ESPN has a consumer education problem with new app

This originally appeared in Tuesday’s edition of  The A Block, Awful Announcing’s daily newsletter with the latest sports media news, commentary, and analysis. Sign up here and be the first to know everything you need to know about the sports media world.

For the first time in its existence, ESPN should have a totally new top priority: education and awareness.

The WWE Premium Live Events launching in September will expose the scope of the problem. Wrestling fans are about to discover they need ESPN Unlimited to watch, but there’s no clear indication that most of them know this is coming. ESPN acquired premium content without ensuring customers understand how to access it.

The WWE launch isn’t just any streaming test; it’s ESPN’s first major content that will be completely exclusive to the full ESPN Unlimited tier. These Premium Live Events won’t air on linear television and won’t be available in ESPN’s cheaper “Select” plan. Wrestling fans will need the complete $30-per-month product, or they will be shut out entirely.

That creates a perfect storm for customer frustration. ESPN marketed Unlimited as a benefit for existing subscribers, but millions of cable customers, including those through Comcast, YouTube TV, and other major providers, won’t actually have access when WWE’s September events launch. These fans — who were explicitly told they’d get ESPN Unlimited as part of their existing subscription — will suddenly discover they need to pay an additional $30 monthly just to watch wrestling content they expected to receive.

The communication problem becomes even more apparent when you take a look at ESPN’s promotional efforts. They’ve enlisted John Cena for commercials explaining what’s available in the app, but on Tuesday, ESPN devoted just 30 seconds within SportsCenter to actually demonstrate how the product works.

But the confusion runs deeper than poor communication. ESPN created much of it themselves. They marketed ESPN Unlimited as a benefit available to all ESPN subscribers, regardless of their method of receiving ESPN. In reality, that promise was premature. ESPN still hasn’t secured distribution deals with major providers like Comcast and YouTube TV, so those customers can’t access it. All of it screams “hastily done to get this out before the NFL season.”

ESPN’s problem is completely different now.

It built its empire on appointment television. You knew when SportsCenter was on, you knew what you were getting. Now they’re asking customers to navigate complex streaming tiers while simultaneously dealing with incomplete distribution, all without providing clear guidance to the customer on exactly what they’re getting. And that messaging is because there aren’t clear answers. Your current ESPN experience is wholly dependent on what cable provider you’re subscribed to, contrary to the company’s marketing around its new product.

The stakes are enormous. ESPN needs millions of direct-to-consumer subscribers in the next few years to justify its investment in streaming. Additionally, they want subscribers of the traditional cable bundle to also use the new product. Every frustrated fan who discovers they can’t actually access what was promised damages decades of brand building in ways that go beyond typical launch hiccups.

Customer confusion is everywhere, as social media is filled with fundamental questions about ESPN’s streaming offerings that shouldn’t be mysteries. “Do I need ESPN+ for this game?” “What’s the difference between the tiers?” “Why can’t I watch this with my cable subscription?”

The WWE launch becomes a test case. How many wrestling fans will ESPN lose due to confusion versus converting them into paying customers? The answer may determine whether ESPN’s streaming strategy succeeds or becomes an expensive lesson in poor customer communication.

If ESPN doesn’t soon make clear who receives its new streaming product and who doesn’t, the goodwill of fans will be difficult to earn back.