The start of a new era for Disney’s ESPN, born and raised on cable, is coming in two weeks: The sports media giant will launch its new previously announced stand-alone streaming service on Thursday, Aug. 21.
The launch date is “timed for a marquee stretch of live sports programming across ESPN platforms,” according to the company. The late-summer debut coincides with the start of the college football and NFL seasons, U.S. Open tennis, international soccer, women’s college soccer, volleyball, field hockey, and more – with the start of the WNBA playoffs, PLL playoffs, and NBA and NHL seasons, as well as UFC and WWE events “just around the corner.”
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ESPN DTC’s unlimited plan will cost $29.99/month that gives fans access to all of ESPN’s linear networks — ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, ESPNews, ESPN Deportes — in addition to ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+, and ACCNX. All told, the lineup encompasses 47,000 live events each year, on-demand replays, studio shows, original programming and more. Bundling options for the ESPN unlimited plan with Disney+ and Hulu include a special offer at launch for $29.99/month for the first 12 months.
Starting in 2026, the ESPN stand-alone streamer also will be the exclusive U.S. home to WWE’s tentpole events like “WrestleMania” under a five-year deal. Since 2021, NBCUniversal’s Peacock has had the exclusive rights to the premium WWE events.
Sports fans can also opt for ESPN+, priced at $11.99/month, which includes over 32,000 live events annually but does not include access to the linear nets.
All subscribers to ESPN’s unlimited plan – either through ESPN DTC or a traditional pay-TV provider – will have live and on-demand access to all of ESPN’s leading studio shows – including “SportsCenter,” “Get Up,” “First Take,” “NFL Live,” “The Pat McAfee Show,” “Pardon the Interruption,” “College GameDay,” “NBA Today,” “Inside the NBA” and “The Rich Eisen Show.” Subscribers also have access to an on-demand library featuring “30 for 30” films, ESPN originals, replays and more.
According to ESPN, the enhanced ESPN App will introduce a more personalized, dynamic viewing experience for fans. New features will include updated multiview options, integrated game stats, betting information, fantasy sports and commerce, along with a personalized SC For You.
On Tuesday, Disney announced a major deal with the NFL, under which the league will own a 10% stake in ESPN — which analysts say is worth as much as $2.5 billion. In return, ESPN will gain control over NFL Network and the NFL RedZone highlights service, in addition to three pro-football games that were being shown via the NFL’s own cable network.
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