Last week, two streaming services, Disney+ and Star+, merged in Latin America, bringing a Star and ESPN hub to Disney+. In December, an ESPN hub will be added to Disney+ in the United States, bringing a limited number of live sports and documentaries to the platform. ESPN+ subscribers will get access to everything via the new hub, similar to how Hulu On Disney+ operates.

To celebrate the July 4th holiday, ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro has released a public memo highlighting some of the biggest moments of the year so far and teasing some of the upcoming projects, including the launch of an ESPN hub on Disney+.

ESPN has had a tremendous first six months of 2024. As we officially head into the second half of the year, I wanted to share this video and a more detailed timeline which includes a sampling of our achievements at “halftime” of the calendar year.

Whether it’s been the huge viewership successes across multiple sports and studio shows, the broad array of rights deals we’ve secured, our reach and engagement across digital and social platforms, content milestones like we’ve seen in women’s college and pro basketball, or marquee talent signings like Jason Kelce and Nick Saban, I could not be prouder of the team’s performance.

Along with those high points, the first half of 2024 reinforced the effectiveness of our clear, go-forward strategy (including the timing for our Flagship DTC launch and an ESPN tile on Disney+). Initiatives like Venu Sports, the opening of ESPN BET’s first retail sportsbook and our Disney collaboration for NHL Big City Greens Classic 2 were all examples of how we’re smartly navigating a changing landscape.

Coming up, we have Wimbledon, In the Arena: Serena Williams, The 2024 ESPYS, the WNBA Finals, MLB’s Home Run Derby, the US Open, Venu Sports’ forthcoming launch, Monday Night Football, the debut of our SEC on ABC package, plus new, innovative content and features across ESPN.com and ESPN Apps and more.

We appreciate your continued interest in ESPN and wish you a great July 4th weekend.

Roger’s Take:  Disney+ has already made a number of ESPN documentaries available, which was the first stage of getting audiences ready for the introduction of sports content onto the platform.  Sports is going to become an even bigger part of the streaming wars, with Netflix, Amazon, Warner Brothers Discovery, Paramount, and Apple all incorporating sports programming into their lineup.  ESPN is one of the biggest sports brands in the world, and it’s set to become the seventh hub within Disney+

Are you looking forward to ESPN becoming a bigger part of Disney+ in the future?  Let me know on social media!

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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