This week, ESPN and ESPN2 will begin rolling out in 4K HDR in the U.S., elevating picture quality for fans during one of the highest stakes stretches of the year for live sports. This includes all ESPN productions of Monday Night Football, NBA and NHL plus select live events across college football and US Open tennis, and marquee live events like Super Bowl LXI. This update will deliver clearer edges, sharper colors and smoother movement — all critically important for delivering a richer and more immersive viewing experience for sports fans.
The ESPN App on iOS and tvOS will be the first to support the new experiences, with additional connected TV platforms to follow, as well as on Disney+ in the U.S. to ESPN Unlimited subscribers. We will also have the ability to deliver the networks in 4K HDR through traditional and digital pay-TV providers (MVPDs and DMVPDs). As the rollout expands, fans will start seeing 4K HDR badging on living room devices and HDR badging on mobile.
A modern pipeline built from the ground up
Behind the enhanced picture quality that fans will start to experience this week, the introduction of 4K HDR marks an important milestone to modernize ESPN’s content distribution pipeline from the ground up. Delivering 4K HDR full-time on ESPN and ESPN2 required coordinated investment across every stage of the signal chain — from how content is captured in Bristol to how it reaches a fan’s screen.
The new architecture, built in partnership with Evertz’s Mediator/Overture/Magnum and VUE products, is IP-based and endpoint agnostic. This new foundation sets the stage for us to deliver best-in-class experiences across both linear and streaming distribution — serving our sports fans. Anytime. Anywhere.
More platforms will come online this fall as the rollout continues toward the postseason and Super Bowl LXI, extending 4K HDR further across how fans experience live sports with ESPN.