Fubo Quietly Rolled Out a Massive HD Quality Boost
Fubo Upgrades Fox Sports and ESPN Channels to 1080p: What You Need to Know
The Big News in Simple Terms
Fubo just made watching sports on their streaming service look much better. They’ve upgraded their Fox Sports channels (FS1, FS2) and ESPN channels (ESPN, ESPN2) from 720p to 1080p resolution. Think of it like getting a new pair of glasses—everything looks sharper, clearer, and more detailed.
Why This Matters for Sports Fans
Important Point: This isn’t just a small change—it’s more than double the picture detail. For fast-moving sports like football, basketball, soccer, and hockey, this means you can actually see the ball/puck better, read score graphics easily, and notice player expressions.
The Numbers Made Simple
| Resolution | Pixels (Width × Height) | Total Pixels | What It Means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 720p (Old) | 1280 × 720 | ~921,600 | "Standard HD" — decent but soft on big screens |
| 1080p (New) | 1920 × 1080 | ~2,073,600 | Full HD — over 2× the detail, much sharper |
What Changed & Why Now?
The Backstory
- For years: Most live TV streaming services (including Fubo) delivered ESPN and Fox Sports in 720p
- The problem: Modern TVs are bigger and sharper—720p looks soft on 55"+ screens
- The shift: YouTube and others now say 720p isn’t "Full HD" anymore
- The result: Fubo stepped up to match competitors and meet viewer expectations
The Disney Connection
Fubo is now majority-owned by Disney (which also owns ESPN). This raises an interesting question:
We don’t know yet if this is:
- A native 1080p feed straight from ESPN/Fox Sports (best quality)
- AI upscaling where Fubo uses smart technology to enhance 720p to 1080p (still great!)
Either way—you get a better picture.
Who Gets This Upgrade?
All Fubo subscribers with plans that include:
- ESPN, ESPN2
- FS1, FS2
This covers most sports-focused packages. No extra cost—it’s included in your current plan.
What You’ll Notice (The Good Stuff)
During Live Games
- Sharper action — fast camera pans stay clear
- Readable graphics — scores, stats, player names pop
- Better close-ups — see the stitches on a baseball, the texture of a basketball
- Less blur — crowded sideline shots and quick cuts stay defined
With Your Existing Features
- Multi-view — watch 4 games at once in better quality
- Cloud DVR — record games that look great when rewatched
- Big screen ready — 4K TVs upscale 1080p beautifully (better than upscaling 720p)
Do You Need Fancy Internet or Equipment?
Internet Speed
- Minimum: 10 Mbps per stream (most households have 50–1000+ Mbps)
- Reality check: If you stream Netflix in HD, you’re already good
Devices
Works on all supported Fubo devices:
- Smart TVs (Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung, LG, Vizio)
- Streaming boxes/sticks
- Mobile apps (phones/tablets)
- Web browsers
- Even when casting to a TV from your phone
Data Usage
- Modest increase vs. 720p
- Typical household: Won’t hit data caps (1 TB/month = ~200+ hours of 1080p sports)
How This Fits the Bigger Picture
Industry Trend
| Past Constraint | Current Reality |
|---|---|
| Limited bandwidth → 720p max | Better compression + faster internet → 1080p practical |
| Cable/satellite = better quality | Streaming now matches or beats traditional TV |
| 4K = rare premium | 1080p becoming the new baseline |
Fubo’s Strategy
- Strengthen position as the sports streaming destination
- Keep subscribers who care about picture quality
- Bridge the gap between standard HD and premium 4K (still on higher tiers for select events)
Quick Setup Checklist
- No action needed — upgrade is automatic
- Check your plan — confirm you have ESPN/FS1 channels
- Test it out — tune into a live game on ESPN or FS1
- Enjoy!
Summary
Fubo’s upgrade to 1080p for ESPN and Fox Sports channels is a meaningful win for sports fans. You get:
- 2× more pixels than before
- Sharper, clearer sports action on any screen
- No extra cost or setup required
- Works with all your favorite features (DVR, multi-view, etc.)
Whether it comes from Disney’s direct feeds or smart AI processing, the result is the same: live sports that look closer to premium broadcast quality, every day.
FAQ
Will this use a lot more of my internet data?
A: Modestly more—about 1.5–2× the data of 720p. For context: 1080p streaming uses ~3–5 GB/hour. Most home internet plans (1 TB/month caps) handle 200+ hours easily.
Do I need a 4K TV to see the difference?
A: No! 1080p looks better on any HD screen (720p, 1080p, or 4K TVs). On 4K TVs, it actually upscales better than 720p did.
Is this available on all Fubo plans?
A: Yes, if your plan includes ESPN/ESPN2 and/or FS1/FS2. Check your channel lineup—most sports plans have them.
Will Fubo add more 1080p channels?
A: Likely. This follows an industry trend. Fubo hasn’t announced specifics, but expect more channels to upgrade over time.
What if my internet is slow (<10 Mbps)?
A: Fubo will automatically adjust quality to prevent buffering. You may get 720p instead, but the stream won’t stall.
Source: Cord Cutters News reporting on Fubo’s platform enhancement