ESPN has launched a new online, on-demand multimedia player that gives fans a single interface to all of its existing online and broadband video services as well as the network’s sports video library.
The video services consolidated in the new Web-based portal — ESPN Motion, ESPN360 and ESPN's online pay-per-view video products, including ESPN GamePlan Online and ESPN Full Court Online — provide fans with more than 100 hours of on-demand, online sports video each month. Integration of ESPN Sports Search lets fans search all of the network's online video by keyword and sort results.
ESPN also announced that ESPN360, its affiliate-delivered broadband service, will feature an "All Access" trial period from June 26 through July 19, which will include 10 second-round, quarterfinal, semifinal and third place games of the 2006 World Cup. During the All Access period, ESPN360 —normally available only to fans who receive high-speed Internet service from an ESPN-affiliated service provider — will be available to all U.S. Internet users with a broadband connection.
The three main services combined into the integrated video destination include:
· ESPN Motion — ESPN.com's integrated online video platform. Launched in 2003, it delivers free, ad-supported video clips of daily highlights, news, interviews, analysis and original content.
· ESPN360 — Launched in 2001 as ESPN Broadband, and re-launched and re-branded in January 2005. It is the multi-dimensional broadband service free to fans that receive high-speed Internet service through an ESPN-affiliated provider.
· ESPN Online Pay-Per-View — ESPN.com's online pay-per-view products including ESPN GamePlan Online (college football) and ESPN Full Court Online (college basketball).
· A Spanish-language version of the multimedia player, featuring ESPN Motion video only, with content from ESPN Deportes and ESPNDeportes.com
In coming months, the multimedia player will also allow fans to play ESPN's growing stable of digital audio content, including more than 15 individual podcasts and the live, 24/7 stream of ESPN Radio programming.
The interface of the new player uses ESPN Sports Search technology, developed in-house, to lets fans find all available video by keyword, sort results by product platform and timeline, watch the video they have access to, save searches and request RSS feeds that will deliver all available content relating to specific search terms. ESPN Sports Search is also used throughout ESPN.com and Mobile ESPN.
