After years of teases, hints, and vague promises, standalone streaming ESPN is finally, really coming, and now we have a launch date as well as pricing details.
Disney said the new streaming service, called simply ESPN, will go live on August 21 — just in time for the 2025-26 NFL season.
Pricing for the new ESPN streamer were previously announced back in May, and the price points vary whether you get it on a standalone basis or as part of a bundle.
To stream an “ultimate” version of ESPN that includes all its linear networks as well as broadcasts on ABC, it will cost you $29.99 a month, or $299.99 a year. If that sounds steep, it is, and our own Jared Newman has already deemed streaming ESPN to be a “ripoff.” But hey, it’ll soon be here if you want it.
You’ll also be able to get ESPN in a bundle along with Disney+ and Hulu with ads for $35.99 a month, while an ESPN bundle with ad-free Disney+ and Hulu will run you $44.99 a month.
As part of a special introductory offer, Disney will serve up the with-ads version of the Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN bundle for $29.99 for the first 12 months.
The “ultimate” tier of the new ESPN streaming service will include—at last—everything ESPN, including all its linear networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ESPNEWS, and ESPN Deportes) along with all ESPN broadcasts on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+, and ACCNX.
You’ll also get such signature ESPN shows as SportsCenter, Get Up, First Take, NFL Live, The Pat McAfee Show, Pardon the Interruption, College GameDay, and NBA Today.
That’s a big change from the ESPN+ streaming service, which only ever offered a sliver of ESPN’s linear content. Indeed, plenty of ESPN+ signups have found themselves caught off guard when they learned that SportsCenter, Monday Night Football (save for occasional one-off games), and other key ESPN shows weren’t included.
Speaking of ESPN+, that service will morph into what Disney is calling “select” ESPN. The “select” tier will cost $11.99 a month, or $119.99 a year, while bundles go for $16.99 a month (with ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu) or $26.99/month (with the ad-free versions of the latter two streamers).
Those who are still ESPN+ subscribers when the new ESPN streaming service arrives will automatically be moved over to the “select” version of the new service, meaning the old ESPN+ is effectively going away.
News of the ESPN’s launch date comes just a day after Fox announced a launch date and pricing for its own new streamer, Fox One. The upcoming Fox service will kick off on August 21–the same day as ESPN–and cost $20 a month.
The arrival of a standalone streaming ESPN has been years in the making, with Disney execs finally confirming the service last year.
Up until now, the only way to get the full-on ESPN experience has been through a cable or live streaming TV service, neither of which come cheap. There was ESPN+, but as I mentioned earlier, it was a poor substitute for the real deal.
Updated on August 6 with a launch date for the new ESPN streaming service.
