ESPN Plus, a new streaming service from the US sport broadcasting giant, will launch next spring.
Parent company Disney says the offering will be accessible through a brand new ESPN app that features the option to stream the channels and access live sporting events.
Disney CEO Bob Iger said (via Engadget): “The product will be accessible through a new and fully redesigned ESPN app, which will allow users to access sports scores and highlights, stream our channels on an authenticated basis and subscribe to ESPN+ for additional sports coverage, including thousands of live sporting events,”
“This one app [will offer] sports fans far more than they can get on any other app, website or channel.”
It’s not yet clear whether the service will be available to cord cutters a la carte or whether a cable or satellite subscription will be needed to access all the content.
However, the mention of ‘an authenticated basis’ means the channels themselves will probably still require cable provider login.
Single sport access?
Disney says some content will be available “for a fee” which ties into suggestions viewers will be able to subscribe on a sport by sport basis.
That might be a good option for fans who don’t necessarily want the full range of ESPN channels.
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The service will be powered by BamTech, the streaming company Disney purchased for a staggering $1.58 billion back in August.
The service will stand alone from Disney’s own exclusive streaming service plans, which will see all Disney, Marvel, Lucasfilm and Pixel movies brought in house.
Does is sound like ESPN is stopping short of a full-on streaming service to you? Lend us your thoughts @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
