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ESPN to Launch Multi-Sport Subscription Streaming Service in Future

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The Walt Disney Company has announced it is acquiring a minority 33 percent stake in BAMTech, a video streaming company previously formed by Major League Baseball, for $1 billion. Disney has the option to acquire majority ownership of BAMTech in the coming years.

Disney said it will collaborate with BAMTech to launch and distribute a new ESPN-branded multi-sport subscription streaming service in the future. The direct-to-consumer service will feature content provided by both BAMTech and ESPN, and include live regional, national, and international sporting events. The deal will also support streaming video and digital products from ABC and Disney, and future digital initiatives.

Disney currently offers a free video streaming service called WatchESPN, but a cable or satellite TV subscription is required for authentication. The new multi-sport service would presumably allow cord-cutters to watch live games and other sporting events on the web, smartphones, and tablets for a set cost per month. ESPN broadcasts MLB, NBA, WNBA, MLS, NCAA sports, and more.

A big caveat: current content on ESPN's networks such as SportsCenter and Monday Night Football will not be streamed. The service will feature sports content not appearing on ESPN channels, including a mixture of MLB and NHL games.

Apple's much rumored streaming TV service was originally expected to include content from Disney properties, but the plans were postponed late last year. Apple has a close relationship with Disney, which made the late Steve Jobs its biggest shareholder upon acquiring Pixar in 2006. Disney CEO and chairman Bob Iger has also held a seat on Apple's board of directors since 2011.

Article Link: ESPN to Launch Multi-Sport Subscription Streaming Service in Future
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2016/08/09/espn-multi-sport-streaming-service/
jdillings said:
Then it will be dead on arrival
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budselectjr said:
Yeah, what the hell is the point of this then?
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True. But what I'm afraid they'll do with this is make ESPN 3 subscription based, which would suck.

Currently, if you have a cable subscription, you can watch the ESPN linear feeds + all ESPN 3 feed content via WatchESPN. However if you don't have a cable subscription but you do have an ISP, you can still watch all ESPN 3 feed content, which is pretty much every single thing ESPN broadcasts minus the live commentary from the linear feeds.

So one possible reason for this would be to cut the complimentary (free) ESPN 3 feeds from your ISP and make is subscription based. that would suck. hopefully they don't.
 
I had high hopes when I read the headline...until I read the article...Without the content shown on the main channels, I doubt that I'd have any interest.
 
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As long as they promise not to blackout football games.
I tried SlingTV and it was great for ESPN until a game was played and it would alway be blacked out making it useless.
 
This is a shot across the bow to regional sports networks. RSN's are always the most profitable business segments of publicly traded companies (FOX, DirecTV, Comcast, Charter, etc) and ESPN needs some profits bad.
 
Quote: "A big caveat: current content on ESPN's networks such as SportsCenter and Monday Night Football will not be streamed. The service will feature sports content not appearing on ESPN channels, including a mixture of MLB and NHL games."

NHL on ESPN... [insert cricket sound here]
 
In the ESPN leaked press release pricing is as follows

For ESPN and ESPN 2 =$8 a month
For All ESPN channels =$12 a month

The $12 a month package will be less less than what you pay for ESPN with a cable/sat service which is $19.50 a month. Also when you sign up for service with ESPN you will get a 25% discount on every item in the ESPN shop for a limited time.

Remember that SlingTv is changing their interface at the end of the month and will offer a Sports only package for $20 a month which will include all the ESPNs, TNT, TBS and your local Fox sports channels.
 
RagingBrosGaming said:
In the ESPN leaked press release pricing is as follows

For ESPN and ESPN 2 =$8 a month
For All ESPN channels =$12 a month

The $12 a month package will be less less than what you pay for ESPN with a cable/sat service which is $19.50 a month. Also when you sign up for service with ESPN you will get a 25% discount on every item in the ESPN shop for a limited time.

Remember that SlingTv is changing their interface at the end of the month and will offer a Sports only package for $20 a month which will include all the ESPNs, TNT, TBS and your local Fox sports channels.
Click to expand...

Interesting... Where's the leaked press release screenshot?
 
MacRumors said:
A big caveat: current content on ESPN's networks such as SportsCenter and Monday Night Football will not be streamed. The service will feature sports content not appearing on ESPN channels, including a mixture of MLB and NHL games.
Click to expand...

ESPN lost me and I'm sure other potential subscribers right here.

If I can't watch SportsCenter or MNF, what is the point?
 
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This is bad news. MLB had already been providing the backend for other major league sports offerings. What I see is another media company protecting their legacy bundling model and we won't be able to independently purchase NHL (just as an example, insert any sport here) without also taking everything else ESPN wants us to buy (ESPN 2, ESPC classic, ESPN-U, and ESPN 8 "the ocho") for a big monthly price tag when we'll not watch 90% of the package. All the old school media are greatly threatened by cord cutters/shavers and they're doing what they can to block or own the disruptive tech.
 
RagingBrosGaming said:
In the ESPN leaked press release pricing is as follows

For ESPN and ESPN 2 =$8 a month
For All ESPN channels =$12 a month

The $12 a month package will be less less than what you pay for ESPN with a cable/sat service which is $19.50 a month. Also when you sign up for service with ESPN you will get a 25% discount on every item in the ESPN shop for a limited time.

Remember that SlingTv is changing their interface at the end of the month and will offer a Sports only package for $20 a month which will include all the ESPNs, TNT, TBS and your local Fox sports channels.
Click to expand...


Add that to the slew of other channels charging roughly the same every month, and you're probably better off keeping your cable subscription.
 
Pakaku said:
Disney owns sports networks? Never knew that. That explains a ****ing lot.
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Disney owns many things that don't have their label on it. Its like Nestle owning multiple bottle water brands. They like to diversify to that if one part of the company goes down, the executives at the top will still have something to lord over.
 
So they think people are going to pay even more for the garbage they already don't watch on cable TV? Brilliant.
 
bigjohn said:
This is a shot across the bow to regional sports networks. RSN's are always the most profitable business segments of publicly traded companies (FOX, DirecTV, Comcast, Charter, etc) and ESPN needs some profits bad.
Click to expand...

ESPN needs to stop hemorrhaging millions of subscribers every year.
Step number one, cut the political and social agenda c***.
Step number two, get rid of the annoying reality shows.
 
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