ESPN Launches On Disney+ Across Europe & Asia
Over the years, we’ve seen Disney+ expand the type of content it’s offering subscribers, adding general entertainment from Hulu and also live sports via the ESPN brand.
An ESPN hub has already been added to Disney+ in many countries around the world, including the United States, Australia and across Latin America.
Today, Disney has announced that ESPN has launched on Disney+ in Europe and select Asia-Pacific markets today, making the offering available in 53 countries and territories across the regions. With this expansion, ESPN now reaches fans through Disney+ in approximately 100 markets around the world.
In Europe, the expansion builds upon a growing portfolio of world-class sports content on Disney+. In select Asia-Pacific markets, which includes Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong, a curated selection of English‑language ESPN sports programming will be available on Disney+ in this initial phase.
All Disney+ subscribers in both Europe and select APAC markets can access exclusive sports content, including live sporting events, studio shows, films, and more, alongside general entertainment and kids and family programming – all within a single app.
Alisa Bowen, President, Disney+, said in a statement regarding the launch of ESPN:
“Sports and live events are an essential part of our Disney+ content library, and we’re excited to build on the success we’ve already had with sports fans, as we bring more of ESPN to Disney+ subscribers in Europe and APAC. This launch adds to our growing portfolio of local sports rights around the world.”
Freddy Rolón, Head of Global Sports & Talent Office, ESPN
“This expansion marks an exciting next step for ESPN and Disney+ in our commitment to sports fans. ESPN has a longstanding tradition of delivering world-class content to sports fans, and the continued growth on Disney+ allows us to extend our reach and provide greater access and deeper connections with fans everywhere.”
The initial offering will vary by market but will grow to thousands of live events over the next year including a diverse portfolio of programming such as US sports coverage of the NBA (National Basketball Association) and NHL (National Hockey League) – both starting with the 2026-27 season. The lineup also includes college sports, featuring NCAA championships including men’s and women’s March Madness, plus college basketball regular season and conference tournaments, college football, College Football Playoff, and bowl games, as well as the Little League World Series, Savannah Bananas, and more. The expansion comes on the heels of the recently concluded NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, which streamed on Disney+ across Europe. Though it’s important to note that the availability of content will vary from country to country due to some licensing deals.
Disney+ subscribers will also have access to ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 documentary collection, a deep library of critically acclaimed films, along with select studio shows, including ESPN FC, ESPN’s global football news and information program.
This builds on our sports offering on Disney+ already available in Europe, including the UEFA Women’s Champions League, LALIGA in the UK and Ireland, and the Copa del Rey, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and DFB Pokal in the Nordics. The offering will also feature KeSPA’s flagship events, including Esports Championships Asia Jinju 2026, and the 2026 LoL KeSPA Cup in APAC markets.
Roger’s Take: It’s been a long time coming, especially as we’ve seen ESPN become a bigger part of Disney+ in so many regions. Unfortunately, the international version of ESPN On Disney+ will likely be much lighter on content than the US, since they pay an additional $30 a month for access to even more live sports. But after many years of questions about ESPN’s content becoming available in Europe, especially following the closure of ESPN Player many years ago and the integration of more live content within Disney+ in recent months.
As with the rollout of Hulu and Star, expect this rollout to be gradual, with subscribers getting access to this content in waves, rather than everything becoming available all at once, within a day. I suspect everyone will have access to the ESPN content in the newly launched countries.
What do you think of ESPN launching across Asia and Europe? Let me know on social media!
