Walt Disney Launches ESPN Sports Streaming Service

Walt Disney Co. (DIS) has launched its new ESPN sports streaming service and app in what analysts say could be another blow to traditional television networks.The direct-to-consumer platform is available in either the ESPN Unlimited Plan or the ESPN Select Plan. Unlimited subscribers pay $29.99 U.S. a month and get access to all of ESPN’s programming, which includes 47,000 live events each year.The Select Plan costs $11.99 U.S. a month and brings subscribers access to all content on the streaming platform, plus more than 32,000 live sports events annually. There’s another option for users to bundle Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN unlimited for $29.99 U.S. a month for the first year. Plus, all subscribers get access to the ESPN streaming app.Disney’s launch of the ESPN streaming service could give consumers another reason to cut the traditional TV cord and give up their cable service, say analysts.Shares of traditional TV provider such as Comcast (CMCSA) and Charter Communications (CHTR) are each down more than 10% this year.Research firm Nielsen reported that streaming usage overtook the combined share of broadcast and cable TV for the first time ever in May of this year. Nielsen’s most recent report in August showed that streaming viewership’s portion of TV watch-time continues to grow at a brisk clip.Streaming companies such as Disney and Netflix (NFLX) have been adding live sports to their platforms as a way to drive subscriber growth. Amazon’s (AMZN) streaming service is now the only place where people can watch NFL Thursday Night Football games, for example. Netflix has an exclusive deal to broadcast all of the NFL Christmas football games this year.Disney has been expanding its own sports coverage, striking a deal for ESPN to acquire the NFL Network and other media assets owned and controlled by the National Football League in exchange for a 10% equity stake in ESPN. Disney also recently said that ESPN will become the exclusive home of all WWE premium live wrestling events starting in 2026.DIS stock has gained 5% this year to trade at $116.21 U.S. per share.