ESPN Edge finds a winning digital game plan in an evolving media landscape with Microsoft Azure

ESPN stands out to the U.S. sports-viewing public as a trusted brand with a storied history. Over the course of three decades, ESPN became a presence in the living rooms of 100 million people. However, viewership has been impacted by broader industry trends, such as the massive expansion of digital entertainment. Streaming has forever changed how the public consumes content, siphoning viewers from traditional brands. In 2021, ESPN was present in 79 million households, and the company continues to find ways to expand its viewership by evolving its entertainment product.

ESPN knew that it had to cut through the noise of new media and tap modern technologies to create unparalleled fan experiences. So, the company partnered with Microsoft, Accenture, and Verizon to launch the ESPN Edge Innovation Center, which explores how new technologies like 5G, augmented and virtual reality, and mobile edge computing can deliver value to both sports fans and advertisers. Together, these companies provided innovative technologies that ESPN is using to shape the future of sports productions.

Creating innovative fan experiences using Microsoft Azure

ESPN is confident in the value it offers sports fans. Decades of insights and ESPN’s extensive media and statistical archives add context and color to create a rich fan experience that complements exciting live moments. But without an efficient way to draw on these assets, ESPN faced high operating costs. Moreover, the company wanted to make its transcription of live events more efficient with modern technology.

The ESPN Edge Innovation Center had a vision of empowering the network to compete in a new era, so it approached Microsoft to explore specific use cases that would connect technical capabilities with business outcomes. The ESPN Edge Innovation Center chose Microsoft Azure as its primary cloud platform to enhance personalization and accessibility and improve operating efficiency. “Our company has a long history of embracing emerging technology and being the pacesetter for creating innovative sports media experiences,” says Kevin Lopes, Vice President, Sports Business Development and Innovation at ESPN. “Partnering with Microsoft was the logical next step in our journey.”

The innovation center has also worked with Accenture to visualize and create game-changing fan experiences. Meanwhile, it delivered experiences such as 360-degree viewing portals using Verizon’s 5G network. By working with Microsoft, Accenture, and Verizon to traverse consulting, technology, and business viewpoints, ESPN created a road map centered on value creation.

Using cloud automation to reduce transcription costs by more than 50 percent and elevate the fan experience

Cloud-based automation was a key component of the ESPN Edge Innovation Center’s innovation strategy. Previously, the company’s manual closed-captioning process relied on people to transcribe events. Now, by using tools such as Azure AI, ESPN can provide automated, real-time closed captioning, which has significantly reduced the cost of the service. “Using Azure AI, we’re confident in our ability to provide accurate closed captioning in a cost-efficient way,” says Lopes. Additionally, real-time closed captioning widens accessibility among fans.

The ESPN Edge Innovation Center is also exploring other ways to augment the fan experience. Using cloud technology, fans have even greater access to ESPN’s vast collection of sports insights, statistics, and media files, bringing even more context and meaning to live sports moments. Also, the company made its programming available on a wider range of third-party platforms. This expansion not only increased accessibility but also improved overall viewership.

Delivering innovative sports programming with Azure

ESPN is not alone in the challenges it faces as the public changes its viewing habits, but the company plans to continue setting the pace of innovation. “Our Azure-based closed-captioning product will be at the forefront, providing innovative firsts to sports fans everywhere,” says Lopes. With the ESPN Edge Innovation Center, the company has robust cloud infrastructure that facilitates custom-built projects and advanced analytics while it lowers costs.

Reflecting on the impact that the ESPN Edge Innovation Center has had thus far, the company emphasizes the importance of its collaborative approach. By taking the conversation beyond technology and centering it on the intrinsic link between real business outcomes and potential technical projects, ESPN and Microsoft aligned their considerable expertise around a shared vision: giving fans a customized viewing experience unlike any other.