It depends on your internet. Our cable company (who we get internet from) has certain times when it will slow down and even Netflix would look like crap and at other times its perfect. If you have suspect internet, watching a game on ESPN3 would look like watching it on an old school dial up internet Real Player video.
Thankfully (knock on wood) I've never had that issue. Recently, a friend said he'd tried YouTubeTV and was disappointed in its streaming quality. For the hell of it I signed up for one of their five day free trials and didn't have any issues. Hell, even with Chromecast still had good results.
ESPN3 is on the internet. Dish and most cable companies give you free access to ESPN3, not sure about Direct.
I just wasn't thinking about what all it entailed, Josh. I know m neighbors have Direct, but also have their 'net access through AT&T with one of their bundles. It just didn't dawn on me someone wouldn't.
BTW, I saw something a month or so ago that Dish had just launched their last satellite. It's either going away in a few years or we're not going to see satellite TV, period. I suspect it's the latter.