ESPN3

Last updated
ESPN3
ESPN3 logo.svg
CountryUnited States
Broadcast areaNationwide
Programming
Language(s)English
Ownership
Owner The Walt Disney Company (80%)
Hearst Communications (20%)
Parent ESPN Inc.
Sister channels
History
Launched2005 (2005)[ specify ]
Former namesESPN360.com (2005–2010)
ESPN3.com (2010–2011)
Links
Website www.espn.com/watchespn
Availability
Streaming media
WatchESPN or ESPN app WatchESPN.com
(U.S. cable subscribers only; requires login from pay television provider to access content)
Sling TV Internet Protocol television

ESPN3 (formerly ESPN360 and ESPN3.com) is an online streaming service owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (which operates the network, through its 80% controlling ownership interest) and Hearst Communications (which holds the remaining 20% interest), that provides live streams and replays of global sports events to sports fans in the United States.

Contents

History

Background and launch

The use of the name ESPN3 was discussed as early as 1996 for the channel that would eventually become known as ESPNews. [1] The website began in 2005 as ESPN360.com, a mostly on-demand video website. [2] In September 2007, ESPN360.com shifted away from on-demand content, such as studio shows, and shifted toward placing "emphasis on live events". [3] [4]

On April 4, 2010, ESPN360.com re-launched as ESPN3.com. [5] On August 31, 2011, the network became simply known as ESPN3, and was incorporated into the WatchESPN app (which carries simulcasts of ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Goal Line, ESPN Buzzer Beater, SEC Network and Longhorn Network for cable subscribers). [6]

In April 2018, a new subscription over-the-top content service called ESPN+ launched. ESPN+ is a separate service which does not require the user to be an ESPN subscriber, but also doesn't include content from ESPN3, or access to ESPN's linear cable networks. A substantial number of programs that had previously been available on ESPN3 have since moved to ESPN+. This has drawn criticism online since such content has been effectively paywalled behind a separate subscription. [7]

Description

As of 2023, ESPN3 broadcasts are mostly events that air over-the-air on ABC exclusively (with some exceptions when those broadcasts do not air on ESPN3 but instead on ESPN+), alternate camera angles of programming airing in simulcast on one of the linear networks (see ESPN Megacast), panorama coverage of multiple courts (in the case of bracket tournaments, especially for major tennis tournaments), Spanish dubs not carried on ESPN Deportes, and a limited amount of exclusive college sports programming, mostly from smaller colleges and universities.

In contrast to WatchESPN and other TV Everywhere services, access to ESPN3 from computers is automatically determined by assessing the incoming IP address. Those accessing from outside their usual network or from a mobile device can (and must) use their TV Everywhere login to access ESPN3 content.

Availability

In the United States, the network is available to individuals who receive their high-speed Internet connection or cable television subscription from an affiliated service provider. Since 2008, ESPN3 has also been available to approximately 21 million U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers with college/university (.edu) and U.S. military (.mil) IP addresses. [8] ESPN3 is only available to Internet providers who pay fees to ESPN. ESPN3 is not carried by traditional cable and satellite providers, as it is not a single channel, but streams multiple live events at the same time; however, ESPN includes a listing for a linear "ESPN3" channel (which only includes one event at a time) in the television listings on its website. As part of the wide-ranging distribution agreement that DirecTV and The Walt Disney Company announced, ESPN3 was made available to DirecTV customers in early 2015. [9] In December 2016, ESPN started the nationwide rollout of the ESPN App on DirecTV set top boxes in five states, which allows customers to stream thousands of live events from ESPN3 on their DirecTV set top boxes. [10] The nationwide rollout was completed in February 2017. [11]

On November 1, 2010, ESPN3 launched on Xbox Live. This service allows Xbox Live members to access live sporting events on ESPN3, among other offerings, at no additional cost. At launch, Xbox Live Gold membership was required to access the ESPN app; however, with the June 2014 update to Xbox Live, Gold membership is no longer required to access ESPN on Xbox 360 or Xbox One. [12] Dish Network added ESPN3 in April 2014. [13] In September 2016, ESPN3 was made available on over-the-top online video service Sling TV. [14]

Criticism

Some internet service providers have complained to the FCC that ESPN3 (along with other services that use the TV Everywhere system) violates the principles of network neutrality. [15] [16] [17] ESPN3 bundles its content into the fees of the participating ISP, regardless of whether or not users partake in accessing its content. If a particular ISP does not pay subscription fees to ESPN, users of that ISP are not granted access to ESPN3. There is no way for individual users to overcome these access restrictions as ESPN3 does not provide subscription options for individual users or any other non-ISP entities, and because most ISPs operate in specific territories without competition, a subscriber cannot access ESPN3 unless a participating ISP actually operates in the area. ESPN's only recommended solution in such a situation is to have the consumer lobby an ISP that is available in their area to add ESPN3.

Related Research Articles

Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos, television shows and films digitally on request. These multimedia are accessed without a traditional video playback device and a typical static broadcasting schedule, which was popular under traditional broadcast programming, instead involving newer modes of content consumption that have risen as Internet and IPTV technologies have become prominent, and culminated in the arrival of VOD and over-the-top (OTT) media services on televisions and personal computers.

Streaming television is the digital distribution of television content, such as television series and films, streamed over the Internet. Standing in contrast to dedicated terrestrial television delivered by over-the-air aerial systems, cable television, and/or satellite television systems, streaming television is provided as over-the-top media (OTT), or as Internet Protocol television (IPTV). In the United States, streaming television has become "the dominant form of TV viewing."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NFL Sunday Ticket</span> American football subscription television package

NFL Sunday Ticket is an out-of-market sports package that broadcasts National Football League (NFL) regular season games unavailable on local affiliates. It carries all the regional Sunday afternoon games produced by Fox and CBS. The ideal customer of this package is presumed to be a fan of a team who is unable to see their team on local television because they do not reside in one of that team's markets, or sports bars who want to increase business by attracting fans of out of market teams. Beginning with the 2023 NFL season, for residential customers in the United States, NFL Sunday Ticket moved exclusively to YouTube TV, as well as to YouTube's recently launched Primetime Channels service as a standalone subscription option. The league then formed a new company called EverPass Media to distribute the package to bars, restaurants, and other commercial venues. From 1994 through the end of the 2022 NFL season, the package was distributed in the United States exclusively by DirecTV & NFLUHD.

ESPN Broadband is a business unit of the ESPN company - itself a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. This unit focuses on providing sports content to users over a high speed internet connection. It is divided into five areas: ESPN Motion, ESPN3, ESPN Online Games, IpTV and ESPN PPV. By providing content online this service is able to allow users to watch sports games and sports related content such as ESPN documentaries and the SportsCenter TV show. This is one of the ways in which new media and broadband internet are beginning to compete with the Television industry in general, changing from a force fed consumption model of entertainment, to one that allows user generated play lists, interactivity, and custom content.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MLB Extra Innings</span> Out-of-market sports package

MLB Extra Innings is an out-of-market sports package distributed in North America by satellite provider DirecTV since 1996 and by most cable providers since 2001. The package allowed its subscribers to see up to 80 out-of-market Major League Baseball games a week using local over the air stations and regional sports networks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NBA League Pass</span> Sports television service

NBA League Pass is the National Basketball Association's direct-to-consumer subscription-based product that provides live and on-demand NBA games. It is available to those in the United States and also as an international package for all other countries. TV versions can be viewed through a cable or satellite TV provider, as well as an over-the-top streaming service operated by the league.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DirecTV</span> American direct broadcast satellite and streaming TV company

DirecTV, LLC is an American multichannel video programming distributor based in El Segundo, California. Originally launched on June 17, 1994, its primary service is a digital satellite service serving the United States. It also provides traditional linear television service delivered by IP through its U-verse TV brand and a virtual multichannel video programming distributor service through its DirecTV Stream brand. Its primary competitors are Dish Network, traditional cable television providers, IP-based television services, and other over-the-top video services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ESPN Classic</span> American television channel telecasting vintage sporting events (1995-2021)

ESPN Classic was an American multinational pay television network owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and Hearst Communications.

YouTube TV is an American Internet Protocol television service operated by YouTube, a subsidiary of Google. Announced on February 28, 2017, the virtual multichannel video programming distributor offers a selection of live linear channel feeds and on-demand content from more than 100 television networks and over 30 OTT-originated services, as well as a cloud-based DVR.

Internet television in Australia is the digital distribution of movies and television content via the Internet. In Australia, internet television is provided by a number of generalist, subscription-based streaming service providers, in addition to several niche providers that focus on specific genres. Australia's five major free-to-air television networks also all offer catch up TV of previously broadcast content to watch via their webpages and apps, and a number of ISPs and other companies offer IPTV – the live streaming of television channels sourced from Australia and elsewhere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fox Soccer Plus</span> American sports-based television channel

Fox Soccer Plus is an American sports channel dedicated to soccer and rugby league football. Launched in 2005 by the Irish sports broadcaster Setanta Sports to offer live and tape-delayed mainstream sports events in the United States and Caribbean, it was rebranded on March 1, 2010, as a spin-off of the now-defunct Fox Soccer after its owner News Corporation acquired the channel and its coverage rights from Setanta in January 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TV Everywhere</span> Authentication for streaming video

TV Everywhere refers to a type of American subscription business model wherein access to streaming video content from a television channel requires users to "authenticate" themselves as current subscribers to the channel, via an account provided by their participating pay television provider, in order to access the content.

Over-the-top media service refers to a media service offered directly to viewers via the public Internet, rather than through an over-the-air, cable, or satellite-based provider. The term is synonymous with "streaming platform", such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video which provide access to subscription-based film and television content (SVoD).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fetch TV</span> Australian provider of Internet Protocol Television

Fetch TV is an Australian IPTV provider that offers a subscription television service over a user's regular internet connection. It is majority owned by Telstra, who acquired a 51.4% stake in the company on the 2nd of August 2022. Fetch TV was initially launched in July 2010 by Malaysian Astro Malaysia Holdings.

Longhorn Network (LHN) was an American regional sports network owned as a joint venture between The University of Texas at Austin, ESPN and Learfield, and was operated by ESPN. The network, which launched on August 26, 2011, focused on the Texas Longhorns varsity sports teams of the University of Texas at Austin, and broadcast programs such as pre- and post-game shows, event replays, coach's shows, original series and documentaries chronicling the Longhorns and their history, and live coverage of Longhorns events not carried by other Big 12 Conference media partners.

WatchESPN was a branding of the Internet television website and mobile application operated by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and Hearst Corporation.

PlayStation Vue was an American streaming television service that was owned by the Sony Interactive Entertainment subdivision of the Sony Corporation of America division of Sony. Launched with a limited major-market rollout on March 18, 2015, the service – which was structured in the style of a multichannel video programming distributor – combined live TV, on-demand video, and cloud-based DVR to stream television programs, movies, and sporting events directly to a PlayStation console or other supported device – including smart TVs, digital media players and apps – without a subscription to a cable or satellite television provider. Targeting cord cutters, PlayStation Vue was designed to complement subscription video-on-demand services. As of August 26, 2018, the service had approximately 745,000 subscribers. On October 29, 2019, Sony announced PlayStation Vue would be ending service on January 30, 2020, because "the highly competitive Pay TV industry, with expensive content and network deals, has been slower to change than we expected".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sling TV</span> American streaming television service

Sling TV is an American streaming television service operated by Sling TV LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Dish Network. Unveiled on January 5, 2015, at the Consumer Electronics Show, the virtual multichannel video programming distributor aims to complement subscription video on demand services for cord cutters, offering a selection of major cable channels and OTT-originated services that can be streamed through smart TVs, digital media players and apps. The service is available in the United States and Puerto Rico as of 2015.

HBO Now was an American subscription video on demand streaming service for premium television network HBO owned by WarnerMedia subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc. Officially unveiled on March 9 and launched on April 7, 2015, the service allowed subscribers on-demand access to HBO's library of original programs, films and other content on personal computers, smartphones, tablet devices and digital media players. Unlike HBO Go, HBO's online video on demand service for existing subscribers of the linear television channel, HBO Now was available as a standalone service and did not require a television subscription to use, targeting cord cutters who use competing services such as Netflix and Hulu. In February 2018, HBO Now had 5 million subscribers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DirecTV Stream</span> Streaming pay TV service provider

DirecTV Stream is a family of streaming multichannel television services offered in the United States by DirecTV.

References

  1. ↑ Kent, Milton (May 14, 1996). "Viewers may soon have choice of 2 new all-sports channels". The Baltimore Sun . Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  2. ↑ Roberts, Daniel (January 22, 2014). "ESPN's secret web weapon: ESPN3". Fortune . Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  3. ↑ "ESPN Corporate Information". ESPN MediaZone. Archived from the original on March 1, 2012. Retrieved October 23, 2011.
  4. ↑ "ESPN Changes Broadband Game Plan; Will Relaunch ESPN360 With Emphasis On Live Events". Paid Content. April 8, 2007. Archived from the original on August 21, 2007. Retrieved August 23, 2007.
  5. ↑ Spangler, Todd (February 10, 2010). "ESPN360.com to Become ESPN.com on April 4". Multichannel News . Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  6. ↑ Nagle, Dave (January 6, 2012). "ESPN, Inc.: 2011 in Review". ESPN Inc. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
  7. ↑ Theisen, Lauren. "ESPN's New $4.99-A-Month Service Is Taking Away Some Programming On ESPN3". Deadspin. Retrieved 2018-04-03.
  8. ↑ Capelouto, Susanna. "ESPN3 grows its offerings with student productions". Marketplace. Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  9. ↑ "DIRECTV and The Walt Disney Company Sign Expansive Agreement" (Press release). DIRECTV.
  10. ↑ "ESPN App Begins Nationwide Rollout on AT&T DIRECTV Set Top Boxes". 28 December 2016.
  11. ↑ "ESPN App Completes Nationwide Rollout on AT&T DIRECTV Set Top Boxes". 15 February 2017.
  12. ↑ "Xbox Live Gold Changes Frequently Asked Questions". Xbox.com. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
  13. ↑ Spangler, Todd (1 April 2014). "Dish launches ESPN, ABC and Disney internet-video services". Variety.
  14. ↑ Lieneck, Allasyn (23 September 2016). "Sling TV Launches ESPN3, SEC Network Plus in channel guide". Sports Illustrated.
  15. ↑ Eliot Van Buskirk (February 5, 2009). "ESPN to ISPs: Pay for Your Customers to Play Video". Wired.
  16. ↑ Ryan Singel (June 12, 2009). "Cable ISPs See Net Neutrality Foul in ESPN Online-Video Charges". Wired.
  17. ↑ Reinhardt Krause (August 24, 2010). "Will Disney's ESPN Turn The Internet Into A Giant Cable Network?". Archived from the original on January 26, 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.