ESPN launches digital 'What To Watch' feature to guide viewers to games across the entire network slate

ESPN has an answer to the age-old question of sports fans: Who is broadcasting the game?

The Disney-owned sports division has launched a new feature called “Where to Watch” on its main app and website. The service will guide users to all sporting events on ESPN platforms and elsewhere, including broadcast, cable and regional sports networks and streaming services.

Brian Marshall, vice president of sports products and technology for Disney Entertainment and ESPN Technology, offered a demo Wednesday during ESPN's media day at headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut. He said the results will not be sorted based on whether the television platform is part of Disney or ESPN. Users can specify preferences for where they watch sports and set up filters for games shown on Peacock, YES Network, ION or another media rights holder.

“Simplifying the discovery of sporting events and where a fan can watch has become increasingly important as sports television has become fragmented across different networks and platforms,” ​​Marshall said in a press release. “ESPN has always been the first stop for sports fans, and as we continue our evolution as a leading digital sports platform, we are proud to meet fans' needs with new features to improve the discoverability of live sports and simplify their consumption experience.”

Live games are highlighted and feature a boldly colored “Watch” button that takes users straight to the broadcast, provided they authenticate through their pay-TV provider or are an ESPN+ subscriber. Users can also customize viewing by sport or league, with dozens of options to choose from.

The new service is based on an events database created and maintained by the ESPN Stats and Information Group, a unit that aggregates ESPN and partner data feeds along with original information and program details from more than 250 media sources, including television networks and streaming platforms, the press release said.

At launch, Where to Watch will showcase tens of thousands of events across dozens of sports and leagues. The offering includes NFL, NCAA football, NCAA men's and women's basketball, NBA, WNBA, MLB, NHL, UFC, F1, NASCAR, PGA Tour, tennis majors, MLS, Premier League, Champions League and other live sporting events broadcast on ESPN platforms. More sports and event coverage will be added over time, ESPN said.

At ESPN's Bristol event, Chara-Lynn Aguiar, ESPN's EVP of finance, research, strategy and office of the chairman, said in an interview that “Where to Watch” was born out of years of customer feedback. The goal of the launch, executives said, is not to build a standalone revenue-generating business, but to make the ESPN app and ESPN.com more useful, thereby increasing customer loyalty.

One of the people who gave her feedback, according to Aguilar, was her boss, ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro. “He always asked me, 'Why is it so hard for me to find out where the Yankee game is on?'” she recalls. “I told him, 'We can change that!'”