Disney’s new partnership with Fox and Warners for a blockbuster sports bundle that includes ESPN could shake up the streaming industry. But what does it mean for the long-awaited standalone streaming version of ESPN?
Well, apparently it’s still happening, with Disney CEO Bob Iger confirming that the entertainment giant is moving ahead with a standalone streaming EPSN, and he even offered a timeline.
Here’s what we know–and don’t know–about an ESPN standalone streaming service, including when it will arrive, how much it will cost, and more.
ESPN standalone streaming service: What you need to know
Has Disney officially announced a standalone streaming version of ESPN?
Yes, finally.
During Disney’s first-quarter 2024 earnings call, CEO Bog Iger confirmed the company is moving ahead with a standalone streaming version of ESPN.
The long-awaited confirmation came after years of hints, hedging, and vague promises about a standalone streaming ESPN.
Previously, Iger had said there’s an “inevitability” to ESPN as a standalone service but stopped short of officially announcing it.
Back in 2022, former Disney CEO Bob Chapek said Disney had “one foot on the dock” and “one foot on the boat” about a standalone streaming version of ESPN, and that “at some point, when it’s going to be good for our shareholders, we’ll be able to fully go into an ESPN DTC [direct-to-consumer] offering.”
Chapek, who was later ousted as Disney’s CEO in favor of a returning Iger, went on to call an eventual standalone streaming ESPN “the ultimate fan offering.”
When will a standalone streaming version of ESPN launch?
There’s been much speculation about when ESPN as a standalone streaming service would finally arrive, and many believed that 2025 sounded like a safe bet.
They were right, with Disney’s Iger promising that standalone streaming ESPN will land in the fall of 2025, potentially by August, just in time for the 2024 NFL season.
How much will a standalone streaming version of ESPN cost?
Good question. The short answer is that we don’t know yet.
In his remarks during Disney’s first-quarter 2024 earning call, Iger said the price of standalone ESPN “would be more attractive” than a standard cable bundle, and he also noted that it would be an option in the Disney bundle, alongside Disney+ and Hulu.
That said, it will almost surely cost more than the montly price of ESPN+, which currently costs $10.99 a month.
Indeed, some have pegged $30 a month as the “bare minimum” that Disney would charge for a standalone version of ESPN.
Can’t you already stream ESPN on ESPN+?
It’s easy to assume that an ESPN+ streaming subscription gives you live streaming access to ESPN the cable channel. Unfortunately, there is no live stream of linear ESPN on ESPN+.
Now, ESPN+ the streaming service does offer a truckload of live and on-demand sports, but much of it is different from what you’ll find on the flagship ESPN cable channel. Indeed, ESPN+ was conceived as a complement to ESPN to the cable network, not a substitute.
For example, while ESPN+ does carry the occasional NFL game, including a few Monday Night Football matchups, most of ESPN’s live NFL coverage is exclusive to the cable network. On the flip side, ESPN+ aired its own exclusive NFL game during the 2022 season that wasn’t on basic-cable ESPN.
Meanwhile, ESPN+ is sparse when it comes to live NBA and MLB action, and don’t expect to find any SportsCenter on the service, either.
What would be offered on a standalone streaming version of ESPN?
According to Iger, standalone streaming ESPN will include all the good stuff from the basic-cable ESPN, including (as Variety reports) its “full portfolio of game-day content,” SportsCenter, and other talk and analysis shows from the linear sports network.
The standalone ESPN streaming service would differentiate itself from the coming Disney/Fox/Warners sports bundle (which will include ABC, ESPN, Fox, and TNT, among other sports networks) by offering sports betting, fantasy sports, and “deeper statistics,” Iger said (via the Variety report).
Updated on February 8, 2024 with recent development and additional analysis.
Author: Ben Patterson, Senior Writer, TechHive
Ben has been writing about technology and consumer electronics for more than 20 years. A PCWorld contributor since 2014, Ben joined TechHive in 2019, where he has covered everything from smart speakers and soundbars to smart lights and security cameras. Ben's articles have also appeared in PC Magazine, TIME, Wired, CNET, Men's Fitness, Mobile Magazine, and more. Ben holds a master's degree in English literature.