After A Long Wait, DirecTV Subscribers Can Now Access WatchESPN

Presidents Week is turning out to be Christmas in February for DirecTV subscribers. Just two days after Fox Sports Go was opened to DirecTV, Disney has opened a whole bunch of apps including Watch ABC and the one sports fans had been long awaiting, WatchESPN.

Subscribers can now sign into the app on their computers, mobiles, tablets, Rokus, Apple TV’s and anywhere they have the app.

This is part of the new Disney/DirecTV carriage agreement that was signed before Christmas of 2014.  This opens not just Watch ABC and WatchESPN, but Watch ABC Family, Watch Disney Channel, Watch Disney Junior and Watch Disney XD.

Subscribers in selected markets can now watch live ABC programming provided it’s a network owned-and-operated affiliated station as are the cases in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and San Francisco.

So DirecTV subscribers can finally access Fox Sports Go and WatchESPN and it happened within days of each other. This might be a good time to buy a lottery ticket.

ESPN and Disney/ABC Television Group Launch WATCH Authenticated Products to DIRECTV Customers

Live Linear Channel Streams and On Demand Content from WATCH ABC, WATCH ABC Family, WATCH Disney Channel, WATCH Disney Junior, WATCH Disney XD and WatchESPN Now Available to DIRECTV Video Subscribers at Home and On-the-Go via Multiple Devices.

DIRECTV (NASDAQ:DTV) and The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) and DIRECTV (NASDAQ:DTV) today announced the availability of WATCH ABC, WATCH ABC Family, WATCH Disney Channel, WATCH Disney Junior, WATCH Disney XD and WatchESPN, enabling DIRECTV customers to access live and on-demand news, entertainment and sports programming on computers, smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles and connected devices.

As part of its multi-year distribution deal, DIRECTV customers can now conveniently watch live programming from ABC Family, Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD, as well as live network streams of ABC, which are currently available in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Houston, Fresno, Philadelphia and Raleigh-Durham. Additionally, live events and programming from ESPN networks – including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, Longhorn Network, SEC Network and SEC Network + – are now accessible. ESPN Goal Line and ESPN Buzzer Beater will also be available on WatchESPN when those channels are in season. Customers will need to log in with their DIRECTV online IDs and passwords to access all services.

In addition to live streaming, DIRECTV customers can watch the most current episodes of ABC and ABC Family original series the day after they air online at ABC.com and ABCFamily.com or on smartphones and tablets via the WATCH ABC and WATCH ABC Family apps, which are available free to download in the App Store, Google Play Store, Amazon Appstore and Windows Store. WATCH ABC is also accessible on Apple TV and Google Chromecast.

DIRECTV customers can access live and popular on-demand programming from Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD online at WATCHDisneyChannel.com, WATCHDisneyJunior.com and WATCHDisneyXD.com. The WATCH Disney Channel, WATCH Disney Junior and WATCH Disney XD apps are free to download in the App Store, Google Play Store, Amazon Appstore and Windows Phone Store. The networks are also accessible on Apple TV, Google Chromecast and Roku.

For WatchESPN, DIRECTV customers can visit WatchESPN.com on their computers for live access to ESPN networks. Customers with a supported smartphone or tablet can also download the free WatchESPN app by visiting the App Store, Google Play Store, Amazon Appstore or Windows Store. The app features access to live content and on-demand video clips. WatchESPN live programming and on-demand clips are also available on Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

That is all.

About Ken Fang

Ken has been covering the sports media in earnest at his own site, Fang's Bites since May 2007 and at Awful Announcing since March 2013. He provides a unique perspective having been an award-winning radio news reporter in Providence and having worked in local television. Fang celebrates the three Boston Red Sox World Championships in the 21st Century, but continues to be a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.

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