ESPN


Hulu CEO lifts lid on new live-streaming service

Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins has revealed fresh details about its forthcoming live streaming TV service, including more clarity on its pricing, launch date and content line-up. Speaking at Citi’s Internet, Media and Telecommunications Conference in Las Vegas yesterday, Hopkins said that the US service will go live in the “next few months” priced at under […]

Viacom channels yanked from Sony streaming net

Viacom’s cable nets are being pulled from Sony’s US cloud TV service, PlayStation Vue. The Viacom channels will be taken off Vue from Friday (November 11), with new nets including BBC America and NBA TV added. Vice’s Viceland and more local offerings from CBS and Fox will be added soon, Sony said. The changes became […]

Hulu adds Disney, Fox to channels

Disney and Fox have come on board Hulu’s new channels streaming service. The deals mean nets including ESPN and Fox Sports will be on the upcoming service, as well as Disney Channel, FX and National Geographic among others. In all, the deals cover 35 nets from Disney and Fox, including their respective broadcast nets ABC […]

Disney ‘prepares Twitter bid’

The Walt Disney Company is reportedly eyeing a deal to buy social media platform Twitter. According to Bloomberg, the Mouse House sees Twitter as a key video distribution platform, and as such has hired the Bank of America to evaluate a deal. Twitter founder and CEO Jack Dorsey is the board of Disney, meaning the […]

Layer3 taking on US pay TV giants

A new player is entering the US pay TV market and attempting to rival the cable giants with a service that includes a raft of channels and content from the industry’s biggest players. Layer3 describes itself as a next generation cable service and will offer a full suite of channels, eschewing the skinny bundle model […]

Disney plans ESPN web net after $1bn spend

The Walt Disney Company is gearing up to launch an ESPN-branded subscription streaming service, after buying a US$1 billion stake in video streaming technology firm BAMTech. The deal marks a major over-the-top push by Disney, which said BAMTech will be a key partner for delivering streamed video and other digital products from both ESPN and […]

Vice and ESPN form a sports team

Vice Media and ESPN have agreed a sports content deal that will see each provide content for the other’s channels. Hipster brand Vice has been seen as a challenger to sports net ESPN with sports content featuring on its linear Viceland channel and on its online offerings. ESPN is owned by Disney, itself an investor […]

Sony expands US PlayStation Vue TV service

Digital platforms-focused Sony Network Entertainment International has expanded its PlayStation Vue cloud TV service across the US, offering live and on-demand content from channels like AMC, Disney and ESPN. The over-the-top delivered TV service will now be available in an additional 203 TV-designated market areas, with the US-wide rollout coming a year after SNEI first […]

ESPN sues Verizon over cord cutting packaging

ESPN has issued a lawsuit against telco Verizon, alleging it has breached its contract with its pared down packages, which are available with no annual contract and are aimed at cord cutters. Disney-owned sports channel ESPN is objecting to Verizon placing its channesl outside of its core bundle. It has started legal proceedings alleging breach […]

Cisneros brings in ex-studio exec

Cisneros Media Distribution has drafted in Wilma Maciel, a former Sony Pictures Television and Warner Channel executive. At the sales arm of Venezuelan media group Cisneros, Maciel will be VP, content management and acquisitions, reporting to executive VP, content distribution Marcello Coltro. Maciel has held roles such as VP of programming, acquisitions, on-air planning and […]