The Australian Open continues to draw big numbers in Melbourne, but the streaming coverage of the tournament has become a frustration for some U.S. viewers.
After ESPN rolled out its new direct-to-consumer streaming product last August, its broadcasts of the tennis major this year are split across two different tiers of the service. Streams of marquee matches shown on linear channels, and some supplemental coverage from outer courts, are available through ESPN Select, the lower level of the service that formerly was ESPN+ and costs $12.99 per month.
Additional matches from three main courts at Melbourne Park—Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena, and John Cain Arena—are limited to the ESPN Unlimited level, which costs $29.99 per month.
That bifurcation, and the additional costs required to see all the matches online, have sparked widespread fan outrage.
“How am I paying for ESPN+, cable, and I still can’t watch [all of the] Australian Open until I upgrade to ESPN Unlimited? Do better,” read one fairly typical online comment.
It doesn’t get much clearer for traditional cable subscribers either, as some providers, such as Spectrum, have large-scale agreements with ESPN parent company Disney that include ESPN Unlimited, while others, such as Comcast and YouTube TV, do not yet have that level of integration.
ESPN did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
The Australian Open, however, is not the first time ESPN has used a similar gating strategy. The recent College Football Playoff game, for example, included a similar segmentation of alternate game streams, including home team audio, to the ESPN Unlimited tier.
Results Down Under
The tournament, meanwhile, continues to draw unprecedented attendance totals, with a total turnout Thursday of 103,956, the biggest single-day figure in Australian Open history. Through five days of the main draw this week, the event has drawn 508,430, and remains on pace to smash last year’s total attendance of 1.22 million.
The latest attendance figures follow record-setting draws during the initial qualifying week, and similar to the massive growth seen at the US Open, are straining the operational limits of Melbourne Park, site of the Australian Open, with rising complaints over lengthening entry lines, elevated ticket and concession prices, and other fan experience elements.
