Samsung has partnered with ESPN to bring select regular season college football games live in native 4K resolution, beginning Saturday (Oct. 12th).
The first game will kick off at 8 p.m. EST on ESPN pitting the University of Florida against Louisana State as part of the “Samsung QLED 4K Game of the Week” series that will encompass six college football games this season, the companies announced late Thursday afternoon.
An additional 4K feed that will be part of ESPN’s “Megacast” presentation of the College Football Playoff National Championship Game will be presented on Jan. 13, 2020.
Additionally, Samsung and Netflix are partnering to create first-of-its-kind fan experiences beginning with Countdown to El Camino, which is available exclusively on the Samsung TV Plus OTT channel through 3 AM EST on Friday.
DirecTV will be the first distributor to carry the college games in native 4K Ultra HD and Samsung will be the presenting sponsor and production coordinator. DirecTV will offer the games on channel 107, with a limited 4K HDR (DirecTV supports 4K resolution with the HLG profile). DirecTV subscribers will need to have 4K HDR compatible equipment, a DirecTV
SELECT programming package or higher, 4K account authorization and professional installation to receive the broadcasts.
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Viewers with non-HDR (presumably HLG) supporting 4K TVs will be able to tune in the event in standard 4K, Samsung said. The disclaimer indicated “other conditions apply.”
Upcoming “Samsung QLED 4K Game of the Week” game schedules will be determined and announced on a week-by-week basis and will be available at Samsung.com/qledsports.
“After months of planning and technical testing, we are excited sports fans can watch 4K UHD College Football games as part of the Samsung QLED 4K Game of the Week,” stated Jodi Markley, EVP, ESPN Content Operations and Creative Services. “As 4K technical resources and workflows become more readily available, we will continue to grow this standard across our operations. 4K images are stunning and we look forward to sharing them with fans.”
Grace Dolan, Samsung Electronics America Home Entertainment marketing VP, stated: “Driving innovation in 4K creates a deeper and more meaningful impact on the way consumers experience the content they are passionate about. This is why teaming up with ESPN for the Samsung QLED 4K Game of the Week is such a pivotal point for the TV industry. Being able to experience true, native 4K college football games live on ESPN for the first time ever is a game changer. With a variety of super large screen size options, stunning picture quality, dazzling colors and ultra wide viewing angles, Samsung QLED TVs allow fans to enjoy 4K college football action like they’re actually at the game with their friends from the comfort of their homes.”
Said Rita Ferro, President, Disney Advertising Sales, “Innovation is a hallmark of The Walt Disney Company and Samsung. As the leading TV manufacturer in the world, Samsung was a natural fit to help us deliver college football in native 4K, and their ongoing involvement in these productions will help us continue to build upon what we can bring to fans and advertisers as the 4K boom really begins in earnest.”
Tim Gibson, VP Video and Application Marketing, AT&T, added, “It’s been a momentous year for us as we continue to innovate and deliver the best in sports in vibrant 4K HDR, and we’re excited to give college football fans even more content options with ESPN.”
By Greg Tarr
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