US sports broadcaster ESPN is planning to test a direct-to-consumer model by selling a package of live programming for online streaming, according to The Information.
The technology industry website said the over-the-top offering will not include ESPN’s blue-chip sports content, but will instead offer “niche” leagues and select college sports.
ESPN has previously experimented with such a model, most notably when it allowed customers to purchase stand-alone streaming subscriptions for its coverage of the 2015 Cricket World Cup, which took place in Australia and New Zealand.
The Information did not specify when the new streaming package will be made available, but reiterated that ESPN has “no plans at the moment” to offer its core product for standalone streaming.