By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on & X.
Former Sony employee and editor of 4 TV magazines.
TV Answer Man, I saw in the press release for ESPN that Sling TV will show the college football championship game in 4K. Is that for real? — David, Gaithersburg, Maryland.
David, ESPN tonight will offer a 4K Skycam feed of college football’s championship game between Washington and Michigan with coverage starting at 7:30 p.m. ET. and kickoff at around 7:45 p.m. ET. In the press release announcing the 4K broadcast, ESPN says the following: “The SkyCam viewing option will also be available in 4K on Comcast, DIRECTV, Dish Network, Optimum, Sling TV, Verizon and YouTube TV.
That sentence raised some eyebrows among 4K enthusiasts because Sling TV, the live streaming service owned by Dish, has not offered anything in 4K, not even an on-demand program much less a live sporting event.
I asked Sling TV’s public relations department last week by e-mail whether the ESPN release was correct. As of Monday morning, I have not received a response. Also as of this morning, the Sling TV web site has no mention of a 4K feature nor include a 4K listing for the game tonight in its on-screen guide.
Unless Sling makes a last-minute announcement today, I have to assume the ESPN release is incorrect and that Sling will not offer the game in 4K. If The TV Answer Man learns anything to the contrary today, we will update this article.
Update: A Sling TV spokesperson has confirmed to The TV Answer Man that it will not stream the game in 4K.
By the way, Skycam 4K is a single 4K camera system suspended over the field and controlled by a computer. The game’s regular HD broadcast, which includes multiple cameras, will air on ESPN in high-def. The high-def Skycam feed will air on ESPNews.
David, 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.
The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.
