DIRECTV set to make standalone ESPN streamer available to millions
DIRECTV set to make standalone ESPN streamer available to millions
The streaming and satellite company is also expanding access to the complete Disney Bundle.
It continues to be a great time to be a DIRECTV subscriber. Since last fall, when the satellite and streaming company negotiated the right to offer Disney-owned streamers to its subscribers, DIRECTV has been reinventing itself by including a variety of premium streaming services along with its channel offerings and providing lower-priced genre-focused subscriptions to customers. On Thursday, the company announced that it would be including ESPN’s forthcoming streaming service for millions of customers this fall.
Key Details:
- More sports: DIRECTV is set to make the standalone ESPN streamer available to millions of customers.
- More Disney: The company is also set to expand access to Disney+ and Hulu across its subscribers.
- More streamers: HBO Max and Peacock are set to be integrated into DIRECTV plans this year as well.
Presumably sometime this month, ESPN will launch its new standalone streaming service ahead of the NFL and college football seasons. At launch, all DIRECTV streaming and MySports customers will receive access to ESPN Unlimited, which is the higher tier of the service, at no additional cost.
ESPN Unlimited will normally cost $30 per month and will include everything currently available on ESPN+ and sports programming on ABC, as well as full streams of linear channels ACC Network, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, and SEC Network. The vast majority of these channels, including ESPN+, are already available to DIRECTV MySports Genre Pack and most Signature Package subscribers, however, depending on the plan, there are specific channels that will become available.
However, the added content isn’t the only benefit to the inclusion of ESPN unlimited into DIRECTV plans. By being able to watch content either via ESPN’s direct-to-consumer (DTC) platform or DIRECTV’s channel lineup, customers are gaining even more flexibility in how they choose to engage with the content that they want to watch.
“ ESPN Unlimited itself, obviously hasn’t not launched yet, and so we don’t know exactly what will be made available in it,” DIRECTV’s head of communications Jon Greer told The Streamable. “But I assume that there’s also gonna be some exclusive ESPN unlimited content in there. So a MySports customer can choose to stream either through the DIRECTV app or ESPN unlimited app. And, a Gemini device, which you can get if you’re MySports or if you’re a Signature subscriber, gives you a more integrated experience of all your sports in one place.”
In addition to the streaming customers who will receive access to ESPN unlimited when the service goes live, DIRECTV satellite and U-verse customers will also get access at some point later in the fall.
“DIRECTV continues to make it simple for customers to access all their content in a seamless personalized experience without having to search across multiple apps,” DIRECTV’s chief marketing officer Vince Torres said. “With unmatched choice and flexibility, our customers can control their entertainment and pay only for the programming they value.”
Since last year’s historic carriage agreement with Disney and this year’s launch of MyGenre Packs, DIRECTV has been attempting to not only reinvent itself, but the entire TV distribution model, by adapting to the new, more disparate industry reality.
”For 30 years, the core focus for DIRECTV has been to bring all of your content together in one place, right?” Greer said. “In the past, that looked like linear channels; today it includes a more fragmented marketplace that, when you’re left as a consumer to piece it all together, is more expensive. So we’re working hard to bring it all back together at the best value for the consumer. That means linear alongside DTC, including all of the DTC exclusive or first run programming that was previously reserved just for those platforms.”
While the inclusion of ESPN’s unlimited plan is a major announcement in its own right, that was not the only news that DIRECTV dropped on Thursday. The company’s customers who stream with a Gemini device and subscribe to any DIRECTV Signature Package are also set to receive even more benefits.
Not only will they be receiving ESPN unlimited, but they will also receive the the Disney+ and Hulu ad-supported bundle at no extra charge. The other two Disney-owned streamers will be fully integrated into the subscribers’ existing DIRECTV experience. According to DIRECTV, this combination offers a seamless, all-in-one platform that combines hit movies, top-rated shows and live sports without needing to subscribe to and pay for multiple subscriptions.”
Similarly, DIRECTV also plans to integrate both HBO Max and Peacock’s ad-supported tiers into a number of different packages later this year. Greer confirmed to The Streamable that in situations where the company is offering complementary access to ad-supported streamers, customers will have the ability to upgrade to the premium tiers of those platforms just by paying the difference.
DIRECTV
DIRECTV is one of The Streamable’s top choices for the best live TV streaming service overall in 2026, especially for users who want the most channels or want to watch the most live sports. With an unbeatable lineup of local, news, sports, and entertainment channels, three main signature packages, an unlimited DVR, and 20 simultaneous streams at home, DIRECTV remains a premier choice for any cord-cutter.