The ESPN multiplex of cable networks will finally be available without a traditional cable or satellite plan on August 21, executives from the Walt Disney Company affirmed on Wednesday.
That is the day when sports fans can pay $30 per month for the privilege of watching all ESPN cable networks within the ESPN app, which includes access to professional football, baseball, basketball, hockey and other sports as well as collegiate competitions and shoulder programming like “SportsCenter.”
The plan, called ESPN Unlimited, also includes access to ESPN’s standalone streaming service ESPN Plus, which includes live sports programming not found on the cable networks. ESPN Plus will continue to be available as a separate offering called the “Select Plan,” priced at $11 per month. ESPN said current ESPN Plus subscribers will be migrated to the Select Plan in the coming weeks.
The following broadcast and cable networks will be available to stream within the ESPN app with an ESPN Unlimited subscription:
- ESPN
- ESPN 2
- ESPN 3 (streaming feed)
- ESPNews
- ESPN U
- ABC (ESPN-produced sports programming only)
- SEC Network
- ACC Network
- ESPN Deportes
Cable and satellite customers who have the core ESPN channel in their subscription packages will be able to watch live content from ESPN Unlimited with their pay TV login credentials. Last week, satellite and streaming service DirecTV became one of the first pay TV operators to confirm plans to integrate ESPN Unlimited within its packages that offer ESPN.
ESPN says the ESPN Unlimited plan will unlock more than 47,000 live events each year. On Wednesday, the company announced plans to take over digital distribution rights to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as part of a multi-year agreement with the professional wrestling brand; previously, WWE streaming rights were held by Comcast for their streaming service Peacock.
