Earlier last week, the ESPN App began its domestic rollout on AT&T DIRECTV set top boxes in select states, allowing consumers to switch between live content on ESPN and video on-demand to their TVs through a hybrid interface. It’s a first-of-its-kind initiative for ESPN as it intertwines linear and streaming through a traditional distributor.
With the initial launch, the ESPN App is now available in North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Kentucky and Ohio, with further expansion expected in the coming weeks.
Additionally, DIRECTV customers with a broadband-enabled set top box can now stream live events from ESPN3, ACC Network Extra and SEC Network + along with other on-demand highlights from ESPN.com without having to actually log in.
“In today’s dynamic media landscape, simplicity is key,” Sean Breen, senior vice president of affiliate sales, Disney & ESPN Media Networks, said in a statement. “This hybrid experience seamlessly blends what customers traditionally get from a set top box with the features and content of standalone streaming devices. We’re fortunate to have long-standing relationships with collaborators like AT&T/DIRECTV that work with us to offer more choice and flexibility to customers for a video experience that fits their needs — whether that’s streaming only or through a traditional pay TV subscription that now delivers the best of both worlds.”
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Added Mike Andrews, Vice President of Media Engineering, in a statement: “ESPN’s technology team worked closely with DIRECTV to develop a next-generation content experience for customers through their set top box. Fans want to turn on their television and watch great sports content with as little friction as possible. With the ESPN App on the DIRECTV box, they get exactly that — a dynamic user interface, seamless automatic subscriber recognition and all of ESPN’s networks and streaming content presented in one place, all without the need to change television inputs or log in.”