"ESPN Plus" redirects here. For the former syndication division that previously used the on-air brand "ESPN Plus", see ESPN Events. For the Latin American network formerly known as ESPN+, see ESPN 2 (Latin America). For the Brazilian channel formerly known as ESPN+, see ESPN (Brazil).
ESPN+ is marketed as an add-on to ESPN's core linear networks, with some of ESPN+'s content previously offered exclusively to cable subscribers via ESPN3 and the ESPN app. ESPN+ does not include access to these services, as they continue to only be available through television providers. Thus, some of ESPN's sports rights are not carried on ESPN+.[3][4]
In August 2016, The Walt Disney Company acquired a minority stake in BAMTech, a spin-out of MLB Advanced Media's streaming technology business, for $1 billion, with an option to acquire a majority stake in the future. It was also announced that Disney subsidiary ESPN was planning to develop an over-the-top service based on BAMTech technology as "an exploratory OTT project", drawing primarily from ESPN-owned rights for events not broadcast on television. ESPN already used BAMTech's platform for its TV Everywhere service WatchESPN. Disney CEO Bob Iger remarked that despite declines in the pay television industry due to cord-cutting, "live sports has really thrived, even in a world where there's so much more for people to do and to watch."[5][6]
In August 2017, Disney invoked its option to acquire a controlling stake in BAMTech, and announced that it planned to launch its ESPN OTT service in 2018, followed by a Disney entertainment OTT service in 2019 (thus ending its relationship with Netflix). At this time, Disney stated that the new ESPN service would draw from ESPN-owned sports rights, as well as MLB, NHL and MLS content (although lacking major ESPN-owned rights such as the NBA and NFL), and that an accompanying redesign of the ESPN app would make it a "premier digital destination" for sports content.[7] During Disney's fourth-quarter earnings call, Iger revealed that the service would be known as ESPN+.[8] In December 2017, Disney announced its intent to acquire21st Century Fox after the spin-off of certain businesses. The deal was to include the Fox Sports Networks group of regional sports networks (which Disney was ordered to divest under antitrust grounds),[9] which led to suggestions that Disney wanted to incorporate FSN's regional sports rights into the service.[10]
In February 2018, Iger stated that ESPN was aiming for a monthly price of $4.99.[3][11] ESPN+ and BAMTech were placed into the newly formed Disney business segment, Disney Direct-to-Consumer and International, on March 14, 2018.[12] On April 2, 2018, ESPN announced that ESPN+ would officially launch on April 12, 2018, and confirmed its $4.99 per-month pricing.[4]
On August 21, 2018, ESPN.com's existing subscription service ESPN Insider was discontinued and folded into ESPN+, adding its premium web content (such as exclusive beat reports, and advanced sports statistics, analytics and fantasy sports tools) to the service. Both services shared the same monthly price, but ESPN Insider subscribers continued to receive the complimentary subscription to ESPN The Magazine that was included (until its discontinuation in September 2019),[13] and annual subscribers were grandfathered under its previous $39.99-per-year price (as opposed to $49.99 for ESPN+).[14]
On October 31, 2018, ESPN executive Russell Wolff was named executive vice president and general manager.[15] In October 2019, ESPN+ began to add pre-roll advertising to on-demand content on the service.[16] Concurrent with the launch of Disney+ on November 12, 2019, the Disney Bundle was introduced, allowing users to subscribe to ESPN+, Disney+ and the ad-supported tier of Hulu for $12.99 per month.[2]
On October 22, 2020, it was announced that a larger amount of ESPN.com articles (primarily analysis) would become paywalled behind ESPN+. It was also announced that video simulcasts of the ESPN Radio programs The Dan Le Batard Show, Greeny, The Max Kellerman Show and Chiney & Golic Jr., as well as Jorge Ramos y Su Banda, would be moved exclusively to ESPN+ from the ESPN networks.[17]
In March 2021, ESPN+ programming became available via the Hulu website and apps for those who are subscribed to both services, via a branded "ESPN+ on Hulu" hub.[18]
In July 2022, Disney announced that the standalone monthly price of ESPN+, which reached $6.99 per month in 2021 following two smaller increases, would jump by three dollars, or 43%, to $9.99 per month beginning in late August. Observers speculated that the increase was intended to promote uptake of the Disney Bundle, which continued at the then current $13.99 price point, while remaining competitive relative to other standalone sports streaming services.[19][20]
Following a carriage agreement with Spectrum in September 2023, ESPN+ became available to Spectrum TV Select Plus subscribers for no extra cost.[21]
On November 14, 2024, Disney announced the ESPN hub will be launched in the US on Disney+ on December 4, 2024, It will be similar to Hulu hub on Disney+.[22]
ESPN+ features out-of-marketMajor League Soccer matches at no additional charge for subscribers (replacing the previous MLS Live service),[33][34] and the service held exclusive rights to all regionally televised Chicago Fire matches through 2020 (as the second MLS team, behind Los Angeles FC's deal with YouTube TV, to sell its regional rights to a streaming service).[35][36] As of the 2021–22 season, ESPN+ carries out-of-market National Hockey League games under the NHL Power Play on ESPN+ banner (replacing the previous NHL.tv service).[37][38][39]MLB.tv is also available for purchase within the ESPN+ platform, and offers daily games during their regular seasons.[4]
PGA Tour Live (which was also run by BAMTech) was included for the 2018 PGA Tour season, but moved to NBC Sports Gold in 2019.[40] ESPN+ will offer supplemental feeds during the PGA Championship beginning 2020, including during CBS broadcast windows.[41] In 2022, PGA Tour Live returned to ESPN+ as part of a new long-term deal through 2030.[42]
In March 2019, the American Athletic Conference announced a 12-year media rights deal with ESPN, under which ESPN+ will carry the majority of events not aired by ESPN's linear channels.[43][44][45] In May 2019, it was announced that ESPN+ would carry 18 World TeamTennis matches.[46] In September 2019, ESPN+ announced its acquisition of rights to Germany's Bundesliga soccer league beginning in 2020, under a six-year deal.[47]
In the 2019–20 season, ESPN+ acquired the third-tier media rights for all but two Big 12 Conference teams; these telecasts are carried under the branding Big 12 Now. The deal excluded the Oklahoma Sooners—whose third-tier rights were held by the SoonerSports.tv streaming service and Bally Sports Oklahoma, and the Texas Longhorns—who have an existing agreement with ESPN and IMG College to run Longhorn Network.[48][49]
On March 10, 2021, ESPN re-acquired rights to the National Hockey League under a new seven-year deal beginning in the 2021–22 season. Under this contract, ESPN+ holds exclusive rights to 75 games per-season, which will also be available on Hulu, simulcast rights to all games on ABC (including the NHL All-Star Game and the Stanley Cup Finals in selected seasons), and streams all out-of-market games.[37][38]
A week later, as part of ESPN's renewal of its rights to the NFL, ESPN+ gained simulcast rights to Monday Night Football broadcasts beginning in the 2021 NFL season. Beginning in 2022, ESPN+ will hold exclusive rights to one NFL International Series game per-season in a Sunday morning window.[52][53]
In September 2021, Disney began to wind down the U.S. version of Hotstar, a streaming service targeting Indian Americans, and migrated its content exclusively to ESPN+ and Hulu. This, in particular, includes its rights to home matches of the India national cricket team and Indian Premier League, which had been sub-licensed to ESPN+ via its sister network Star Sports.[54]
On April 8, 2022, ESPN announced a deal with the Savannah Bananas to livestream two games of their Banana Ball World Tour on April 8 and 9.[55]
In May 2022, ESPN announced its acquisition of the third-tier media rights to Oklahoma Sooners athletics; the events will be carried on ESPN+ under the "SoonerVision on ESPN+" branding, and will include one exclusive football game per-season (which had previously been distributed by Bally/Fox Sports pay-per-view). The deal will be in effect through the 2024–25 athletics season, after which the Sooners will exit the Big 12 and move to the Southeastern Conference (SEC)—whose media rights are fully-owned by ESPN.[56][57] Later that month, ESPN announced a rights agreement with the Northwoods League to stream select games of their 2022 season each day exclusively on ESPN+, along with the Northwoods League All-Star Game, the Major League Dreams Showcase, the League playoffs and Summer Collegiate World Series.[58][59]
UFC
In May 2018, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) announced new five-year digital and linear television rights deals with ESPN, effective January 2019. 20 UFC on ESPN+ Fight Night cards per year are streamed exclusively by the service, as well as preliminaries for 10 UFC on ESPN Fight Night cards per year. ESPN+ will also hold rights to supplemental content such as Dana White's Contender Series, archive content and PPV encores, and offer sales of UFC Fight Pass within the platform.[60][61][62] The first ESPN+ event, UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Dillashaw, generated 525,000 new subscribers on the day of the event alone.[63]
On March 18, 2019, it was announced that ESPN had reached a two-year extension of its contract with the UFC. Beginning with UFC 236, ESPN+ became the exclusive U.S. distributor of all UFC pay-per-view events for residential customers; they are no longer sold through television providers, and viewers must have an ESPN+ subscription in order to buy them.[64]
ESPN+ also carries ESPN original programming and documentaries, such as the 30 for 30 franchise (with some premiering on ESPN+ prior to their premiere on ESPN), and exclusive original series and studio programs:[3][4]
Detail – A franchise of programs featuring analysis of sports by associated players. The initial, basketball version of the series was hosted and produced by Kobe Bryant[68] until his death in January 2020. In October 2018, ESPN announced that Peyton Manning would host an NFL version of the program.[69] On June 29, 2019, ESPN announced a mixed martial arts version of the program hosted by Daniel Cormier.[70]Golden State Warriors head coach and former Chicago Bulls player Steve Kerr, along with former Bulls coach Phil Jackson, hosted special episodes focused on the Michael Jordan-led Bulls dynasty in the 1990s, as a tie-in for the ESPN documentary miniseries The Last Dance.[71]
ESPN FC – A studio program focusing on soccer; it moved from airing on the networks to exclusively being on ESPN+.[29]
In The Crease – a daily NHL highlight and discussion show hosted by Linda Cohn[72]
Ariel and the Bad Guy – A weekly mixed martial arts discussion show hosted by Ariel Helwani and Chael Sonnen
The Fantasy Show – A fantasy football analysis show hosted by Matthew Berry. Originally aired on ESPN2 in its first season.
Always Late with Katie Nolan – A late-night talk show-inspired series hosted by Katie Nolan, serving as a successor to her previous Fox Sports 1 program Garbage Time.[77] The start of its second season in late September 2019 saw it carried on ESPN2 on Thursday evenings as well.[78] The series was cancelled in 2020.[79]
NFL PrimeTime – Hosted by Chris Berman and Tom Jackson, a digital-only version of the popular NFL highlight show that aired on ESPN for nearly 30 years. The program airs live at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday nights during the regular season, recapping the afternoon's games. The show is updated with segments recapping the Sunday and Monday-night games after their completion, which are respectively hosted by Scott Van Pelt, Steve Levy and, previously, Joe Tessitore.[81][82]
Fútbol Americas – A breakdown and analysis of soccer from a North American perspective, with highlights from North American leagues (mostly MLS, Liga MX and NWSL), as well as national teams, CONCACAF competitions and North American players playing abroad in Europe. Hosted by Sebastian Salazar and Herculez Gomez, with new episodes every Monday and Thursday.[84]
In January 2021, Joe Hand Promotions began offering a commercial subscription of ESPN+ for Business, a version of ESPN+ that offers limited live sports content via DirecTV to commercial establishments.[85][86] In 2023, the commercial service was expanded to include college sports.[87][88]
