AI-customized ‘SportsCenter,’ more features coming to ESPN’s ‘Flagship’ streamer
AI-customized ‘SportsCenter,’ more features coming to ESPN’s ‘Flagship’ streamer
ESPN’s Jimmy Pitaro continues to share more details about ESPN’s upcoming streaming service Flagship.
A streaming service that offers all the content available on ESPN linear channels without a cable subscription has been at the top of sports fans’ wish lists for years. Disney is hard at work on just such a service, which is far enough along to have been given a working title — Flagship. The service is due to launch before the start of the 2025 college football and NFL seasons, and ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro took another opportunity to speak about the features that will be available on Flagship at the ESPN Edge Innovation Conference on Thursday.
Key Details:
- Pitaro said Flagship will use AI to create customized “SportsCenter” broadcasts for each subscriber.
- The streamer will be highly customizable and will connect to the ESPN Bet wagering platform.
- Flagship will carry livestreams of linear ESPN networks and more.
When discussing Flagship at Thursday’s conference, Pitaro reiterated his desire to create a highly innovative and advanced service, one that goes beyond mere livestreams of the ESPN family of linear channels — though of course, the streamer will carry those as well.
“We’re not just going to make our content, our networks, our games, our studio programming, available direct to consumer,” Pitaro said. “We are going to do so with significant product enhancements.”
One such enhancement shared by Pitaro was the detail that Flagship will create bespoke versions of “SportsCenter” using artificial intelligence. He stressed that the original “SportsCenter” will not go away, but used the customized version as an example of how much personalization will be available on Flagship.
The streamer will offer a host of advanced features, including a multiview, sports betting capabilities powered by ESPN Bet, fantasy data, advanced stats, and even ticketing and merchandise opportunities. The company has repeatedly stressed how interactive and customizable Flagship will be, and Thursday’s update was just the latest example.
Previous reports have indicated that Flagship will cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $25 to $30. That’s a bit rich even for a brand as beloved as ESPN, but the company is clearly doing everything it can to make it worth the price.
ESPN Select
ESPN Select is a streaming service that replaced ESPN+ and provides access to live NHL, MLB, and MLS games, PGA Tour Golf, international sports events, ESPN original programming, and a complete archive of “30 for 30.” Find out our review of the service and how to start streaming ESPN Select.