Disney+ website on a laptop, 18 July, 2022.
Gabby Jones | Bloomberg | Getty images
Disney Launching its new ESPN flagship streaming app on Thursday, just on time for football season, bringing customers a full ESPN suite at one place.
Entertainment company is working on the launch of the Direct-to-Consumer App-which is too Name ESPN – for some time. It is designed to expand access to existing cable customers and give sports fans out of the traditional pay TV bundle access to all ESPN content.
This is the first time the company is offering all its linear TV content to customers through streaming.
Tune at ET at 10 pm: David Faber of CNBC interviewed Disney CEO Bob Igar and ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro about the launch of the new ESPN streaming app. See in real time on CNBC+ or CNBC Pro stream.
Here we know what the app will look like and how it will work for consumers.
Plan playbook
Anyone who currently pays for ESPN through his cable service will have access to the ESPN streaming app.
For everyone else, the app will come in a variety of options in sign-up.
Customers can buy unlimited scheme, which provides access to all networks of ESPN, for $ 29.99 or $ 299.99 per month.
ESPN says the scheme will cover more than 47,000 live events annually including NCAA Championship, Australian Open, PGA Championship and more.
Users can burn the ESPN unlimited scheme for $ 35.99 per month with Disney+ and Hulu, including advertisements, or $ 44.99 without advertising in a month.
At the time of launch, Disney will offer the same bundle at a promotional price of $ 29.99 per month with advertisements, for the first year.
There is also another bundle on the way in October. ESPN and Fox Corporation Are Shake To offer your direct-to-consumer streaming services as a joint offering.
Fox service, called Fox One, Debut on Thursday too And all Fox materials including news and sports are included. Its price is $ 19.99 per month.
ESPN and Fox One Bundle will be available for $ 39.99 per month on 2 October. However, customer Each of the pay TV bundles will receive access to each streaming app without any extra cost.
What’s next for ESPN+
Less than ESPN unlimited offering, the company is also starting its ESPN select tier.
The scheme has access to all the content available on the existing ESPN+ service, including a library of live sports streaming, exclusive studio shows and original materials and on-demand game replays.
ESPN says the scheme will cover more than 32,000 live events annually.
It will cost $ 11.99 per month or $ 119.99 annually.
Customers can also buy Disney+, Hulu and ESPN select bundles, including advertisements, for $ 16.99 per month, or no-DS option for $ 26.99 per month.
ESPN+ was the first forest of sports network in streaming, launched as a separate app in 2018 with special materials outside the TV network. While it has some live game Simulcast, it has never been kept the bulk of ESPN content.
The ESPN+ had 24 million customers as Disney’s most recent earning report.
The current ESPN+ customers will automatically become customers of ESPN select plan under the new service, the company has said.
Customers with existing membership for streaming bundles will be able to see ESPN content on Disney+ with other programming.
Tie the material
ESPN’s streaming service will include all the live games of the network, as well as programming from ESPN2, SEC Network and ESPN on ABC. In addition, it will include fantasy products, new betting tie-in, studio programming and documentary, other types of materials.
The network recently signed two deals to increase its sports offerings.
In early August, ESPN said it was entering Partnership with WWE For American rights for the greatest events of the Wrestling League, which includes WrestleMania, Royal Rumble and SummerSlam. CNBC reported that ESPN would pay an average of $ 325 million per year for five years of rights. On Wednesday, ESPN and WWE stated that the deal begins earlier than immediately.
ESPN too Reached a deal This month is an equity stake in ESPN to acquire the NFL network in exchange for the Pro Football League with the National Football League.
– Alex Sharman and Lilian Rizo of CNBC contributed to this report.
