The new ESPN “Flagship” streaming service will be named simply “ESPN.”
ESPN has decided to name its new direct-to-subscriber streaming service “ESPN,” according to Alex Sherman of CNBC, opting not to differentiate the service from its existing linear network. It is typical for direct-to-subscriber services to adorn their name with a “Plus” or a “Max,” as ESPN itself did for ESPN+ and HBO once did with “HBO Max.”
Per Sherman, ESPN settled on the name largely to avoid confusion — as the app will not only be available directly to subscribers, but also through the existing cable bundle via authentication.
Sticking with the regular “ESPN” name will make “Flagship” synonymous with the existing brand, not a mere extension thereof. The ultimate outcome is that when someone in the near or distant future mentions “ESPN,” they may be referring as much to an app as to the nearly 50-year-old cable network, a transition that is likely going to be necessary as cable continues to decline.
It is also the case that the occasion did not call for an extravagant new name. The prospect of ESPN making its channels available outside of the traditional cable bundle was once thought to be a proverbial ‘game-changer,’ but sports networks are increasingly available direct-to-subscriber (TNT Sports on Max, the FanDuel Sports Network RSNs, etc.), and the app is expected to exist alongside, rather than immediately replace, the existing linear network.
The name is expected to be announced officially at upfronts next week, and the app is set to launch this fall.
