In its first statement about the effort, Disney described it in broad terms, only confirming that the service will include a host of games from every major sports organisation in the USA and purchasable add-ons for those who want to follow individual sports like baseball, hockey, and soccer.
It still sounds like the service will have tonnes of sports programming on deck, though, with about 10,000 live regional, national, and global games and events a year, including from Major League Baseball, National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, Grand Slam tennis, and college sports. Excluding those games, ESPN ad revenue was still down 7%.
The new app could help take the focus on ESPN business from its declining sub base in traditional TV to its new streaming model.
Netflix releases surprise sequel to sci-fi horror 'Cloverfield'
Originally titled God Particle , The Cloverfield Paradox wasn't meant to be a secret, "Lemonade"-style release ". I guess this explains last week's news that Cloverfield 4 is complete and ready to hit theaters this October .
The basic idea is to reach out to cord-cutters and cord-never, in hopes that they're still into sports you wouldn't normally catch on cable broadcasts (such as college games, Grand Slam Tennis, Boxing, Rugby, Golf and Cricket), and will also include access to its library of 30 for 30 documentaries. ESPN Plus will cost $4.99 per month, Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger said on a conference call.
Overall, the new ESPN app is "going to be the way you enjoy ESPN the best", Skipper said. ESPN has the rights to more content that it can show though its traditional channels, so this gives it an outlet. The updated app will also allow users to live stream all of ESPN's networks, "provided consumers are subscribers to multi-channel packages". "We're excited about what lies ahead, with a robust film slate, the launch of our ESPN direct-to-consumer business, new investments in our theme parks, and our pending acquisition of Twenty-First Century Fox", said Disney CEO Robert Iger. It will provide countless scores and highlights, as well as podcasts and other sports information with a more user-friendly mobile interface. "In addition to that, a lot of other programming like the 30 for 30 series", Iger said.
A new, streamlined version of the ESPN app will also debut alongside ESPN+ in the spring, promising a more customizable user experience.
Finance 'no issue' for health scheme
Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said the challenge is not resources for the scheme but challenge is its implementation. Nadda did not elaborate on the modalities of how the government proposes to go about implementing the scheme.
Skipper before stepping down emphasized that ESPN's strategy was ultimately about providing more content. "Last year, we did 65,000 hours".
Disney is in the process of creating a ESPN Plus app, that it plans to sell to USA customers for $4.99 per month. "We think it's growing the market and providing us with the platforms to adapt if depending on how the world evolves".
Palestinian shot dead after stabbing Israeli
Israel had been looking for the final member of the cell which it said killed Rabbi Raziel Shevach in a drive-by shooting. Israeli forces have carried out daily raids and increased the arrests of Palestinians in the hunt of the perpetrator.