YouTube TV subscribers will have to wait several more months before they can access ESPN Unlimited as part of their streaming TV plan.
On Monday, YouTube executives confirmed the cable-like service is rolling out flexible TV packages that allow streamers to watch Disney-owned channels like ESPN and FX at prices that are lower than the service’s current all-in-one plan.
Plans that offer ESPN’s cable multiplex will also include access to ESPN Unlimited thanks to an agreement forged between Disney and Google last year (which only came after ESPN’s channels were dropped from YouTube TV for about two weeks), but both sides still have a way to go before ESPN Unlimited is actually available to YouTube TV customers.
In a product announcement on Monday, YouTube’s Director of Product Management Josh Yang said the service’s “Sports Plan” will cost $65 per month and include “all of the ESPN networks” as well as ESPN Unlimited, but the latter perk won’t be available to YouTube TV subscribers until “this fall.”
Google and YouTube didn’t say specifically when ESPN Unlimited will be offered to YouTube TV customers, but a source familiar with the plan said the companies are hoping to finalize all necessary technical and pricing integrations before the start of the National Football League’s (NFL) regular season in September.
ESPN and ABC have the rights to the NFL’s championship game, Super Bowl LXI, which will stream on YouTube TV and ESPN Unlimited next February. ESPN also recently closed on its acquisition of NFL Media, bringing NFL Network and distribution rights to NFL RedZone under common ownership with ESPN; under that deal, some regular-season games originally expected to air on NFL Network next season will instead be offered by ESPN and through ESPN Unlimited.
The delay of bringing ESPN Unlimited to YouTube TV subscribers means sports fans will need to subscribe to ESPN Unlimited separately — at a cost of $30 per month — if they want to watch exclusive events like some college football games, out-of-market National Hockey League (NHL) games, premium World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) events and MLB TV.
Other services, like Fubo Sports, Hulu with Live TV and DIRECTV’s MySports package, currently offer ESPN Unlimited as part of their plans, as do some cable operators like Charter’s Spectrum TV.
