Slacker, ESPN tie up on sports radio
The agreement allows Slacker users to listen to customized ESPN Radio content through their smartphones, PCs, or home entertainment devices.
- SABEW Best in Business 2011 Award for Breaking News Coverage, Eddie Award in 2020 for 5G coverage, runner-up National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award for culture analysis.
Music-streaming service Slacker is moving into the sports world through a partnership with ESPN.
Starting today, Slacker users can access ESPN Radio content. Basic radio users can listen to a programmed ESPN station, while Slacker Radio Plus and premium subscribers can listen to an ad-free programmed station and create customized myESPN Radio sports stations based on the type of sport, teams, or ESPN programs. They can also get hourly SportsCenter updates added to their Slacker station.
The partnership represents a significant expansion of content for Slacker, which already offers music, ABC News, and comedy. ESPN, meanwhile, gets another outlet for its customers.
"This new relationship puts the fan more in control by providing customizable ESPN content," Traug Keller, senior vice president of production business divisions for ESPN, said in a statement.
An updated Slacker app with ESPN for Apple's iOS has been submitted and will be available pending Apple approval.
Slacker is offered for free, but customers can pay $3.99 a month for the Radio Plus option, and $9.99 a month for the premium service.