ESPN has made the name of the company’s first direct-to-consumer product official. On Tuesday morning, ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro announced the new DTC service will be called ESPN. Speaking at an event earlier today ahead of Disney’s upfront presentation later this afternoon, Pitaro explained a simple reason as to why the company decided to go with the name ESPN.
“We kept coming back to our four letters,” said Pitaro. “There’s power in our name. There’s trust in our name.”
Furthermore, the new service will give fans more choice, flexibility and access to all of ESPN via the enhanced ESPN App, the plans will cost $29.99/month for the unlimited package and $11.99/month for a select option. There will also be bundling opportunities for the ESPN unlimited plan with Disney+ and Hulu, including a special offer at launch for $29.99/month for the first 12 months. An annual ESPN subscription for the unlimited DTC service will cost 299.99.
The other options for the ESPN unlimited bundle that include Disney+ and Hulu (with ads) is $35.99/month, and with no ads $44.99/month.
The other options for the ESPN+ select bundle that include Disney+ and Hulu (with ads) is $16.99/month, and with no ads $26.99/month.
According to a release, existing ESPN+ subscribers will automatically become subscribers to ESPN’s new service, based on their current subscription level. Standalone ESPN+ subscribers get the ESPN select plan, and Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ bundle subscribers get the ESPN select bundle. As for subscribers to the Disney+, Hulu and ESPN bundles will be able to watch ESPN content within Disney+ seamlessly alongside Disney and Hulu entertainment and family programming.
“We are providing everything ESPN has to offer directly to fans and all in one place,” Pitaro said. “As we thought about the name, we kept returning to the fact that, across every generation, ESPN is the most trusted, loved and recognized name in sports, and that we should keep it simple and double down on the power of ESPN. Our straightforward approach to name and pricing will help fans cut through the clutter, and provide them compelling options to access all our content within the enhanced ESPN App. It will be the ultimate sports destination for personalized experiences and features, and, on top of that, fans will be able to choose to bundle ESPN with the industry-leading Disney+ and Hulu streaming services.”
Moreover, the ESPN unlimited package will include all of ESPN’s linear networks – ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes – in addition to ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+, and ACCNX.
Both bundles will receive access to content that is currently available on the ESPN+ platform, which includes live game broadcasts, original series and on-demand replays. Furthermore, ESPN+ subscribers will automatically become ESPN Select subscribers upon the launch of the new service, and the ESPN+ service itself will be offered through the Select plan or within the Unlimited plan.
The company announced that additional details including the specific launch date will be made available later this summer.
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