Will Fox One & the New ESPN App Offer 4K Live Sports?

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

TV Answer Man, will the new Fox One and ESPN apps have 4K sports live? And if so, will all games be in 4K? – John, Arlington, Virginia.

John, both Fox and ESPN launched new streaming services yesterday designed to attract former cable/satellite subscribers who have cut the cord and switched to less expensive streaming services. The Fox service is called Fox One (cost: $19.99 a month with a seven-day free trial.) while the ESPN app (cost: $29.99 a month with no free trial.) is called, yes, ESPN, although some refer to it as ESPN Unlimited.

To your question, Fox confirmed to The Answer Man yesterday that Fox One will offer live sports in 4K at the same resolution as last year’s Super Bowl, which means it will be upscaled from 1080p HD to 4K. However, not all live Fox sporting events will be available in 4K; the same Fox sports broadcasts that are available in 4K on pay TV services such as DIRECTV, Comcast and YouTube TV will be in 4K on Fox One.

As for ESPN, I have asked the network’s PR team whether the new ESPN app will offer 4K programming. I have not heard back as of this morning and there is no indication on the app that live sports or on demand shows will be available in 4K. ESPN, which offers upscaled 4K college basketball and football games to pay TV services, has never provided a 4K feed on its online services. So it would seem that practice will continue with the new ESPN unlimited app, at least of now.

John, I hope that answers your question. Happy viewing and stay safe!

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