Curious what you were trying to watch and what errors you are getting, because ESPN3 is still listed everywhere I can find for AT&T high speed internet only subscribers (
here and
here). I'm wondering if you are perhaps confused between WatchESPN and ESPN3?
Also, if you ever thought those networks would be $5 a month a la carte because that's what you pay bundled, you're living in a dream world. If the family of networks were offered on their own (which would be highly unlikely any time soon), I'd guess you'd see a charge of $15-$25 a month, just like premium movie channels. This is why a la carte, regardless of how many people purport to want it, hasn't happened. You'd buy the five channels you watch and pay just as much as you do now, and dozens of smaller networks would simply disappear (we can argue whether that is a bad thing or not another day).
(Personal opinions my own, not my employers, etc.). I really would like to know what you were trying to watch though, and to figure out if something is wrong or simply misunderstood, or if something has truly changed. Let me know.