OT: ESPN DTC Service

[CaptainFalcon]

So I’ve been reading up a little on the ESPN direct to consumer service that is set to launch around the start of football season.

New Direct-to-Consumer Offering to be Singularly Branded ESPN

Recognizing the deep connection the ESPN brand has established with sports fans and the significance of the moment, the new..

espnpressroom.com

As long as they don’t screw up the rollout of this, I don‘t see how it doesn’t put several TV/streaming sources out of business eventually. I mean pair this with an OTA antenna for local channels and it seems like an absolute steal compared to YoutubeTV running at $90 a month or whatever satellite goes for now. I know some streaming places have started to offer “skinny sports“ bundles but most of those are still a good bit more expensive than what this ESPN service will be.

Someone sell me on why this new ESPN service paired with a decent antenna isn’t going to be the way to go moving forward.

 

[patdog]

So I’ve been reading up a little on the ESPN direct to consumer service that is set to launch around the start of football season.

New Direct-to-Consumer Offering to be Singularly Branded ESPN

Recognizing the deep connection the ESPN brand has established with sports fans and the significance of the moment, the new..

espnpressroom.com

As long as they don’t screw up the rollout of this, I don‘t see how it doesn’t put several TV/streaming sources out of business eventually. I mean pair this with an OTA antenna for local channels and it seems like an absolute steal compared to YoutubeTV running at $90 a month or whatever satellite goes for now. I know some streaming places have started to offer “skinny sports“ bundles but most of those are still a good bit more expensive than what this ESPN service will be.

Someone sell me on why this new ESPN service paired with a decent antenna isn’t going to be the way to go moving forward.

It’s ESPN so I’m sure they will screw it up. But most people are still going to want more than just ESPN & local over the air stations.

 

[CaptainFalcon]

It’s ESPN so I’m sure they will screw it up. But most people are still going to want more than just ESPN & local over the air stations.

It’s just the fact that it covers the vast majority of your live sports and other than live sports, TV viewership is way down in this era. People don’t really watch re-runs of shows on USA or TBS or wherever like they once did. Those same shows are on Netflix or Amazon or Disney/Hulu and that’s where people have migrated toward.

 

[8dog]

It’s just the fact that it covers the vast majority of your live sports and other than live sports, TV viewership is way down in this era. People don’t really watch re-runs of shows on USA or TBS or wherever like they once did. Those same shows are on Netflix or Amazon or Disney/Hulu and that’s where people have migrated toward.

I will pay a premium for the YTTV app. ESPN app is hot garbage. I know I’m in a minority on that.

 

[mcdawg22]

I will pay a premium for the YTTV app. ESPN app is hot garbage. I know I’m in a minority on that.

Same. YTTV’s multiview and flipping between content is so much easier as well. It’s also quite astounding how I don’t have to re-enter credentials for YTTV yet ESPN has me do it every quarter moon cycle or whatever the 17 their schedule is.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

I will pay a premium for the YTTV app. ESPN app is hot garbage. I know I’m in a minority on that.

I absolutely hate ESPNs app. It’s awful.

 

[Howiefeltersnstch]

It’s just the fact that it covers the vast majority of your live sports and other than live sports, TV viewership is way down in this era. People don’t really watch re-runs of shows on USA or TBS or wherever like they once did. Those same shows are on Netflix or Amazon or Disney/Hulu and that’s where people have migrated toward.

Or Tubi for free

 

[karlchilders.sixpack]

I presume, if you can get ABC over antenna, it will be available to you?

 

[karlchilders.sixpack]

Or Tubi for free

And Pluto.... plus others

 

[CaptainFalcon]

I presume, if you can get ABC over antenna, it will be available to you?

ESPN on ABC content supposed to be available through their new service.

 

[CaptainFalcon]

I will pay a premium for the YTTV app. ESPN app is hot garbage. I know I’m in a minority on that.

I agree that ESPN app currently is terrible. Supposed to be getting a big redesign as part of this new service so we shall see if it’s any better.

 

[PrimeDog]

ESPN app is pretty good on the Xbox and it allows you to do multichannel where you can’t do it at all if I log in thru the Fire TV

 

[TrueMaroonGrind]

I’ll be getting it. We already have Hulu and Disney+. This is just so much cheaper than YoutubeTV. I hope they improve their app or switch over to the Disney app. Logging in a million times drives me up a wall.

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

What's everyone's problem with the ESPN app? We use it to consume 99% of the sports we watch. Never have a problem. It does not log me out. Via Apple TV, we can watch up to four games on one screen.

 

[Dawg1976]

It’s ESPN so I’m sure they will screw it up. But most people are still going to want more than just ESPN & local over the air stations.

I plan to go this route. You can get year end deals as I have now with Peacock(includes some sports) and Paramount+ for very little money. And has been mentioned Tubi, Pluto and others have pretty good content for free. I have more than enough to watch.

 

[Dawg1976]

What's everyone's problem with the ESPN app? We use it to consume 99% of the sports we watch. Never have a problem. It does not log me out. Via Apple TV, we can watch ups to four games on one screen.

I have very little trouble with it on my Sony tv.

 

[Pookieray]

Am I going to have to get a particular tv to watch sports? What are y'all talking about a fire or apple TV. Why won't my Vizio be able to watch sports?

 

[karlchilders.sixpack]

Am I going to have to get a particular tv to watch sports? What are y'all talking about a fire or apple TV. Why won't my Vizio be able to watch sports?

My guess is that you can certainly watch on your current tv. I do suspect that you will have to input a code, etc. via some means, tv, phone, laptop.

 

[Dawg1976]

Am I going to have to get a particular tv to watch sports? What are y'all talking about a fire or apple TV. Why won't my Vizio be able to watch sports?

Is it a smart tv with apps? If not or an old tv that might have a slow response time then a Roku, Fire stick or ONN will plug into an HDMI port and you can get the app. If really old tv with no hdmi slot then yes a new tv or watch it on your lap top or cell phone.

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

Am I going to have to get a particular tv to watch sports? What are y'all talking about a fire or apple TV. Why won't my Vizio be able to watch sports?

Negative, unless it's a really old TV, you'll likely have the ESPN app built into your TV. Worse comes to worse, just buy a $25 fire stick or ruku.

 

[CaptainFalcon]

Am I going to have to get a particular tv to watch sports? What are y'all talking about a fire or apple TV. Why won't my Vizio be able to watch sports?

Your Vizio is fine. I have two Vizio’s myself. As long as you have any kind of smart TV or something like a gaming console or fire stick that has access to all the streaming apps, you should be fine.

 

[jdbulldog]

I will pay a premium for the YTTV app. ESPN app is hot garbage. I know I’m in a minority on that.

It will have to be spectacular for me to move from YTTV.

 

[8dog]

Same. YTTV’s multiview and flipping between content is so much easier as well. It’s also quite astounding how I don’t have to re-enter credentials for YTTV yet ESPN has me do it every quarter moon cycle or whatever the 17 their schedule is.

And in it knows what I want to watch. Its intuitive. I still have to search or scroll for days on espn

 

[8dog]

What's everyone's problem with the ESPN app? We use it to consume 99% of the sports we watch. Never have a problem. It does not log me out. Via Apple TV, we can watch up to four games on one screen.

The logging out-on fire you can’t authenticate thru phone-, the fact it sometimes will just randomly say “this Broadcast is not a part of your package” for no reason (I have had to literally unplug the streaming device or delete the app and redownload it), the complete lack of intuitiveness, the picture will get pixelated way more than YTTV does, and then sometimes it confuses espn+ with logging in thru the provider, sometimes I search for a game and it’s not listed and it’s typically way futher behind the actual game than YTTV

but other than that its great.

 

[topbulldawg]

The logging out-on fire you can’t authenticate thru phone-, the fact it sometimes will just randomly say “this Broadcast is not a part of your package” for no reason (I have had to literally unplug the streaming device or delete the app and redownload it), the complete lack of intuitiveness, the picture will get pixelated way more than YTTV does, and then sometimes it confuses espn+ with logging in thru the provider, sometimes I search for a game and it’s not listed and it’s typically way futher behind the actual game than YTTV

but other than that its great.

I couldn’t say it better myself. This is EXACTLY my experience

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

The logging out-on fire you can’t authenticate thru phone-, the fact it sometimes will just randomly say “this Broadcast is not a part of your package” for no reason (I have had to literally unplug the streaming device or delete the app and redownload it), the complete lack of intuitiveness, the picture will get pixelated way more than YTTV does, and then sometimes it confuses espn+ with logging in thru the provider, sometimes I search for a game and it’s not listed and it’s typically way futher behind the actual game than YTTV

but other than that its great.

Sorry to hear that, i don’t have any of those issues.