ESPN streaming coming to Xbox 360?
By Ross Miller 
posted January 18th 2010 9:51PM
posted January 18th 2010 9:51PM
posted January 18th 2010 9:51PM
A look back on popular stories from today in a specific year.
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
I wouldn't mind these. The only reason I still have Time Warner is to watch sports, since the other programs that I watch I can watch later via hulu or some other service for free.
@Ryanrkm
The only problem is that the current ESPN360 doesnt have all the content that regular ESPN/ESPN2 have. Forget about seeing playoffs for any sport with just ESPN360. If they make the Xbox version have more content then it could be a different story all together
@fatslug
I am paying for cable now for channels that I don't want. If I could just pay for the content that I wanted, say ESPN, I wouldn't mind this idea at all. All that being said, it all depends on the pricing of this though.
I hope not. ESPN sucks.
@tristansq BLASPHEMY!
@tristansq
ESPN in millions of times better than FSN. The worst part of going to a pac-10 school is having to watch games on FSN.
NYT also reported some ridiculous things about the Apple tablet (that doesn't even exist yet, if ever). Why on earth should I trust this?
Hay this story is pertaining to SPOOOR-OORTS!
Video games, movies, and now sports on the xbox? This is gonna cause a major percentage of the male population to never leave home... Food take out and delivery businesses will soar... The population begins to decline due to the decrease in procreation... The end result... women inherit the earth? uh oh.... What have you done, Microsoft!!!
@fatslug
I see your point, I hope that it is not too overpriced.
However, if it is not too expense, this could turn out to be a good idea.
Time will tell.
Comcast? Cancel them now anyway, even if ESPN doesn't come to a game console.
@NetNewsercom Seconded.
I just want a dongle that lets me use my Xbox 360 as a set top box/DVR... like the planned AT&T uVerse functionality, but without the need for at least one "real" receiver. Our lounge is remote control hell.
@Dale P While not eliminating another box, if you have a Vista or Win 7 PC, you can use that as the DVR/streamer server and the Xbox as a Windows Media Center extender.
Best DVR on the market IMO. Make's Tivo's interface look ancient, not to mention the cable boxes. And I can set it up to automatically skip commercials :)
This would be really cool if everyone who owns an xbox, didn't have a television!
oh wait...
@sammymoho And what about all of the people who get OTA television for free?
what if your ISP carries espn360? making you pay then seems doubly redundant...
ESPN is only good when they are showing highlights of the Ravens, Patriots, Cowboys, Red Sox, Mets, Flyers, and Celtics losing.
@SteveJobsCEO
Haha, let me guess. A Steelers fan?
People don't understand that this means YOU WONT NEED A CABLE SUNSCRIPTION to access ESPN. Most people who want espn must pay for it as it is not offered OTA or for free.
Just because you have a TV doesn't mean you want to pay for a whole cable package just to watch ESPN.
As a matter of fact live sports is one of the few things still required that Internet television can't do, it's one thing to watch your favorite sitcom the day after, it's another to watch the big game the day after.
Hopefully this won't have huge costs but with extras like game interaction it might cause more incentive ya know?
@tvick47
I don't think that's true. I'm willing to bet this is basically just a software update that allows the Xbox to connect to and interface with the existing ESPN 360 service which is currently only accessible online. Right now this service requires your cable company to subscribe to it, and to the best of my knowledge there is no way to get it on its own. When you go to the site it knows who your carrier is, either letting you in or blocking you accordingly (I think there is some way to register also if you want to access it away from your network but you still need to have it available to you already).
I don't see any reason why they'd build a completely new infrastructure or service for Xbox users rather than just using it as an internet device to connect to the existing service that does exactly the same thing. And either way, I can't see them changing the current subscription model for it.
@kapnkrunch22 Okay that makes more sense, but really what I was focusing on was how people completely disregard this because "their TV is right there" when not all TV's connected to their 360's are their primary cable TV's, mine for instance is a computer monitor
@fatslug
I understand what you're saying, but you're not thinking this through...this is for those who want to dump cable, or have already dumped cable, but would like to have ESPN access, especially in light of all the BCS games (except the Rose Bowl) moving to ESPN next season (2011).
I don't care for XBox, but if they moved to a la carte subscriptions, I'd love to stream cable stations via paid subscription, and bypass Comcast [insert alternate cable provider's name here] altogether.
People don't seem to understand that not everyone has a cable subscription to get ESPN, as it is not free already.
As a matter of fact, it's something internet tv still lacks, as it is one thing to watch your favorite sitcom the day after online, but it's another to watch the big game.
With this, sports which are required to be live now can be, which makes a cable subscription almost not needed.
And even though there may be a fee, it's better than now for those who use cable to watch sports but could use streaming for everything else. And if there's a fee, having other interactive games could provide more incentive.
ESPN360 is not available now as a paid service, and I don't see that changing with xbox streaming. It will be available through the same ISPs as before fo free
I hope it happens... and doesn't cost too much.
They already have some pretty good content on espn360 and if this deal goes through hopefully it means silverlight/smoothstreaming is involved so we can also see it go HD.
This seems like a great idea, but I'm not sure I'd pay for it. Microsoft should have these additions included within the yearly subscription fee. I wouldn't mind paying a little extra and having everything set then and there.
Nevertheless, this is very appealing to someone in my position; in one room, I have a 360 on my computer desk but with a good PC monitor instead of a TV. I would very much love to stream live sports to my work area, as I if I already have my Xbox running, chances are I'll tune in more frequently. I would really like to be able to get a good majority of the upcoming baseball season onto it and have a game always playing. Would make it much easier for me to follow all my teams. I'm looking forward to it either way, subscription-based or not.
ESPN 360 should be free on the 360, only reason I care about it is because its not availible through my cable providor and i miss a lot of soccer games because of it. It would be nice to see all those la liga games.
@fatslug I don't think it could be free and keep it under ms's costs.... for most cable companies they pay about $3.50 per subscriber. That would more than eat up the $50 a year for live.
I personally see it going for $5/month extra. Any more and I don't see it being very successful but at $5 it would sell really well.
In Australia ESPN360 exists. If you have Foxtel (An Australian Cable/Satellite TV provider) you can access it from their website for free. It might be part of the Foxtel Download service. http://www.foxtel.com.au/espn360/default.htm
Not like we pay for Xbox Live anyway...money grubbers.
1. ESPN 360 already exists as a website.
2. Disney has majority steak in EPSN, Disney's biggest stockholder is El Jobso.
3. Steve Jobs would only allow it if its been available on an Apple product at least 6 months before.
4. Before you go on to saying Jobs doesn't have that power, just remember, Jobs is the person who put a stop to all those horrible Direct-to-DVD cheapquels that Disney used to make, so he has some pull.
@jordanbiffle ESPN360 has been available on macs(given the right ISP) for a while, so there goes that idea.
@jordanbiffle
mmmmm....steak.
Does Disney have mashed potatoes in ESPN, too?
@jordanbiffle
at your #4, what about that Tinkerbell straight to dvd series?
@jordanbiffle Quick correction, Jobs isn't the MAJORITY stock holder, he is the largest single stick holder. Majority share means he as power over every single decision, which he doesn't
@JordanBiffle ESPN360 works on macs already.
I've been on this fence before, but if you have a large TV and want HD, it's hard to move to ESPN 360 as your sole source. It's OK for my laptop, but not for normal viewing.
@fatslug
It would be awesome if I could pay $5 a channel and get all the channels I actually watch and save half my monthly bill. Hell even keep the comercials in and I'd be fine with it.
I really hope this is the future of television and since it is over the net we could free up the frequencies of cable channels for other means.
What about the PS3? Maybe it'll be coming out with that new premium content PSN subscription.
Here's to hoping.
@Daniel Marrero
Sure it will, you'll just have to sign up and sync it with your PS3 and wait 4 days for your Netflix disk... err i mean ESPN disk...
With this and netflix, im starting to wonder if i need a cable provider. i mean living in mass (while being from the pacific northwest) means i dont get to see my favorite team anyway. might as well be able to stream from it and get the Seahawks no matter where in the country i am.
like other person said up there.. if they have some events for individual price, im down with that... but it all depends on price
would like some soccer streams cricket streams
Still ridiculous $ for storage? Expensive wireless option? I don't mind paying $50 for premium online service but don't screw us on delivery and storage to take advantage of LIVE (which will only make them more money in the long run!). Add all the services/features you want, MS, but until you fix those two issues, its a moot point.
@(Unverified)
The harddrive prices needs to be lowered like 3 years ago.
Why do Microsoft keeps making people pay for something that is already offered free on a PC? Last time I checked ESPN 360 & Facebook can be accessed for free on my notebook. For the ones that prefer to watch it on your big screen, just hook it up via HDMI.
@fatslug
Dude, I have access to ESPN 360 free through my AT&T high speed internet service for $35/mth.
@simon222333
No, your $35 per month pays for it
@PBB
Look dumbass, anyone with broadband can access it. I access it all the time at work.
@simon222333 That's not true. Anyone who subscribes to a broadband provider who provides ESPN360 can access it from any broadband connection. If your broadband provider doesn't offer it, though, you can't get it at all.