Technologies

ESPN’s Standalone Streaming Service and App to Launch Aug. 21

With prices starting at just $30, with content from NFL Network and WWE, the new service looks like a tempting offer for sports fans.

Just in time for the NFL and college football seasons, ESPN will launch its flagship streaming service and app Aug. 21. The service, which will simply be called ESPN, will cost $30 as a standalone service or $36 a month if bundled with Disney+ and Hulu.

The NFL season kicks off on Sept. 4, and the first set of college games are scheduled for Aug. 23. Subscribers will receive access to all of ESPN’s live games for all sports and programming from ESPN on ABC, ESPN2 and the SEC Network.

On Wednesday, Disney-owned ESPN announced it will be acquiring the NFL Network, which includes the popular RedZone Channel and NFL Fantasy. Per the deal, ESPN will air three additional NFL games a season on NFL Network. ESPN also struck a deal with World Wrestling Entertainment for the US rights to show WrestleMania, the Royal Rumble and SummerSlam, starting in 2026.

Disney CEO Bob Iger said ESPN’s «full suite of networks and services» will be available on the streaming service. «The enhanced ESPN app will be a sports fan’s dream with key new features planned for launch, such as multiview, enhanced personalization, integration of stats, betting, fantasy sports and commerce and a personalized Sports Center,» he said.

Paolo Pescatore, founder and TMT analyst at PP Foresight, said ESPN’s streaming service launch announcement was an overall positive one. «It is essential to empower fans with a slew of choices of how they watch and engage with content,» he said. «This remains key. In the US, it is apparent that fans prefer the larger screen experience, given the push towards bigger TVs. Even so, increasingly this will be delivered via IP, either via cable, fibre, 5G or even still satellite.»

The service was originally slated to launch this fall, but Disney brought the date up, possibly to keep up with the competition. Fox Sports’ streaming service, called Fox One, will also begin Aug. 21. ESPN and Fox One will join an ever-expanding menu of sports streaming services available for all fans’ tastes.

Mike Proulx, vice president and research director at Forrester, said ESPN’s streaming service launch will provide Disney a «notable lift in revenue» after being a tad below expectations. «Disney is racing full force to sign sports rights with the company’s NFL and WWE announcements,» he said. «This is yet another signal that the latest battle in the streaming war is all about live sports programming.»

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Friday, Aug. 8

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Aug. 8

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s Mini Crossword might make you hungry. I think I need to put a summer barbecue on my calendar now. The puzzle wasn’t terribly tough, but I did mess up on 8-Across for a while, which took me some time to sort out. It was kind of fun that the first three across clues all helped build a summer classic meal. Need help with the clues and answers? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in The Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Piece of bread atop 4-Across
Answer: BUN

4A clue: Yellow square atop 7-Across
Answer: CHEESE

7A clue: Offering at a summer cookout
Answer: BURGER

8A clue: Envelop and obscure
Answer: SHROUD

9A clue: Covers a tree in bathroom rolls, in a classic prank
Answer: TPS

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Brought about
Answer: BEGOT

2D clue: Fully deplete
Answer: USEUP

3D clue: Jocks’ counterparts, stereotypically
Answer: NERDS

4D clue: «Survivor» network
Answer: CBS

5D clue: «What’d you say?»
Answer: HUH

6D clue: Make a mistake
Answer: ERR

Technologies

The Tesla Cybertruck May Have Found Its True Calling: Target Practice

The US Air Force plans to launch missiles at the controversial truck. Can we watch?

Technologies

Out of Nowhere: UFO 50 Hits Switch 2 After Indie World Reveal

No release date, no buildup, just a straight-up launch on the Switch.

Nintendo held an Indie World Showcase on Thursday to spotlight some of the indie games coming to the Switch platform. One of the surprise indie hits from last year is making the jump from PC to the Switch 2, and it’s available right now.

UFO 50, one of CNET’s best games of 2024, was the surprise from Nintendo’s Indie World Showcase Thursday, and had the additional surprise of launching after the event. It’s available to play on the Switch or the Switch 2 and costs $25.

From Mossmouth, UFO 50 is a unique indie title as it consists of 50 games done in a retro 8-bit style. These games come in a variety of genres, from platformers to shooters to RPGs. It’s a wide variety of games made by different independent developers.

While the collection of games in UFO 50 looks like something released on the NES back in the ’80s, the games have a modern feel. Some games are intended to be played solo, while others are meant to be played with others. The selection does feel random, but they’re connected by the story of a fictional game studio, UFOSoft, that created these 50 games that it never released.

Along with UFO 50, more than a dozen indie games were revealed during the showcase, including:

Is This Seat Taken?
Little Kitty, Big City
Content Warning
Ball X Pit
Ultimate Sheep Raccoon
Glaciered
Winter Burrow
Undusted: Letters from the Past
Tiny Bookshop
Caves of Qud
Strange Antiquities
Opus: Prism Peak
Go-Go Town!
Mina the Hollower
Well Dweller
Neverway
Herdling

Some games are set to come out in the coming weeks, while others will arrive in 2026.

You can buy UFO 50 for the Switch or the Switch 2 via My Nintendo Store online or the Nintendo eShop on the consoles for $25. Those who want a physical copy of the game can preorder one from Fangamer for $35.