Latest news with #ESPNExecutives
New York Times
a day ago
- Business
- New York Times
ESPN details new streaming service, revamped app ahead of Thursday launch
After months of lead-up — and years of planning, strategic acquisitions and seismic changes to a consumer foundation it is built on — ESPN will launch its new direct-to-consumer streaming service Thursday, along with a reconfigured app to get customers to live sports and programming they have paid for. Advertisement The network going direct-to-consumer reflects a notable shift in its longtime strategy and a reflection of rapidly evolving consumer habits. At a media event on Tuesday, ESPN executives outlined subscription pricing and options, as well as details about the new features available through the app. Among the notable details: • Access to 12 ESPN-related networks for live games and other programming, through a monthly $29.99 subscription fee (or authenticating access fans already pay for through cable or cable-like subscriptions — at launch, ESPN has distribution/authentication deals with subscribers of Charter, DirecTV, Hulu, Fubo and Verizon). • When you're watching a game on the app, you can 'squeeze back' the video and reveal tabs to access stats, key plays, fantasy info (if you play games on the ESPN Fantasy platform), ESPN Bet integration (if fans have an account) and a 'shop' tab in partnership with Fanatics. • 'Verts,' a TikTok-ish vertical video product that will feed users highlights, viral clips and social content. • 'SportsCenter for You': AI-powered highlights personalized to individual fans, which will be run through the 'Verts' feed. • Multiview when watching live games through the ESPN app (fans already get this through AppleTV and YouTube TV, among others). Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
CNA
a day ago
- Business
- CNA
Disney's new ESPN app reaches for sports fans outside cable TV
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 per cent. 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."
