ESPN Announces 4K HDR Support In the united states

ESPN put out a press release early last month in which it announced ESPN and ESPN2 would begin rolling out in 4K HDR in the United States. The network said the move would “[elevate] picture quality for fans during one of the highest stakes stretches of the year for live sports,” adding “it will deliver clearer edges, sharper colors and smoother movement—all critically important for delivering a richer and more immersive viewing experience for sports fans.”

“The ESPN App on iOS and tvOS will be the first to support the new experiences, with additional connected TV platforms to follow, as well as on Disney+ in the U.S. to ESPN Unlimited subscribers,” the network said in its announcement on September 8. “We will also have the ability to deliver the networks in 4K HDR through traditional and digital pay-TV providers (MVPDs and DMVPDs). As the rollout expands, fans will start seeing 4K HDR badging on living room devices and HDR badging on mobile.”

Notably, ESPN will be televising its first Super Bowl this season. Super Bowl LXI is set for February 14 in Los Angeles.

This news caught my eye because the ESPN app lives on the Top Shelf of my Apple TV Home Screen. As a devout sports fan, I use the app a lot to watch things like the NHL and college football; it’s one of the very best apps on the platform in my opinion. My favorite part of the app is it uses the stock tvOS video player, but adds custom buttons for multi-view, alternate broadcasts, and more. This means ESPN supports my custom captioning setup set in SF Mono and in large type. Even better from an accessibility standpoint, the crispness of 4K HDR is a godsend for my low vision; it’s one reason why I prefer Apple TV as my streaming box because the main user interface is rendered in clean, crisp 4K HDR—colors pop and text is sharp, making icons, et al, easy to read. (See also: why I prefer Vivid picture mode on my LG C3.)