ESPN set to Expand Distribution via Paid Subscription Online Video Network

By Brittni Michaelis

In an effort to maximize the distribution of their low budget content, online videos and live streams, ESPN is re-creating their ESPN360 website which will now broadcast live videos, events and shows for paying subscribers only. The new and improved website called ESPN3, is slated to be available in early April and its first live stream will be the highly anticipated Yankees-Red Sox opening day game.

Erin Andrews and ESPN are getting set to further use social media to expand their distribution

ESPN’s goal is to broaden the websites audience and further distribute their content, and generate revenue from a paid subscriber base. Currently, ESPN360 is a subscription based website offering live videos of NCAA Basketball, MLB, NFL, UEFA, and NHL games, just to name a few. The site does not require a separate fee thanks to a bundled program from certain internet services. In other words, one receives the ESPN360 subscription if they purchase the right internet bundle from a provider such as Verizon or Comcast.

The reason behind this change is to increase ESPN360’s viewership which is “critical to our future,” said Sean Batch, ESPN’s head of sales and marketing. According to the Wall Street Journal, ESPN is reducing the number of homes that receive ESPN Classic, in an effort to increase popularity among ESPN3, ESPNU and ESPN Deportes.

To market the new ESPN3 name, ESPN is planning to advertise the new site both on and off the company’s cable network, which was confirmed by The Wall Street Journal. The only issue is the holdout from Time Warner Cable. Maureen Huff, a Time Warner Cable Spokesman, believes that “our customers ought to be able to access the Internet without being forced to pay for programming that they may never watch.” ESPN rebutted with the fact that the new ESPN3 will allow customers to see events online that may not otherwise be available.