Disney Launch its new Espn flagship streaming application Thursday, just in time for the football season, bringing customers the complete ESPN suite in one place.
The entertainment company is working on the launch of the direct application to consumers – which has also been named ESPN – for some time. It is designed to extend access to existing cable subscribers and offer sports fans outside of traditional access to paid television to all ESPN content.
Connect at 10 am HE: David Faber de CNBC interviews the CEO of Disney, Bob Iger and the president of ESPN, Jimmy Pitaro, about the launch of the new ESPN streaming application. Look in real time on CNBC + or in the CNBC Pro flow.
This is the first time that the company has offered all its linear television content to customers via streaming.
Here is what we know what the application will look like and how it will work for consumers.
Plan the game book
Anyone who pays ESPN currently via its cable service will have access to the ESPN streaming application.
For everyone, the application will be available in a variety of options when registering.
Subscribers can adhere to the unlimited plan, which gives access to all ESPN networks, for $ 29.99 per month or $ 299.99 per year.
ESPN claims that this plan will cover more than 47,000 live events per year, including the NCAA championships, the Australian Open, the PGA championship and more.
Users can also group the ESPN Unlimited plan with Disney + and Hulu for $ 35.99 per month, including advertisements, or $ 44.99 per month without ads.
During the launch, Disney will offer this same package at a promotional price of $ 29.99 per month, with advertisements, for the first year.
There is also another package on the way, in October. ESPN and Fox Corp. Associate themselves to offer their streaming services directly to consumers as a combined offer.
The Fox service, called Fox One, also made its debut on Thursday and includes all the Fox content, including news and sports. It costs $ 19.99 per month in itself.
The ESPN and Fox One pack will be available on October 2 for $ 39.99 per month. However, customers From the Bundle Pay TV will have access to each of the streaming applications at no additional cost.
What is the next step for ESPN +
Shortly of the ESPN Unlimited offer, the company also launches its ESPN Select level.
This plan offers access to all the content available on the existing ESPN + service, including live sports streaming, an exclusive studio emission library and original content and on -demand game reruns.
ESPN says this plan will cover more than 32,000 live events per year.
It will cost $ 11.99 per month or $ 119.99 per year.
Customers can also buy the Disney +, Hulu and ESPN Select pack, which includes ads, for $ 16.99 per month, or an ADS option for $ 26.99 per month.
ESPN + was the first incursion of the sports network in streaming, launching in 2018 as a separate application which has exclusive content outside the television network. Although he has live game simulcastes, he never sheltered from the major part of the ESPN content.
ESPN + had 24 million subscribers from the latest Disney profits report.
Existing ESPN + customers will automatically become subscribers of the ESPN Select plan in the new service, said the company.
Customers with existing subscriptions to streaming beams will be able to look at ESPN content on Disney + alongside the other programming.
Swelling contents
The ESPN streaming service will include all the live games of the network, as well as the ESPN2, the SEC Network and ESPN programming on ABC. In addition, it will include fantastic products, new tie-ins, studio programs and documentaries, among other types of content.
The network recently signed two offers to strengthen its sports offers.
In early August, ESPN said that it was a partnership with WWE for American rights on the biggest events in the wrestling league, including Wrestlemania, Royal Rumble and Summerslam. CNBC said ESPN will pay an average of $ 325 million per year for five years of rights. ESPN and WWE said on Wednesday that the agreement started immediately, earlier than previously announced.
ESPN also concluded an agreement this month with the National Football League to acquire the NFL network in exchange for the Professional Football League participating in shares in ESPN.
– Alex Sherman and Lillian Rizzo of CNBC contributed to this report.