Play Ball: A First Look at ESPN MultiCast on Apple TV
Earlier this week, ESPN announced a new Multicast video streaming feature exclusively for users of Cupertino’s hobby device. Here’s our first look at ESPN MultiCast on Apple TV.
A Possible Game Changer
The No. 1 sports network in the United States isn’t letting a declining user base get it down. Instead, it’s giving sports fans a big reason to stick around.
Available to Apple TV users with a cable or satellite subscription, ESPN MultiCast allows you to watch up to four live ESPN programs at the same time. In doing so, you can change the primary screen, flip audio, expand the full screen, and choose how many live streams appear on the screen and in what configuration.
As you can see in the images above, you can use ESPN MultiCast to watch live video in five formats: 2-UP, PIP, 3-UP, 4-UP, and GRID.
At launch, ESPN MultiCast is only available with live programming. In a future update, however, you’ll be able to also add other types of content, including playing in-game highlights, fantasy sports updates, alerts, scoreboards, and social-media posts.
The true test, at least in my household, will be when the college football season starts.
In the middle of an August work week, ESPN MultiCast works well. Selecting and moving around different feeds is a simple and fun process.
The true test, at least in my household, will be when the college football season starts. Will ESPN MultiCast still work well when more people are trying to use it? If it does, this feature could definitely become a game changer.
Will ESPN MultiCast still work well when more people are trying to use it? If it does, this feature could definitely become a game changer.
In the following clip, you can see ESPN MultiCast in action. Due to copyright, you can’t see actual video content, however:
ESPN MultiCast is available through the latest version of the ESPN app for Apple TV.
