Disney+ subscribers got a treat as ESPN content is now available on the streamer to spark it up for sports fans!
It’s no secret everyone wants in on the streaming service game, even when there are more around. That includes various sports packages with ESPN naturally one of the biggest. The iconic sports network remains the go-to for any sports fan with various offshoot channels.
Launched in 2018, ESPN+ was the main streaming service for that channel. It offered a wide range from live broadcasts of various sports to the regular ESPN programming to their library of documentaries and specials. It was available as either a stand-alone subscription or bundled with Disney+ and Hulu.
The last year has seen Disney+ and Hulu integrated into a single hub and to little surprise, ESPN is now joining it. Starting December 4, Disney+ subscribers now have their own hub for ESPN content from live broadcasts to their other programming.
“One of our priorities is audience expansion, and we love the idea of potentially speaking directly to casual fans and speaking to the very large female audience that is on Disney+” Jimmy Pitaro, chairman of ESPN, told Variety “We see an opportunity to help the Disney+ platform in terms of creating some more stickiness and differentiation, and also helping ESPN in terms of expanding our audience.”
This won’t be the full ESPN+ experience but it’s meant to whet the appetites for Disney+ subscribers and make them more open to signing up for ESPN+ as part of the bundle.
“One of the things I’m most excited about with this launch is that we’re also making the ESPN and Hulu tiles visible to all subscribers,” Alisa Bowen, President of Disney+ said in a statement. “That means, for our Disney+ standalone subscribers, they’ll have a really easy way to discover everything we offer from these two incredible brands, and have the ability to upgrade their subscription for the full bundle experience.”
What’s available on ESPN on Disney+?
The new offersing aren’t as deep as regular ESPN+. But they do include live coverage of 30,000 live sports events, 6,000 hours of original ESPN content and over 100 hours of studio shows. That means catching up on live broadcasts of various NHL, NCAA football and basketball and other sports. There’s also the daily ESPN programs such as First Take, Pardon the Interruption and more. Plus, there’s some fantastic documentaries from ESPN’s acclaimed 30 For 30 series and other specials.
Disney also has some fun stuff lined up including an animated “alterna-cast” of “Monday Night Football” featuring characters from “The Simpsons” on December 9. Daisy Duck and Mickey Mouse will take part in a special animated version of a Christmas Day NBA game between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs.
If you already have ESPN+, you can simply access it via Disney+ rather than the separate app, much like Hulu subscribers. It’s an intriguing move by Disney to show how ESPN+ is home to more than just live games and entice people to perhaps subscribe to ESPN+ for the full content. As it is, adding sports to Disney+ will also be a good addition to enhance viewing numbers and their other ESPN content is great too.
So sports can now be counted among Disney+’s many offerings to make the streamer even more of a must-have in 2025.