ESPN 4K HDR Now On ESPN, ESPN 2: Should Seniors Care?
By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man
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ESPN this week started rolling out ESPN 4K HDR (High Dynamic Range) on ESPN and ESPN2. (See press release from ESPN.) The sports network has offered select college football and basketball games in 4K for years but this is the first time it will provide such extensive coverage of live events and shows in the format.
The ESPN 4K HDR feeds will cover:
• All ESPN productions of Monday Night Football
• NBA and NHL games produced by ESPN
• Select college football games
• Select U.S. Open tennis coverage
• Major events including Super Bowl LXI on February 14, 2027.
Where to Watch ESPN 4K HDR
The first place to see it is the ESPN Unlimited app ($31.99 a month) on the iPhone and Apple TV 4K streaming device. Disney+ will carry the 4K feeds for ESPN Unlimited subscribers, perhaps as early as this week, and more streaming and cable/satellite services are expected to add it this fall.
What Do You Need to Watch ESPN 4K HDR?
• A 4K television that supports HDR
• A compatible streaming device or Smart TV (starting with the iPhone or Apple TV 4K.)
• A subscription that includes ESPN/ESPN2 (cable package, live TV streaming service, or ESPN Unlimited)
• A solid Internet connection (ESPN generally recommends higher speeds for 4K streaming; your minimum speed probably should be 50 Mbps.)
If you already watch ESPN through a cable or satellite provider, check with them in the coming weeks to see if and/or when the 4K HDR version becomes available on your service.
Should Seniors Care About ESPN 4K HDR?
At TV For Seniors, we look at every issues for how it will affect viewers 55 and older. So the big question here is: Should seniors care about ESPN 4K HDR?
The honest answer: Probably not much.
I like to watch live sporting events in 4K. But it’s a luxury upgrade, not a necessity. On most living room TVs, a well-produced 1080p HD picture (which many live sporting events now offer) will look nearly as good as a 4K one. The difference is minimal, not great like the difference when standard-definition TV transitioned to high-definition. (That was eye-popping.)
The real benefits of watching a sporting event in 4K – deeper colors, crisper edges, smoother motion – will only be apparent on a large screen and you have to sit much closer to the screen than you might be used to. For many seniors, that’s a bridge too far, so to speak. (And we can’t ignore that senior eyes are not as good at spotting image details as they used to be, right?) If you have a TV less than 55 inches, you probably won’t see any difference in the 4K picture.
There’s also a cost and hassle angle. ESPN recommends at least 25 Mbps of stable Internet for 4K (and that’s conservative in my view; 50 Mbps is my recommendation for the minimum) and you’ll need a compatible device. The price of ESPN Unlimited is also rising to $31.99 a month on September 17, and the 4K feeds on Disney+ are limited to that tier. For a lot of seniors, that’s money spent chasing a difference they won’t see.
Now you might want to upgrade to 4K for the Super Bowl which will air on ESPN and ABC. Particularly if you’re inviting friends over. But otherwise, I would counsel you to not worry about it unless it’s already part of your TV package and doesn’t require an extra cost. (YouTube TV, for example, requires an extra $4.99 monthly fee to watch 4K programs.)
So if you’re happy with the picture you have now, don’t feel pressured to chase the 4K hype. The games aren’t going anywhere, and neither is the regular HD feed.
Have a question? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com
The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.
