X
Business

ESPN exploring streaming deals with Amazon, others

ESPN won't unpair from cable as a standalone service, but could hook up with other Internet streaming services.
Written by Jake Smith, Contributor
espn.jpg
(Photo by Rich Arden / ESPN Images)

ESPN is exploring streaming deals with Amazon and other unnamed partners, John Skipper, president of ESPN, confirmed on Wednesday.

Skipper said that ESPN won't be offered as a standalone product, but the company is exploring being bundled in more Internet TV services.

"We can sell ESPN as a standalone product, but we do not believe it right now to be good business,"ESPN president John Skipper told the audience at the Code/Media 2016 conference on Wednesday evening.

ESPN is currently found on Dish's SlingTV, where for $20 per month users can access different programming. The executive did express concern whether or not it's really garnering ESPN new subscribers.

The Hollywood Reporter says that when Skipper was asked about Apple as a potential partner, Skipper wouldn't comment, but said the iPhone maker "understands the value of the content."

Apple has been rumored to launch an Internet streaming service for some time, complete with content from the big networks. It's not clear when the Apple service would launch, as CBS CEO Les Moonves said content talks have recently ceased.

An ESPN spokesperson declined to comment further.

Editorial standards