More 360 spin
More followup to today's media column on how ESPN360.com is leading the charge in televising ESPN's NBA games live starting this season:
In a release that the World Wide Leader sent out this AM, since ESPN360.com relaunched in September, the site saw more traffic (more than 150,000 viewing hours) and has plans to carry 267 live events this month, in addition to the NBA -- college football, college basketball, NASCAR, even stuff like the Pro Bowlers Association and FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.
The UEFA Champions League soccer, Venezuelan and Mexican baseball, URBA Rugby, Argentine Open Polo Championships and the Hurlingham Open Polo event are also scheduled to launch live.
Stuff you really don't care about, probably, so why not add Australian Rules Football and really make this thing look like the early days of ESPN's TV network?
From this end, the cool thing is being able to watch a few things live at one time on the screen. I'm watching the NBA game on Wednesday and happen to notice that Hideo Nomo is pitching in a Mexican League game on a screen below, so I threw that up there to watch live as well. And there was a Kentucky exhibition basketball game on another feed -- had to see if Ashley Judd was there...
Sensory overload? Not really. Sensory satisfaction.
Again, the service is available at no charge, but fans need a high-speed Internet connection that has worked a deal with ESPN. There are more than 25 of them out there, including Verizon and AT&T. Distribution has doubled since Aug. 2006 to where some 17 million homes can get the 360 experience.
In November, there are 12 NBA games available live on 360. The Lakers are on tonight at Phoenix and Nov. 16 home against Detroit, while the Clippers are on Nov. 30 at Denver. There are 37 more college football games live (bringing the total to 150), including USC at Arizona State on Thanksgiving (Nov. 22), so if you're stuck at grandma's house with only the dog show to watch, find a wifi area and flip open the laptop.