New ESPN Streaming Service Could Offer Every In-Market NFL Game, Out-of-Market NBA Contests, More
Disney is reportedly speaking with major sports leagues about incorporating their streaming platforms onto the new ESPN DTC service.
The wide world of sports on ESPN could be getting even wider over the next few years. That’s according to a report from the Wall Street Journal, which says that Disney has been having conversations with major sports leagues about potentially adding even more in the way of live sports rights.
- ESPN could integrate games from NFL+ and NBA League Pass.
- Disney remains interested in local MLB rights.
- The company could also still partner with a tech firm like Verizon or Apple.
Disney is planning to create a direct-to-consumer version of ESPN and its sibling channels that won’t require a cable or satellite subscription to access. The service is targeting a release date of 2025 or 2026, and before launch Disney wants to make sure the service offers as many live sports as possible to justify a price that will almost certainly run north of $30 per month.
Will ESPN Become the Ultimate Fan Destination?
The Journal reports that Disney has had conversations with the NFL regarding integrating content from NFL+ onto the new ESPN streamer. That would instantly grant ESPN the rights to stream every single in-market NFL game to users’ mobile devices, and while that would not mean that all NFL games would be on ESPN going forward, it would be a big step in that direction.
The report also indicates Disney has discussed a similar integration of the NBA’s out-of-market games service NBA League Pass. The Mouse House has also expressed interest in helping the NBA with in-market broadcasting duties for teams who may be dropped by their Bally Sports regional sports network (RSN) this season. ESPN already carries a wide variety of nationally broadcast NBA games each season.
ESPN+ is already the home of NHL Power Play, which offers more than 1,000 out-of-market contests every single season. If the new ESPN streaming platform were able to integrate the NBA and NFL options detailed above, it would be hard for any other outlet to claim it offered more in the way of top sports leagues. Bringing so many games from these leagues to an ESPN streaming platform will bring that service much closer to being the “ultimate fan offering” that former Disney CEO Bob Chapek envisioned it would be.
What About Major League Baseball?
Disney has already been in contact with MLB this year, as that league has grappled with missed rights payments from Diamond Sports Group, the owner of Bally Sports RSNs. MLB is anxious to be finished with the RSN model and has held discussions with Disney regarding the possibility of streaming some teams on ESPN+ in-market.
Owners of some of the biggest MLB teams already have in-market streaming platforms available, and have been hesitant to join a league-run streaming platform because they would effectively have to subsidize smaller-market teams. But if MLB were able to sell the in-market streaming rights of those clubs to ESPN, it would allay the fears of those owners and give the league a way to show all of its teams without a cable subscription in their home markets.
Talks with all of these leagues are still in the preliminary stages, and some or all of these potential deals could fall through or simply never materialize. Disney is also in discussions with firms like Apple and Verizon to boost distribution of the future ESPN streaming platform and assume some of the financial burdens, but if it can iron out all of these details, the ESPN streamer may become a true one-stop destination for all major sports.