ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American multinational pay television network owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and Hearst Communications (which owns the remaining 20%).
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Nationwide |
| Headquarters | Bristol, Connecticut |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English and Spanish |
| Picture format | 720p (HDTV) Downgraded to letterboxed 480i for the SDTV feed |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | The Walt Disney Company (80%) Hearst Communications (20%) |
| Parent | ESPN Inc. |
| Sister channels | List
|
| History | |
| Launched | October 1, 1993 |
| Links | |
| Website | espnpressroom |
| Availability | |
| Streaming media | |
| WatchESPN or ESPN app | WatchESPN.com (U.S. cable subscribers only; requires login from pay television provider to access content) |
| DirecTV Stream | Internet Protocol television |
| YouTube TV | Internet Protocol television |
| Hulu Live TV | Internet Protocol television |
| Sling TV | Internet Protocol television |
ESPN2 was initially formatted as a younger-skewing counterpart to its parent network ESPN, with a focus on sports popular among young adult audiences (ranging from mainstream events to other unconventional sports), and carrying a more informal and youthful presentation than the main network. By the late 1990s, this mandate was phased out, as the channel increasingly became a second outlet for ESPN's mainstream sports coverage.
As of November 2021, ESPN2 reached approximately 76 million television households in the United States - a drop of 24% from nearly a decade ago. As of June 2023, the channel's reach had been reduced to 72.5 million homes.