Thursday marks a big day for sports fans and a new era for ESPN as its new streaming service is set for kickoff, packaging the network’s programming with fantasy sports integrations, enhanced statistics, betting features and e-commerce. The company will also launch an enhanced version of its existing ESPN app, which currently has 30 million monthly active users.
“We are on the verge of another industry-shaping moment,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro told reporters during a Tuesday media briefing. “Our mission is to serve this sports fan anytime, anywhere and this service and the enhanced ESPN app will deliver on that promise.”
The ESPN streaming service will offer thousands of live events, studio shows and more under two plans: a $29.99 per month Unlimited plan and $11.99 per month Select plan. Users can also bundle the offerings with Disney+ and Hulu, Fox One and NFL+ Premium.
ESPN DTC is also available at no additional cost to existing pay TV subscribers who have DirecTV, Charter Communications’ Spectrum, Hulu + Live TV and Fubo, among others. Pitaro noted that conversations with potential partners around bundling and pay TV distribution remain ongoing.
“Ultimately, we are going to judge ourselves based on the totality of people subscribing to ESPN. That’s across the traditional pay TV ecosystem and direct to consumer and the various bundles,” he added. “And really, we’re going to be paying a lot of attention to engagement within the ESPN app, because whether you subscribe through an MVPD or digital MVPD, or make a direct to consumer purchase, we want you to experience ESPN through the ESPN app.”
Below is a roundup of all the interactive features and viewing options that will be available to ESPN DTC subscribers at launch. Additional features are expected to roll out over the coming weeks and months.
Key Plays, Stats, Fantasy and Bets
Users will be able to get quick-turn highlights for their favorite sports and teams through Key Plays. They’ll also be able to keep up with live stats and info for games in real time, which will be synced with live stream viewing and varied based on the sport and event.
For viewers participating in fantasy sports, they can check on their teams, leagues scores and stats all alongside their viewership. And in markets where sports betting is legal, users with a linked ESPN BET account can see and follow live, settled and upcoming bets, while those with an unlinked account will see relevant odds information.
While users will need separate login credentials for ESPN BET, Pitaro said the ultimate goal is for users to eventually be able to place bets directly in the ESPN app.
Shopping
In addition to tech features around stats, fantasy sports and sports betting, users will also be able to shop on connected TV for the latest merchandise and gear from their favorite players and teams through ESPN’s partnership with Fanatics – all while watching their favorite sports.
“We’re trying to replicate that feeling of your team winning when you’re leaving the stadium or the arena and you go out and then you buy a jersey as you’re leaving. I think that’s the spirit of what we’re doing here,” Pitaro said. “Just like fantasy and betting, being able to buy your gear is part of the fandom experience.”
StreamCenter, SportsCenter for You and Verts
ESPN will also offer several new mobile features, including StreamCenter, a second-screen experience that will allow fans to sync between the ESPN app and their television.
While watching a live event, users can see stats and automated alerts on their mobile device, as well as fantasy and ESPN Bet updates. They can also control the ESPN app live stream on their TV from their mobile device.
Also launching on mobile, as well as ESPN.com and select connected TV devices, is the beta for a personalized daily version of SportsCenter, which will use artificial intelligence overseen by ESPN employees to deliver highlights, news and must-see videos tailored to a fan’s favorite teams, leagues and sports. The feature will leverage AI-generated commentary derived from the voices of SportsCenter anchors Hannah Storm, Gary Striewski and Christine Williamson, as well as ESPN digital and social commentator Omar Raja.
Lastly, ESPN will launch a swipe-able, personalized, short-form vertical video feed, known as Verts, that will allow fans to watch ESPN app content on mobile.
Multiview, Catch Up to Live and ESPN on Disney+
As for the viewing experience, Fans will be able to watch up to four games simultaneously on the ESPN app on connected TV devices. At launch, users who watch via Apple TV will be able to control the four games that they watch, while ESPN’s programming team will select the games for the multi-view experience on other platforms and devices in the near-term.
They can also get quick-turn highlights for their favorite sports with Catch Up to Live, which will recap all the key moments they may have missed for a live game already in progress. Users can also jump straight into the action with the “Go Live” feature.
Additionally, Disney+’s ESPN tile, which first launched back in December, will now offer the network’s full content lineup for bundle subscribers, giving them access to the media giant’s entire portfolio all in one place with personalized recommendations, browsing sections and an ESPN branded hub.
