That’s a bold strategy — ESPNU to become ESPN8 ‘The Ocho’ for one day

By Jacob May August 3, 2017

ESPN8: The Ocho

It took ESPN a little more than 13 years to capitalize on one of its most well-known pop culture references but the sports network finally decided to pay tribute to Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. On Thursday,

Recommended Videos

ESPN announced its college sports channel ESPNU will rebrand itself for one day as ESPN8 “The Ocho,” lifting the joke straight out of the movie as a winking nod to the network’s ever-increasing list of channels.

In the film, ESPN8 televises the climactic dodgeball tournament, and the real-life version plans to follow suit by airing plenty of off-the-beaten-path sports that don’t quite move the needle in terms of viewership numbers. Beginning at midnight (ET) on Tuesday (Aug. 8, of course), The Ocho will air the 2016 American Disc Golf Championship, followed by the 2016 Women’s Flat Track Derby Association Roller Derby Championships. The day continues with other off-kilter sports like trampoline dodgeball, kabaddi (a popular contact sport in Southeast Asia), darts, and arm wrestling. The day ends with the U.S. Open Ultimate Championship at 7 p.m.

All the events will have previously aired across ESPN’s other channels, save for the Moxie Games at 5 p.m. If you have never heard of the Moxie Games, you are not alone. ESPN describes the event thusly: “An uncanny, new and amazing event which combines a variety of sports into one, such as dodgeball and juggling, martial arts and volleyball, and table tennis and soccer.” Given that combining that many sports into one sounds chaotic and virtually impossible, it might be reason enough to tune into the broadcast.

ESPN also notes the majority of events will be available on-demand on TV and on any streaming devices capable of streaming ESPN. The events, sadly, will lack the broadcasting expertise of Dodgeball‘s Cotton McKnight and Pepper Brooks.

The one-day rebranding is not ESPN’s first attempt to delve into the world of niche sports — it aired 10 episodes of drone racing in 2016 on ESPN2. And if this one-day gimmick is not enough to help entice more young viewers to tune in amid the network’s worsening numbers, we suppose it could continue to churn out more Snapchat content.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Jacob joined Digital Trends after beginning his career as a sports reporter and copy editor in the newspaper industry and…

Mobile

OnePlus might cave to pressure and add wireless charging to the OnePlus 8 Pro

oneplus 7 pro 5g uk ee test 1

Whip out your charging pads, because the OnePlus 8 Pro may have support for wireless charging. According to a cryptic tweet from leaker Max J., OnePlus' historical criticism of wireless charging is weakening, and the Chinese smartphone manufacturer may be adding wireless charging in its next major phone release.

Details in the tweet are sparse, and it chiefly consists of a single image of a phone on a charging pad and the caption "Charge like a pro."

Mobile

Alleged OnePlus 8 Lite prototype spotted in video with Pete Lau

alleged oneplus 8 lite shown in pete lau video dummy pictures 1

2020 has begun, and that means a bevy of new phones are on the horizon. While much attention is currently on the new Samsung Galaxy S flagship, don't forget about the flagship killer. This year OnePlus is rumored to be releasing a trio of new flagship phones under the OnePlus 8 banner. Of the three, the OnePlus 8 Lite is expected to be the cheapest of the three -- and a Chinese video has given us a good look at what's alleged to be the OnePlus 8 Lite with a triple-lens camera array.

The video, hosted on Chinese video site Bilibili, shows four men -- including OnePlus CEO Pete Lau -- seemingly discussing a number of OnePlus's phones, contained in a clear plastic box. However, squished at the front of the box is an unfamiliar looking phone, and it has been suggested by many this is the upcoming OnePlus 8 Lite. According to what we can see in the video, the OnePlus 8 Lite is expected to be a fairly tall phone, with a triple-lens rear camera module, arranged vertically down the right-hand side of the phone. More angled shots of the camera module show an extremely significant camera bump that could prove to be a downside for the final release. It's unlikely the phone next to the alleged OnePlus 8 Lite shows the front of the same phone, as we expect a punch-hole display on the 8 Lite.

Entertainment

Don’t let these 3 November 2024 hidden streaming movie gems fly under your radar

Claire Danes and Kieran Culkin as Sookie and Igby sitting on a street talking in Igby Goes Down.

November is a curious month. Spooky season is over, but Christmas season hasn't started yet. It's the middle brother, often ignored entirely by people either holding on to the fall season or those who are more than ready to bring out the Santa hats. Sure, Thanksgiving is celebrated in the final week, but that's just one country in the world; everywhere else, poor November is just the in-between month.

However, it's still a full 30-day month, and what better way to wait for Christmas than by watching some movies as underrated as the month itself? From dark and seriously messed-up comedies to awkward coming-of-age dramedies, these underappreciated streaming gems will make for perfect viewing during this cold, yet not-so-snowy month. So grab a blanket and some popcorn, and get ready to watch some severely underrated movies.
The House of Yes (1997)