[lwptoc]
By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man – @tvanswerman
More than 30 years of experience covering the TV technology industry.
Reader Question
TV Answer Man, do you know which game will be the ESPN 4K Game of the Week on Saturday? Or is it too early? — Tony, Las Vegas.
Tony, the ESPN 4K Game of the Week, which the sports network provides during roughly half the weeks of the college football season, usually airs on DIRECTV, DIRECTV Stream, Dish, Comcast, Verizon, Optimum and YouTube TV. The providers show the ESPN 4K game on special 4K channels. (Check your on-screen guide for more details.) The ESPN apps, including ESPN+, do not offer 4K yet.
Before I reveal this week’s 4K game from ESPN, let me note that several Comcast subscribers tell us that they could not watch the Duke-Florida State game on Saturday, October 21 due to a glitch. When they clicked on the 4K listing in the Xfinity guide, it took them to a Fox 4K game that was airing at that time. This is a good reminder that technology is not perfect and, alas, we have to expect the unexpected when tuning in. While 4K broadcasts and/or streaming broadcasts usually go off without issues, it’s certainly not always the case.
What Is ESPN’s 4K Game of the Week?
Now with that editorial aside, which game will be this week’s ESPN 4K Game of the Week? Answer: Duke vs. Louisville at 3:30 p.m. ET. The 6-1 Cardinals are 18th ranked in the nation while the 5-2 Blue Devils are 20th ranked. ESPN’s Matchup Predictor says the home team Cardinals have a 53 percent chance of winning. By the way, if you don’t have a 4K TV and/or a pay TV service that offers ESPN in 4K, the game will be simulcast in high-def on ESPN.
Does Fox Have 4K Games This Week?
In related news, Fox will offer two more games in 4K on Saturday, October 28: 6th ranked Oklahoma at Kansas at noon ET and 8th ranked Oregon at 13th ranked Utah at 3:30 p.m. ET. The network’s Big Noon Kickoff show, which starts at 10 a.m. ET, will also be in 4K. The Fox games can be seen in 4K on the Fox Sports app by logging in with your TV Everywhere user name and password from your pay TV provider. (Note that the Fox Now app is no longer available.) The games will be simulcast in HD on Fox network affiliates.
The pay TV services that are expected to carry the two Fox games in 4K on special 4K channels are DIRECTV, Dish, Comcast, Verizon, Optimum, DIRECTV Stream, YouTube TV, and FuboTV. (In FuboTV markets where the Fox affiliate is provided with your programming package.) Check your on-screen guide for more details.
Tony, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann
