Anything New On When DIRECTV’s Satellite Subs Will Get the New ESPN App For Free?

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

TV Answer Man, is there anything new with DIRECTV’s satellite customers getting access to the new ESPN app? Streaming has it so when will we get it?! It’s not fair. Can you please ask? Thank you for all you do for us. – John, Wichita Falls, Texas.

Jim, ESPN last month launched its new unlimited app for cord cutters which includes live feeds of all ESPN channels. Since the launch, DIRECTV’s streaming customers have had free and full access to the ESPN service, meaning they can watch the live feeds of the channels as well as live events and other programming via ESPN+.

However, DIRECTV’s satellite subscribers have only been able to watch the live ESPN channels, not the ESPN+ programming. The TV provider said last month that satellite customers will get the same access as streaming sometime in the fall.

That’s a vague timeline considering that fall starts later this month and extends until December. Since several readers, including John, have asked me to again contact DIRECTV for an update, I did last week. The response from DIRECTV was that it’s still on track for satellite customers to get full and free access to ESPN unlimited in the fall.

I asked DIRECTV for an exact launch date or at least a launch week. But it would not provide one. Does that mean that DIRECTV doesn’t know? I doubt that. My guess is that the company doesn’t want to provide launch specifics – and get subscribers’ hopes up – in case there’s a glitch in the implementation.

That’s cold comfort for DIRECTV’s satellite sports fans but it is what it is.

The TV Answer Man will stay on this one, however, and report back if we get more information.

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