If some people don’t feel like they need to go to ESPN, Disney is working to bring ESPN to them.
The entertainment giant on Wednesday made ESPN content available to Disney+ customers — even if they are not direct subscribers of the ESPN+ broadband hub or the ESPN linear cable networks. Under the plan, Disney will make a curated slate of ESPN live game broadcasts, originals and studio shows available to Disney+ subscribers, while those who subscribe to a broader bundle of Disney streaming services will be able to access ESPN+ content without leaving Disney+.
“One of our priorities is audience expansion, and we like the idea of potentially speaking directly to casual fans and speaking to the very large female audience on Disney+,” ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said during an interview . “We see an opportunity to help the Disney+ platform by creating some more robustness and differentiation, and also to help ESPN grow our audience.” Disney’s research, he added, shows there is very little overlap between people who watch ESPN offerings on linear channels and Disney+ subscribers.
Among the offers that will be made available to Disney+ subscribers are ESPN mainstays such as “College GameDay” and “Pardon the Interruption.”
The move represents a significant step in Hollywood’s ongoing streaming wars, as Disney and its rivals work to fend off the invasion of video consumers by digital competitors such as Netflix, Apple and Amazon. Putting ESPN on Disney+ makes it more of a streaming channel for a broad audience, rather than a venue aimed solely at younger viewers and their parents. In March, Disney made its general entertainment Hulu service available to subscribers through Disney+.
“This launch is really going to expand what Disney+ is, who it is for and what we have to offer,” said Alisa Bowen, president of Disney+. If Disney+ users try to seek out a broader range of ESPN content, they will be encouraged to upgrade to the broader bundle of Disney streaming services that also includes ESPN+ and Hulu.
The new Disney+ entry into sports could also serve to stoke consumer interest in the launch of a new standalone ESPN streaming service that will offer virtually everything the sports media giant has to offer, not just a range of content intended as addition to its linear channels. When ESPN+ launched in 2018, it was envisioned as a venue that could provide superfans with new originals and some live sports not available on cable. However, as more viewers move away from traditional cable and satellite services, it seems clear that Disney will need to shift more aggressively to meet these needs. The new, fuller ESPN streaming outlet is expected to debut in fall 2024.
The launch of ESPN content on Disney+ could also benefit sponsors, said Rita Ferro, president of Global Advertising for Disney. “It allows us to talk to new sports fans and program unique experiences and events for them that might never have the same audience if it were only on an ESPN platform,” she says.
The company has already created two sporting events that target a decidedly non-traditional sports audience. An animated “alterna cast” of “Monday Night Football” featuring characters from “The Simpsons” will stream on Disney+ and ESPN+ on December 9. Meanwhile, well-known characters like Daisy Duck and Mickey Mouse will take part in a special animated version of a Christmas Day NBA game between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs that will appear on Disney+, ESPN+ and ESPN2.
“We’re starting to think about what other alternative broadcasts we can do that could appeal to the younger audience,” Pitaro said. The sports leagues are behind such an idea, he says. “They continue to look for ways to make their content, their games, more relevant to more people, and that of course means attracting a younger demographic, and we can help with that.”