The new ESPN streamer will debut on August 21st, which is “timed for a marquee stretch of live sports programming across ESPN platforms” and ahead of the next NFL and college football seasons, as well as the U.S. Open tennis, international soccer, women’s college soccer, volleyball, field hockey, the WNBA playoffs, PLL playoffs, and NBA and NHL seasons, as well as UFC and WWE events “just around the corner.”
ESPN’s direct-to-consumer unlimited plan will cost $29.99/month, giving access to all of ESPN’s linear networks—ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, ESPNEWS, and ESPN Deportes—in addition to ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN, and ACCNX, covering 47,000 live events each year; on-demand replays, studio shows, original programming, and more. Bundling options for the ESPN Unlimited plan with Disney+ and Hulu include a special offer at launch for $29.99/month for the first 12 months. Sports fans can also opt for ESPN+, priced at $11.99/month, which includes over 32,000 live events annually.
The moves follow confirmation of a landmark deal between the NFL and ESPN, which sees the league taking a 10% equity stake in ESPN in exchange for control of the NFL Network and other NFL Media properties. The WWE’s live events, including marquee titles like WrestleMania and SummerSlam, will head to ESPN platforms starting in 2026 after a five-year run on NBCUniversal’s Peacock.
All subscribers to ESPN’s unlimited plan—either through ESPN DTC or a traditional pay-TV provider—will have live and on-demand access to all of ESPN’s leading studio shows—including SportsCenter, Get Up, First Take, NFL Live, The Pat McAfee Show, Pardon the Interruption, College GameDay, NBA Today, Inside the NBA, The Rich Eisen Show, and more—plus a robust, on-demand library featuring 30 for 30 films, ESPN Originals, replays, and more.
ESPN and the NFL have reached an agreement that spans ESPN’s DTC service and Disney+. The agreement includes rights for additional NFL content for ESPN as well as interactive features. ESPN’s new streaming service will also carry select out-of-market NFL preseason games during the 2025 and 2026 seasons. ESPN will also be able to sell and bundle NFL+ Premium, the League’s DTC service that launched in 2022, with ESPN’s DTC service, which gives fans the ability to watch NFL Network and NFL RedZone through NFL+ Premium.
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