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ESPN GamePlan

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ESPN GamePlan was an out-of-market sports package offering college football games to viewers throughout the United States . GamePlan began on Labor Day weekend, and continued through the first Saturday in December. It included all regional telecasts on ABC , as well as games from various syndicators like ESPN Plus , Raycom Sports and SportsWest, and some local stations like Allentown, Pennsylvania 's WFMZ-TV which broadcast locally-produced college football games. Viewers could watch games from their cable or satellite provider or on the ESPN3 broadband Internet service.

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71-404: Eventually, with carriage of ESPN3 moving from computers only to smartphones , tablets and digital media players allowing access without any additional fees, GamePlan became a superfluous package, with only the few providers who refused to offer ESPN3 or where ESPN3 access was limited (for instance, rural areas) really able to compel viewers to use the service. On August 28, 2015, the package

142-577: A Sunday print edition at a lower price than online access alone. Newspaper websites such as that of The Boston Globe and The New York Times use this tactic because it increases both their online revenue and their print circulation (which in turn provides more ad revenue ). In 1996, The Wall Street Journal set up and has continued to maintain a "hard" paywall. It continued to be widely read, acquiring over one million users by mid-2007, and 15 million visitors in March 2008. In 2010, following in

213-691: A growing belief that digital subscriptions will be the key to securing the long-term survival of newspapers. In May 2019, research by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford showed that despite the controversies surrounding paywalls, these were on the rise across Europe and the United States. According to the study by Felix Simon and Lucas Graves, more than two-thirds of leading newspapers (69%) across

284-453: A large portion of people." In his article discussing the removal of paywalls, Sonderman commends The New York Times' action, stating that, while a publisher "commits to a paywall as the best business strategy for his news company, there may be some stories or subjects which carry such importance and urgency that it is irresponsible to withhold them from nonsubscribers." Similarly in 2020, a large number of outlets exempted stories relating to

355-410: A limited amount of exclusive college sports programming, mostly from smaller colleges and universities. In contrast to WatchESPN and other TV Everywhere services, access to ESPN3 from computers is automatically determined by assessing the incoming IP address. Those accessing from outside their usual network or from a mobile device can (and must) use their TV Everywhere login to access ESPN3 content. In

426-422: A major deterrent for users. Financial blogger Felix Salmon wrote that when one encounters a "paywall and can't get past it, you simply go away and feel disappointed in your experience." Jimmy Wales , founder of the online encyclopedia Misplaced Pages , argued that the use of a "hard" paywall diminishes a site's influence. Wales stated that, by implementing a "hard" paywall, The Times "made itself irrelevant." Though

497-476: A monthly digital news subscription – 50% less than the average price (€14.09) across countries. According to the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (Simon and Graves 2019), €14.09 is the average monthly subscription price across six European countries and the United States." Hackett argues that a "forum on the internet [...] can function as a specialized or smaller-scale public sphere." In

568-611: A mostly on-demand video website. In September 2007, ESPN360.com shifted away from on-demand content, such as studio shows, and shifted toward placing "emphasis on live events". On April 4, 2010, ESPN360.com re-launched as ESPN3.com . On August 31, 2011, the network became simply known as ESPN3 , and was incorporated into the WatchESPN app (which carries simulcasts of ESPN , ESPN2 , ESPNU , ESPNews , ESPN Deportes , ESPN Goal Line , ESPN Buzzer Beater , SEC Network and Longhorn Network for cable subscribers ). In April 2018,

639-445: A new subscription over-the-top content service called ESPN+ launched. ESPN+ is a separate service which does not require the user to be an ESPN subscriber, but also doesn't include content from ESPN3, or access to ESPN's linear cable networks. A substantial number of programs that had previously been available on ESPN3 have since moved to ESPN+. This has drawn criticism online since such content has been effectively paywalled behind

710-428: A paper copy?" While subscription fees have long been attached to print newspapers, all other forms of news have traditionally been free. Online news, in comparison has existed as a medium of free dissemination. Poynter digital media fellow Jeff Sonderman outlines the ethical tension created by a paywall. Sonderman explains that "[t]he underlying tension is that newspapers act simultaneously as businesses and as servants of

781-527: A paywall restricts equal access to the online public sphere is through requiring payment, deterring those who do not want to pay, and barring those who cannot from joining the online discussion. The restriction of equal access was taken to a new extreme when the UK's The Independent in October 2011 placed a paywall on foreign readers only. Online news media have the proven ability to create global connection beyond

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852-486: A paywall that requires it) or using third-party tools like 12ft . Data on the number of readers who bypass paywalls is often unclear to publishers due to the variety of options employed to circumvent paywalls, and responses from publishers have been mixed. In 2023, the Financial Times expressed a lack of concern over paywall circumvention, finding that only a small portion of its readers bypass its paywalls, while

923-407: A paywall. Such a strategy has been said to lead to "the creation of two categories: cheap fodder available for free (often created by junior staffers), and more 'noble' content." This type of separation brings into question the egalitarianism of the online news medium. According to political and media theorist Robert A Hackett , "the commercial press of the 1800s, the modern world's first mass medium,

994-483: A separate subscription. As of 2023, ESPN3 broadcasts are mostly events that air over-the-air on ABC exclusively (with some exceptions when those broadcasts do not air on ESPN3 but instead on ESPN+ ), alternate camera angles of programming airing in simulcast on one of the linear networks (see ESPN Megacast ), panorama coverage of multiple courts (in the case of bracket tournaments, especially for major tennis tournaments), Spanish dubs not carried on ESPN Deportes , and

1065-437: A single game was $ 8.95 (with each additional game costing $ 1 extra), with the full "season-ticket" package priced between $ 49.95 and $ 69.95. The following year, ESPN took over for Showtime and offered the purchase of up to three individual Saturday afternoon blocks for $ 8.95, as opposed to only a single game. In 1993, the package was renamed "Season Ticket", followed in 1994 by "ABC College Football on ESPN Pay-Per-View." In 1996,

1136-460: A site for them." By March 2014 the site had over 60,000 digital subscribers; at that time, the Globe announced that it would replace the hard paywall with a metered system allowing users to read 10 articles without charge in any 30-day period. The Boston Globe editor Brian McGrory believed that an ability to sample the site's premium content would encourage more people to subscribe to the service. At

1207-439: A social media site, and up to 25 free articles a day if accessed through a search engine. The model is designed to allow the paper to "retain traffic from light users", which in turn allows the paper to keep their number of visitors high, while receiving circulation revenue from the site's heavy users. Using this model The New York Times garnered 224,000 subscribers in the first three months. While many proclaimed their paywall

1278-601: A statement similar to those of the media experts, stating, with the exception of prominent papers such as The Wall Street Journal and The Times , that given the "current public attitudes, most publishers had better start looking elsewhere for revenue solutions." A study by Elizabeth Benítez from the World Association of News Publishers surveyed 355 participants in Mexico, Europe and the United States. The study found that "Young readers are willing to pay up to €6 for

1349-459: A subscriber cannot access ESPN3 unless a participating ISP actually operates in the area. ESPN's only recommended solution in such a situation is to have the consumer lobby an ISP that is available in their area to add ESPN3. Paywall A paywall is a method of restricting access to content , with a purchase or a paid subscription , especially news. Beginning in the mid-2010s, newspapers started implementing paywalls on their websites as

1420-538: A success after it reported a profit in the third quarter of 2011, the profit increase is said to be "ephemeral" and "largely based on a combination of cutbacks and the sale of assets." Google Search previously enforced a policy known as "First Click Free", whereby paywalled news websites were required to have a metered paywall for a minimum number of articles per-day (three, initially five) that could be accessed via results on Google Search or Google News . The site could still paywall other articles that were accessible via

1491-417: A three level system: While an open API is regarded as a gamble just like a paywall, journalist Matthew Ingram ethically notes that the use of an open API aims at "profiting from the open exchange of information and other aspects of an online-media world, while the [paywall] is an attempt to create the kind of artificial information scarcity that newspapers used to enjoy." An open API keeps news content free to

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1562-433: A traditional printed paper. While a printed paper can be shared among friends and family, the ethics behind sharing an online subscription are less clear because there is no physical object involved. The New York Times' "ethicist" columnist, Ariel Kaminer, addressing the question of sharing online subscription, states that "sharing with your spouse or young child is one thing; sharing with friends or family who live elsewhere

1633-428: A way to increase revenue after years of decline in paid print readership and advertising revenue, partly due to the use of ad blockers . In academics, research papers are often subject to a paywall and are available via academic libraries that subscribe. Paywalls have also been used as a way of increasing the number of print subscribers; for example, some newspapers offer access to online content plus delivery of

1704-432: Is an impediment to "equal access to relevant [news] facts." The commodification of information–making news into a product that must be purchased–restricts the egalitarian founding principle of the newspaper. Editor's Weblog reporter Katherine Travers, addressing this issue in a post discussing the future of The Washington Post , asks, "is digital subscription as permissible as charging a couple of dollars now and then for

1775-406: Is another." The reader comments following Kaminer's response focus on the dichotomy between paying for a printed paper and paying for an online subscription. A printed paper's ease of access meant that more individuals could read a single copy, and that everyone who read the paper had the ability to send a letter to the editor without the hassle of registering or paying for the subscription. As such,

1846-399: Is considered the riskiest option for the content provider. It is estimated that a website will lose 90% of its online audience and ad revenue only to gain it back through its ability to produce online content appealing enough to attract subscribers. News sites with "hard" paywalls can succeed if they: Many experts denounce the "hard" paywall because of its inflexibility, believing it acts as

1917-530: Is history" in a 2009 article in The Guardian . In 2010, Misplaced Pages co-founder Jimmy Wales reportedly called The Times's paywall "a foolish experiment." One major concern was that, with content so widely available, potential subscribers would turn to free sources for their news. The adverse effects of earlier implementations included decline in traffic and poor search engine optimization . Paywalls have become controversial, with partisans arguing over

1988-422: Is important to highlight new business initiatives. According to Poynter media expert Bill Mitchell, in order for a paywall to generate sustainable revenue, newspapers must create "new value"—higher quality, innovation, etc.—in their online content that merits payment which previously free content did not. In addition to erecting paywalls, newspapers have been increasingly exploiting tablet and mobile news products,

2059-402: Is not carried by traditional cable and satellite providers, as it is not a single channel, but streams multiple live events at the same time; however, ESPN includes a listing for a linear "ESPN3" channel (which only includes one event at a time) in the television listings on its website. As part of the wide-ranging distribution agreement that DirecTV and The Walt Disney Company announced, ESPN3

2130-489: The Atlantic Coast Conference and Southeastern Conference shown on Comcast Sports Southeast/Charter Sports Southeast . This change replaced Big Ten Conference games that left ESPN Plus for the new Big Ten Network . ESPN3 ESPN3 (formerly ESPN360 and ESPN3.com ) is an online streaming service owned by ESPN Inc. , a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (which operates

2201-540: The COVID-19 pandemic from their paywalls as a public service, and to combat misinformation relating to the virus. In April 2020, Canadian newspaper group Postmedia went further and removed its paywall from all content in April 2020, with a sponsorship from a fast food chain. Given the overwhelming opinion that, regardless of paywall success, new revenue sources must be sought out for newspapers' financial success, it

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2272-636: The TV Everywhere system) violates the principles of network neutrality . ESPN3 bundles its content into the fees of the participating ISP, regardless of whether or not users partake in accessing its content. If a particular ISP does not pay subscription fees to ESPN, users of that ISP are not granted access to ESPN3. There is no way for individual users to overcome these access restrictions as ESPN3 does not provide subscription options for individual users or any other non-ISP entities, and because most ISPs operate in specific territories without competition,

2343-466: The Times had potentially increased its revenue, it decreased its traffic by 60%. The "soft" paywall is best embodied by the metered model. The metered paywall allows users to view a specific number of articles before requiring paid subscription. In contrast to sites allowing access to select content outside the paywall, the metered paywall allows access to any article as long as the user has not surpassed

2414-557: The commodification of information and the dependence of commercial media on advertising revenue" as two of the greatest influences on media performance. According to Hackett, these cultural and economic mechanisms "generate violations of the democratic norm of equality." Implementation of a paywall addresses and intimately ties the two mechanisms cited by Hackett, as the paywall commodifies news content to bring in revenue from both readers and from increased circulation of printed paper's ads. The result of these mechanisms, as stated by Hackett,

2485-475: The Canadian response to paywalls. Surveying 1,700 Canadians, the study found that 92% of participants who read the news online would rather find a free alternative than pay for their preferred site (in comparison to 82% of Americans ), while 81% stated that they would absolutely not pay for their preferred online news site. Based on the poor reception of paid content by the participants, the study concludes with

2556-679: The EU and US were operating some kind of online paywall as of 2019, a trend that has increased since 2017 according to the researchers, with the US seeing an increase from 60% to 76%. General user response to the implementation of paywalls has been measured through a number of recent studies which analyze readers' online news-reading habits. A study completed by the Canadian Media Research Consortium entitled "Canadian Consumers Unwilling to Pay for News Online", directly identifies

2627-474: The News Media's 2011 annual report on American journalism makes the sweeping claim that: "[t]o survive financially, the consensus on the business side of news operations is that news sites not only need to make their advertising smarter, but they also need to find some way to charge for content and to invent new revenue streams other than display advertising and subscriptions." Even those who do not believe in

2698-425: The United States' east coast in late August 2011, The New York Times declared that all storm related coverage, accessed both online and through mobile devices, would be free to readers. The New York Times ‌' assistant managing editor, Jeff Roberts, discusses the paper's decision, stating: "[w]e are aware of our obligations to our audience and to the public at large when there is a big story that directly impacts such

2769-466: The United States, the network is available to individuals who receive their high-speed Internet connection or cable television subscription from an affiliated service provider. Since 2008, ESPN3 has also been available to approximately 21 million U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers with college/university ( .edu ) and U.S. military ( .mil ) IP addresses. ESPN3 is only available to Internet providers who pay fees to ESPN. ESPN3

2840-519: The content. The compatibility of this technique with data protection laws like the General Data Protection Regulation is controversial and multiple data protection agencies have established different guidelines. In countries like Italy, Austria, France and Denmark, it is lawful as long as the website provides the data subject with the option of accessing equivalent content or services without giving his or her consent to

2911-432: The creation of packages of general interest. The New York Times , for example, has created packages, mainly ebooks, on baseball, golf and the digital revolution. Also, successful implementation of paywalls in digital media follows a rule of thumb: where there is a drop in advertising revenue, there is a solid chance for adopting a subscription model and/or paywalls. An open API (application programming interface) makes

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2982-496: The effectiveness of paywalls in generating revenue and their effect on media in general. Critics of paywalls include many businesspeople, academics such as media professor Jay Rosen, and journalists such as Howard Owens and media analyst Matthew Ingram of GigaOm. Those who see potential in paywalls include investor Warren Buffett , former Wall Street Journal publisher Gordon Crovitz, and media mogul Rupert Murdoch . Some have changed their opinions of paywalls. Felix Salmon of Reuters

3053-466: The footsteps of The Wall Street Journal , The Times (London) implemented a "hard" paywall; a decision which was controversial because, unlike The Wall Street Journal , The Times is a general news site, and it was said that rather than paying, users would seek the information without charge elsewhere. The paywall was deemed in practice to be neither a success nor a failure, having recruited 105,000 paying visitors. In contrast The Guardian resisted

3124-444: The general success of paywalls recognize that, for a profitable future, newspapers must start generating more attractive content with added value, or investigate new sources of earning revenue. Proponents of the paywall believe that it may be crucial for smaller publications to stay afloat. They argue that since 90 percent of advertising revenues are concentrated in the top 50 publishers, smaller operations can not necessarily depend on

3195-409: The implementation and removal of various paywalls. Because online news remains a relatively new medium, it has been suggested that experimentation is key to maintaining revenue while keeping online news consumers satisfied. Some implementations of paywalls proved unsuccessful, and have been removed. Experts who are skeptical of the paywall model include Arianna Huffington , who declared "the paywall

3266-751: The name was again changed to "ESPN GamePlan", as the formation of ESPN Regional Television allowed for additional out-of-market games from conferences such as the Big Ten and MAC to be broadcast. ESPN would also pick up telecasts from other conferences such as the ACC, Big 12, Big East, Conference-USA, Mountain West, Pac-10, SEC and WAC for inclusion in GamePlan. Up to 15 games were provided each week. Some games were joined in progress due to time and channel constraints. In 2007, ESPN GamePlan picked up additional telecasts of

3337-399: The network, through its 80% controlling ownership interest) and Hearst Communications (which holds the remaining 20% interest), that provides live streams and replays of global sports events to sports fans in the United States. The use of the name ESPN3 was discussed as early as 1996 for the channel that would eventually become known as ESPNews . The website began in 2005 as ESPN360.com ,

3408-558: The newspaper targets a niche audience. There are also those who remain optimistic about the use of paywalls to help revitalize floundering newspaper revenues. Those who believe implementing paywalls will succeed, however, continually buffer their opinion with contingencies. Bill Mitchell states that for a paywall to bring new revenue and not deter current readers, newspapers must: "invest in flexible systems, exploit their journalists' expertise in niche areas, and, crucially, offer readers their money's worth in terms of new value." The State of

3479-457: The online news site "a platform for data and information that [the newspaper company] can generate value from in other ways." Opening their API makes a newspaper's data available to outside sources, allowing developers and other services to make use of a paper's content for a fee. The Guardian , in keeping with its "belief in an open internet", has been experimenting with the use of API. The Guardian has created an "open platform" which works on

3550-616: The overall content even better." In April 2013 the Newspaper Association of America released its industry revenue profile for 2012, which reported that circulation revenue grew by 5 percent for dailies, making it the first year of circulation growth in ten years. Digital-only circulation revenue reportedly grew 275%; print and digital bundled circulation revenue grew 499%. Along with the shift towards bundling print and online into combined access subscriptions, print-only circulation revenue declined 14%. This news corroborates

3621-571: The page. This encouraged publications to allow their articles to be indexed by Google's web crawler , thus enhancing their prominence on Google Search and Google News. Sites that opted out of First Click Free were demoted in Google's rankings . Google discontinued the policy in 2017, stating that it provides additional tools for helping publications integrate subscriptions into its platforms. A "softer" paywall strategy includes allowing free access to select content, while keeping premium content behind

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3692-438: The past, the internet has been an ideal location for the general public to gather and discuss relevant news issues – an activity made accessible first through free access to online news content, and subsequently the ability to comment on the content, creating a forum. Erecting a paywall restricts the public's open communication with one another by restricting the ability to both read and share online news. The obvious way in which

3763-413: The paywall debate there are those who see the implementation of a paywall as a "sandbag strategy" – a strategy which may help increase revenue in the short term, but not a strategy that will foster future growth for the newspaper industry. For the "hard" paywall specifically, however, there seems to be an industry consensus that the negative effects (loss of readership) outweigh the potential revenue, unless

3834-573: The profitability of which remains inconclusive. Another strategy, pioneered by The New York Times , involves creating new revenue by packaging old content in e-books and special feature offerings, to create an appealing product for readers. The draw of these packages is not just the topic but the authors and the breadth of coverage. According to reporter Mathew Ingram, newspapers can benefit from these special offerings in two ways, first by taking advantage of old content when new interest arises, such as an anniversary or an important event, and second, through

3905-531: The public while the newspaper makes a profit from the quality and usefulness of its data to other businesses. The open API strategy can be commended because it takes the pressure off of the news room to continually investigate and explore new means of revenue. Instead, the open API strategy relies on the interest and ideas of those outside the newsroom, to whom the site's content and data are attractive. Readers are sometimes able to bypass paywalls by changing their browser settings (e.g. disabling JavaScript to bypass

3976-423: The public’s interest. As for-profit enterprises, they have the right (the duty, even) to make money for shareholders or private owners. But most also claim to have a social compact, in which they safeguard the entire public interest and help their entire community shape and understand its shared values." Some newspapers have removed their paywall from blocking content covering emergencies. When Hurricane Irene hit

4047-558: The reach of non-paywalled online outlets that promote right-wing perspectives, conspiracy theories, and fake news . The use of a paywall to bar individuals from accessing news content online without payment, brings up numerous ethical questions. According to Hackett, media are already "failing to furnish citizens with ready access to relevant civic information." The implementation of paywalls on previously free news content heightens this failure through intentional withholding. Hackett cites "general cultural and economic mechanisms, such as

4118-413: The same time, McGrory also announced plans to give Boston.com a more distinct editorial focus, with a "sharper voice that better captures the sensibilities of Boston", while migrating other content by Globe writers, such as blogs from Boston.com to the paper's website, but keeping them freely available. A cookie banner that requires to either pay or accept ads and third-party cookies in order to read

4189-462: The set limit. The Financial Times allows users to access 10 articles before becoming paid subscribers. The New York Times controversially implemented a metered paywall in March 2011 which let users view 20 free articles a month before paid subscription and in April 2012 they reduced the number of free articles per month to 10. Their metered paywall has been defined as not only soft, but "porous", because it also allows access to any link posted on

4260-413: The storage and use of cookies or other tracking tools and the subscription to the site has a modest and fair cost so that it does not constrain the user’s free choice. Professional reception to the implementation of paywalls has been mixed. Most discussion of paywalls centers on their success or failure as business ventures, and overlooks their ethical implications for maintaining an informed public. In

4331-429: The traditional ad-supported free content model the way that larger sites can. Many paywall advocates also contend that people are more than willing to pay a small price for quality content. In a March 2013 guest post for VentureBeat , Malcolm CasSelle of MediaPass stated his belief that monetization would become "something of a self-fulfilling prophecy: people [will] pay for content, and that money goes back into making

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4402-451: The typical reach of a public sphere. In Democratizing Global Media, Hackett and global communications theorist Yuezhi Zhao describe how a new "wave of media democratization arises in the era of the internet which has facilitated transnational civil society networks of and for democratic communication." The use of paywalls has also received many complaints from online news readers regarding an online subscriptions' inability to be shared like

4473-447: The use of a paywall closes off the communication in both the personal realm and online. This opinion is not just held by online news readers, but also by opinion writers. Jimmy Wales comments that he "would rather write [an opinion piece] where it is going to be read", declaring that "putting opinion pieces behind paywalls [makes] no sense." In the U.S., it has been observed that the use of paywalls by high-quality publications has enhanced

4544-463: The use of a paywall, citing "a belief in an open Internet" and "care in the community" as its reasoning – an explanation found in its welcome article to online news readers who, blocked from The Times site following the implementation of their paywall, came to The Guardian for online news. The Guardian since experimented with other revenue-increasing ventures such as open API . Other papers, prominently The New York Times , have oscillated between

4615-500: The user straight away to pay in order to read, listen or watch the content, soft paywalls that allow some free content, such as an abstract or summary, and metered paywalls that allow a set number of free articles that a reader can access over a specific period of time, allowing more flexibility in what users can view without subscribing. The "hard" paywall, as used by The Times , requires paid subscription before any of their online content can be accessed. A paywall of this design

4686-488: Was born with a profound democratic promise: to present information without fear or favour, to make it accessible to everyone, and to foster public rationality based on equal access to relevant facts.". The Boston Globe implemented a version of this strategy in September 2011 by launching a second website, BostonGlobe.com, to solely offer content from the paper behind a hard paywall, aside from most sports content, which

4757-439: Was discontinued, along with ESPN Full Court , to make way for ESPN College Extra , which offered a select bundle of games that would previously have been broadcast by GamePlan and Full Court. In 1992, Showtime Event Television supplemented ABC's airing of regional college football telecasts by creating "Option Play." This allowed viewers to watch games not airing on their local ABC station via pay-per-view. The original cost for

4828-513: Was initially an outspoken skeptic of paywalls, but later expressed the opinion that they could be effective. A NYU media theorist, Clay Shirky, was initially a skeptic of paywalls, but in May 2012 wrote, "[Newspapers] should turn to their most loyal readers for income, via a digital subscription service of the sort the [New York Times] has implemented." Three high level models of paywall have emerged: hard paywalls that allow no free content and prompt

4899-514: Was kept open to compete against other local sports websites. The former Boston Globe website, Boston.com , was relaunched with a larger focus on community news, sports, and lifestyle content, as well as selected Boston Globe content. The paper's editor Martin Baron described the two services as "two different sites for two different kinds of reader – some understand [that] journalism needs to be funded and paid for. Other people just won't pay. We have

4970-652: Was made available to DirecTV customers in early 2015. In December 2016, ESPN started the nationwide rollout of the ESPN App on DirecTV set top boxes in five states, which allows customers to stream thousands of live events from ESPN3 on their DirecTV set top boxes. The nationwide rollout was completed in February 2017. On November 1, 2010, ESPN3 launched on Xbox Live . This service allows Xbox Live members to access live sporting events on ESPN3, among other offerings, at no additional cost. At launch, Xbox Live Gold membership

5041-566: Was required to access the ESPN app; however, with the June 2014 update to Xbox Live, Gold membership is no longer required to access ESPN on Xbox 360 or Xbox One . Dish Network added ESPN3 in April 2014. In September 2016, ESPN3 was made available on over-the-top online video service Sling TV . Some internet service providers have complained to the FCC that ESPN3 (along with other services that use

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