ESPN, Microsoft Enter into Exclusive Deal

ESPN Digital

ESPN, Microsoft Enter into Exclusive Deal

Over 3,500 live events from ESPN3.com and ESPN.com clips delivered to the Xbox 360 console this Fall

To Tweet this release – http://bit.ly/92GzIU

EXECUTIVES AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS TODAY

ESPN today announced a collaboration with Microsoft, exclusive within the game console category, to introduce the ultimate interactive experience for sports fans.  The deal will bring ESPN3.com’s live events, ESPN.com’s video-on-demand clips and sports highlights and other interactive features to the Xbox 360 console.

Beginning in November, Xbox LIVE Gold members who receive their Internet connection from an affiliated service provider will have access to more than 3,500 live, global events every year via ESPN3.com – ESPN’s 24/7 broadband sports network – including college basketball, college football and bowl games, MLB, NBA, international soccer, tennis including all four Grand Slam tournaments, golf majors and more.  Fans will also be able to replay sports and events with full DVR control, pull up current scores on-demand while watching the game and easily switch between events and see what the most popular games are in the Xbox LIVE community in real time.

ESPN content and features available to all Xbox LIVE Gold members include:

  • Daily Highlights: Access to ESPN.com video clips and daily sports highlights streamed on-demand;
  • Kinect for Xbox 360 Integration: Microsoft’s new technology allows fans to control the content they watch with just their voice or wave of the hand;
  • Team Affiliation: Declare favorite teams and see how many other people in the Xbox LIVE community are also fans;
  • Social Activities: Connect to the Xbox LIVE community with in-game social activities like polls, trivia and prediction questions and more.

ESPN3.com is available in more than 50 million households nationwide – two-thirds of U.S. broadband homes – via dozens of affiliated Internet service providers including Comcast, AT&T, Verizon, Cox, Charter, Windstream, RCN, Insight, Frontier, Cavalier, Mediacom, Conway, Grande Communications and many more.  It is also available at no cost to approximately 21 million U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via on-campus educational networks and on-base military networks.

About ESPN

ESPN, Inc. is the world’s leading multinational, multimedia sports entertainment company featuring a portfolio of over 50 multimedia sports assets. The company is comprised of six 24-hour domestic television networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, ESPN Classic, ESPN Deportes) and ESPN 3D, an event-based network.  ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPNEWS HD are simulcast services.  Other businesses include ESPN Regional Television, ESPN International (46 networks, syndication, radio, web sites), ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN3.com (broadband sports network) ESPN Mobile, ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Enterprises, ESPN PPV, and other growing new businesses including ESPN on Demand and ESPN Interactive.  Based in Bristol, Conn., ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc., which is an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company.  The Hearst Corporation holds a 20 percent interest in ESPN.

-30-

Kristie Adler

Kristie is Director of Communications. She graduated from Penn State University and is based in New York City.
Back to top button