US sports broadcaster ESPN is considering including its WatchESPN application on technology company Apple’s television device.
The partnership would allow ESPN subscribers with AppleTV gain access to the network’s live streaming internet video services via their television sets.
ESPN’s executive vice-president of affiliate and advertising sales, Sean Bratches, told Bloomberg the broadcaster would consider the move as long as users understand they are pay-television customers. “We’re a platform-agnostic content company,” Bratches said. “To the extent that in the future there’s an opportunity with Apple to authenticate through the pay-TV food chain as we’re doing with Microsoft, that’s something that we will participate in.”
The WatchESPN app is already provided to subscribers with Microsoft’s Xbox video-game console as part of some pay-television plans, including those from IPTV operator Verizon FiOS TV and cable operator Comcast.