ESPN 8: The Ocho is now a 24/7 over-the-air channel in Florida

For the first time, you can watch a 24/7 feed of ESPN 8: The Ocho channel on regular TV.

WKCF, a local television station in Orlando, Florida, announced that The Ocho would launch on its third digital subchannel. The channel can be accessed via antenna and select cable providers.

WKCF announced that programming on the channel would include offbeat sports such as “dodgeball, slippery stairs, cornhole, stone skipping, arm wrestling, Flugtag, roller hockey, goat racing, and dog surfing.” It will also feature coverage of the Savannah Bananas.

This is not the first ESPN 8: The Ocho channel, however. A similar network was launched as a FAST channel in 2023 through ABC’s website.

ESPN has never had an exclusive over-the-air channel before. That reflects a broader industry trend, as there are very few sports-focused over-the-air channels. Stadium, one rare example, abandoned over-the-air entirely but continues to exist as a FAST channel. While such a channel is unlikely to carry live programming, it is still a novelty as an OTA channel wholly dedicated to sports.

As cord-cutting continues, ESPN must find new ways to generate revenue. Using ESPN in this way could be one example.

It would not be hard for these channels to expand quickly. WKCF is owned by Hearst Television, which owns a 20% stake in ESPN. Hearst owns 25 local stations, while The Walt Disney Company, the other owner of ESPN, owns another eight. These stations could easily add a similar channel if desired.

For now, though, this channel is exclusive to FAST services and antenna owners in Orlando.