The following guest post is by colleague Scott Huntington…
ESPN+ is changing the game. With their recent collaboration with Disney, ESPN is offering a wide range of new options, including expanded coverage of Little League sports games.
What Is EPSN+?
The subscription service offers prime live coverage of essential sports and game events, including boxing matches, NHL, NSL, PGA and tennis. It is relatively affordable as far as subscription services go, costing only $4.99 per month. The main allure of this subscription is its coverage of MLS and PGA Tour games — which will include expanded coverage from what ESPN currently provides.
The service will also offer some video on demand content, including 30 for 30 biopics and documentaries, as well as iconic moments and games in sporting history.
Despite its relatively small target domestic market, ESPN+ is also hoping to target another key demographic: parents. For the first time, Little League sports will be getting strong coverage from a service, and many parents who are interested in their children’s sports may jump on board.
The Little Leagues
Little League sports cover baseball and softball competitions for children ages 4 to 16. Communities host their local teams, who go on to compete around their regions, on up to the Little League World Series, which pits the top girls’ and boys’ teams in each age division against one another. This year’s Little League World Series for softball and baseball will take place in Portland, Ore., and Williamsport, Penn., respectively.
The Little League has seen significant changes since its conception in 1939. Founded by Carl Stolz of Williamsport, Penn., — where the Little League Baseball World Series takes place every year — the League had humble beginnings. At first, only three teams, all local to Williamsport, competed with one another. However, following a fun and successful first season, the League began to grow and expand across the state. By 1946, people had established 12 separate leagues across Pennsylvania, and by 1948, the scene went nationwide, exploding into 94 leagues across the U.S.
Today, Little League includes more than 2 million players in baseball alone and plays in more than 80 countries around the world. This explosion in popularity has made Little League a mainstay in school sports fields around the U.S., as well as other nations. While the game has seen significant changes over the years, especially when it comes to safety of both the equipment and the playing field. Gone are the days of chain-link fences, and helmets on pitchers are becoming more normal as well. While youth football is starting to be seen as too dangerous to play, baseball is going in the opposite direction.
Benefits of ESPN+
Parent participation in youth sports is a mainstay across the country already. Many proud parents regularly come to their children’s Little League games during the hot summer months, and more than 1 million adult volunteers are helping facilitate the games every year.
While this is unlikely to change, some parents can’t attend the games because of work commitments or other factors. With access to the games on this new service, many of these parents will be able to show their support for their children by recording and watching the games with them after the fact.
In this sense, ESPN+ is hoping to break into a new market. While parents may also feel inclined to buy the subscription based on their desire to watch other sports, for many, being able to sit down and watch their children’s games — or those of competing teams — can provide an excellent opportunity to get involved that they might not otherwise have.
The service will offer more than 150 tournament games across the U.S. and internationally, and will be the first time ESPN has covered little League softball. In the past, most Little League coverage was exclusive to baseball. With the new expanded coverage, nearly half the games will be softball. Baseball will still get its fair shake, though, and will include expanded coverage as well.
For all those parents interested in supporting their kids, but who can’t make it to the games after school, ESPN+ is a good opportunity to stay in touch with your kid’s games.
