to be, and what to expect
For better or for worse, definitely for richer, and for who knows how long, the reimagined, star-spangled U.S. Open mixed doubles tournament gets underway Tuesday, Aug. 19 at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. Sixteen pairs, comprised of the biggest names in singles and some of the best in the world at doubles, will compete for a $1 million payday over two days of tennis, before the tournament's singles draws have even begun. The U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) is hiring private jets at will; ESPN is doing interviews between sets and, until the final, the sets are first to four games, not six. Advertisement Stars of doubles say it devalues a Grand Slam trophy and their chosen discipline; the USTA says that the previous setup was doing that already. So, what should a tennis fan expect from this two-day jamboree, affront to the sport, or maybe both? When Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori lifted the U.S. Open's mixed doubles trophy last September, they did so after coming through a 32-team draw, played alongside the tournament's singles events. Whoever lifts it this year will have come through four matches in two days, three of them shorter than a regular tennis match. In the mixed doubles' new format, the round of 16, quarterfinals and semifinals will be best of three sets, but first to four games, not six. If a game goes to deuce, 40-40, then it's straight to a deciding point. If it's 1-1 in sets, a 10-point tiebreak will decide the winners. The final will follow the same format, but the sets there will stick with tradition and be first to six games. This is all to align with the tournament's priorities of 'trying to get the game's biggest stars on the court playing together,' said Eric Butorac, a former Grand Slam doubles finalist and the USTA executive whose baby this mixed doubles event became. Butorac has spent much of the past year quizzing, cajoling and nudging those stars, ultimately devising a format geared to their needs. Competing in mixed doubles during the singles events was a non-starter, which is why this competition ends four days before the singles draws begin on Sunday, Aug. 24. And they would need a bit of help qualifying, given their doubles rankings — with a few exceptions — aren't all that. So eight teams got in on their combined singles ranking, and the next eight were drawn as wild cards. One went to Errani and Vavassori, who called the format 'a profound injustice' when it was announced. Advertisement Here are those teams, provisionally. Men's singles world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and Kateřina Siniaková, probably the greatest active doubles player on earth, are slated to play, but Sinner retired from his Cincinnati Open final against Carlos Alcaraz due to illness, after losing the first five games. He has not confirmed whether or not he will play the event. Even singles stars uneasy about the format are getting involved. Novak Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam singles champion, is on record that awarding a major title for two days of tennis is weird. Yet he's in, with Serbian compatriot Olga Danilović. Jessica Pegula, who reached the 'old' mixed doubles final at Flushing Meadows in 2023, criticized how the USTA went about upending the event. She's in too, with Britain's Jack Draper as her partner. The tournament has still irked longtime doubles players, who are now on the outside looking in. Before she got a wild card to play with Sinner, Siniaková said in an interview with media from her Czech homeland that her absence meant the event would have little to say. But Butorac said that when he started talking to top singles players about the format this February, the interest was immediate. Six-time Grand Slam women's singles champion Iga Świątek and three-time major singles finalist Casper Ruud were one of the first pairs in. Reigning Australian Open women's singles champion Madison Keys' friendship with Frances Tiafoe made them a shoo-in. And Ben Shelton, who is enjoying a strong season on the singles circuit, knew he wanted to partner with Taylor Townsend, the women's world No. 1 in doubles and a longtime friend. They made the U.S. Open semifinals in 2023, Shelton's first full season as a professional. 'He says, 'I'm gonna play with Taylor. You know, we almost won the mixed a couple of years ago. She's the best in the world. I want to win this thing',' Butorac said. Advertisement Other players have different motives. Draper missed this year's hard-court swing with injury, so wants some competitive practice on the surface before the singles tournament starts. Siniaková had originally entered with Marcelo Arévalo, the men's world No. 1 in doubles. They were sweating on a wild card. To get one, Siniaková ended up with Sinner after his original partner, Emma Navarro, withdrew. She may now miss out again. Errani and Vavassori will have to fly the flag for doubles skill over starpower all by themselves, and doubles results at the Olympics in Paris last year suggest that they could upset a few famous faces. Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal were rolled over in the men's event by Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek, who put on a masterclass in court geometry and control. Some of these partnerships know each other better than others. Alcaraz and Raducanu are friends, and also share a sponsor, Evian. The IMG agency represents Świątek and Ruud, as well as Keys and Tiafoe. When Sinner's partnership with Navarro came to light, he suggested the USTA had paired them up. Buterac said he spoke to Sinner at the Italian Open in Rome, and gave him a few names to choose from, rather than actively nudging him and Navarro toward each other. And for all of them, the prize money is a pretty good reason to take to the court with just about anyone. The total purse is $2.35 million. Just showing up is worth $20,000 per team, with $100,000 going to all quarterfinalists, $200,000 for all semifinalists, $400,000 for the runners-up and that coveted $1 million for the winning duo. Last year, Errani and Vavassori received $200,000. That's a fivefold increase, fueled by ticket sales across the two biggest stadiums at the U.S. Open, Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong, enhanced sponsorship interest and the other revenues that come from bringing top stars to play on ESPN. Then there's the private jet in Cincinnati. Sinner's illness puts his place in doubt, but the USTA has other players to whisk over to New York. Alcaraz is one; Świątek, who takes on Jasmine Paolini in the women's final of that same tournament, is the other. Paolini was also down to play the mixed at the U.S. Open too, but she pulled out earlier this week. In the case of last-minute withdrawals, alternate teams are on standby. They will sign in before 10 a.m. Tuesday, with play starting at 11 a.m. If someone withdraws, they will get a place. The first two teams get hotels and food covered for the entire week, so there's reason to stick around. 'There must be 20 teams on there,' Buterac said. 'Is it gonna be the top teams? Who knows, but I expect people will be here ready to take that shot if an open spot presents itself.' Advertisement As well they should. Some 36 hours later, a Grand Slam title and $1 million might be theirs. The first two rounds air Tuesday from 11 a.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN+, moving at 1 p.m. ET onto ESPNEWS and ESPN+. The semifinals and final air Wednesday, Aug. 20, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2. They will be called by Mary Joe Fernandez, John McEnroe and Patrick McEnroe, with Chris McKendry as host. ESPN is trialing new coverage during the event, including interviews between sets and new camera technology. Siniaková and Sinner start as favorites, if they play. Raducanu and Alcaraz's partnership is neat, but their doubles skills might come undone against Pegula, who has been here before, and Draper's lefty guile in the opening round. Errani and Vavassori might have liked their chances, but they've drawn the sleeper pair in the event first up: Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz, two of the best servers in the sport, decided to play together after winning the Eisenhower Cup — a mixed-doubles competition comprised of pairs of singles stars! — in Indian Wells, Calif. earlier this year. With just one of Siniaková / Sinner, Townsend / Shelton and Rybakina / Fritz able to make it to the final, if one of them does, they ought to be in the box seat for the $1 million. Tell us what you think of the event — and who is going to win — in the comments. (Photo of Taylor Fritz and Elena Rybakina: Robert Prange / Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Tom's Guide
4 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
ESPN streaming service — launch date, availability, price, bundles and more
ESPN is about to launch its long-anticipated sports streaming service. It's been a long journey to get here — including a brief Venu Sports detour — but the service was finally unveiled back in May, and we learned even more details in subsequent announcements earlier this August. Now, starting Aug. 21, 2025, you'll be able to sign up for ESPN's streaming service, which is (confusingly?) called ESPN. But just because you can sign up for ESPN doesn't mean you should. After all, you might already get ESPN from your cable provider or one of the best live TV streaming services. You might already have ESPN Plus and be confused as to the difference between this new service and that existing streaming option — don't worry, we'll cover that. So let's dive into everything you need to know about the new ESPN streaming service, including launch date, availability, pricing, streaming bundles featuring ESPN, what channels you get and more Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made. ESPN is ... well, it's a few things. However, in this instance, I'm referring to a brand-new streaming service from ESPN, the sports media giant owned by Disney, which is most famous for its cable TV network, ESPN. If you think that's confusing, don't worry — it is. The important thing to remember is that ESPN, the cable network, is just one channel, whereas the ESPN streaming service offers multiple channels, including the ESPN network. Multiple networks comes at a price, and ESPN's streaming service is no exception. There's the ESPN Unlimited plan costs $29.99 a month or $299.99 a year. It comes with 12 channels at launch and potentially more next year. Those networks include ESPN, ESPN2 and more, even ESPN Plus content. Speaking of ESPN Plus, it's getting an overhaul that I'll go into more detail on further down in the article. But it's now being rebranded as the ESPN Select plan. It will still cost $11.99 a month or $119.99 a year, and will still feature just ESPN Plus-branded content. But the service itself will no longer be called ESPN Plus. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Sign up for ESPN Unlimited and get every ESPN linear TV network all on an enhanced ESPN app for just $29.99 a month. Or, get only ESPN Plus content with ESPN Select for just $11.99. LIMITED TIME OFFER: Get ESPN Unlimited and Disney Plus, Hulu Bundle Basic bundle for $29.99 a month for 12 months — that's Disney Plus (with ads) and Hulu (with ads) free for 12 months. At present, ESPN officially lists the following ESPN networks as included in the ESPN Unlimited plan. One important thing to note about that list —ESPN does not give you access to your local ABC channel. It only offers ESPN on ABC-branded telecasts, such as Monday Night Football. In the future, ESPN Unlimited will get additional content. ESPN is adding WWE Premium Live Events to the platform next year (2026) and recently agreed to acquire NFL Network. That deal still requires regulatory approval, but all indications are that if the deal is completed, NFL Network will be added to ESPN Unlimited at for no additional cost. It's still unclear how NFL RedZone fits into all of this, but it doesn't seem like it will be added to the ESPN streaming service, at least not yet. There are currently two bundles that allow you to combine ESPN Unlimited with another streaming service or two to save a bit of money on your monthly streaming budget. The first such bundle is a bundle that combines Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN Unlimited. The versions of Disney Plus and Hulu you get with this bundle are both ad-supported, which may be a disappointment for some of you reading this. Still, the bundle only costs $35.99 a month, which is $5 cheaper than signing up for ESPN Unlimited ($29.99 a month) and a Disney Plus and Hulu Bundle Basic ($10.99 a month) separately. Right now, for a limited time, you can get the ESPN Unlimited and Disney Plus, Hulu Bundle Basic bundle for a special promotion price of $29.99, which is the same price you'd normally pay for just ESPN Unlimited. That price lasts for 12 months, after which point you'll need to pay $35.99 a month. You can also pay up extra for a bundle that gives you the ad-free versions of Disney Plus and Hulu. The aforementioned Disney Plus, Hulu Bundle Basic bundle is great if you want a variety of shows, movies and live events to watch. But if you're a sports fanatic, ESPN's bundle with the new Fox One streaming service — also launching on Aug. 21 — might be the better option for you. That's because Fox One takes all of Fox's sports networks and combines them into a single streaming service, in addition to other Fox cable networks and your local Fox affiliate. Here's the full list of everything you get with Fox One. This bundle is slightly more expensive, at $39.99 a month, but you do get significantly more live sports. I'd personally opt for the ESPN Unlimited and Disney Plus, Hulu Bundle Basic bundle (especially at its promotional price), but if you are a true sports fanatic, then this Fox One bundle might be too good to pass up. Okay, this is probably the question on most people's minds: What's the difference between ESPN and ESPN Plus? It's an important question to ask, especially since ESPN Plus will be changing once ESPN goes live. Luckily, it's fairly easy to explain. ESPN Plus used to be a streaming service. It included content that wasn't shown on ESPN's linear networks, including shows, documentaries and live sporting events. Notably, it didn't include a live feed of ESPN or any of ESPN's linear TV channels. Now, the streaming service ESPN Plus is being rebranded as ESPN Select. If you have ESPN Plus, you'll automatically be transitioned to ESPN Select, even if you currently get ESPN Plus through a Disney Plus Bundle. The ESPN Plus brand will still exist, and apply to the over 32,000 live sporting events, shows and more that are available to ESPN Select subscribers. ESPN, meanwhile, is a streaming service that includes all of ESPN's linear networks — ESPN, ESPN2, etc. — including ESPN Plus. Basically, if you want to watch ESPN Plus, you need ESPN. Another question you might be asking is how ESPN, the streaming service, is different from ESPN, the cable network. The answer is pretty simple: ESPN, the cable network, is one of many linear TV channels you get as part of your ESPN Ultimate streaming subscription — you don't get ESPN the linear TV channel with ESPN Select. ESPN and its other ESPN linear TV networks will continue to be available through cable providers, satellite and live TV streaming services. Okay, this is important. First, ESPN is only available in the U.S. There's currently no publicly available information that indicates that the streaming service will ever roll out globally, though never say never. Second, if you're in the U.S., there are two ways you can get the ESPN streaming service. If you don't already have cable, satellite or a live TV streaming service, you'll want to sign up directly through ESPN. If you already have ESPN through one of those live TV services, though, things get more complicated. Currently, ESPN has agreements in place with Charter, DirecTV, Fubo, Hulu, Verizon and what it refers to as "other smaller operators." If you get ESPN as a channel through one of these providers, you likely get access to ESPN Ultimate free of charge, though you'll need to check with your provider. We do know that DirecTV, specifically, is offering it to all Signature Plan customers and all MySports Genre Pack subscribers. And yes, you read that correctly. If you use YouTube TV, Xfinity or Sling, there currently is no agreement to offer you ESPN for free as part of your subscription. However, ESPN has said it is still negotiating with other platforms, so stay tuned for updates on that front. Regardless of how you get ESPN, you'll access the streaming service through a newly enhanced ESPN app. This will be the same for Ultimate and Select customers. In short, if you want to watch your ESPN subscription, you'll need to use the ESPN app. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
