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ESPN+ Loses 100,000 Subscribers in Q3 2023, Total Now 25.2M

On Thursday, as part of its third-quarter fiscal year earnings report, Disney revealed that ESPN+ lost 100,000 subscribers to stand at 25.2 million as of the end of June. That change represents a 10.5% year-over-year rise from the corresponding quarter in 2022 when the service reached 22.8 million subscribers.

ESPN+ has been part of the rumor mill over the past few months as its parent company, ESPN, has been the subject of sale or spinoff rumors, courtesy of Disney. Disney’s CEO Bob Iger has made multiple comments over the past few months, saying the company has explored multiple options for either launching a DTC streaming service with additional business partners, selling off a portion of the company to another buyer, or divesting from the company entirely.

Yesterday, ESPN announced it would lend its name to the betting app for PENN Entertainment.

Elsewhere, ESPN+ and UFC have started discussing the future of the MMA organization with the company. Dana White mentioned to Sports Business Journal that he, ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro, and Endeavor CEO Mark Shapiro will all meet to discuss future plans. Currently, all UFC pay-per-views stream on ESPN+, and reportedly, combat sports are a key driver of ESPN+’s recent success. If things go well, expect ESPN to be in on future WWE rights deals now that Endeavor also owns WWE.

MLB and ESPN are also in negotiations to stream more baseball games, specifically in-market games. This is due to the uncertainty surrounding Diamond Sports Group and the Bally Sports regional sports networks, which have had a tough time staying afloat in a new sports broadcast marketplace. However, MLB has only reclaimed the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres from DSG, which means they have some work to do in order to make a compelling option for baseball fans. Larger teams like the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago Cubs likely won’t bargain with MLB or ESPN, which means this offering would be a niche service for fans of less popular teams.

ESPN+

ESPN+ is a live TV streaming service that gives access to thousands of live sporting events, original shows like Peyton’s Place, the entire library of 30 for 30, E:60, The Last Dance, as well exclusive written analysis from top ESPN insiders. Sports available on ESPN+ include NFL, MLB, NHL, UFC, College Football, F1, Bundesliga, PGA Tour, La Liga, and more.

The service can be subscribed for $10.99 / month per month or annually for $109.99 / year.

You will get a daily out-of-market game from MLB, and every out-of-market NHL with NHL Power Play (previously NHL.TV). For NFL Fans, they have an exclusive NFL game, and simulcast select Monday Football games.

The service has some of the most attractive soccer coverage including Bundesliga, LaLiga, FA Cup, UEFA Nations League, EFL Championship, EFL Carabao Cup, Eredevise and more.

College sports fans will be able to watch thousands of games and events including football, basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, track & field, gymnastics, swimming & diving, lacrosse, wrestling, volleyball, golf, and more.

For boxing and UFC fans, the service offers Top Rank boxing and will be the home of 15 exclusive UFC events.

ESPN+ now includes exclusive insights from analysts like Mel Kiper and Todd McShay (which used to be part of ESPN Insider), as well as premium Fantasy Tools & PickCenter.

What it does not include is most live sports that air on ESPN and ESPN2.

To get access to those channels you have to subscribe to a live TV streaming service. We suggest reading our guide on How to Watch ESPN without Cable.


Jeff Kotuby is a contributing writer to The Streamable who specializes in sports, music, and all things Japanese media. He cut the cord in 2017 and has spent the last six years of his career writing for technology, entertainment, and healthcare websites. He's a lifelong Philadelphia Eagles and Anaheim Ducks fan, but also enjoys watching animated shows from the '90s.

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