A general view of the ESPN Monday Night Countdown booth prior to the game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Cincinnati Bengals at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, on Dec. 4, 2023.
Mike Carlson | Getty Images
ESPN will launch its new flagship streaming service — also named ESPN — on August 21.
Disney’s ESPN has been working on the all-in-one streaming app for some time in preparation for a launch this coming fall.
The app launches ahead of the upcoming NFL season — the highest rated live sports content — as well as the start of college football, where ESPN has expanded its portfolio. Fox Corp. will also launch its direct-to-consumer streaming service on the same date.
The ESPN app will cost $29.99 a month, and when bundled with Disney’s other streaming services, Disney+ and Hulu, will cost $35.99 per month.
The service will include a boatload of content, namely all of ESPN’s live games, as well as programming from its other networks like ESPN2 and the SEC Network, as well as ESPN on ABC. It’ll also include fantasy products, new betting tie-ins, studio programming, documentaries and more.
On Wednesday, ESPN said it inked a deal with WWE for the U.S. rights to the wrestling league’s biggest live events, including WrestleMania, the Royal Rumble and SummerSlam, beginning in 2026. CNBC reported it will pay an average of $325 million annually in the five-year deal.
The company also announced late Tuesday that it reached a deal with the NFL, which includes the league taking a 10% equity stake in ESPN. As part of the deal, ESPN will acquire the NFL Network and other media assets from the league.
Disney on Wednesday reported quarterly earnings that topped analyst expectations, but revenue that came in just shy.
