The delays in accessing ESPN Unlimited for some cable and satellite subscribers has been a major frustration with the rollout of the Worldwide Leader’s streaming service. But the wait is finally over for at least one major distributor in Comcast’s Xfinity.
Comcast confirms to Awful Announcing that Thursday February 26 is finally the day where Comcast Xfinity subscribers will be able to authenticate their access for streaming content on ESPN Unlimited. Xfinity subscribers can link their account on their subscription page to start watching ESPN Unlimited now through the ESPN app and will receive detailed instructions on activation in the coming days. The news was first broken by CNBC’s Alex Sherman.
In January, a Comcast representative told Awful Announcing that ESPN Unlimited will be available in the “coming weeks” and thankfully it appears that day has arrived.
The delays have centered around technical issues with the authentication process. A recent report from Sportico indicates that ESPN has built a new process for its redeveloped app, specifically around gathering more information around viewers and content choices.
As opposed to the very public battle between Disney and Google over a carriage agreement between ESPN and YouTube TV, Comcast and Disney came to a peaceful deal on renewed distribution last fall. While that agreement included ESPN Unlimited access, it’s taken months for it to come to fruition.
One of the major selling points of ESPN Unlimited was that anyone with an existing cable or satellite subscription that included ESPN would be able to watch all of the exclusive content on the platform. That quickly proved not to be the case as many new distribution deals had to be signed and back-end technology had to be updated. At least for Xfinity subscribers, they will now be able to watch this weekend’s WWE Elimination Chamber event and have the service in plenty of time for WrestleMania 42.
Now the attention turns to when YouTube TV customers will get their turn to access ESPN Unlimited. Unfortunately for them, the wait may be much longer with indications that it may not be available until the fall.