ESPN App, ESPN+ Make One-Click Multicasts Available on Select Devices; Full Launch Coming for College Football Season
The ESPN app has added more functionality, at least for Apple TV and Xbox users. ESPN has announced it is bringing one-click Multicasts to the main Featured section of the ESPN app — as well as the ESPN+ section — allowing users to watch multiple events at once.
These pre-built viewing selections will appear front and center so that viewers can’t miss them. Users can watch events like PGA TOUR LIVE and early rounds of the U.S. Open tennis tournament when it begins on Monday, Aug. 28, seeing up to four streams simultaneously. But the full launch of one-click Multicasts will come on the first College Football Saturday of the season on Sept. 2.
The initial Mulitcast selection that fans will see will be pre-built, but once they’re watching they can choose to swap out one stream with another until they’ve got a fully-customized selection at their fingertips. Users will be able to alternate which video is playing audio, switch primary screens, pull one stream up to a fullscreen view, and switch back to Multicast at will. The feature will even prioritize a fan’s pre-selected favorite teams if they’re playing at the time that the user logs in to use Multicast.
On a high-volume day, the ESPN app streams as many as 150 events simultaneously, so the one-click Multicast experience will be a fantastic addition for sports fans who don’t want to miss their top events. Once the fall gets rolling, users won’t have to choose between top college football games on the app; they can catch all the gridiron action ESPN has to offer.
A way to view multiple sporting events at the same time is one way streaming offers a big advantage over cable. Many streaming platforms which offer live sports now provide a multiview option of some kind; Apple’s soccer streaming service MLS Season Pass was able to get one off the ground very quickly after its launch in February of this year. Fubo, YouTube TV, and NBA League Pass also offer a multiview function.
The innovative thinking surrounding the ESPN app has been impressive in 2023. All the news lately is about how Disney wants to create a standalone, streaming version of the ESPN channels without the need for a cable subscription, but the company has also had conversations about carving out a space on the ESPN app that will show users where they can stream all major sports events currently happening, whether or not they appear on ESPN.
ESPN+
ESPN+ is a live TV streaming service that gives access to thousands of live sporting events, original shows like Peyton’s Place, the entire library of 30 for 30, E:60, The Last Dance, as well exclusive written analysis from top ESPN insiders. Sports available on ESPN+ include NFL, MLB, NHL, UFC, College Football, F1, Bundesliga, PGA Tour, La Liga, and more.