ESPN, TNT to stream live NBA games this season
by Daniel LangendorfOctober 31st, 2007 | Posted in Net TV |
2 Comments
Now you have no excuse for missing that Golden State Warriors game. You will be able to watch all games televised by ESPN and TNT this NBA season no matter where you are and what equipment you have on hand.
Thanks to new digital rights, ESPN and TNT will start the NBA season by streaming games live on their broadband outlets — ESPN360 and TNT Overtime (available on TNT.tv and NBA.com). You can watch games on TV, on your phone, or on a computer. (MediaDailyNews.)
Also see: ESPN begins opening up access to its broadband channel ESPN360
“Part of the point is that when we get exclusive games, we can broadcast them anywhere,” John Skipper, the executive vice president for ESPN content, told The York Times.
The digital rights, announced in June, will pay the NBA $7.4 billion through the 2015-2016 season. As part of the deal, ESNP and TNT can deploy their digital rights this season. The first year of the TV portions of the contract does not start until after next season.
For ESPN, it can stream games on the Mobile TV service that is available on Verizon’s MediaFlo, as well as on ESPN360. The rights also allow for live and on-demand streaming of ESPN studio shows and live audio streaming of their radio and TV shows dedicated to the NBA.
TNT, which as the same rights as ESPN, will use its broadband service, TNT Overtime, to stream its games, highlights and other NBA programming. TNT can also stream its games to cellphones, offer NBA podcasts, and expand league content into areas like fantasy games.
The NBA also has granted digital rights to the networks on platforms not yet available.
Wonder how Yao Ming will look on that tiny cellphone display.
Other posts that may be of interest
- Taking next step: NBA wants its teams to stream live local games
- NBA decides not to go it alone, partners with Turner to expand its digital offerings
- NFL to stream games online — DirectTV customers only
- NFL will stream select live games over Web for first time
- Hmm. ESPN developing “interactive television programming” around baseball content
- ESPN begins opening up access to its broadband channel ESPN360
ESPN is only the beginning. Cable providers are pipe owners and service providers. With the rise of internet video, cable tv properties no longer need providers. Cutting out the middleman (the providers) won’t kill the industry, but it will provide a more trackable, measurable and therefore healthy marketing/advertising environment.
Have you actually watched a live streaming game on TNT Overtime?
I’m really interested in watching live streaming Warriors games but I’m a Comcast subscriber so I’m screwed with ESPN360. I really think that ESPN should stop making ISPs pay to access their website. They have highly scarce and exclusive content and they are losing me as viewer with the ISP paywall.
Do you have any idea what ESPN is charging ISPs to access ESPN360? I’m wonder if its really that lucrative enough to keep Comcast subscribers and other ISPs who don’t want to pay out.