ESPN and MVFC set contract until 2023.

[IBleedYellow]

50 Valley football games a year will be on ESPN until 2023.

http://gobison.com/news/2016/2/1/FB_0201163216.aspx

Not bad, not bad at all.

[Professor Chaos]

Some may poo-poo ESPN3 as not being real TV but this is the wave of the future. I'd rather have a selection of my conference's games on ESPN3 than one per week on a minor league sports network that's part of a $20 per month sports package from your television provider. With reliable internet ESPN3 is every bit as good as HD cable.

[BisonFan02]

50 Valley football games a year will be on ESPN3 until 2023.

http://gobison.com/news/2016/2/1/FB_0201163216.aspx

Not bad, not bad at all.

FIFY.....still good though.

[centennial]

This isn't a bad deal. Hope some land up on ESPN U or ESPNEWS.

[WTFCollegefootballfan]

Some may poo-poo ESPN3 as not being real TV but this is the wave of the future. I'd rather have a selection of my conference's games on ESPN3 than one per week on a minor league sports network that's part of a $20 per month sports package from your television provider. With reliable internet ESPN3 is every bit as good as HD cable.
ESPN3 sucks. Poor quality video. Sound cuts out.

[Professor Chaos]

ESPN3 sucks. Poor quality video. Sound cuts out.
I'd fairly certain that's more to do with your internet provider/bandwidth than it is with ESPN3. I watch ESPN3 on my Xbox app and I don't see any discernable difference in video and audio from the local KVLY HD feed in Fargo. It buffers occasionally and it can be a nightmare to pause/rewind/etc (and the horrendously repetitive commercials get old real fast) but for watching live sports it's just as good as cable for me.

[DFW HOYA]

50 Valley football games a year will be on ESPN until 2023.


I'm not sure ESPN3 will even be around by 2023.

[centennial]

ESPN3 sucks. Poor quality video. Sound cuts out.
Buy a roku or an apple TV. The streams on that are more reliable and should give you a better experience.
Source: Have worked for 2 big cable companies.
Edit: If you have good internet.

[clenz]

ESPN3 sucks. Poor quality video. Sound cuts out.

That's a you problem. Not ESPN3.

ESPN3 is crystal clear on my phone, tablet, laptop and XboxOne

[ST_Lawson]

ESPN3 sucks. Poor quality video. Sound cuts out.

That's generally just an issue with the school's feed. In most cases, the school is the one shooting the video and producing the broadcast and then they just stream it to ESPN who sends it out via ESPN3. If the school's broadcast sucks, that's all your going to get over the feed.

I used ESPN3 (streaming through a Roku attached to my TV) to watch pretty much all of WIU's away games this year, as well as a few other MVFC regular season games, much of the FCS playoffs, and a few of the FBS bowl games and rarely had any issue at all.

EDIT - could also be an issue with your connection and/or the device that you're using to play it

Also, just the other day I was at one of our Women's BBall games that happened to also be on ESPN3. I was curious to see how it looked, so I pulled out the iPhone, connected to the arena's wi-fi, and was able to watch the game in HD right there on the phone. It was about 90 seconds behind, and I was there anyway, but still, even that worked fine for me.

Plus, this is really still just the beginning stages of broadcasting sports live online...at least at this level, for many schools. Over the next few years, they'll get a lot better at putting together a decent broadcast.

[Professor Chaos]

I'm not sure ESPN3 will even be around by 2023.
I'd guess that ESPN3 (or whatever they want to call their online streaming service) has a better chance of still being around in 2023 than ESPNU or ESPNEWS do.

[centennial]

That's a you problem. Not ESPN3.

ESPN3 is crystal clear on my phone, tablet, laptop and XboxOne
ESPN 3 on the computer is sometimes not as good. All other platforms like Android, iOS, Roku are better.

[UNIFanSince1983]

ESPN3 having a partnership with the MVC and MVFC has saved my life since moving to Lincoln. I have been able to watch all the UNI games that I have not been able to make it back to Iowa for. I am super stoked for this continued deal!!

It used to be a nightmare to watch UNI away games even in CF before the ESPN3 contract. Now it is a breeze even here in Lincoln.

[walliver]

ESPN3 on most computers I have tried sucks badly. In addition to streaming video, the mouse house is also updated windows and other stuff. It works better on dedicated devices.

[RootinFerDukes]

It'd be nice if they could actually put live Fcs games on their real tv channels. Outside of a handful of live meac and swac games (it seems like half are tape delay broadcasts), they don't air any other Fcs content in the regular season.
Well they did pick up Liberty/ccu this year on espnews on a Thursday.

[WTFCollegefootballfan]

ESPN3 on most computers I have tried sucks badly. In addition to streaming video, the mouse house is also updated windows and other stuff. It works better on dedicated devices.
I'm using a laptop to watch it. My tablet is bad also. I even tried using Verizon as a hot spot for the NDSU playoff game. Still had issues on phone, tablet, and laptop. It wasn't just me. On #1 Bison's facebook page there were hundreds of posts about how ****ty ESPN3 was for the playoff game.

[BisonTru]

I'm using a laptop to watch it. My tablet is bad also. I even tried using Verizon as a hot spot for the NDSU playoff game. Still had issues on phone, tablet, and laptop. It wasn't just me. On #1 Bison's facebook page there were hundreds of posts about how ****ty ESPN3 was for the playoff game.

I've had absolutely zero issues with ESPN 3. If I don't go to the game I'll have four games going on my laptop and one streaming from a device to the TV with my wife watching Netflix in another room. All 5 games coming in, in HD. Hell, I watched the SDSU/WIU game on my Iphone during the MSU blowout in the Fargodome. I think your issues are more to do with your internet services.

[Drblankstare]

The ESPN app on my XboxOne has been really solid, no real complaints. Other than the commercials with Professor mentioned earlier.

[clenz]

Even drunk me has a crystal clear ESPN3 feed watching it right now:D

[TheKingpin28]

Never had a problem with my Xbox One. Though living in Fargo just allows me to watch KVLY.

[BisonFan02]

Most of my ESPN3 watching is replays or non-NDSU games (some live when the Bison are not playing). I've never had issues....and if I had, it was feed problems. To be honest, I LOATH when NDSU is the Valley game of the week....ND Statewide NBC does a better job with the stream/quality.

[BisonTru]

Most of my ESPN3 watching is replays or non-NDSU games (some live when the Bison are not playing). I've never had issues....and if I had, it was feed problems. To be honest, I LOATH when NDSU is the Valley game of the week....ND Statewide NBC does a better job with the stream/quality.

Replays are my only issue. They make it very difficult to jump around, most likely to force you to watch the commercials. Fortunately the NDSU games usually end up on youtube fairly quickly and I just go that route.

[BisonFan02]

Replays are my only issue. They make it very difficult to jump around, most likely to force you to watch the commercials. Fortunately the NDSU games usually end up on youtube fairly quickly and I just go that route.

True. I don't use ESPN3 for NDSU replays....use Youtube on my TiVo.

[WTFCollegefootballfan]

I've had absolutely zero issues with ESPN 3. If I don't go to the game I'll have four games going on my laptop and one streaming from a device to the TV with my wife watching Netflix in another room. All 5 games coming in, in HD. Hell, I watched the SDSU/WIU game on my Iphone during the MSU blowout in the Fargodome. I think your issues are more to do with your internet services.

I used Verizon 4g for the playoff game, and still had problems. Even on my LG g4 phone.

[Bisonoline]

ESPN3 sucks. Poor quality video. Sound cuts out.

Do you have Directv? ESPN3 is channels 790-799 I think. We recorded all of the playoff games and some regular season games with no problems.

[clenz]

To be honest, I LOATH when NDSU is the Valley game of the week....ND Statewide NBC does a better job with the stream/quality.
Truth.

The ****ty quality really comes into play when Mediacom/Comcast are the production team.

ESPN requires all MVC program (and I'm assuming MVFC programs with this new deal) to have the ability to stream in HD with tons of extras on top of it yet Mediacom and Comcast go with 360i hand held cameras using base camera mic for game audio and a $5 Wal Mart microphone for their PxP guys.

[JSUSoutherner]

I'd fairly certain that's more to do with your internet provider/bandwidth than it is with ESPN3. I watch ESPN3 on my Xbox app and I don't see any discernable difference in video and audio from the local KVLY HD feed in Fargo. It buffers occasionally and it can be a nightmare to pause/rewind/etc (and the horrendously repetitive commercials get old real fast) but for watching live sports it's just as good as cable for me.
This.

Although I think the ESPN XB1 app is a nightmare. I hate the layout.

[clenz]

This.

Although I think the ESPN XB1 app is a nightmare. I hate the layout.
I have to agree.

Layout is bad and, maybe it's just me, but the app freezes before I can even get to what I want to load.

When I get the game to play the quality is fine, but it's buggy as ****

[Twentysix]

It'd be nice if they could actually put live Fcs games on their real tv channels. Outside of a handful of live meac and swac games (it seems like half are tape delay broadcasts), they don't air any other Fcs content in the regular season.
Well they did pick up Liberty/ccu this year on espnews on a Thursday.


Pretty sure NDSU played Montana on one of the ESPNs before the playoffs.

- - - Updated - - -


Never had a problem with my Xbox One. Though living in Fargo just allows me to watch KVLY.

Keep in mind living in Fargo you have access to better internet than like 80% of the country.

[clenz]

UNI/Nicholls State was a ESPNU game a fews years ago

[centennial]

Pretty sure NDSU played Montana on one of the ESPNs before the playoffs.

- - - Updated - - -



Keep in mind living in Fargo you have access to better internet than like 80% of the country.
Did Fargo get gigabit internet?

[Twentysix]

Even without it both ISPs in Fargo offer at least 200mbps at reasonable prices. Both cable one and midco could strangle TWC (Top speed 60 mbps, which again is better than like 80% of the country) here in SoCal.

http://www.anygivensaturday.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=22165&stc=1

Yellow and orange areas have access to at least 25mbps/3mbps (the slowest speeds legally allowed to be called broadband) which is a really low bar in my opinion. Blue areas do not have any access to even 25mbps internet.

When you raise the speed threshold a little the map gets crappier, and when you change it to at least two ISP options it gets horrendous.

Keep in mind 25mbps is the minimum speed required to stream a single video in 4k, which will likely become the standard streaming resolution faster than most of the internet infrastructure in the country is updated. Also keep in mind that most household internet connections are used by multiple people simultaneously, so the network should function with those households in mind. Fargo, believe it or not, is one of the best ISP markets in the US. Though Midco completely goaded cableone into a competition that created this situation. So really the praise should go to Midco, whether you are a cable one customer or a midco customer.

[dewey]

Even drunk me has a crystal clear ESPN3 feed watching it right now:D

Then your not drunk enoughxdrunkyx

Dewey

[marenlee]

ESPN3 is crystal clear for me. And I'm in freakin Guam. ESPN3 ain't the problem. Every Bison game I have watched here was in clear HD.

[AmsterBison]

I have to agree.

Layout is bad and, maybe it's just me, but the app freezes before I can even get to what I want to load.

When I get the game to play the quality is fine, but it's buggy as ****

ESPN XB1 app is an abortion. The UI must have looked awesome running on a local network but it's laggy as heck in real life.

The one huge improvement they could make is adding a Y=Search button. Amazon Prime has it. Netflix has it.

Right now, if you painfully cycle through 15 or so channels to get to NCAA FB, you find out that they have only 25 options to chose from (out of thousands of possibilities) - and most of the 25 options are things like "Talking heads rave about Arizona State recruiting" or "Replay: Ball State v Central Michigan: Spanish."

Am I missing something?

[clenz]

I don't think so. That's what I get too

[AmsterBison]

Don't get me wrong though... I love having games on ESPN3 even if the XBox One app sucks.

I just don't see why WatchESPN app on my Kindle Fire or Windows machines is so much better than the XBox app.

[Herder]

Some may poo-poo ESPN3 as not being real TV but this is the wave of the future. I'd rather have a selection of my conference's games on ESPN3 than one per week on a minor league sports network that's part of a $20 per month sports package from your television provider. With reliable internet ESPN3 is every bit as good as HD cable.

With the the mvfc's games also simulcast on dtv Channels 788-799, this is awesome. All the games on tv each week is perfect for me with the sports package on dtv.

[clenz]

Don't get me wrong though... I love having games on ESPN3 even if the XBox One app sucks.

I just don't see why WatchESPN app on my Kindle Fire or Windows machines is so much better than the XBox app.

That's what blow my mind

I have over 100 meg service hard wired into my xbox and it's laggy as hell, until the game gets loaded.

My wireless devices (wireless cuts my speed to about 50 or 60 meg) have no lag and load time 10 times quicker.

[TheKingpin28]

Pretty sure NDSU played Montana on one of the ESPNs before the playoffs.

- - - Updated - - -



Keep in mind living in Fargo you have access to better internet than like 80% of the country.

It wouldn't be so bad but lucky for us, the guy who owns the house is a staunch Cable One supporter, and its the lowest of low for speed, so that's why I generally just watch it on KVLY

[Twentysix]

That sucks, cable one's second crappiest plan is 100mbps for $35/mo then $55/mo after introductory price ends.

[ST_Lawson]

That sucks, cable one's second crappiest plan is 100mbps for $35/mo then $55/mo after introductory price ends.

Good lord...I would straight up murder someone for that.

Where I live, I can get half that for nearly twice the price....that's the best option.

[centennial]

I pay $40 for 20mbps with Century Link. Used to pay $100ish for 100mbps with Comcast, however it would throttle Netflix, Hulu etc so I got rid of that. Ditto someone please give me reliable 100mbps for $55, I'll take it right away. Some areas in Denver are getting gigabit but we don't have it.

[clenz]

I pay 64.99 for 100 mgps with no contract or cable bundle. Compared to 54.99 for 50 mgps. No brainier

[gotts]

$49.99 for 60 down and 6 up, no contract. Gigabit internet should be available here by the end of 2017.

[NoVABison]

Been watching ESPN3 since 2010, and the quality seems to improve every year. A few years ago, the buffering and crashing were pretty bad... this season, its been clear as a bell in HD for me... I think maybe once or twice I had a few seconds of buffering. I use Apple TV for the watchESPN app (btw have the new version of Apple TV, and that version of WatchESPN is really good).

As for the MVFC Game of the Week coverage... I wish they would stop wasting their time and money... KVLY coverage is fine with me.

[BisonTru]

I pay $117 was $107 for 100 mpgs internet and everything cable midco (Tivo, mini, all channels minus HBO and the other movie channels). I got some ridiculous sign up deal, I think it's going to $150 in a year.

Wondering around Menards while my wife tried to decide on a shade of whitexrolleyesx, I ran into the DirectTV salesman, told him what I have, and he did his pitch and what it would be with DirectTV, $114 no internet. And I'm sure that's an introductory rate.

[dudeitsaid]

ESPN3 sucks. Poor quality video. Sound cuts out.

I have found this to be the case when viewing on my laptop, but the quality through my xbox is as good as our Dish network satellite service. Seems to be various factors effect the quality of the stream. I personally wish the Big Sky games were all on ESPN3. Then it would be on demand as well. Plus, ESPN3's production quality is typically better than half of these other providers like Eversport, B2BTV, etc.

[IBleedYellow]

Yeahhh...DirecTV isn't cheap, but I love it.

Especially since I have access to watchESPN, too.

Sports everywhere.

[centennial]

Yeahhh...DirecTV isn't cheap, but I love it.

Especially since I have access to watchESPN, too.

Sports everywhere.
Dish gives me access to Watch ESPN as well. 1st year I paid $40 now about $65. I am going to cancel it and go to Sling once out of contract.

[clenz]

Talk about an app with ****ty quality, buffering out the asshole and terrible UI.

I didn't even last my free week before I deleted every way proving I ever used it

[ST_Lawson]

I will say I did have some buffering issues when watching REALLY big events using the ESPN app on my Roku. For example, the FBS championship game when probably 3/4 of a bajillion people were all streaming it on their devices and stuff. In that case though, it was just ESPN's systems not being able to handle it all.