ESPN Streaming Service Launches Aug. 21 with NFL, WWE, and More

ESPN will launch its new, previously announced direct-to-consumer streaming service on Thursday, August 21, bringing the full suite of ESPN networks and services – within an enhanced ESPN App with new, personalized features and functionality – directly to fans.

Timed for a marquee stretch of live sports programming across ESPN platforms, the launch of ESPN DTC coincides with the start of the college football and NFL seasons, US Open tennis, international soccer, women’s college soccer, volleyball, field hockey, and more – with the start of the WNBA playoffs, PLL playoffs, and NBA and NHL seasons, as well as UFC and WWE coming soon.

ESPN DTC will offer two plans, including an unlimited plan for $29.99/month that gives fans access to 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, covering 47,000 live events each year, on-demand replays, studio shows, original programming, and more. Bundling opportunities for the ESPN unlimited plan with Disney+ and Hulu include a special offer at launch for $29.99/month for the first 12 months.

All subscribers to ESPN’s unlimited plan – either through ESPN DTC or a traditional Pay TV provider – will have live and on-demand access to all of ESPN’s leading studio shows – including SportsCenter, Get Up, First Take, NFL Live, The Pat McAfee Show, Pardon the Interruption, College GameDay, NBA Today, Inside the NBA, The Rich Eisen Show, and more – plus a robust, on-demand library featuring 30 for 30 films, ESPN Originals, replays, and more.

ESPN and the NFL have also reached an agreement to expand the NFL experience across ESPN’s DTC service and Disney+. The agreement includes rights for additional NFL content for ESPN as well as robust interactive features to deepen the experience for fans. ESPN’s DTC offering will also stream select out-of-market NFL preseason games during the 2025 and 2026 seasons.

ESPN will also be able to sell and bundle NFL+ Premium, the League’s DTC service that launched in 2022, with ESPN’s DTC service, which gives fans the ability to watch NFL Network and NFL RedZone through the NFL+ Premium offering.

The ESPN and NFL relationship goes further, however. The two companies today announced a non-binding agreement under which ESPN will acquire NFL Network and certain other media assets owned and controlled by the NFL – including the NFL’s linear RedZone Channel and NFL Fantasy – in exchange for a 10% equity stake in ESPN.

In addition to the sale of NFL Network, the NFL and ESPN are also entering into a second non-binding agreement, under which the NFL will license to ESPN certain NFL content and other intellectual property to be used by NFL Network and other assets.

“Today’s announcement paves the way for the world’s leading sports media brand and America’s most popular sport to deliver an even more compelling experience for NFL fans, in a way that only ESPN and Disney can,” said Robert A. Iger, Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company.

“Commissioner Goodell and the NFL have built outstanding media assets, and these transactions will add to consumer choice, provide viewers with even greater convenience and quality, and expand the breadth and value proposition of Disney’s streaming ecosystem.”

“Since its launch in 2003, NFL Network has provided millions of fans unprecedented access to the sport they love,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “Whether it was debuting Thursday Night Football, televising the Combine, or telling incredible football stories through original shows and breaking news, NFL Network has delivered. The Network’s sale to ESPN will build on this remarkable legacy, providing more NFL football for more fans in new and innovative ways.”

“This is an exciting day for sports fans,” said Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman of ESPN. “By combining these NFL media assets with ESPN’s reach and innovation, we’re creating a premier destination for football fans. Together, ESPN and the NFL are redefining how fans engage with the game—anytime, anywhere. This deal helps fuel ESPN’s digital future, laying the foundation for an even more robust offering as we prepare to launch our new direct-to-consumer service.”

ESPN and WWE, part of TKO Group Holdings, Inc., have announced a landmark rights agreement as well. ESPN platforms, including the new ESPN DTC streaming service, will become the exclusive U.S. domestic home of all WWE Premium Live Events (PLEs), including the two-night cultural phenomenon WrestleMania, starting in 2026.

The ESPN DTC service will stream all WWE PLEs annually, in their entirety, with select simulcasting on ESPN linear platforms. Marquee PLEs include WrestleMania and SummerSlam – both two-night events – and Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, Money in the Bank, among others. WWE will continue to produce all PLEs.

Pitaro said: “WWE has an immense, devoted, and passionate fanbase that we’re excited to super-serve on our new ESPN DTC platform. This agreement, which features the most-significant WWE events of the year, bolsters our unprecedented content portfolio and helps drive our streaming future.”

Mark Shapiro, president and chief operating officer of TKO, added: “We are proud to reinforce the “E” in ESPN at such an exciting juncture in its direct-to-consumer journey. WWE Premium Live Events are renowned for exactly the type of rich storytelling, incredible feats of athleticism, and can’t-miss, cultural tentpole experiences that have become synonymous with ESPN.

“Through our UFC relationship, we have experienced firsthand how transformational an ESPN presence can be, and we know this will be an exceptional partnership at a time of great innovation for both companies.”

WWE president Nick Khan said: “WWE’s agreement with ESPN is a pivotal moment for our millions of fans across the United States: the leader in sports entertainment partnering with the biggest brand in sports media. Bringing WWE’s flagship events to ESPN’s platform is tremendously exciting. We know the sky is the limit.”