娱乐 | 迪士尼入战流媒体

▍课程导读

迪士尼公司最近推出的独立流媒体视频服务 ESPN+（Entertainment and Sports Programming Network Plus）已经上线，定价为4.99美元/月。ESPN+ 是迪士尼第一个直接面向消费者的服务产品，将为订户提供大量的体育赛事资源，包括常规的大学运动赛事、美式橄榄球联赛、国家冰球联盟公开赛、板球和高尔夫球比赛等。该服务的推出与传统付费电视服务业绩出现滑坡以及ESPN的订阅用户流失有关。在 Netflix、Amazon 等同类有线网络纷纷持续加码体育内容的冲击下，ESPN 的盈利表现不如预期，而在其它业务的表现都相当稳健之下，ESPN 已成为迪士尼首要改革的业务。对于新增的 ESPN+ 能否助力 ESPN 重回增长轨道，体量庞大的迪士尼如何开始流媒体实践，这些都对2019年迪士尼将要推出的，可能在规模和形态上对 Netflix 形成牵制的流媒体平台，有一定的前瞻性意义。

本篇课程首发于2018年4月17日

难度系数：★★★☆☆
无用系数：★☆☆☆☆

Field of streams: ESPN

① Disney launches its first American direct-to-consumer business today with ESPN+, a subscription sport-streaming service delivering games not available on its regular cable channels.
② For a few bucks a month, the service will carry plenty of sports, but mostly lesser fare such as lower-profile university sports, some football leagues, cricket and golf.
③ It will also include one big-league baseball and ice-hockey game a day.
④ The offering intentionally skimps on most top-flight American contests so as not to draw customers away from the far more lucrative pay-TV channels that carry professional (American) football and basketball, and big college games.
⑤ It will therefore be a challenge to draw subscribers in great numbers.
⑥ But ESPN+ is an important test of concept: next year Disney will launch a streaming subscription service that will carry the company's many blockbuster films, as well as new, original programming.
⑦ The stakes will be higher in the sequel.

▍生词好句

field /fiːld/: n. 领域；田野
track and field: 田径
direct-to-consumer /kənˈsju:mə/: adj.（DTC）直面消费者的
subscription /səbˈskrɪpʃ(ə)n/: n. 订阅
deliver /dɪˈlɪvə/: vt. 放送；播放
game /ɡeɪm/: n. 比赛；游戏
channel /ˈtʃan(ə)l/: n. 频道
Chanel /ʃəˈnɛl/: 香奈儿
buck /bʌk/: n.（俗）美元
carry /ˈkari/: vt. 播放；播送
lesser /ˈlɛsə/: adj. 次要的
fare /fɛː/: n. 节目；费用
profile /ˈprəʊfʌɪl/: n. 简介；概况；侧影
low/high-profile: adj. 低调/高调的
keep a low/high profile: 保持低调/高调
job profile: 工作简介
cricket /ˈkrɪkɪt/: n. 板球
offering /ˈɒf(ə)rɪŋ/: n. 提供节目/产品（的方式）
skimp on /skɪmp/: 节省；吝惜
top-flight: adj. 顶级的；一流的
draw away: 分流；引开
lucrative /ˈlu:krətɪv/: adj. 盈利的；赚钱的
subscriber /səbˈskrʌɪbə/: n. 订阅用户
test of concept: 概念测试
blockbuster film /ˈblɒkbʌstə/: 大片
stake /steɪk/: n. 风险；利益
(be) at stake: 在危机关头
stakeholder /ˈsteɪkhəʊldə/: n. 利益相关人

▍补充例句

1. buck
   Can I borrow a few bucks?
   It's altogether 200 bucks.

2. fare
   This is not a conventional Hollywood fare.

3. profile
   He is not the sort of politician to keep a low profile for long / at all.
   The star has a high profile in London.
   Hu Ge has a killer profile.

4. skimp on
   Don't skimp on self-development.
   The homeworkers should never skimp on office supplies.

5. top-flight
   They've hired a really top-flight team.

6. It's a challenge to do.
   It's a challenge to be a mom.