ESPN Launches New “Where To Watch” Feature
Disney’s ESPN has announced a new feature called “Where To Watch” on the ESPN App and ESPN.com, which is an easy-to-use guide for sports fans to find where to watch any sports event on ESPN platforms and beyond, including broadcast, cable and regional sports networks and streaming services.
Brian Marshall, Vice President, Sports Product & Technology, Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology said in statement regarding the launch of “Where To Watch”
“Simplifying discovery of sporting events and where a fan can watch has become increasingly important as sports viewing has become fragmented across networks and platforms. ESPN has always been the first stop for sports fans, and as we continue our evolution as the preeminent digital sports platform, we are proud to meet the needs of fans with new features to improve the discoverability of live sports and simplify their consumption journeys.”
Access to Where to Watch is available from every screen on the ESPN App and ESPN.com, ensuring the essential feature is only a tap away as part of every sports fan’s daily routine. Fans can search for events and customize the guide to prioritize their favorite teams and leagues, making it fast and easy to discover what they care about most, all tied to their ESPN profile and personalization preferences.
From Where to Watch, fans can view all the sports events for an entire day, along with the network or service on which to find them, with quick one-click access to ESPN network streams for pay TV authenticated users and ESPN+ subscribers. Beyond just ESPN, fans are also linked directly to select partner networks, which currently include NESN and Monumental Sports.
https://youtu.be/9UyH7KikFj4
At the core of Where to Watch is an event database created and managed by the ESPN Stats and Information Group (SIG), which aggregates ESPN and partner data feeds along with originally-sourced information and programming details from more than 250 media sources, including television networks and streaming platforms.
Where to Watch supports coverage of tens of thousands of events across dozens of sports and leagues, including NFL, NCAA Football, Men’s and Women’s NCAA Basketball, NBA, WNBA, MLB, NHL, UFC, F1, NASCAR, PGA TOUR, tennis majors, MLS, Premier League, Champions League, and other live sporting event airing on ESPN platforms. Additional sport and event coverage will be added over time.
Where to Watch is available on the ESPN App and ESPN.com and can be quickly accessed on any web browser at espn.com/wheretowatch.
Tim Bayus, VP, ESPN Strategy, also confirmed plans to introduce “Where To Watch” should be part of the upcoming “flagship” version of ESPN, which will be available within Disney+ in the summer of 2025.
By the time our new DTC product launches in 2025 we are hopeful Where to Watch has become a part of the sports fan’s daily routine. We will make it easy for people to subscribe and stream, set reminders, and generally plan their sports viewing day with us.
Where to Watch will be a great discoverability tool for fans to see the breadth of live sports that can be watched on our DTC service. And, while Where to Watch will link directly to our standalone direct-to-consumer product, we have built it to serve all fans – those subscribed to the ESPN DTC product and those who aren’t.
Roger’s Take: The concept of adding in more functionality to ESPN to offer an easy way for users to find games that ESPN doesn’t have, is all part of trying to make ESPN a major hub. With a ESPN hub being added to Disney+ later this year, which will include ESPN+ content and the full “Flagship” version of ESPN coming to Disney+ in 2025, hopefully, this feature will also be available in the future within Disney+ too.
What do you think of the idea of ESPN’s “Where To Watch”? Let me know on social media!
Roger Palmer
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