First on BATV: ESPN+ supported in Apple TV app

The direct-to-consumer streaming service ESPN+, which launches today, will support the Apple TV app with listings that let viewers tune in directly to live sporting events through the app.

BESTAppleTV.com has confirmed the addition of the feature which will not only connect Apple TV users to various events, but will also alert subscribers to when games are about to begin.

The addition of the service is a big add for Apple’s TV app which has been lacking in links to content from various sports networks like Fox Sports, NBCSN, and dozens of regional sports networks.

ESPN+ is part of the updated and existing ESPN app on Apple TV. ESPN and its parent company, Disney, announced more specific details of the service and its launch date on April 2nd.

The service costs $4.99 a month. The programming of the existing eight ESPN networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN Classic, ESPNews, ESPN Deportes, the Longhorn Network, and the SEC Network) will be integrated together with ESPN+ into one experience on the same app. Customers with a paid subscription authentication will still be able to watch all the programming they get today from ESPN regardless if they subscribe to the new service or not. The new app continues to offer free content, including sports scores, news, analysis clips, video highlights, and select live and on-demand sports audio content.

ESPN+ will include live sports, original shows and films (like its 30 for 30 documentaries that were all recently removed from Netflix), exclusive studio programs and an on-demand library. It will offer one Major League Baseball game and one National Hockey League game per day throughout the regular seasons for each sport, amounting to more than 180 baseball and hockey games each season, with blackout rules applying.

The service will also include a year-round boxing schedule, more than 250 Major League Soccer matches and college sports including golf, gymnastics, football, basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, track & field, swimming & diving, lacrosse, wrestling, volleyball, and more from conferences including the America East, ASun, Big South, Big West, Horizon, Ivy League, MAAC, MAC, MEAC, Missouri Valley, NEC, Southern Conference, Southland, Summit League, Sun Belt, WAC and others.

The service is also promising more than 100 days of coverage from 31 PGA Tour events, hundreds of tennis matches from tournaments like Wimbledon and the U.S. Open as well as hundreds of rugby and cricket matches.

Users can add on MLB.TV through the service for an additional $24.99 per month. Add-on access to the NHL.TV out-of-market package will debut with the 2018 season, the company said.

To ensure the ESPN app is updated, the automatic update mode must be activated on Apple TV devices by going to Settings>Apps> and making sure the ‘Automatically Update Apps’ setting is turned ‘On’.