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CEOs rarely talk about plans that are a half-decade or more away from reaching reality. Yet way back in 2015, Disney CEO Robert Iger confirmed the company would eventually offer ESPN as a direct-to-consumer service. It would be an epoch-shifting moment for a channel that has been a cornerstone of pay TV in its traditional form for decades, and Iger said it wouldnt occur until at least 2020. Ultimately, this retooling took a full decadea period during which Iger retired and unretired. But the moment he said would come has arrived. Starting today, you can get full-blown ESPN in stand-alone streaming form, available on connected TVs, phones, tablets, and computers. Its the biggest inflection point for Disneys direct-to-consumer video strategy since the company launched Disney+ in 2019. We believe that people should be able to subscribe to ESPN in whatever way best suits them, says Adam Smith, named chief product and technology officer for Disney Entertainment and ESPN a year ago after over 20 years at YouTube and Google. If they want to do it direct to consumer through us, if they want to buy it through a bundle, or if they want to just continue purchasing it through [a cable or satellite provider], that’s all great. What Disney is offering isnt just the same familiar ESPN programming delivered over the internet. Instead, the company has taken its 47,000 live sporting events a year, spread out across 12 channels, and built a distinctly digital experience around them. That experience spans apps for connected TVs, phones, computers, and TVs, sometimes intermingling them. It also flows into Disney+, where ESPNs motherlode of content could provide a competitive advantage over Netflix, HBO Max, and other streamers that offer only a dollop of athletics by comparison. Its no shocker that Disney frames ESPNs new streaming presence as being about customer choice, not the brand being any less relevant as part of a cable or satellite package. Historically, the carriage fees the company charged companies such as Comcast and DirecTVreportedly around $9.42 per pay-TV subscriber, the highest figure in the industrywere a powerful, dependable revenue stream. But as traditional TV has lost eyeballs to a bevy of newer ways for people to entertain themselves, ESPNs old business model has faced secular decline. Disney has had to manage that descent while coming up with something that can find a place in sports fans streaming budgets. [Image: Courtesy of ESPN] Disneys desire to provide options is reflected in the numerous ways consumers can get access to the new service. Officially, its $30 a month. But anyone whos already entitled to ESPN as part of a TV package will get the streaming version at no additional charge. And Disneywhich has long priced its services to nudge consumers toward bundlesis also offering ESPN plus ad-supported versions of Disney+ and Hulu at the same $30 a month for the first 12 months. Its also teaming with Fox to sell a $40 bundle including ESPN and a new sports/news/entertainment service called Fox One. A different $40 bundle offers ESPN and NFL+ Premium. (Disney recently agreed to acquire the NFL Network in return for the NFL getting a 10% stake in ESPN.) ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro walks through ESPNs bundling options. [Photo: Courtesy of ESPN] Even after so many years of contemplating the eventuality of ESPN in streaming form and then actively building it, Disney knows only so much about what the brand’s future might look like. As technology continues to permit new scenarios, sports fans expectations and preferences are subject to further change: We are navigating through some storms here, ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro tells Fast Company editor in chief Brendan Vaughan in an exclusive interview. But with its new service, the company has a tapestry for further refinement, experimentation, and expansion. It really is a product that you’re going to see continue to improve with time, as we get more data and understand usage and the ways that consumers are most interested in interacting with ESPN in a direct-to-consumer fashion, says Smith. Same apps, more ESPN Though Disney didnt exactly rush to make ESPNs crown jewels available over the internet, it already has the largest digital footprint of any sports media brand. Between its own platform, YouTube, and social media, it reached 193.6 million peoplealmost 70% of U.S. adultsin June, according to Comscore. The company also has eight years of streaming experience under its belt thanks to ESPN+, its digital-only brand extension, which will roll up into the new service. (It will also remain separately available as the core of ESPN Select, a slimmed-down $12/month tier.) Critically, Disney isnt launching a new ESPN streaming app and then trying to convince people to install it. Instead, its giving the ESPN apps that already have 30 million active users a lot more, well, ESPN. Rather than supplementing live event coverage, theyll incorporate and enhance it. Smith emphasizes that particular care has gone into the ESPN app that comes closest to mirroring the way people have traditionally watched sports: the one for connected TVs. A lot of folks just want to jump live into the game, he says. But rather than simply dumping them into the action in progress, the app offers a feature called Catch Up to Live that summarizes what’s happened so far. Multiview capability lets viewers keep tabs on up to four streams at oncean enirely real-world scenario given that ESPN may be showing up to 200 events on any given weekend. [Image: Courtesy of ESPN] Once someone is tuned into a particular stream, the app can offer them access to data that goes far beyond the overlays on a traditional broadcast. It’s almost like being in the game with a Jumbotron, says Smith. It allows you to see like who’s on the court, who’s performing well, any kind of stats that we get made available to us or we’re able to gather. In 19 states and Washington, D.C., ESPN offers a wagering service called ESPN Bet, provided through a partnership with Penn Entertainment. By linking their ESPN and ESPN Bet apps, fans with money riding on games will be able to see their live and settled wagers onscreen alongside the events in question. Tens of millions of people who compete on ESPNs fantasy sports platform will also get in-app integrations: If your league’s coming down to the wire and Monday Night Football matters, you’ll able to have your fantasy football team showing up right there on the right hand panel and track your odds of actually pulling it out, says Smith. Then theres merch. ESPN is integrating shopping opportunities into relevant events using an onscreen QR code, which Smith says makes for a frictionless user journey. Phone, meet TV For years now, the fact that someone has been watching sports on TV hasnt prevented them from scrolling away on their smartphone at the same time. ESPN is formalizing that dual-screen experience with a feature called Stream Center. It allows viewers to control the ESPN connected TV experience from their phone as well as check out other scores and news. And it syncs the two screens so that nobody stumbles across spoilers on the phone for an event theyre watching on the big screen. Along with building digital experiences around live sports events, ESPN is using its digital platform to share news and highlights. Here it can atomize its content and reassemble it algorithmically, taking it far afield of anything possible on broadcast TV. For example, a TikTok-esque feature called Verts offers a feed of quick, vertically oriented videosthe stuff ESPN already shares on social networks, but inside the companys own app. SportsCenter for You, a custom news report inspired by ESPNs best-known show, uses an AI-generated voiceover based on a real ESPN broadcasterChristina Alexander, in the case of the demo I gotto narrate a custom collection of news items. We want to make effectively millions of SportsCenters, each uniquely tailored to the interest of the individual, says Smith. ESPNs SportsCenter show goes live on September 7, 1979when a daily show about sports was a new idea in itself. [Photo: Courtesy of ESPN] While much of ESPNs new digital experience will be unique to its own apps, the full gamut of ESPN programming will also be available in Disney+. That wasnt just a matter of sticking a new tile in the Disney+ interface along with the existing ones for Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, and other fare. The company has spent years merging the technical underpinnings of ESPN, Disney+, and Hulu, each of which began with a different origin story and werent initially designed with compatibility in mind. That long-term project is what lets consumers watch what theyd like where theyd like. In late 2023, for instance, the company began letting people watch Hulu content in Disney+. ESPN+ content followed a year later. Even now, putting ESPN inside Disney+ is a complex enough feat that it wont be available on every platform on launch day. Integrating Disneys streaming offerings has been a big, heavy lift, from the video backends to the new player to the ads, Smith told me. But its essential to the company maximizing the profit potential of its streaming business. For instance, only recently has Disney unified the ad-buying side of things enough for marketers to easily purchase campaigns across Disney+, ESPN, and Hulu. Technical streamlining also facilitated Disneys recently announced decision to phase out Hulus stand-alone app in favor of the brand existing within Disney+, a move that solidifies Disney+ as the companys overarching streaming destination and might unlock billions in cost savings. Which raises a question: Is there any chance that ESPNs new digital incarnation is not its destiny but rather a way station on the road to full integration into Disney+? You never say never, allows Smith. But, he quickly adds, We believe that we serve sports fans really well through the ESPN app, through the mix of video programming, data, scores, newsthat there’s a use case for that. Fans have been patiently awaiting that experience ever since Iger first teased it. Now they get to decide if Disney has delivered.
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Chipotle Mexican Grill just announced a new partnership that will have orders arriving in a flash. The fast casual chain has joined forces with Zipline, an autonomous delivery system, which will allow digital orders to be transported by drones called Zips. The new service is fittingly being called Zipotle. According to an August 21 news release, Zipotle will be a zero emissions transport method. It also aims to be faster than traditional delivery, allowing for meals to arrive at customers’ homes practically just made. “Zipotle is a quick and convenient source of delivery that lets guests enjoy our real food from places that are traditionally challenging to serve, including backyards and public parks,” said Curt Garner, president, chief strategy and technology officer at Chipotle, in the release. “Zipline’s commitment to building an efficient, environmentally friendly delivery experience is synonymous with our mission to Cultivate a Better World.” The program kicks off on Thursday from a Chipotle in Rowlett, Texas, and will serve the greater Dallas area. Select customers can access the service through the Zipline app. A broader Zipotle launch is expected in the coming weeks. According to the news release, digital food orders will be prepared by employees, then placed into a Zipping Point container, which allows for the Zips to autonomously pick up the order. “After flying to its destination, the aircraft will hover about 300 feet in the air, while the Zip lowers to the ground,” the release explains. “The Zip automatically avoids obstacles and gently and precisely places the order at the guest’s address.” The delivery method is built for just about any type of weather, according to Zipline. “Zips are built to handle rain, wind, and heat with easeflying high above flooded roads and traffic jams. And because theyre 100% electric, theyre climate conscious too.” The new partnership comes as Chipotle, along with other chains, have been targeting Gen Z consumers due to the fact that they dine out more often than other demographics. The chain also recently launched a new rewards program, Chipotle U Rewards, for college students.
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Welcome to AI Decoded, Fast Companys weekly newsletter that breaks down the most important news in the world of AI. You can sign up to receive this newsletter every week via email here. Artificial intelligence is moving from a buzzword to a working tool in politics. The National Democratic Training Committee (NDTC), which has trained more than 120,000 Democrats since its founding in 2016, has launched its first playbook on how campaigns can use AI responsibly. The three-part training explains how AI works and offers guidance on using it to draft speeches, phone-banking scripts, and social media posts. It also highlights clear boundaries, warning campaigns not to create deepfakes, impersonate people, or generate misleading images and videos. Candidates are encouraged to disclose when AI has been used in content creation, particularly in personal messaging or policy development, as a way to build transparency and trust. The project was created in partnership with the Higher Ground Institute. For NDTC founder and CEO Kelly Dietrich, the goal is to make sure Democratic campaigns have the knowledge and confidence to use AI effectively. Fast Company spoke with Dietrich about the new training, the opportunities it opens, and the standards he believes campaigns must uphold. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity. Why did you feel campaigns needed something like this training? AI is increasingly becoming a part of everyday life. Politics are traditionally lagging in adoption of new technology. Candidates especially are a little tenuous about adopting new tech and strategies that arent proven. Thats because running for office is sometimes the biggest decision of someones life, and candidates are sometimes scared to try something new and fail. That way, if they dont win, they can say, Well, I did everything right. Were constantly trying to get people to stay on the cutting edge and understand how new tools can make their campaigns more effective. The training that weve put together shows people how to understand AI. And this isnt like a college course; you dont need to understand how AI is built. But you should understand what it can and cannot do, and how you can use it ethically and most effectively on your campaign. When most of us think about campaigns, we think about big presidential [ones] or maybe a really fancy congressional race. Thats not reality for 99% of the campaigns run in our country. Theres more than 518,000 elected officials. Only 537 of them are at the federal level, only 15,000 and change are at the state level. The other half million-plus are local offices: city council, school board, library board, county boards, all of these elected offices that very few people think of but have a very important and direct effect on our lives. And for 90-plus percent of those, they usually have budgets of less than $2,500. Usually, its just the candidate and maybe one or two dedicated volunteers. In those campaignsin addition to the big congressionalseverybody has limited time, money, and people. AI allows you to accomplish more with those three limited resources. The training seems pretty practical, from what Ive seen. Can you break down the programs approach? Every training that we built is designed for a candidate or a staff person to be able to use immediately. So if youre going to give us a half hour of your time, you dont need just theoretical background information on AI. So, the course breaks down what AI is, but then we can show you examples of use cases and specific AI tools within the Democratic ecosphere that you can usesay, helping you to write a door-to-door script. And honestly, Republicans are already using this, and theyre using it in ways that I dont think are necessarily ethical or even moral. But Democrats need to be using this or risk being left behind. NDTC trains in three different ways. First, we have on-demand courses like the AI course, which are available 24/7. If youre running for local office, thats usually not a full-time job. So whether youre a teacher, lawyer, nurse, or anything else, you can go to work, come home, have dinner with your family, put your kids to bed, and then pull out your iPad or laptop. In 30 minutes, you can understand what AI is, how to use it, and what it can do for your campaign immediately. Second, we do virtual live trainings. We hold a couple hundred of these each year. We dont call them webinarswebinars put everyone to sleepbut instead interactive online trainings, usually held at noon Central [time]. Weve already seen interest in developing an AI live training to complement the on-demand course. Third, we train through cohortsmultiweek live sessions. Well be incorporating AI into those as well, making it one of the core lessons candidates and staff need to be more effective. Can you tell me a bit more about which AI tools can be especially effective in campaigning? You have your general-purpose AI tools, whether thats Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini. And then there are specific political AI tools, like Chorus AI, which optimizes political content for impact and engagement across platforms and audiences. And youve got Change Agent, which is more of a general language model but aligns with organizers and activism values. Have campaigns jumped on board with the training? Weve already had more than 250 people take the course online, and its only been up for a few days. How do you make sure these tools arent abused or opening up a floodgate? Since the dawn of time, technology has been used for good and for bad, and the best we can do is educate and show people the difference. At the end of the day, everyone makes their own moral choice, and I think the values Democrats represent preclude those types of abuse. What we need to do is create education, because most candidates know of AI but dont know how to use it. They dont understand what a powerful tool it can be. Can we make it more approachable, easier to understand, and walk people through exactly how it can help them accomplish their campaign goals? It can help them talk to more voters, win more votesall the things that matter. Once youve laid out your campaign message and core talking points, AI can take those and help you create scripts, press releases, and a whole range of materials. More AI coverage from Fast Company: OpenAI gave GPT-5 an emotional lobotomy, and it crippled the model An engineer explains how AI can prevent satellite disastrs in space This startup knows what AI is saying about your brand I tried 10 AI browsers. Heres why Perplexitys Comet is the best so far Want exclusive reporting and trend analysis on technology, business innovation, future of work, and design? Sign up for Fast Company Premium.
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