Disney has announced the integration of an ESPN+ tile within Disney+, facilitating seamless access for existing ESPN+ subscribers.
Similarly, in March, the incorporation of Hulu content onto Disney+ was introduced, requiring users to hold a Hulu subscription to access the content. The addition of the ESPN+ tile and the integration of Hulu content have contributed to Disney+’s ongoing success, evidenced by a gain of over 6 million subscribers in the second quarter of 2024.
“We see this as a first step to bring ESPN to Disney+ viewers as we ready the launch of our enhanced standalone ESPN streaming in the fall of 2025,” Disney CEO Iger said Tuesday on the company’s second-quarter earnings call.
“It’s a start in terms of essentially conditioning the audience or subscribers to Disney+ 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,” Iger added.
Disney, in collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery and Fox, is poised to unveil a joint sports venture set to offer live streams of sporting events across various channels including ESPN, ABC, Fox, TNT, and TBS. Scheduled for launch later this year, the service is anticipated to include a selection of NFL games, comprehensive coverage of Major League Baseball, the NBA, the NHL, and collegiate sports. Former Disney CEO Bob Iger has indicated that the standalone ESPN platform will boast “numerous additional features” compared to the collaborative service.
