ESPN Launches New Streaming App with AI-Powered Features and Personalized Content

ESPN's streaming launch brings a TikTok-like feed and AI commentary

ESPN is showing off its overhauled app ahead of the launch of its live sports streaming service. On Wednesday, ESPN detailed all of the new features coming to the ESPN app, including a TikTok-style vertical video feed. ESPN's long-awaited live sports streaming service costs $29.99 per month and puts all 12 of the network's linear channels, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, and others, inside its new app. The service officially launches on August 21st, but ESPN is rolling out some features inside its app starting today. The mobile app's personalized feed will show bite-sized sports videos in a standalone "verts" tab as well as within a carousel on the homepage. There's a new "SC For You" feature launching in beta, too, which uses the AI-generated voices of SportsCenter anchors to deliver a daily version of the show that's tailored to your favorite teams, leagues, and sports. This feature will be available on the ESPN mobile app, along with ESPN.com and some smart TVs. Another update will give you the ability to connect the ESPN mobile app to its app on TV while you watch a live sporting event. During the game, you can get stats and automated alerts sent to your phone, along with access to play-by-play updates, betting information, and ESPN Fantasy. You can also use the mobile app to control ESPN's livestream on your TV. If you're late tuning into a game, ESPN will offer a series of highlights for select events to help you catch up to what's happening now. You'll also have the option to play a game from the beginning or watch it live. ESPN is rolling out multiview on "all major" smart TV platforms as well, allowing you to watch up to four games at the same time. The network plans on building out the new app with even more features in the future, as ESPN head Jimmy Pitaro said the app "will evolve with regular enhancements over time." Additionally, ESPN is folding its full-featured streaming service into Disney Plus for bundle subscribers. As part of this change, Disney Plus is rolling out a new "Live" hub in the coming weeks where you can watch sports, news, and other live content. ESPN is currently offering a bundle with ad-supported Disney Plus and Hulu plans for $29.99 per month for the first year before increasing the price to $35.99 per month.

Disney's new ESPN app reaches for sports fans outside cable TV

LOS ANGELES, Aug 20 - Walt Disney's (DIS.N), opens new tab 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%. 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." Reporting by Lisa Richwine in Los Angeles; Editing by Matthew Lewis Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

ESPN chairman talks new streaming service, what fans can expect from NFL deal

ESPN's new streaming service is here, offering sports fans a way to view their own personalized version of "SportsCenter," among other features. For ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro, the idea to bring fans a way to watch the network's signature show customized to their own favorite teams and favorite sports came from being a "huge sports fan" himself. "One of the things I've always craved is a 'SportsCenter' that is tailored to me. So I'm [a fan of] Yankees, Giants, Knicks, Rangers, Notre Dame," Pitaro told ABC News' Will Reeve in an interview that aired Thursday on "Good Morning America." When I fire up 'SportsCenter' in the morning, that's the content that I want first, and we're going to be able to deliver that to millions of sports fans." The new feature, called "SportsCenter for You," will provide personalized videos specific to a user's interests and will feature the familiar voices of "SportsCenter" anchors, including Hannah Storm and Gary Striewski, thanks to artificial intelligence technology. In addition to "SportsCenter for You," the newly launched streaming service gives users other options to personalize their experience, including the ability to track fantasy teams in real-time, watch four different games at once and shop and bet while simultaneously watching games, according to ESPN. Pitaro summed up the enhanced service in three words: "All of ESPN." "You'll finally be able to get all of the ESPN all in one place," he said. "All of our content, all of our networks available direct-to-consumer for the first time in ESPN's history." According to Pitaro, the new streaming service offers users access to 47,000 live events, 12 networks and the full slate of ESPN original programming, including "30 for 30," "E:60" and "SC Featured." In addition, Pitaro said ESPN is also unveiling what he described as a "significantly enhanced" app. "You'll see fantasy integration, betting integration, commerce integration," he said. For football fans excited about ESPN's agreement with the National Football League (NFL) announced earlier this month, Pitaro said more is to come there too. The deal -- which gives the NFL a 10% equity stake in ESPN -- includes the NFL's linear RedZone Channel and NFL Fantasy, two brands that Pitaro said ESPN is planning to expand. "We will have the opportunity to potentially expand RedZone to other sports, other leagues," he said. "And then fantasy is a huge part of our business ... so our fantasy product will merge with their fantasy product and we will become the official fantasy game of the NFL." The new ESPN streaming service will appear under the title "ESPN" and cost subscribers $29.99 per month or $299.99 per year, according to ESPN. A bundled Disney+, Hulu and ESPN offering will be made available for $29.99 over the first 12 months, ESPN said. After that period, the bundled set of three services will cost $35.99 per month with ads or $49.99 per month without ads, ESPN said. A bundled ESPN and Fox offering, set for release on Oct. 2, will run $39.99 per month. A separate bundle of ESPN and NFL+, which includes NFL RedZone, will be made available on Sept. 3 for $39.99 per month. A lower-priced version of the streaming service featuring a narrower set of content will cost $11.99 per month or $119.99 per year. Current cable subscribers can gain full access to the new streaming service after being authorized by their cable provider, company executives said on Tuesday. However, some cable subscribers -- including those with Comcast Xfinity, YouTube TV, Dish Network, Sling TV and Cox -- will initially be unable to access content broadcast exclusively on the streaming service as ESPN resolves outstanding negotiations.