Disney+ to roll out ESPN tile next month introducing live sports for first time
The streamer will allow customers who subscribe to the Disney Trio bundle to watch ESPN+ content from within the Disney+ app.
Disney unveiled its earnings for its 2024 fiscal fourth quarter, revealing that it had grown its streaming customer base and boosted revenues from that segment of the company in the three months ending in September. During the conference call to discuss its results with investors, Disney executives revealed more details about the ESPN tile coming to Disney+, including when it will launch and what content it will have.
Key Details:
- The ESPN tile will launch on Disney+ on Dec. 4.
- It will allow Disney Trio bundle subscribers to watch ESPN+ content directly through Disney+.
- Company executives took the opportunity to tease the new ESPN streamer “Flagship” as well.
Disney says that customers will be able to access the ESPN+ tile as of Wednesday, Dec. 4. The rollout comes before the end of 2024 as Disney promised it would when it first announced that it would be bringing sports content to Disney+ earlier this year.
Disney CEO Bob Iger and CFO Hugh Johnston said the move would help turn Disney+ into “the ultimate collection of high-quality content for every member of the household.” The streamer now includes content from all three Disney streaming services, after placing Hulu content on the streamer for bundle subscribers starting in late 2023.
The ESPN tile will feature content from ESPN+, which answers speculation on whether viewers would be able to stream titles and games from linear ESPN channels that are not available on that streamer now, such as NBA contests. The company also says it will have some ESPN content that’s available to all customers, but the majority of the sports coming to Disney+ will only be available to customers who subscribe to the Disney Trio bundle of Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+.
At the very least, that means that viewers who have the Disney Trio bundle won’t have to pay extra to watch live sports on the service. It also means there will still be an incentive for ESPN+ customers to sign up for ESPN’s new streaming service “Flagship,” which will carry more content but won’t be available for sale until next year.
Iger and Johnston also took the opportunity to whet the appetites of fans who are waiting for Flagship, saying it will offer “an enhanced array of innovative digital features, creating a sports destination unlike anything available in the marketplace today.” The service is expected to have livestreams of ESPN cable channels and much more.
Disney has done quite a bit of work to turn Disney+ into a one-stop streaming destination for its viewers. That’s a wise move considering how difficult it is to keep streaming customers loyal to a service nowadays; adding more varied content makes it all the more likely that viewers will begin to think of Disney+ as indispensable.
Disney+
Disney+ is a video streaming service with over 13,000 series and films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, The Muppets, and more. It is available in 61 countries and 21 languages. It is notable for its popular original series like “The Mandalorian,” “Ms. Marvel,” “Loki,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” and “Andor.”