No joke: ESPN8 The Ocho becomes ESPN’s first FAST channel

Ladies and gentlemen, prepare to witness the greatest happening in streaming: namely, ESPN8 The “Ocho,” which just became a permanent fixture in ESPN’s streaming strategy. 

And yes, it’s a bold strategy, Cotton. 

ESPN announced the Ocho news on X, formerly known as Twitter, promising the “best of seldom seen sports,” from axe throwing and dog surfing to pillow fighting and slippery stairs. No mention of dodgeball, but I’m sure it’s just an oversight. 

You can take a gander at “The Ocho” using the ABC app or on abc.com/ocho, and it’s a free 24/7 streaming channel, marking the first time ESPN has ventured into FAST (free ad-supported TV) territory. 

Not sure what’s so special about ESPN8 The “Ocho”? Then you must have missed Dodgeball, a true cinematic gem from 2004 that saw Vince Vaughn join a “group of ragtag misfits” (as described by IMDb) who gather in Vegas for a dodgeball tournament. (If you don’t know the plot, drop what you’re doing and go stream it.) 

In the film, the tournament is covered by–you guess it–the then-fictional ESPN8 the “Ocho,” with sportscasters Cotton McKnight (Gary Cole) and Pepper Brooks (Jason Bateman) offering such pithy insights as “I feel like I’m watching a Cher video,” and “Effin’ a, Cotton, effin’ a!” 

As Cord Cutter News points out, ESPN8 The Ocho became an actual, annual thing on ESPN2, with the most recent edition landing this past August.  

Among the sports featured during the most recent 43-hour event included the 2023 Table Hockey World Championships, the Stern Heads-Up Pinball Invitational, the 2020 USA Mullet Championships, and the 2023 Corgi Races. 

But now, you can watch ESPN8 The Ocho anytime you want, and on Thursday, the lineup included the 2020 Tetris World Championship, the 2019 Golden Tee World Championship, and the Texas Belt Sander Races. 

As Pepper Brooks might’ve said, that’s rad.