- All-In-One Sports App Gives Fans a
Single, Powerful Platform for All ESPN Offers
- ESPN+ Delivers Thousands of Live
Sports Events, Exclusive Original Series, Films and Studio Shows,
Plus Unmatched On-Demand Library
- New Service is First from Disney
Direct-to-Consumer and International, in Partnership with
ESPN
- Launch Sponsorship Includes: New
ESPN App Presented by Audi, ESPN+ Backed by American
Express
The new ESPN App launches today with a completely
re-imagined experience that includes the seamless integration of
ESPN+, the first-ever multi-sport, direct-to-consumer
premium subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney
Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International group, in
partnership with ESPN. At launch, the new ESPN App will be
presented by Audi and ESPN+ will be backed by American Express.
This press release features multimedia. View
the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180412005734/en/
The new ESPN App launches today with a
completely re-imagined experience that includes the seamless
integration of ESPN+. (Graphic: Business Wire)
Already the industry benchmark and number one sports app, the
new ESPN App – now combined with ESPN+ – elevates the digital
sports experience, giving sports fans the premier, all-in-one
digital sports platform with easy access to all of ESPN’s news,
scores, analysis, video and audio content. With enhanced design and
mobility in mind, the new ESPN app and ESPN+ are available across
mobile and connected living room devices -- with an optimized
experience for each platform.
“This next-generation app is ESPN’s most sophisticated and
elegant digital product experience, and a central piece of our next
era of innovation,” said James Pitaro,
ESPN President and Co-Chair, Disney Media Networks. “No
one is in a better position than ESPN to serve sports fans. With
this launch, fans will find a re-imagined, easy to use and
increasingly personalized experience that puts all of ESPN’s
incredible content at their fingertips like never before. With the
exciting introduction of ESPN+, they’ll also get more sports
content than ever, with direct access to thousands of live games,
incredible original programs and an unmatched on-demand
library, all at a great price.”
Added Kevin Mayer, Chairman, Direct-to-Consumer and
International, The Walt Disney Company, “The launch of ESPN+
marks a new era of innovation for The Walt Disney Company, defined
by a direct and personal relationship with our consumers. This
product reflects our new direct-to-consumer strategy focused on
combining our incomparable brands and unmatched content with
industry-leading technology to give users an unparalleled digital
experience. With BAMTECH Media’s state-of-the-art video platform,
ESPN+ delivers an incredible experience for fans with a rich slate
of content only ESPN can deliver.”
THE ESPN APP PRESENTED BY AUDI: THE
PREMIER, ALL-IN-ONE DIGITAL SPORTS PLATFORM
The new ESPN App presented by Audi is
now more personal and dynamic than ever –
delivering a unique experience to every fan,
while also enabling meaningful curation and presentation from
ESPN’s unmatched storytellers, journalists and content
creators. Its design and technological platform elevates the
leading sports app to new levels of quality and gives fans a
premier, all-in-one digital access point for everything ESPN
offers, including:
- SCORES, NEWS,
HIGHLIGHTS, AUDIO: The world’s leading sports scores,
news, features and analysis, video highlights and clips, and the
leading library of live and on-demand sports audio content;
- “TV
EVERYWHERE” VIDEO: Authenticated live
and on-demand access for pay TV subscribers to ESPN’s U.S. linear
and digital networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, SEC
Network, SEC Network +, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Goal Line, ESPN Bases
Loaded, Longhorn Network, ACC Network Extra);
- ESPN+: Direct-to-consumer subscription
streaming access to thousands of additional live sporting events,
original content and shows, and on-demand video library.
The app’s new design delivers a rich, easy-to-use
interface that enhances personalization and
discoverability – presenting content in a myriad of ways to
customize it to each individual fan. The powerful
technological platform surfaces ESPN content based on favorite
teams, sports and leagues as well as ESPN’s award-winning
journalism and personality, anytime, anywhere, better than
ever.
On mobile devices, the ESPN App has five primary navigation
menus:
- HOME: The most personalized and
complete content experience. A dynamic feed that allows each fan to
be presented with any type of relevant ESPN content and coverage --
scores, news, video clips, live events, features, analysis,
graphics, statistics and more. The home feed balances what is
important to each individual fan and the most important and
compelling content that ESPN knows sports fans need.
- SCORES: Immediate access to all
the latest scores that fans follow every day, prioritizing favorite
teams and sports right at the top.
- WATCH: A new, completely
re-imagined and fully integrated live and on-demand video
experience featuring three tiers of video access, all powered by
BAMTECH Media’s best-in-class video platform:
- Video Clips and Highlights –
accessible to all users, ESPN offers the most complete library of
highlights, clips and short-form sports video – logging hundreds of
millions of views every month;
- “TV Everywhere” Streaming – for
pay TV subscribers, live and on-demand access to ESPN’s U.S. linear
and digital networks;
- ESPN+ – for subscribers of the
direct-to-consumer streaming service, access to thousands of
additional live sporting events, original content and shows, and
on-demand video library.
- LISTEN: The leading library of
sports audio content, including live ESPN Radio streaming and a
lineup of top sports podcasts accessible on demand.
- SPORTS: One-click access to a
fan’s favorite teams, leagues and sports and quick navigation to
complete coverage of any of the dozens of sports and leagues ESPN
covers around the world.
On digital living room devices, the ESPN App delivers a dynamic
and comprehensive sports streaming experience, with four primary
navigation menus:
- FEATURED: A curation of content
stacks aggregating live events, on-demand programming, clips and
highlights from across all ESPN networks, platforms and ESPN+
personalized to a fan’s favorite teams and sports as well as ESPN’s
editorial picks.
- ESPN+: A dedicated ESPN+ section
surfacing the best live, upcoming, on-demand and library content
available to subscribers.
- ORIGINALS: Bringing ESPN’s
unmatched library of on-demand shows, films, editorial features,
long-form storytelling and more to life, allowing fans to discover
and binge VOD content anytime, anywhere.
- BROWSE: Discover the entire
library of on-demand content available, including featured
programming and recommendations.
ESPN+ BACKED BY AMERICAN EXPRESS: MORE
SPORTS. MORE GAMES. MORE ESPN
ESPN+ backed by American Express leverages BAMTECH Media’s video
and commerce platform to offer fans thousands of additional live
events, on-demand content and original programming not available on
ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks. This includes hundreds of
MLB, NHL and MLS games, Grand Slam tennis, Top Rank boxing, PGA
Tour golf, college sports, international rugby, cricket, the full
library of ESPN Films (including 30 for 30) and more.“For the
launch of ESPN+, our focus has been on applying the innovations in
direct-to-consumer technology we’ve built at BAMTECH over the years
to create an all-new best-in-class consumer experience that brings
sports fans more of the content they love, wherever, whenever they
want,” added Michael Paull, President, BAMTECH Media.
“ESPN+ launches with several exciting product features, including
an upgraded HD stream quality to make the action crisper and
cleaner, and decreased video load time, getting fans into the live
action faster.”
As part of a subscription to ESPN+, fans will receive app and
streaming experience enhancements that include:
- Value & Flexibility – 7-day
free trial, followed by a subscription fee of just $4.99 a month or
$49.99 a year, with the ability to cancel at any time. During the
first week of launch (April 12-18) fans are being offered a special
extended 30-day free trial subscription backed by American
Express;
- HD Streaming – high-definition,
60 frames per second stream quality makes the action crisper and
cleaner;
- Live Pause, Rewind and Restart –
pause, rewind and start-from-the-beginning functionality for all
live and on-demand content, all with the ability to multitask on
devices while streaming;
- Limited Advertising – ESPN+
subscribers get a differentiated advertising experience throughout
the entire ESPN App or website, with no display ads and no pre-roll
ads within video content (ads remain in the natural advertising
breaks of live sports content);
- Sports Marketplace – the ability
to also subscribe to additional premium streaming services like
MLB.TV (and NHL.TV, beginning in 2018-19) all within the ESPN app
environment.
At launch, the new ESPN App with ESPN+ will be available on the
following devices and platforms, with more to follow:
- Amazon – Fire TV, Fire TV Stick,
Fire TV smart TVs and Fire Tablets (4th generation and newer).
- Apple – iPhone, iPad and Apple
TV. The ESPN App with ESPN+ will also be supported in the Apple TV
App on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV.
- Google – Android phones, Android
TV and Chromecast.
ESPN+ PROGRAMMING
Subscribers will have access to a programming lineup powered by
four key pillars of content that include thousands of
live sports events, high-quality original shows
and films, exclusive studio programs and an
unmatched on-demand library.
LIVE SPORTS – Thousands of games and events from
professional leagues and international sports as well as college
sports from nearly two dozen conferences across the country,
including:
- MLB – A daily game, seven
days per week, throughout the regular season, a total of more than
180 games that will include every MLB team.*
- NHL – Beginning with the
2018-19 season, a daily game throughout the regular season (in
keeping with the NHL schedule), a total of more than 180 hockey
games* -- as well as on-demand replays of the 2018 Stanley Cup
Playoffs.
- MLS – the entire MLS
LIVE out-of-market schedule with more than 250 games* this
season, as well as the local-market home for
the Chicago Fire, exclusively bringing 23 Fire matches
to fans in Chicago.
- College
Sports – thousands of live events – including
football, basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, track &
field, gymnastics, swimming & diving, lacrosse, wrestling,
volleyball, golf and more – from 20 conferences across the
country.
- Top Rank
Boxing – Hundreds of live boxing matches, including
18 ESPN+ exclusive Top Rank fight cards throughout the year, all
Top Rank on ESPN undercard fights, re-airs of all Top Rank on
ESPN and Top Rank on ESPN PPV bouts, plus weigh-ins
and more.
- PGA Tour Golf – 50 days of
coverage from 20 PGA tour events, including the RBC Heritage, THE
PLAYERS Championship, the Memorial Tournament presented by
Nationwide, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, the FedExCup Playoffs and
more.
- Grand Slam Tennis –
Hundreds of men’s and women’s singles, doubles and other matches,
from the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.
- Cricket – Hundreds of Test,
ODI and T20 format matches from New Zealand Cricket and
Cricket Ireland.
- Rugby – Hundreds of
matches from SANZAAR Rugby, the HSBC World Rugby Sevens series, and
Major League Rugby.
- Canadian Football
League – Nearly 200 games from Canada’s professional
league.
- English Football League –
Approximately 200 total matches, including an average of four
per week from Sky Bet Championship Playoffs, League 1 and League 2,
plus six matches per month from the EFL Cup (beginning in August)
and 16 matches per month throughout the EFL 2018-19 season.
- UEFA Nations
League – Over 100 live matches from the newly created
tournament. Pay TV customers with an ESPN+ subscription will be
able to access the entire tournament including the 36 UNL matches
on ESPN linear networks and ESPN3.
- United Soccer League –
Approximately 450 USL matches this season.
ORIGINALS – Exclusive, original content developed
specifically for ESPN+, including original documentaries,
docu-series and more.
- 30 for 30 Documentary
“The Last Days of Knight” – The first film in
the award-winning series to appear exclusively on ESPN+.
- Draft Academy – Exclusive
access to ESPN’s series that delivers a personal,
behind-the-scenes look at top prospects leading up to the 2018 NFL
Draft.
- Quest for the Stanley Cup –
Weekly behind-the-scenes documentary series that goes on the ice,
in locker rooms, and inside the minds of the players and coaches
for an all-access pass during the high-stakes NHL Playoffs.
SHOWS – New and exclusive ESPN studio programming
devoted to multiple sports and sports topics, including:
- Detail (NBA) –
Written, produced and hosted by Kobe Bryant, this basketball
analysis show will provide his unparalleled insights and game
observations about an ESPN-covered game played the day before.
- In The
Crease (NHL) – A nightly hockey show co-hosted
by ESPN's Linda Cohn and Barry Melrose providing comprehensive
highlights and analysis.
- ESPN
FC (Soccer) – ESPN’s daily soccer news
and information, highlights and analysis program hosted by Dan
Thomas joined by top analysts and ESPN’s renowned journalists
from around the globe. New shows will be available weekdays and
Sundays only on ESPN+.
LIBRARY – An unmatched sports archive featuring
thousands of hours of on-demand programs and past sporting events.
At launch, this includes:
- 30 for
30 Archive – The entire archive of the
award-winning documentary films (more than 100 in total). ESPN+
will be the only platform where fans can access the full
library.
- E:60 and SC
Featured – The best of ESPN’s award-winning newsmagazine
program, E:60, and storytelling brand, SC Featured.
- The Masters
Films – Annual recaps of 57 years of The Masters,
beginning with Arnold Palmer’s 1960 victory, and going right up
until 2017.
- Becoming – A program
for youth and families, profiling the journeys of some of today's
top athletes and how they got their start. Co-executive produced by
LeBron James and business partner Maverick Carter.
- Jon Gruden’s QB Camp – More
than 60 episodes of Jon Gruden working with and talking to top QB
prospects before they played a snap in the NFL. Among the subjects:
Jimmy Garoppolo, Case Kennum, Russell Wilson, Andrew Luck, Cam
Newton, Derek Carr and Dak Prescott.
- Indy 500 – More than
50 annual documentaries capturing the stories of one of the world’s
greatest auto racing events, from the 1960s to present day.
- Boxing Libraries – an
unmatched, on-demand treasure chest of the greatest fights of all
time, including hundreds of fights from the ESPN Big Fights Library
and the Top Rank archive, such as Ali vs. Frazier I-III, Ali vs.
Foreman, Duran vs. Leonard I-III, Hagler vs. Hearns,Mayweather vs.
Pacquiao, among many, many more.
For more information and the latest updates regarding ESPN+,
visit the ESPN+ Media Kit.
* Blackouts Apply
About Disney Direct-to-Consumer and
International
Comprised of Disney’s international media businesses and the
Company’s various streaming services, the Direct-to-Consumer and
International segment aligns technology, content and distribution
platforms to expand the Company’s global footprint and deliver
world-class, personalized entertainment experiences to consumers
around the world. The recently announced segment is responsible for
The Walt Disney Company’s direct-to-consumer businesses globally,
including the ESPN+ sports streaming service, programmed in
partnership with ESPN; the upcoming Disney-branded
direct-to-consumer streaming service; and the Company’s ownership
stake in Hulu. As part of the Direct-to-Consumer and International
segment, BAMTECH Media, developer of the ESPN+ and Disney-branded
streaming platforms, oversees all consumer-facing digital
technology and products across the Company.
About ESPN
ESPN, Inc. is the leading multinational, multimedia sports
entertainment company featuring the broadest portfolio of
multimedia sports assets with over 50 business entities. Reaching
fans across television, digital media, audio, print and more, it
has unparalleled scope, scale, consumption and brand strength.
Based in Bristol, Conn., the company is 80 percent owned by ABC,
Inc., an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The Hearst
Corporation holds a 20 percent interest in ESPN.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180412005734/en/
ESPNPaul Melvin, +1 (860) 766-5069Paul.Melvin@espn.comorBAMTECH
MediaJessica Casano-Antonellis, +1 (646)
968-3024Jessica.Casano@bamtechmedia.comorThe Walt Disney
CompanyDavid Jefferson, +1 (818)
560-4832David.J.Jefferson@disney.com
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