In an effort to reach cord-cutters, ESPN plans to sell online-only programming to sports fans.
The Information reported on Thursday that ESPN wants to offer a standalone streaming package for live sports. The media giant won’t do so for games played in lucrative leagues like the NBA or NFL, but rather for college sports or niche leagues, The Information reported.
ESPN, which is losing subscribers, has tested the waters with similar products. Last year, it let people buy a live stream of the Cricket World Cup for $100. It also already streams a wealth of content via the WatchESPN platform, but those feeds require cable subscription credentials.
With the new offering, ESPN wants to target customers that may no longer subscribe to cable, but are willing to pay for a la carte sports programming.
Today, it wouldn’t make sense for ESPN to offer its entire programming lineup as an online-only package option, given the Disney-owned company’s relationship with the cable services. However, it appears ESPN is showing more and more interest in going direct-to-consumer with its valuable live content.
Be sure to check out Mike Slade, co-creator of ESPN.com, at the inaugural GeekWire Sports Tech Summit on July 12-13. Limited tickets still remain.
