According to Re/code, an independent tech news, reviews and analysis site, ESPN is planning to sell U.S. viewers live digital access to the Cricket World Cup, which begins February 2015.
If ESPN’s plans — which aren’t finalized — move forward, it would mark the first time the company has ventured outside of the pay-TV bundle. That’s the same TV bundle — which requires subscribers to pay for dozens of channels, no matter how many of them they want to watch — that has made the company America’s most valuable programmer.
ESPN president John Skipper told Re/code’s Peter Kafka that the idea behind such a move is to find new ways of generating revenue without upsetting the pay-TV infrastructure. Skipper and ESPN have also mentioned implementing a similar subscription service structure with NBA and MLS games in the future, though nothing is set in stone.
ESPN declined to comment on plans to charge for the games or which games it will include in its subscription package.
