In an announcement that is likely to widely reverberate through the pay TV industry through the rest of 2025 and beyond, The Walt Disney Co. has unveiled important details about its new direct-to-consumer ESPN app. The app will be branded as ESPN and will be offered in packages ranging from a $29.99 per month unlimited plan to a select plan for $11.99 a month.
Disney also announced a special launch offer that will price an unlimited bundle of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN at $29.99 per month for the first 12 months.
There has been wide speculation about how the ESPN DTC app, expected to launch in early fall, will impact the pay TV industry. In recent years, popular sports networks like ESPN have been the glue that held together pay TV video packages as consumers were migrating to streaming services and cord-cutting reduced pay TV subs.
In response, operators have been working to craft deals that will provide existing subscribers access to the ESPN app along with the linear network. Last week, Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed that the app will be available to pay TV subs. He stressed that new DTC app would help the company capitalize on new streaming opportunities and that it was also being launched in a way that wouldn't further harm the existing pay TV ecosystem still so important to Disney and other programmers.
With the new app, consumers will have two ESPN DTC plans from which to choose, including an unlimited package that delivers the entire suite of ESPN networks and content, priced at $29.99 a month. A select option, providing access to all the content currently on ESPN+, is priced at $11.99/month.
Disney also stressed that there will also be bundling opportunities for the ESPN unlimited plan with Disney+ and Hulu, including a special offer at launch for $29.99 per month for the first 12 months. It was previously announced that the direct-to-consumer offering will launch in early fall and that ESPN will continue to be available through traditional MVPDs and vMVPDs.
“We are providing everything ESPN has to offer directly to fans and all in one place,” ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said. “As we thought about the name, we kept returning to the fact that, across every generation, ESPN is the most trusted, loved and recognized name in sports, and that we should keep it simple and double down on the power of ESPN. Our straightforward approach to name and pricing will help fans cut through the clutter and provide them compelling options to access all our content within the enhanced ESPN App. It will be the ultimate sports destination for personalized experiences and features, and, on top of that, fans will be able to choose to bundle ESPN with the industry-leading Disney+ and Hulu streaming services.”
The unlimited plan will give fans access to all of ESPN’s linear networks—ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, ESPNEWS and ESPN Deportes—in addition to ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+, and ACCNX, covering 47,000 live events each year, on-demand replays, studio shows, original programming and more.
ESPN’s rights portfolio includes the NFL; NBA; NHL; MLB; WNBA; UFC; UFL; SEC; ACC; Big 12; College Football Playoff; 40 NCAA championships including the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship; La Liga, Bundesliga, NWSL and FA Cup soccer; Australian Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open tennis; The Masters, PGA Championship, PGA Tour and TGL golf; Little League World Series baseball and softball; Premier Lacrosse League; and more.
The app will also provide access to ESPN’s leading studio shows including “SportsCenter,” “Get Up,” “First Take,” “NFL Live,” “The Pat McAfee Show,” “Pardon the Interruption,” “College GameDay,” “NBA Today” and others, along with on-demand content including “30 for 30” films, ESPN Originals, and more.
ESPN provided these additional details about the subscription plans for the unlimited plan:
- Monthly subscription: $29.99
- Annual subscription: $299.99
- Disney+, Hulu, ESPN unlimited bundle: $35.99/month (with ads on Disney+/Hulu), $44.99/month (no ads on Disney+/Hulu*)
- Special offer at launch: Disney+, Hulu, ESPN unlimited bundle for $29.99/month for the first 12 months (with ads on Disney+/Hulu)
ESPN provided these additional details about the select plan:
- Monthly subscription: $29.99
- Annual subscription: $299.99
- Disney+, Hulu, ESPN unlimited bundle: $35.99/month (with ads on Disney+/Hulu), $44.99/month (no ads on Disney+/Hulu*)
- Special offer at launch: Disney+, Hulu, ESPN unlimited bundle for $29.99/month for the first 12 months (with ads on Disney+/Hulu)
- The select plan will provide subscribers with access to all content available on ESPN+, including more than 32,000 live sports events annually, a robust library of exclusive studio shows, on-demand replays, acclaimed original content, and more.
