ESPN finally unveils its standalone streaming service

Good news for cord-cutters whose sports diet consists of TikTok clips: ESPN this week revealed its all-encompassing streaming service, called…ESPN—the Disney-owned network’s attempt to trade off its brand cache and simplify a confusing streaming landscape (though ESPN+ will still continue to exist as its own standalone offering).

• The new service, which will debut sometime before football season, marks the first time fans will be able to access the entire suite of ESPN’s massive catalog of networks and content without a cable subscription. It’ll cost $29.99/month, or $35.99/month for an ad-supported bundle that includes Disney+ and Hulu.
• The service will also include a range of enhanced features, including integration with ESPN Bet, personalization with favorite teams, customized versions of SportsCenter, merch sales, and live stats.

There’s been a hole in the market for a while: Despite live sports’ status as a gold mine, media companies have fumbled packaging them in the streaming world, a process complicated by the industry’s shifting broadcast rights agreements, Morning Brew reports. In January, a deal to combine the sports offerings of Disney, Fox, and WBD into an app called “Venu” fell apart.

Between the lines: Though its MLB and F1 deals are up in the air, ESPN in recent years has locked up a number of major sports rights that could draw fans to the platform. In 2024, the company finalized a new 11-year deal to keep the NBA.

Big picture: ESPN receives the biggest cut of cable bills ($), and has been reeling from the effect of cord-cutting. The channel was in 92M pay-TV homes in 2015, vs. ~64M currently. Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said that the streaming service will target the vast market of viewers who like sports but don’t have traditional cable.