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Comcast adds three more ESPN networks to Xfinity X1
Comcast is bringing three new ESPN networks to Xfinity X1 just in time for the college football season. ESPN3, ACC Network Extra and SEC Network + are available on Xfinity X1 now, bringing with them coverage of over 150 live college football games as well as thousands of other events. The three networks will cover more than 5,000 events annually including international soccer, Grand Slam tennis matches and college basketball as well as other collegiate athletics from dozens of schools throughout the US.
eBay will sell sports apparel and memorabilia on ESPN.com
ESPN and eBay are teaming up to make the latter's sports equipment, apparel and memorabilia accessible through ESPN.com. Details about how this partnership will be implemented are slim at the moment, but ESPN says this new shopping experience will be delivered through "contextually integrated shopping modules" on web and mobile versions of ESPN.com. Whatever those vague "modules" end up being, the aim is to make eBay's trove of officially licensed products easier to find and shop when fans are browsing ESPN's website.
ESPN+ is the only place you can watch FA Cup soccer in the US
The FA Cup is the oldest single-knockout cup competition in soccer, and the 138th edition of the famous old tournament is about to get underway. However, you won't be able to watch the inevitable upsets through your cable provider in the US for the foreseeable future. That's because ESPN landed a multi-year deal to show games exclusively on the ESPN+ streaming service. Fox's deal for the FA Cup expired at the end of last season, and there were rumors a streaming service would pick up the rights.
Overwatch League will air on ABC, ESPN and Disney networks
Overwatch League playoffs kick off tonight and so does a partnership between Blizzard Entertainment and Disney that will bring the league's competitions to the Disney, ESPN and ABC family of networks. The companies agreed to a multi-year deal that will allow Overwatch League matches to be broadcast on ESPN, ESPN2, Disney XD, ABC and streaming services. The deal includes this season's playoffs and finals as well as all of next season.
ESPN axes its not-so-helpful comment sections
Add ESPN to the list of major websites that are less than thrilled with reader discussions. The sports broadcaster has confirmed to Deadspin that it has dropped its Facebook-linked comment sections across its websites, with no plans to bring them back or archive the results. There are "more touchpoints than ever" for fans to share their opinions, a spokesperson said, and ESPN is creating social media material that "embraces these conversations." Not that many readers will necessarily mind.
Follow tonight’s NBA draft with ESPN’s Twitter livestream
For tonight's NBA draft, ESPN will have fan-focused commentary on its main channel while its ESPN2 coverage will explain what the picks mean for the league. But you can also follow along on the network's Twitter account, which will have "more of a radio-type approach" by ESPN regulars David Jacoby, Ryen Russillo and Ryan Hollins, the company's senior VP of production told Variety. They'll comment while the livestream airs, though it's unclear whether that will continue after the first round.
ESPN+ will stream live 'League of Legends' tournaments
ESPN+ is a great option for streaming sports without the need for cable. And now, if you're more into jungling than free throws or penalty shots, the service has something for you as well: live League of Legends tournaments, including net month's North American Championship Series Summer Split, according to Variety. The broadcasts start June 16th, and matches will stream live on the app on weekends.
Netflix and ESPN are working on a Michael Jordan documentary series
Netflix used to be a solid option for watching ESPN's 30 for 30 series. Then parent company Disney decided to launch its own sports streaming service and the documentaries disappeared from Netflix. Well, today's news should help: The pair are officially working together on a series chronicling Michael Jordan's career. Specifically, The Last Dance will cover Jordan's ascent to the throne in the '90s and his time with the Chicago Bulls during their final championship in the 1997-98 season, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
ESPN+ is essential for the cord-cutting sports fan
There are a lot of options for people looking to cut the cord these days, but live sports remains a big hurdle to getting rid of cable. Sure, the likes of Sling TV and others offer streaming access to sports on a range of networks. Those services can cost $30 or more a month, and don't allow you to reap one of the major benefits of not having cable: saving money. A month ago, ESPN extended sports fans an olive branch in the form of ESPN+. While the standalone service doesn't have it all, it's well worth the $5 monthly fee.
ESPN+ will stream exclusive UFC fights next year
Starting next year, ESPN's subscription streaming service ESPN+ will host a variety of UFC content including events, pre- and post-event shows and original series. ESPN announced the multi-year deal this week and it will go into effect in January. "UFC is a premier global sports property with legions of incredibly avid fans," ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. "We are excited to be able to bring their world-class events and content to ESPN+ and the ESPN networks."
ESPN brings a curated daily version of SportsCenter to its app
ESPN isn't just bringing versions of SportsCenter to social networks like Snapchat and Twitter. The network is launching a daily edition of SportsCenter within the ESPN App. Anchors like Scott Van Pelt will host a "curation" of top sporting news, such as highlights from last night's games or things to expect from upcoming matches. It'll certainly be hard to miss -- the show will "feature prominently" on the app's home screen in the morning whenever you open it for the first time that day.
Oculus TV launches this month with a ton of streaming partners
Given that the main function of an Oculus headset is to let you escape reality for a while, using one to watch TV seems almost pedestrian. Yet it's a feature that's often overlooked, until now. Oculus TV is launching later this month and it's got a raft of entertainment partners on board, including Hulu, Showtime, Red Bull and Pluto TV, with more, including ESPN, in the pipeline.
Twitter's new shows include Formula 1 and SportsCenter Live
Twitter wasn't kidding when it promised a flurry of video. The social network has announced more than 30 video deals, including a slew of live shows. To begin with, Twitter has landed a Formula 1 deal: The @f1 account will stream a live post-race show (sorry, no live races) with both key interviews and panel discussions with luminaries like Nico Rosberg. The first of ten shows will premiere after the Spanish Grand Prix on May 13th, and you'll also find on-demand race highlight clips.
Twitter nabs live ESPN shows in new Disney deal
It's not just TV networks like Fox that are promising a host of live Twitter shows. Disney and Twitter have struck a deal that will bring a range of live shows to the social network. The pact will cover Disney's "entire" portfolio of entertainment, news and sports, including ESPN. You probably won't want to ditch ESPN+ for whatever's coming (why would Disney give away the cash cow?), but it does bode well if you want a free sports fix.
ESPN+ now streams on Roku devices
ESPN+ launched on seemingly every platform under the Sun except for one: Roku. That's something of a glaring omission, isn't it? Thankfully, ESPN has been quick on the draw. ESPN+ has gone live through a new ESPN channel on Roku devices, giving you the same live sports (though sadly, no eSports) and on-demand shows whether you're using a dedicated player or a Roku-enabled TV.
After Math: The golden age of streaming
We're winding down a freaky week of bad omens, unconvincing congressional testimony and sterling new streaming services. While most eyes were fixated on Mark Zuckerberg doing his best real boy impression, GTA IV lost most of its Russian tunes, ESPN debuted a new mobile app and vinyl got a high tech upgrade that nobody asked for. Numbers, because how else are you going to stretch your entertainment dollar?
ESPN+ is the sports-streaming cord-cutters have been waiting for
After months of rumors and speculation about what it would look like or how much it would cost, ESPN's standalone streaming service is finally launching today. It's called ESPN+ and it's priced at $5 a month, which will get you both live and on-demand content that, according to the company, is geared toward underserved sports fans. The first thing you should know about ESPN+ is that it isn't meant to replace the traditional ESPN network but rather is designed to be complementary to it. With the streaming offering, for instance, you won't have access to ESPN's flagship show, SportsCenter. Instead, ESPN+ will have its own original programming, including shows that will focus on news, scores and highlights about specific sports and leagues.
ESPN+ offers a first look at Disney’s big plans for streaming
Disney has been relatively open about its plans to carve out a name for itself in the video-streaming wars, as it readies to compete with the likes of Netflix and Hulu. Although the company isn't launching its flagship service until the end of 2019, we now have an idea of what it might look like. This is where ESPN+, the long-awaited standalone streaming service from Disney-owned ESPN, comes in. The new $5-per-month offering, which launches today featuring both live and on-demand content, is the first service to arrive from the Walt Disney Co.'s direct-to-consumer division.
ESPN missed a big eSports opportunity with its new streaming service
ESPN's new, $5-a-month streaming service allows sports fans to watch games, access original programming and view scores, all without a cable subscription. ESPN+ is a tool for the digital age, and another attempt by the company to attract a younger, cord-cutting audience -- which is why it's so surprising to see the service doesn't include eSports. ESPN has a tumultuous relationship with professional gaming. Today, the sports-media giant has a digital vertical dedicated to eSports and it covers the industry in-depth, with player interviews, on-the-ground reporting from major tournaments, power rankings and analysis. ESPN has even aired a handful of eSports tournaments on its cable channels, and this year it signed a deal with Electronic Arts to host Madden NFL tournaments on Disney XD, ESPN2 and other stations.
ESPN's standalone sports streaming service launches April 12th
We already knew Disney was planning to debut its standalone ESPN streaming service this spring and how much it would cost, but now we know exactly when it will arrive. The network announced today that its ESPN+ subscription will debut April 12th. On that date, you can expect to tap into a library of sports content that includes live event coverage, ESPN originals and on-demand options for $5 a month.