These days, AI is in every aspect of our life, whether we know it or not. And it’s not stopping anytime soon. ESPN is said to be embracing AI for its sports content. ESPN chairman, Jimmy Pitaro said during an ESPN Media Day at its headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut, that it could see AI being used to deliver a personalized SportsCenter.
Pitaro stated that “we see this as nothing but positive for a sports fan and for the business” when talking about AI. He also noted that by the time the new flagship ESPN Streaming Service (the internal name right now) launches, AI tools will be able to deliver a personalized version of SportsCenter to individual viewers based on their preferences. SportsCenter has been a staple of ESPN since 1979, and many sports fans watch every single day.
This is part of ESPN’s goal to be the hub for streaming sports, including the new Where To Watch feature launched yesterday. This feature allows you to see where a particular game or event is being shown—even if it’s not on ESPN or its affiliates.
Pricing for the new ESPN flagship streaming service is still not yet confirmed
We’ve known for a number of months that ESPN is planning to launch a new streaming service, which is currently being called the “flagship ESPN streaming service” internally. It would essentially be the same as ESPN’s pay-TV channels (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, etc.) but standalone, so cord-cutters could still get their sports without paying for something like YouTube TV.
Pricing for the new app has still not been announced, but we do know that it would cost between $11.99 which is the price of ESPN Plus right now, and a full pay-TV package. The company sees “a lot of opportunity in the middle” of those price points.
Pitaro said, after operating ESPN Plus for the past six years, that the company is “ready for the next step”. One of the elements of the upcoming streaming services is going to be regional and local sports. Obviously, with the collapse of regional sports networks, there’s an even bigger opportunity now for ESPN, particularly with Bally Sports parent-company, Diamond Sports being in bankruptcy and selling off some of the team rights it has.
This new streaming service is set to launch in 2025, likely in time for the fall sports slate, which includes college football, NFL, NBA, and the NHL seasons starting.
2024-08-29 15:04:50