Soccer-Giroud joins Lille from LAFC
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Disney's new ESPN app reaches for sports fans outside cable TV
FILE PHOTO: A 3D printed Disney logo is seen in front of the ESPN logo in this illustration created on July 13, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo LOS ANGELES -Walt Disney's ESPN will deliver its full range of sports programming outside of pay TV for the first time starting on Thursday, when the network debuts an app designed to be a hub for live games and personalized news, stats and highlights. The ESPN app is Disney's effort to capture some of the tens of millions of customers that the pioneering sports channel has lost since 2010 during the streaming TV revolution. ESPN executives said they have tailored the new offering, which is far broader than the limited ESPN+ app launched in 2018, to cater to the tastes of today's sports fans. "We know that fans don't just want to watch," ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro told reporters. "They want an experience. They want to interact." The app will offer more than 47,000 live events each year from the NFL, NBA, WNBA, NHL, college football, tennis, golf and other sports. It will cost $30 per month. An introductory offer will include ad-supported versions of the Disney+ and Hulu streaming services for free. Fans can enter their favorite teams and sports for customization such as a personalized version of the "SportsCenter" news and recap show. Artificial intelligence will generate narration based on the voices of ESPN anchors. A new feature called "Verts," or scroll-ready, vertical video highlights, also can be tailored. Stats for a user's fantasy players will be displayed next to live games. And an ESPN Bet tab will show live, settled and upcoming bets for users who have linked their betting accounts. Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger has called the app "a sports fan's dream." Industry analysts see it as a chance for the company to pick up fans who do not subscribe to cable, and they do not expect it will pull masses from pay TV. ESPN was available in 100 million homes through pay TV in 2010. In July of this year, that number stood at about 61 million. "It's another step in Disney's pivot to (streaming) and the importance to streaming to the overall company," said MoffettNathanson analyst Robert Fishman. ESPN will promote the app extensively. Actor John Cena will star in commercials that stress "All of ESPN. All in One Place." Pay television will "remain a big part" of ESPN's business, Pitaro said. For the quarter that ended in June, ESPN accounted for $1 billion of Disney's $4.6 billion in operating income, or nearly 22%. Most of ESPN's revenue came from fees paid by cable and satellite distributors and from advertising. Subscribers to pay TV will have access to the new ESPN app. Pitaro said the company hoped to drive all of its customers to the app "because that's by far the best, the most holistic experience." (Reporting by Lisa Richwine in Los Angeles; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Tennis-Aging Djokovic out to turn back time in push for U.S. Open glory
Tennis - U.S. Open - Flushing Meadows, New York, United States - August 19, 2025 Serbia's Novak Djokovic in action with Serbia's Olga Danilovic during their round of 16 mixed doubles match against Russia's Mirra Andreeva and Russia's Daniil Medvedev REUTERS/Mike Segar (Reuters) -After semi-final runs at all three Grand Slams this season, 38-year-old Novak Djokovic arrives at the U.S. Open chasing history while confronting the limits of an aging body. The Serbian great remains in pursuit of an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title, but comes to Flushing Meadows without a single competitive singles match since his Wimbledon semi-final loss to eventual champion Jannik Sinner. Skipping hard-court tune-ups in Toronto and Cincinnati, Djokovic has placed all his chips on New York in what many see as his last realistic shot at Grand Slam glory. After his straight-sets Wimbledon loss to Sinner, he admitted reality is "hitting him like never before" and that closing the gap to today's best gets harder each season. "It's just age, the wear and tear of the body. As much as I'm taking care of it, the reality hits me right now," said Djokovic, whose only titles over the past 18 months have been Olympic gold in Paris and an ATP 250 in Geneva in May. "These guys are fit, young, sharp. I feel like I'm going into the match with a tank half empty. It's just not possible to win a match like that. It's one of these things I accept and embrace in some way, deal with the reality the way it is, and try to make the most out of it." Djokovic is not only chasing a 25th major but also seeking to become the oldest Grand Slam singles champion. Two years removed from his last major triumph at the 2023 U.S. Open, the seventh seed knows time is running out on his era. What makes this quest all the more compelling is the opposition, with Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz emerging as the standard-bearers of a new generation. Between them, they have claimed every major since Djokovic's last triumph at Flushing Meadows, with the Serb striving to keep his place among the game's dominant forces. Whether it proves a breakthrough or a last dance for Djokovic, the spotlight remains on him, with history waiting to be claimed, if his body allows it. (Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico CityEditing by Toby Davis)
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Tennis-Shelton ready for New York spotlight at U.S. Open
Tennis - U.S. Open - Flushing Meadows, New York, United States - August 19, 2025 Ben Shelton of the U.S. reacts during the round of 16 mixed doubles match with Taylor Townsend of the U.S. against Amanda Anisimova of the U.S. and Denmark's Holger Rune REUTERS/Kylie Cooper NEW YORK (Reuters) -Ben Shelton returns to Flushing Meadows with newfound confidence after claiming his biggest title and a career-high ranking two years after his charmed run to the U.S. Open semi-final. Shelton outlasted Russian Karen Khachanov 6-7(5) 6-4 7-6(3) in a tough fight to secure his first 1000-level trophy in Toronto and hopes that the win will kick start a new level of consistency in his game. "It's certainly going to push me to work harder," he said. "I feel like I have a good grasp now on the things that really work for me against guys who are playing some of the best tennis in the world, and the things that I need to continue to work on." Eager to show this was no fluke, Shelton battled his way to a respectable quarter-final exit at Cincinnati, snapping a streak in which the last three Canadian Open champions had crashed out in their Cincinnati openers. "I'm hungry. I'm in a good rhythm," Shelton said after reaching the final eight at the U.S. Open tune-up tournament, where he would ultimately run out of gas against Alexander Zverev 6-2 6-2. He arrived in New York ranked sixth in the world, a remarkable climb for the 22-year-old who had started the season outside the top 20 and who only two years ago was enjoying his moment of breakout stardom at his domestic major. Shelton put the tennis world on notice when he muscled his way into the U.S. semi-finals at the age of 20, becoming the youngest American man to reach the penultimate round in Flushing Meadows since Michael Chang in 1992. He subdued the competition with his extraordinary athleticism, sending over the fastest serve of the tournament at 149 miles per hour before crashing out to the eventual champion Novak Djokovic. Shelton, who picked up his maiden ATP title a month later, has built finesse to match his power in the two years since and will hope to recreate the magic of his charmed 2023 run when he returns to New York. "The more opportunities that you have, the more times you put yourself in the position to be playing against the best players in the world, you're only going to get better," he told reporters in Toronto. "My tennis IQ and my tennis mind is something that is getting better, and something that needs to continue to get better." The U.S. Open main draw begins on Sunday. (Reporting by Amy Tennery in New YorkEditing by Toby Davis)
