CSNbbs

The Verge reports that 'the previously announced all-new ESPN streaming service is launching next year.'

Details are still few, but there's this:
Disney says the service won’t be spun out into a new app, but rather it will live inside the existing ESPN app, which is accessible on a number of devices like smartphones, game consoles, and streaming TV boxes. The company says those who pay for cable will be able to access additional content, like direct feeds of ESPN’s live cable broadcasts, by authenticating through a provider.

https://www.theverge.com/2017/8/8/161153...-date-2018

It looks like this will initially be just a way to stream events which are otherwise not broadcast. However, it seems pretty obvious this is also a hedge against more cord-cutting in the future: if you don't have cable, you can still subscribe for $X. They will probably milk the cable cow as long as they can, though.

Sounds like Super ESPN3

Here's an interesting analysis at The Atlantic.

The situation: Right now businesses of all sorts are spending millions on cable advertising. But in the next ten years cable will fade as streaming options multiply. Media companies will increasingly compete to offer consumers movies and series on a subscription basis, ad-free.

Question: So where will all the media advertising dollars go?

Proposed answer: The Net (Google+Facebook) and live sports streaming.



https://www.theatlantic.com/business/arc...ng/536394/