Satellite and cable companies are fighting back and trying to find a way to navigate the streaming revolution. And the newest agreement between ESPN and DirecTV is looking to make some headway in an ever-changing environment.
ESPN’s upcoming direct-to-consumer launch is going to be transformational for the sports media world, and for the entire entertainment industry. ESPN is pushing all their chips to the middle of the table that they can successfully thread the needle (with their impending NFL Media acquisition a huge part of that) and advance their streaming interests to reach cord-cutters with the DTC platform while maintaining their linear business.
After some pretty heavy disputes in recent years, they have found a willing partner in DirecTV to bring consumers the best of both worlds.
According to Sports Business Journal, ESPN’s Unlimited package featuring all ESPN networks, ESPN+, and the new DTC platform will be available to DirecTV and U-Verse subscribers. It will be made available to streaming customers and those with the MySports bundle at launch. Later this fall, it will be rolled out as an upgrade for traditional satellite customers.
Last fall, it looked like we were in for a lengthy dispute between DirecTV and Disney with ESPN’s sports programming at the heart of the battle. After missing the start of football season, an agreement was finally reached with bundles and future DTC programming as part of the deal with both sides walking away with a win.
In their announcement, DirecTV called the agreement to feature the new ESPN DTC platform as leading “the great rebundling” along with Disney+ and Hulu. Being able to have all of that ESPN and Disney content is definitely a major selling point for the distributor as the media world has been sliced and diced in recent years with sports fans especially needing a rolodex of streaming services. And for ESPN, it widens the door to increased access to their new service.
Whether “the great rebundling” happens in full remains to be seen, but anything that can make it a little bit easier for sports fans to find the games they are looking for… and have it readily available at a reasonable cost… is certainly welcome news.
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