ESPN MVP

We were big fans of Mobile ESPN when it was a standalone service, but the independent operator couldn't sign up enough subscribers to keep it afloat. Now you can again get your fix of up-to-the-second news, scores, and statistics, as well as fantasy-team management and video highlights with Verizon's V CAST. ESPN MVP is available only for V CAST VPak subscribers ($15 per month), which also includes V CAST Video clips and access to Mobile Web 2.0. For sports fans on this network, it's a no-brainer.

 

We used the Motorola KRZR K1m to test ESPN MVP, and the very first thing we noticed was an improved load time over the previous standalone service. Even though both incarnations operate over EV-DO, ESPN MVP pages on Verizon Wireless' network loaded in nearly half the time as Mobile ESPN--from 12 seconds, on average, compared to about five. You get the same scoring updates and ESPN Gamecasts, complete with play-by-plays, as well as ESPN Insider content. The overall experience was just better, thanks in part to Verizon's network but also to the work that ESPN has done behind the scenes.

 

Stats & Scores Easily Found
Once we got up and running, the user interface impressed us with its simple, streamlined design. ESPN MVP doesn't bombard you with extraneous information. On the left-hand side is a top-to-bottom scrolling menu that provides access to typical destinations like stats, scores, headlines, teams, and video. As before, you can customize this menu so that it shows your favorite teams and players. Below, you'll notice ESPN's Bottomline ticker, which scrolls the top sports news stories of the day without any loading or stuttering.

 

If you're waiting anxiously for trading news or to find out how your team is doing in the late innings, you can set up alerts based on teams or players. You can also receive alerts when articles from ESPN's columnists go live. Our picks were the New York Mets, Pedro Martinez, and Jayson Stark. We would have liked the ability to create player alerts straight from news stories; for instance, if a headline regarding Daunte Culpepper's impending trade piques your interest, you wouldn't be able to simply set a player alert. Instead, you have to manually configure one.

 

ESPN MVP also enables users to manage their fantasy sports teams straight from their V CAST phone. This feature worked well for us, but the application lives in a barebones WAP environment as opposed to ESPN MVP's more polished interface. We did appreciate the Player Tracker feature, which offers updated stats, news, and bios on as many as 15 specific players, so you can more easily keep tabs on who is worth trading for.

 

Sports Highlights Anytime, Anywhere
The picture quality of on-demand video was crisp and displayed at a consistent frame rate, although we had trouble controlling the volume during playback on our KRZR. During our testing, we accessed menu items like ESPNEWS, NBA Finals, Fantasy Sports, and Stanley Cup Finals, each of which contained five or six one-minute clips at any given time. There's also a one-minute recap of ESPNEWS with many of the previous day's highlights. If you tell ESPN MVP your favorite team, the service will deliver team-specific clips. We especially like how the service is beginning to integrate contextual video clips with news stories.

 

Overall, ESPN MVP is a welcome addition to Verizon's V CAST network. The slick interface and plethora of sports stats, scores, and standings at your fingertips makes for easy access when you're standing in line at the bank, stuck in traffic, or at a restaurant that's not a sports bar. Our only real beef with the service is that it's currently only compatible with eight phones. Assuming more handsets get added to the mix, ESPN MVP could be the clincher for many Verizon customers who had initially balked at paying $15 per month for V CAST.


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