Is ESPN+ going away? How Disney+ App integration works

Because when you think of Disney, you think of tennis, shōguns and superheroes.
Photo: Disney+

Most sporting events usually involve two teams, but over on Disney+, the streamer is introducing a third to the mix: ESPN+.

Following in the footsteps of the successful integration of Hulu into the Disney+ launch, the sports streaming service will finally be available as part of the company’s “one-app experience” starting this week. It’s a change that Disney sports chief Brian Marshall says he hopes will make Disney+ “stickier” — also keep you glued to the screen longer (or at least less likely to cancel), whether you’re a sports megafan or just a casual one. As Disney+ president Alisa Bowen puts it, “Network television has a long and successful history of being able to launch new shows on the back of major sporting events. That’s certainly an opportunity for us. But above all else, this is about repositioning Disney+ as something with content for everyone, content for the whole family, and the ability to really build that viewership on the back of sports and general entertainment is a really big part of that evolution.”

So with Disney+’s new “multi-genre experience” poised to change your streaming habits, you may have questions. We’ll break down what we’ve learned about what you can expect from ESPN+ and Disney+ going forward.

Pretty much. ESPN+’s return to the Disney streamer should be a little easier to navigate if you’ve had experience with Hulu on Disney+. It’s basically the same process: Consumers who subscribe to both (or all three) streamers can access all of ESPN+ and Disney+’s offerings under one platform, Disney+. But even if you don’t have ESPN+ yet, starting this week Disney+ is giving you an opportunity to “try” a remarkable amount of its programming anyway. So whether you have ESPN+ or not, Disney+ subscribers will be able to tune in to “The Simpsons Funday Football” game this Monday, December 9. (The streaming service will do the same with a handful of Hulu shows like Shogun and reservation dogs, also for stand-alone Disney+ subscribers.)

Bowen said this “sample content” will serve as a way to see “the full value of our bundle” for those on the fence about ESPN+ or Hulu. The service will regularly change the offers to ensure that it offers something that “is of the moment.” “We intend to deliver a select number of live events each month to all Disney+ subscribers. These will be events from a variety of leagues, including the NBA, WNBA NHL, even tennis.” Basically, whatever it takes to get you to upgrade to the full package.

Photo: Disney+

We were shown the beta experience, and it’s relatively similar to Hulu on Disney+, but with a few upgrades. You must subscribe to ESPN+ to get its full library of offerings first and foremost. You can upgrade easily and conveniently in the app, but if you already have ESPN+, you should see the tile available right next to Hulu. There you have access to live games and there are even specific hubs for different leagues and programming.

Yes. While Disney seems pretty pleased with the success of Hulu on Disney+ and the introduction of ESPN on Disney+ — Bowen touted “40 percent of eligible subscribers engage with Hulu content on Disney+ each month” — the company still maintains its current ESPN+ stand- app alone. There’s even a “flagship” ESPN direct-to-consumer app that Bob Iger announced is coming in autumn 2025 – ESPN+ senior vice president John Lasker revealed to us that it will launch in August. The “more robust” flagship app will also be part of the ESPN hub when it launches, but we’ll talk more about that next fall.

As of now, there has been no price increase associated with the introduction of ESPN on Disney+. (The last price increase was in August.) And Disney hasn’t debuted a slimmer bundle to own just ESPN+ and Disney+, as it has with Hulu, also known as the Duo package in Basic and Premium. To get the sports streamer and Disney+, choose the trio package that includes Hulu for either $16.99 per month (the basic ad-supported plan) or $26.99 (the ad-free premium tier). ESPN+ alone is $11.99, so the basic package comes with two more services for 5 bucks more

Maybe one day – but not anytime soon. The standalone app for ESPN+ will be, and with a significant redesign to boot, it’s clear the company still has plans for its standalone apps as well as its “one-app experience.” Disney is all about giving you options at the moment. The company had a hard year in 2023 with a loss of $387 million in the third quarter. At the time, Iger claimed that its streamer would be profitable in the fall of 2024. A few weeks ago, during the company’s latest earnings report, Iger revealed an increase of 4.4 million over Q3 and “expected approximately $1 billion in operating profit from Disney+ and Hulu entertainment streaming businesses for fiscal 2025.” Advertising has been a boon for them, and most of its current bundle packaging and pricing make its ad-supported plans the more enticing options for most consumers. Bowen himself said that Hulu and ESPN on Disney+ is an “optimistic” way to “drive further adoption of the bundle.” All hail the sneaky return of cable!