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ESPN wants to be the launchpad for all live sports.
The company has reached out to major sports leagues and networks about a feature that would connect users to live sporting event broadcasts, regardless of which channel or streaming network the game is on, according to CNBC.
The hub would be on ESPN.com and its app. It could include Apple TV+, which broadcasts every MLS game and select MLB games, as well as Amazon Prime Video — the home of “Thursday Night Football” — and some Premier League matches. Regional streaming services could also be considered.
There is no timeline for when the offering may be available, but it could provide centralization in an increasingly fractured sports media landscape.
Sinclair’s Diamond Sports Group, which owns 19 regional sports networks, could be headed toward bankruptcy after missing a $140 million interest payment. That would leave the local rights for over a dozen MLB, NHL, and NBA teams in flux.
Meanwhile, certain regional networks have launched their own streaming services, such as NESN 360, which shows Boston Red Sox and Bruins games, and the coming MSG+, which will show New York Knicks and Rangers games.
ESPN could also direct users to linear broadcasts.
The network could collect a fee from networks when a user signs up for a service after finding it through ESPN.
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