Disney isn’t quite ready to reveal exactly when you’ll be able to start using , but it has announced some key details. For one thing, the company isn’t rocking the boat in terms of branding. The service will simply be called ESPN.
That was the best and most obvious option, especially considering that the unlimited plan includes all of ESPN’s offerings, albeit via the internet instead of satellite or cable. “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,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro .
There are two plans that will be available through the revamped ESPN app: an unlimited subscription for $30 per month and a select plan for $12 per month. The former includes all of ESPN’s linear networks. You’ll be able to watch (deep breath) ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, ESPNEWS and ESPN Deportes live, as well as ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+ and ACCNX. ESPN’s press release does not mention the inclusion of ESPN8 The Ocho, a free ad-supported streaming channel that features all kinds of strange and wonderful sports.
Along with studio shows and original programming like the 30 for 30 films, the unlimited plan offers access to 47,000 live events every year plus on-demand replays, ESPN says. That includes games from the big four North American sports leagues, along with the NWSL, PGA Tour, UFC, Big 12, the College Football Playoff, dozens of NCAA championships, major European soccer leagues, three of the tennis grand slam tournaments and much more. The select plan, meanwhile, is basically what ESPN+ is now.
There are other payment options available. An annual unlimited membership will run you $300. If you also use Disney+ and/or Hulu, though, a bundle will likely be the best way to go. Disney is trying to sweeten the deal for newcomers with a launch offer that includes Disney+, Hulu and ESPN unlimited for $30 per month for 12 months. That effectively gets you Disney+ and Hulu for free for a year, but it’ll be the ad-supported version of each. After that, the bundle will cost you $36 per month for a plan with ads on Disney+ and Hulu. To go ad-free on those services, you’ll pay $45 per month for the bundle.
As for the select plan, that’s $120 for an annual subscription. The bundle of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN select will be $17 per month with ads on Disney+ and Hulu, and $27 to go ad-free. Bundle subscribers will be able to .
Current ESPN+ subscribers will be moved over to the ESPN service on the select plan (but expect a lot of attempts to upsell you on the unlimited offering). If you have a bundle with Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+, you’ll soon find yourself with the ESPN select bundle.
The transition will happen when the ESPN streaming service debuts sometime in early fall. Disney will announce more details, including the date when the service goes live, later this summer as .
The standalone ESPN service had been in the works for years, but it’s not the only sports streaming platform Disney had been putting together. The company teamed up with Warner Bros. Discovery and Fox with the intention to start a joint offering called Venu Sports, but that plan amid legal challenges from competitors. Still, Fubo agreed to drop its case against Venu Sports after it on a joint venture that combines FuboTV with Hulu + Live TV.
