Features
Saleah: I mentioned that I liked how Fox One has a section dedicated to its live programming, which is something they really pushed at the press demo I attended last week. Some of the options they highlighted, which I can enable from my end, include the ability to rewatch a full stream. If I can’t watch an episode or game in real time, I can opt to watch a condensed version or recap of a game.
I also like the multiview feature, which can be used on living room devices, so my friends and I can watch multiple games at once. In addition, there’s a DVR-like feature that allows users to set recordings up to 14 days in advance.
Bill: Interesting. It has Shorts functionality too, right?
Saleah: Yes! It mostly showed me snippets of Fox News clips. It seems like everything has a TikTok-like feature nowadays. I’m personally a little tired of it, but my friends said they actually like it when these platforms have features like this, so maybe it will be successful in reaching the Gen Z audience.
I also think Fox One could’ve come up with a different name other than Shorts. We already have YouTube Shorts. Fox also said that the Shorts feature is currently in beta mode. I’m assuming it’s still working out some of the kinks, which again, is understandable.
Bill: Mobile-wise, ESPN has Verts, a customizable video stream that lets you scroll through clips, also similar to TikTok. There’s also a more personalized “SportsCenter for You,” which updates daily using AI and creates content tailored for an individual user.
However, I think an overall tutorial about the app and the streaming platform functionality would’ve been helpful to play once someone logs in for the first time. I’m mostly discovering what this can do through reading the FAQs, and to be honest, that’s something someone who’s not writing about the app might not take the time to do.
There are promising features, such as personalization through mobile, ESPN Bet, fantasy sports, and commerce, but it’s also unclear where exactly all the functionality resides. Is it through mobile only? Do I need to screencast? What did I do so wrong in life that I wound up here? These are all questions you might ponder while using the ESPN app for the first time.
Saleah: I also found myself asking those questions.
Images of ESPN mobile app.Overall takeaways
Saleah: I’m sticking to what I said originally about it being just fine. As a new streaming service, I know it takes time to work out kinks, so I understand some of the slowness and crashing, and it not being as seamless between devices. I’m assuming—hoping—that gets worked out in the long run.