Topline
ESPN’s standalone streaming service will launch on August 21, the Walt Disney Company announced on Wednesday, just hours after the sports broadcaster announced a deal to purchase the NFL Network and other media assets, including the rights to distribute the NFL RedZone channel, from the football league.
The standalone service will cost viewers $29.99 per month, and will be offered in package deals with Disney+ and Hulu.
Getty Images for ESPN
Key Facts
ESPN’s direct-to-consumer streaming service will cost subscribers $29.99 per month, and Disney will offer bundling options with their other streaming services, Disney+ and Hulu.
Under the nonbinding agreement announced on Tuesday night, ESPN will have the ability to bundle both the NFL Network and NFL RedZone to streaming service subscribers, Disney said on Wednesday.
Subscribers will also be able to watch additional preseason games starting next season.
As part of the deal, the NFL will acquire a 10% equity stake in ESPN, which analysts told the Associated Press could be worth as much as $2.2-$2.5 billion.
Under a separate agreement, ESPN will retain the rights to broadcast the NFL Draft, and subscribers will be able to watch both ESPN and ABC’s coverage of the draft on Disney’s three streaming services.
Crucial Quote
“We’re basically giving NFL fans more opportunities to watch NFL games than they’ve ever had before,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said at the company’s quarterly earnings call on Wednesday. The total number of games available to ESPN viewers will jump from 22 to 28, Iger said, as a result of the deal with the NFL.
Is Wrestling Coming To Espn?
ESPN also announced a partnership with the WWE on Wednesday to make the network the exclusive home of their WWE Premium Events, including WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Royal Rumble. All of these events will be available on the new direct-to-consumer streaming service starting in 2026, the companies said. The WWE will continue to produce these events. Iger said the partnership would strengthen ESPN’s rights portfolio, and added they “look forward to sharing more soon.”
What Will The Nfl Still Control?
The league will continue owning and operating some of its own media, Disney said on Wednesday, including its storied production company NFL Films. It will retain control of several digital media assets, including the NFL’s website and individual teams’ websites, as well as the NFL Podcast Network and the NFL FAST Channel. It will also continue owning and operating NFL RedZone, but ESPN will own “broad rights” to distribute the popular channel.
Will Disney+ And Hulu Change?
During their earnings call on Wednesday, Disney announced plans to “fully integrate” Hulu into Disney+ to create what the company is calling a “unified app experience.” A new app for the unified streaming services will be available starting in 2026, although customers will still be able to purchase standalone subscriptions for each individual service, Variety reported. Moving forward, Hulu will become a “global entertainment brand,” the company said. Iger said combining the two apps would benefit subscribers and reduce churn for the company. “You’re going to end up with a far better consumer experience when those apps are combined by combining all of the program assets of both apps, both current apps,” Iger said.
Key Background
Disney announced stronger than expected performance for their third quarter of 2025 at their earnings call on Wednesday morning, with revenue up by 2% compared to the same period in 2024. The growth was largely driven by Disney’s theme parks and experiences, which posted a $2.5 billion operating income—up 13% from 2024. Operating income at domestic parks and experiences grew even faster, which Disney attributed to more customer spending at theme parks, higher occupied room rates, and the expansion of their Disney Cruise Line fleet. However, the company’s entertainment division announced a $179 million decline for the quarter, even with subscriber count and revenue growing for their streaming services. Despite the optimistic earnings call, Disney shares fell premarket, and were down 3.44% on Wednesday morning.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/zacharyfolk/2025/08/06/espns-streaming-service-launching-this-month/