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In the age of streaming, very little is done for the true benefit of sports fans.
Sure, we can access a wider array of broadcasts than ever . . . just as long as we’re willing to pay outrageous cable fees, or subscribe to that streaming service, and this one, and hey, how about ponying up for these two as well, just in case your favorite team has an exclusive game or two there this season?
Keeping track of it all is as exasperating as it is expensive. Which is why small victories can often feel like big ones.
I’m counting ESPN’s new “Where To Watch” product as one of those victories.
If you missed it Wednesday amid all of the news (specifics of Bill Belichick’s TV roles, a 12-year broadcast rights extension with the USTA, an upcoming “30 for 30″ on the early-’80s Jets’ “New York Sack Exchange”) from ESPN’s annual media day, the network announced that it is launching a comprehensive guide to live sports on streaming and linear television that will include events on competing networks.
“Where To Watch” launched Wednesday on the ESPN app and ESPN.com, and it can be accessed on any web browser via espn.com/wheretowatch. It’s a de facto user’s guide to quickly find virtually any notable live sporting event on cable, broadcast, regional sports networks, or streaming services, whether or not the event is on an ESPN platform.
Brian Marshall, vice president, sports product & technology, Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology, noted that more than 50 percent of respondents to an ESPN survey expressed frustration or difficulty at finding the channel or service that is carrying a particular game.
“Simplifying discovery of sporting events and where a fan can watch has become increasingly important as sports viewing has become fragmented across networks and platforms,” he said.
“Where to Watch” allows for customization to prioritize favorite teams and leagues, or for particular sports or events. Partner networks, including NESN, have direct links off the service. The information for the guide is gathered from more than 250 media sources, including television networks and streaming platforms, and includes games and matches from every major sport.
In the splintered and scattered world of streaming, linear TV, and cable, it’s smart for ESPN to attempt to position itself as the hub for all live sports broadcasting — no matter where the particular events are found.
And while it doesn’t cure the problem of having to make difficult decisions about which (and how many) services you’re willing to pay for to watch your favorite teams, at least it makes it easier to find them.
Imagine that. A sports network just did something helpful for sports fans. I wouldn’t count on it becoming a trend. But a small victory? We’ll take it.
In-game interviews here to stay
In-game interviews with coaches and players are only occasionally entertaining, such as the time six years ago when Mookie Betts, then with the Red Sox, said mid-interview, “I ain’t getting this one, boys,” as the Cubs’ Kris Bryant tripled over his head in a spring training game.
Sometimes in-game interviews feel obtrusive. Almost all are devoid of insight. I doubt most fans would miss them. But they are not going anywhere.
That was reiterated this past week when NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller shared some changes to broadcasts, all of which purport to give fans more access.
Among them:
· The head coaches and coordinators from both teams will be available for in-game television network interviews.
· Networks are now able to interview home team players in uniform during pregame.
· Networks can work with the teams to capture pregame locker room content and air it prior to kickoff.
I hope and believe Belichick will return to coaching after a year or two hiatus in television. Thinking about how hilariously defiant he might be to all of this in-game nonsense makes me look forward to it even more.
Music to our ears
It’s been interesting to listen as “The Rich Shertenlieb Show” on WZLX has leaned on music a little more over the past couple of weeks, with entire songs used as a re-join from commercials. This is a decision that I’m told came from management at WZLX and parent company iHeart Radio. The decision to break up the sports and pop culture talk with an occasional song probably should have been something the show did in the first place, considering WZLX is a classic rock station and one of Shertenlieb’s strengths is his encyclopedic music knowledge.