Disney is making big moves in the streaming world as it announces plans to add an ESPN tile to its popular platform, Disney+. This new addition comes as Disney prepares to launch its standalone ESPN streaming service in the fall of 2025.
Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed that the ESPN tile will be available to all U.S. subscribers by the end of the calendar year. The tile will feature select live games and studio programming, giving sports fans a taste of what’s to come with the enhanced ESPN streaming service.
Iger sees this as a strategic move to introduce sports content to Disney+ viewers and increase overall engagement with the Disney bundle, which includes Hulu. The company recently launched Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers, with Iger expressing optimism about the early results.
In terms of sports rights, Iger highlighted ESPN’s long-term deals, including college football championships, NCAA championships, and the NFL. He also mentioned ongoing negotiations for a long-term NBA deal that would benefit both ESPN and its subscribers.
The standalone ESPN streaming service will be part of the Disney+ bundle and will include all of ESPN’s channels and major rights packages, such as the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL. The service will offer live events, library programming, and additional features to enhance the viewing experience.
Disney’s joint sports venture with Warner Bros. Discovery and Fox is also expected to feature live streams of sporting events on ESPN, ABC, Fox, TNT, and TBS. The new service is set to launch later this year and will provide access to a wide range of sports content for fans to enjoy.