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For US fans stuck at work, a streaming milestone

By WTOP Staff

RACHEL COHEN
AP Sports Writer

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The first two U.S. games at this World Cup kicked off at favorable times for watching on television back home.

The Americans’ group finale Thursday will be smack in the middle of the workday. The match against Germany, which could determine whether they advance to the knockout round, starts at noon on the East Coast, 9 a.m. out west.

U.S. fans’ surging interest in the country’s World Cup fortunes, and the surging comfort level with watching games online and on mobile devices, come together Thursday in what could be a milestone for live streaming.

Sunday’s 2-2 tie with Portugal set records for WatchESPN, which allows subscribers who receive the network on their pay TV to stream the game for free. The average audience per minute was 490,000, with a total of nearly 1.4 million viewers.

But that match was played on a weekend evening, when it was easy for Americans to gather in front of the TV. It was watched by a record 18.2 million people on ESPN, and another 6.5 million on Spanish-language Univision.

“The good news is that at the end of the day tomorrow, it will be a great event, just like Sunday night was an event,” ESPN senior vice president Ryan Spoon said in a phone interview Wednesday.

Portugal’s tying goal in the last minute of stoppage time prevented the U.S. from clinching a spot in the knockout round. Now the Americans need at least a draw against mighty Germany to ensure they advance; they could still move on with a loss depending on the result of the game between Ghana and Portugal played at the same time.

Indeed, even if fans get in front of a TV on Thursday, they still may use another device to keep an eye on the other Group G match.

ESPN’s research has shown that many people now routinely use multiple screens to follow the action, and they use the same apps across multiple devices, Spoon said. They may check scores on an app on their phone, view in-game highlights on a laptop, or watch a live stream on a tablet.

Through 40 games, WatchESPN telecasts have averaged 720,000 live unique viewers, up 139 percent from 2010. At the time of the last World Cup, the iPad had been available for only a few months. Meanwhile, Spoon said, ESPN’s and other networks’ live-streaming products have gotten easier and easier to use.

A hint of the potential for Thursday’s game comes from last week’s match between Brazil and Mexico, played on a Tuesday afternoon. With huge interest among Mexican-Americans, Univision Digital had 1.6 million unique viewers.

Unlike ESPN, Univision Digital doesn’t require a pay TV subscription at this stage of the tournament. So it should also draw a big streaming audience Thursday, with plenty of viewers who don’t speak Spanish.

Through 36 games, Univision Digital was averaging 1.2 million live streams per match, a 197 percent increase from the 2010 World Cup.

Spoon, who oversees digital products, was presenting at the Google developer conference Wednesday in San Francisco. The ESPN booth was quite popular, he said — partly because attendees wanted to watch the live streams of the World Cup games on display.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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