I still don’t have access to ESPN Unlimited, and I’ve gone from excited to angry to straight up demoralized. Despite announcing on its own website that the app would be free for people who pay for ESPN through their cable provider, everyone who subscribes to YouTube TV still doesn’t have access. There’s reportedly a technical problem related to verification, which is apparently expected to be fixed before August.
You know how I know it’s supposed to be fixed before August? ESPN hasn’t made any kind of public announcement, but Sports Business Journal wrote an article telling wrestling fans that “tech issues” will prevent the partnership from launching before this weekend’s WrestleMania. Good news, though, everyone involved thinks it’ll be ready before SummerSlam, which is on August 1st.
Let me just go through the sequence events so you can all get angry with me. Back in August, ESPN launched ESPN Unlimited, which is a streaming service that allows fans to watch programming that’s currently airing on ESPN, as well as additional programming that’s not on its primary networks, as well as OnDemand specials and WWE premium live events. At first, Disney said if you have access to ESPN through your cable provider, you’ll be able to sign into the app. Later, that was amended to if we sign an agreement with your cable provider, you’ll be able to sign into the app.
After months in a holding pattern and then weeks of tense negotiations at the start of football season, YouTube TV and ESPN parent company Disney finally signed an agreement late last year. Again, we were told this would give YouTube TV subscribers access to ESPN Unlimited, but months and months have gone by without any forward progress. The hope for wrestling fans was that the companies would get it together prior to WrestleMania, but we’re now days away and that’s not happening.
So, basically, as a wrestling fan, I have two options. I can either not watch WrestleMania 42, or I can pay $30 a month for ESPN Unlimited, which is a service I’m supposed to be getting for free. I’m not exactly excited about either of those choices for obvious reasons, especially because no one involved with either company seems to care. It’s not like they’ve released statements apologizing for the hold-up or offering to give fans some kind of apology rebate.
I’m sure I’m going to break down and get ESPN Unlimited. I'm enough of a crazy person that I write predictions ahead of every major show. I'm going to figure out how to watch it but are other fans going to make the choice? It’s easy to see why so many of them have chosen to go the VPN route and watch on Netflix via an international field.
At some point in time, ESPN Unlimited content is going to be available directly inside the YouTube TV app. That development work is reportedly supposed to be done by the end of the year. I can’t wait. In the meantime though, can we please find a workaround that fixes the verification process and doesn’t cost $30 a month? A lot of us would really appreciate it.
