Following the successful launch of Hulu On Disney+ in the United States and Star+ on Disney+ in Latin America, Disney has begun its next stage of incorporating all of its content into Disney+ in the United States, with the launch of ESPN On Disney+.

Today, a brand new ESPN tile and hub is launching on Disney+ in the United States, serving as a destination for ESPN+ streaming sports content and giving subscribers access to sports, general entertainment, and kids and family programming, all within a single app.

Subscribers to the Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ bundle in the U.S. will be able to enjoy a seamlessly integrated viewing experience throughout the Disney+ app with the kind of offering that only The Walt Disney Company can deliver.

Alisa Bowen, President of Disney+ said in a statement:

“This launch really puts a cherry on top of a fantastic year of innovation at Disney+.  Earlier in the year, we made Hulu available in the Disney+ app, and now we’re doing the same for ESPN+. This gives our bundle subscribers one place to consume everything they love from all our brands.”

John Lasker, Senior Vice President of ESPN+, explained how this new hub will allow fans to experience the difference right away.

“In the first 90 days, bundle subscribers should expect 5,000 live events, including NFL, NBA, NHL, College Basketball, and Australian Open. Also, new originals from 30 for 30 and ESPN Original Series.”

In total, ESPN+ offers access to more than 30,000 live sports events each year, which also includes games and events from MLB, WNBA, college sports, tennis, golf, and more, plus a library of on-demand replays and acclaimed original content and studio programming that will now be available through Disney+ to eligible bundle subscribers. 

Today’s launch also adds something new for Disney+ standalone subscribers: a taste of the newly unified experience, featuring Hulu and ESPN+.

Alisa Bowen, added:

“One of the things I’m most excited about with this launch is that we’re also making the ESPN and Hulu tiles visible to all subscribers.  That means, for our Disney+ standalone subscribers, they’ll have a really easy way to discover everything we offer from these two incredible brands, and have the ability to upgrade their subscription for the full bundle experience.”

Standalone Disney+ subscribers will have access to a curated selection of live sports events, studio shows, and ESPN Films from ESPN+, as well as a select collection of TV series and films from Hulu. From ESPN+, this includes some exciting and unique events in the coming weeks, such as “The Simpsons Funday Football” animated Monday Night Football game, a Christmas Day lineup of five NBA games plus the “Dunk The Halls” animated NBA presentation, select 30 For 30 documentaries, and Day 1 coverage from the Australian Open.

Disney is also offering some select content from Hulu for standalone Disney+ subscribers will be able to enjoy groundbreaking movies and series at launch, including “Shōgun”, “Will Trent”, “Solar Opposites”, “Reservation Dogs”, “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”, and more.

While the launch of ESPN on Disney+ will have an immediate impact on the Disney+ experience, it also lays the groundwork for an expanded sports offering on Disney+ in the U.S. upon the launch of ESPN’s flagship direct-to-consumer product, expected in Fall of 2025.

John Lasker also added:

“There’s nothing like live sports.  Live sports are storytelling in real time. They’re community, they bring people together for shared experiences that last lifetimes and generations. ESPN’s unrivaled portfolio of live rights will deliver for sports fans on Disney+.”

It’s worth noting that you may need to make your Disney+ app is updated to the latest version and you will also need to ensure location sharing is enabled to see select ESPN+ content. You can also adjust the new parental control, “Allow titles without ratings like live sports, news, and more,” via “Edit Profiles” to update access to content.

Roger’s Take:  The launch of ESPN On Disney+ continues the path of Disney slowly bringing together all of its streaming packages within Disney+.  It means the bundled offer is more likely to encourage people to remain subscribed but it also gets audiences more used to seeing different content within Disney+.   This is just the next step on the journey to a unified Disney+.

What do you think about the launch of ESPN On Disney+?  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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