Walt Disney’s ESPN division will launch its streaming service on 21 August, positioning the $29.99/month platform as a premium destination for live sports.
The announcement confirms months of industry speculation about ESPN’s direct-to-consumer strategy, marking a decisive shift from traditional cable bundling.
Starting from January 2025, the service will become the exclusive US home for all WWE programming, including flagship events like WrestleMania, Raw, and SmackDown currently licensed to NBCUniversal’s Peacock through 2026.
The accelerated WWE transition follows renegotiation of existing contracts, with Disney compensating NBCUniversal for early termination. This secures vital content ahead of ESPN’s service debut, capitalising on wrestling’s consistent viewership dominance.
At nearly triple the cost of ESPN+ ($11.99/month), the new tier incorporates: all linear ESPN channel content (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU), full NBA and MLB season coverage, and UFC events in addition to ABC.
The launch coincides with Disney’s broader streaming profitability push. ESPN+ will remain operational at its current price point, though analysts question its long-term viability given content migration.
