Here is ESPN's response…which is mystifying.
"Hello, thank you for contacting ESPN Fan support.
I apologize for any inconvenience. The ESPN app does not support casting from a mobile device to the TV. In order to stream ESPN on your TV you will need to have the ESPN app on your TV or on a device such as a Roku, Amazon Firestick or Apple TV that can plug into your TV. If you don't have one of those devices you can also plug a computer or laptop into your TV with an HDMI cord and stream from [ESPN.com](http://espn.com/). "
so…I assume everyone here that has no problem isn’t casting? I find it mystifying because the cast button is part of the app and does actually work until a commercial appears.