ESPN+ gets offline viewing, improved nav and personalized recommendations

ESPN+

ESPN today announced that the ESPN+ — the sports network's $5-a-month streaming video service that has a good deal of content above and beyond what you can find on TV— has gotten a bit of a revamp with a number few fairly big features added.

Biggest, perhaps, is that ESPN+ is now offering up personalized recommendations. Watch a lot of football? The app will suggest even more football. Watch a lot of soccer? The app will suggest even more soccer, with idea of getting you deeper into content that you might otherwise have not discovered. And it'll grow over time to include live events.

Here's how ESPN puts it:

Initially, ESPN+ content recommendations highlight video-on-demand programming—helping fans discover more of the catalog of original, studio and library content available. Recommendations will continuously be refined and improved and will soon expand to live and upcoming events, helping ensure fans never miss the events and shows that they want to see.

Also big: A number of shows will be available offline, so you can watch even when you're not connected. That'll include shows like "Detail with Kobe Bryant," "Quest for The Stanley Cup," "NBA: Year One" and "30 for 30" documentaries.

There's also new E+ icon in the navigation bar, so that you can more easily find ESPN+. (That was definitely a long time coming.) And a whole section for UFC.

Away from the phone, ESPN+ also has added apps on Samsung Smart TVs, so you can get all that video on its 2017 and 2018 models, in addition to this year's latest.

And for the VR folks, ESPN+ also is on Oculus Go.

Get a free ESPN+ trial