Disney Unveils $29.99 ESPN Streaming Service, Boosts Earnings Forecast

On August 6, 2025, Disney revealed that its ESPN sports broadcasting division will be launching a new direct-to-consumer streaming service on August 21, 2025. The platform, which will be priced at $29.99 per month, will be the exclusive home for WWE wrestling events, as well as providing access to ESPN's portfolio of professional and college sports, including the National Football League, Major League Baseball, and National Basketball Association.

The streaming service will also feature popular ESPN studio programs like "Pardon the Interruption" and "SportsCenter." This move is part of Disney's broader push to increase its presence in the lucrative streaming market, as more viewers choose to move away from traditional cable packages.

In addition to the ESPN streaming service, Disney CEO Bob Iger stated that the company is taking "major steps" in streaming through recently-announced plans with the NFL and an upcoming integration of the Hulu platform into its Disney+ product. However, the company's fiscal third-quarter total subscribers to Disney+ grew by only 1.4% versus the prior three-month period, reaching 127.8 million, slightly below Bloomberg's consensus expectations.

Despite the slower Disney+ subscriber growth, the company has raised its full-year adjusted earnings per share guidance to $5.85, up from the previous projection of $5.75. This comes as Disney's revenue in the latest quarter grew by 2.1% year-over-year to $23.65 billion, and adjusted per-share income rose to $1.61, exceeding analyst estimates.