Will ESPN Show College Football In 4K In 2024?

By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow me on X.

TV Answer Man, do you know if ESPN will have the college football game of the week in 4K this year? And if so, when will it start? — Julie, Madison, Wisconsin.

Julie, ESPN’s 4K ‘Game of the Week’ for college football will continue in 2024. The first game in upscaled 4K will be the Clemson-Georgia contest starting at noon on Saturday, August 31. ABC and ESPN+ will simulcast the game in high-def. Georgia, which is the top ranked team in the nation, is an 82.3 percent favorite to win, according to ESPN’s Matchup Predictor.

YouTube TV has confirmed it will offer the game on its ESPN 4K channel to subscribers who have the $9.99 a month 4K add-on package. Other providers expected to carry the game on special 4K channels are DIRECTV, DIRECTV Stream, Dish, Sling TV, Comcast, Verizon and Optimum. Check your on-screen guide for details.

ESPN does not offer 4K programming on its ESPN TV Everywhere app or ESPN+.

The ESPN 4K broadcast will be ‘upscaled’ from 1080p HD.  The upscaled 4K means that the game will be produced in 1080p HD on site and upgraded to 4K for the home transmission. ESPN switched to upscaled 4K more than a year ago after previously doing some games in native 4K.

Fox, which also does upscaled 4K, will show the North Carolina-Minnesota game in the format on Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET. See this article for more details.

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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.