ESPN will debut on Disney Plus in December

The company announced on Wednesday in its third-quarter overview that ESPN Hub will be available on the streaming service in December, following the launch of Hulu on Disney Plus in March for U.S. subscribers. CEO Bob Iger first announced the news of ESPN content being added to Disney Plus during Walt Disney Co.’s earnings call in May.

“By the end of this calendar year, we will be adding an ESPN tile to Disney Plus, giving all US subscribers access to select live games and studio programming within the Disney Plus app,” Iger said. “We see this as a first step to bringing ESPN to Disney Plus viewers, as we ready the launch of our enhanced standalone ESPN streaming service in the fall of 2025.”

The introduction of Hulu titles to the Disney Plus app brings a dedicated hub for the platform. Hulu content will also appear on the home screen. To access Hulu on Disney Plus, you will need a Disney package or a standalone subscription to both streaming services. ESPN tiles work in a similar format but offer fewer content options.

Iger said on the company’s May earnings call that the ESPN tile “will have a modest amount of programming. But it`s a start in terms of essentially conditioning the audience, or subscribers to Disney Plus and Hulu, to the fact that sports is going to be there. And it also will help us in terms of overall engagement with our bundle.” He also said that “our current plan is … if you’re an ESPN Plus subscriber, you’ll be able to get ESPN Plus through that tile.”

The Disney Plus offering comes after the company introduced new price increases for its streaming platform starting in October. On 17, the prices for Hulu, Disney Plus, ESPN Plus, and Hulu with Live TV will increase. The monthly prices for Disney bundle offers are also increasing.

Disney is offering four bundles: two that include Hulu and Disney Plus, and two that combine subscriptions to Hulu, Disney Plus, and ESPN Plus. The latter bundles, which currently cost $15 per month (including ad-supported versions of Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus) and $25 per month (including the same, but without ads for Hulu and Disney Plus), will increase to $17 and $27, respectively.

In addition to the ESPN service on Disney Plus, Disney is preparing for the launch next fall of Venu Sports, a streaming company created by Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery and the standalone ESPN service are expected in fall 2025.

The press release announcing ESPN’s partnerships with Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery said bundling deals are planned to link the new sports service with Disney+, Hulu and even Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max.

During the spring earnings call, Iger said that “as I look ahead, I think ESPN is going to make a pivot toward digital, but without abandoning linear. So it will remain on linear. If people want to get ESPN and its different channels through a cable or satellite subscription, that’s fine.”

Iger said there will “be many different access points to get the digital product” if subscribers want to pivot.