ESPN is launching a new streaming service later this month called ESPN+. The new subscription service from Disney features ESPN branded content including NHL, MLB and college sports. It will launch on April 12 and offer fans a wide lineup of live sports, original content and on-demand programming for $4.99 per month.
The service is powered by technology from BAMTECH, which ESPN purchased from Major League Baseball last August. It acquired the remaining 42% stake for $1.58 billion.
From the announcement, it appears there won’t be any NFL or NBA games in the ESPN+ service and college sports don’t include major conferences like the ACC, Big 10, Pac 12 or SEC.
ESPN+ will be an integrated part of a newly redesigned ESPN App and will also be available through ESPN.com. The new ESPN App and ESPN+ showcase the culture of breakthrough innovation at ESPN and across The Walt Disney Company.
James Pitaro, ESPN President and Co-Chair, Disney Media Networks, said, “ESPN was built on a belief in innovation and the powerful connection between sports and a remarkable array of fans. That same belief is at the heart of ESPN+ and the new ESPN App. With ESPN+, fans have access to thousands more live games, world class original programs and on-demand sports content, all at a great price. They will get all of that as a part of a completely re-imagined, increasingly personalized ESPN App that provides easy, one-stop access to everything ESPN offers.”
ESPN+ is the first direct-to-consumer service offering from Disney Direct-to-Consumer and International, the multiplatform media, technology and distribution organization for high-quality content created by Disney’s Media Networks and Studio Entertainment groups. A Disney-branded direct-to-consumer service, offering subscription-video-on-demand viewing of Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm movies along with a host of exclusive content, will launch in late 2019. Both streaming services are powered by BAMTECH, a unit of Disney Direct-to-Consumer and International.
Kevin Mayer, Chairman, Direct-to-Consumer and International, The Walt Disney Company said, “The launch of ESPN+ marks the beginning of an exciting new era of innovation for our media businesses – one defined by an increasingly direct and personal relationship with consumers. This new product reflects our direct-to-consumer strategy focused on combining our beloved brands with our proprietary, industry-leading technology to give users unparalleled access to our world-class content.”
Michael Paull, President, BAMTECH Media, said, “ESPN+ will connect fans directly to sports they love wherever and whenever they want. Together, BAMTECH’s industry-leading direct-to-consumer video platform and capabilities combined with ESPN’s unmatched sports content will deliver fans an all-new streaming experience with exciting product features built for watching incredible live and on-demand sports.”
Additional details about the array of content in the ESPN+ programming lineup will be announced in the coming days and weeks, but among the thousands of live sports events that ESPN+ will offer to fans are:
In addition to the hundreds of NHL and MLB games included in the ESPN+ subscription ($4.99/month, or $49.99/year), die-hard fans will be able to purchase the entire MLB.TV out-of-market package via ESPN+ and view the games within the ESPN App. MLB.TV will cost an additional $24.99 per month. Beginning with the 2018-19 NHL season, fans will also be able to purchase the entire NHL.TV out-of-market package.
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