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Grab a subscription to Disney+ while it's still $70 a year
Save $10 by snagging a yearly subscription to Disney+ before a price increase on Friday, March 26th.
ESPN+ will be $1/month more expensive for new subscribers
Existing members won't pay more for at least a year.
ESPN+ tops 2 million subscribers following first UFC Fight Night
There doesn't seem to be much that can stop entertainment juggernaut built by Disney, especially now that the company is getting into "combat sports content." After inking a five-year, $1.5 billion blockbuster deal with the UFC last May, Disney and its streaming subsidiary ESPN+ have already begun reaping the rewards, according to company reps during the quarterly earnings call on Tuesday.
ESPN+ adds personalized recommendations and offline viewing
ESPN is making some welcome (and arguably overdue) improvements to its ESPN+ service that could change how and where you watch. Its updated app now includes personalized recommendations for ESPN+, starting with on-demand videos. Watch a lot of hockey? You'll probably see more highlight clips from the latest NHL matches. Recommendations will "soon" spread to live and future events, so you might spot big matches you would otherwise miss.
Verizon deal averts blackout of Disney, ESPN channels on FiOS
As 2019 is about to arrive in the US, there was one major potential TV blackout looming, with a TV deal between Disney and Verizon (the owner of Engadget's parent company) due to expire. Over the weekend, however, the two reached a new agreement, so Disney and ESPN channels will stay on the air for FiOS customers going forward. The only statement released said the two "have reached a broad-based distribution agreement. Details will be released in the coming days." With networks like Verizon rolling out different types of TV setups -- like the 5G service available in certain areas that comes with YouTube TV and Apple TV boxes -- it's not surprising the two could have issues seeing eye to eye. At the same time, Disney is expanding direct-to-customer offerings with the upcoming Disney+ streaming service and the already-available ESPN+. We'll have to wait and see if all of the channels remain on the same packages, or if prices go up to keep those channels in the bundle, however Bloomberg reports that Disney won a price increase for its channels. Similarly, Cox and Nexstar reached a last minute deal to keep several networks on the air in specific markets, however Verizon did not reach a deal with TEGNA, so networks it owns in Washington D.C., Buffalo, NY and Norfolk, VA went dark at 5 PM ET. In a statement, TEGNA said it " has worked hard to reach a fair, market-based agreement with Verizon in Washington, D.C. (WUSA), Norfolk, VA (WVEC) and Buffalo, NY (WGRZ). We have successfully reached hundreds of deals with cable and satellite providers across the country with no disruption of service, so we are disappointed we could not reach a deal with Verizon."
The best ways to stream live sports
If you're a sports fan, there's nothing quite like kicking back on the couch, cracking open a cold one and watching your favorite team rise triumphant over the other guys. For the longest time, it was thought that the only way to have such an experience was via a TV coupled with a cable or satellite subscription. That's because, for the most part, sports are best enjoyed live, and watching live TV hasn't always been the province of cord cutters. Things have changed in the past few years, however. Not only can you now stream most live sports on your computer or your smartphone, but you don't even need a cable or satellite provider to do so, which can potentially save you plenty of money. Yet the process is less easy than you'd think -- it depends a lot on what sport you're into and which teams you support -- and there are occasionally local blackouts to contend with as well. But with the cord-cutting movement gaining momentum recently, it's now a lot easier to watch live sports online than it's ever been, as long as you know what to look for. For the purposes of this guide, we decided to focus on the five major sports that are most often watched live -- American football, baseball, basketball, ice hockey, and domestic and international soccer -- though we also offer information about other sports like tennis and golf where relevant.
ESPN+ is the only place you can watch FA Cup soccer in the US
The FA Cup is the oldest single-knockout cup competition in soccer, and the 138th edition of the famous old tournament is about to get underway. However, you won't be able to watch the inevitable upsets through your cable provider in the US for the foreseeable future. That's because ESPN landed a multi-year deal to show games exclusively on the ESPN+ streaming service. Fox's deal for the FA Cup expired at the end of last season, and there were rumors a streaming service would pick up the rights.
ESPN+ is essential for the cord-cutting sports fan
There are a lot of options for people looking to cut the cord these days, but live sports remains a big hurdle to getting rid of cable. Sure, the likes of Sling TV and others offer streaming access to sports on a range of networks. Those services can cost $30 or more a month, and don't allow you to reap one of the major benefits of not having cable: saving money. A month ago, ESPN extended sports fans an olive branch in the form of ESPN+. While the standalone service doesn't have it all, it's well worth the $5 monthly fee.
ESPN+ now streams on Roku devices
ESPN+ launched on seemingly every platform under the Sun except for one: Roku. That's something of a glaring omission, isn't it? Thankfully, ESPN has been quick on the draw. ESPN+ has gone live through a new ESPN channel on Roku devices, giving you the same live sports (though sadly, no eSports) and on-demand shows whether you're using a dedicated player or a Roku-enabled TV.
ESPN missed a big eSports opportunity with its new streaming service
ESPN's new, $5-a-month streaming service allows sports fans to watch games, access original programming and view scores, all without a cable subscription. ESPN+ is a tool for the digital age, and another attempt by the company to attract a younger, cord-cutting audience -- which is why it's so surprising to see the service doesn't include eSports. ESPN has a tumultuous relationship with professional gaming. Today, the sports-media giant has a digital vertical dedicated to eSports and it covers the industry in-depth, with player interviews, on-the-ground reporting from major tournaments, power rankings and analysis. ESPN has even aired a handful of eSports tournaments on its cable channels, and this year it signed a deal with Electronic Arts to host Madden NFL tournaments on Disney XD, ESPN2 and other stations.
ESPN+ is the sports-streaming cord-cutters have been waiting for
After months of rumors and speculation about what it would look like or how much it would cost, ESPN's standalone streaming service is finally launching today. It's called ESPN+ and it's priced at $5 a month, which will get you both live and on-demand content that, according to the company, is geared toward underserved sports fans. The first thing you should know about ESPN+ is that it isn't meant to replace the traditional ESPN network but rather is designed to be complementary to it. With the streaming offering, for instance, you won't have access to ESPN's flagship show, SportsCenter. Instead, ESPN+ will have its own original programming, including shows that will focus on news, scores and highlights about specific sports and leagues.
ESPN+ offers a first look at Disney’s big plans for streaming
Disney has been relatively open about its plans to carve out a name for itself in the video-streaming wars, as it readies to compete with the likes of Netflix and Hulu. Although the company isn't launching its flagship service until the end of 2019, we now have an idea of what it might look like. This is where ESPN+, the long-awaited standalone streaming service from Disney-owned ESPN, comes in. The new $5-per-month offering, which launches today featuring both live and on-demand content, is the first service to arrive from the Walt Disney Co.'s direct-to-consumer division.
ESPN's standalone sports streaming service launches April 12th
We already knew Disney was planning to debut its standalone ESPN streaming service this spring and how much it would cost, but now we know exactly when it will arrive. The network announced today that its ESPN+ subscription will debut April 12th. On that date, you can expect to tap into a library of sports content that includes live event coverage, ESPN originals and on-demand options for $5 a month.
ESPN+ will host a documentary series on NBA rookies
ESPN has ordered a documentary series for its upcoming streaming service that will center on members of the NBA's 2017-18 rookie class, Variety reports. The eight-episode series will follow select players from draft night preparations, to training and through the regular season. "It will be really compelling, access-based programming, bringing fans closer to their favorite athletes, telling the story of the journey of adjusting to life in the NBA on the court and off the court," Connor Schell, ESPN's executive vice president of content, told Variety.
ESPN Plus standalone service will start streaming in spring 2018
After purchasing streaming company BamTech for $1.58 billion, Disney said it would offer content via its own on-demand service, rather than going through Netflix. That's not just going to be Star Wars, Marvel and other movie content, but sports from ESPN, too. During its earnings call yesterday, Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed that ESPN's streaming service would be called ESPN Plus (ESPN+) and launch in the spring of 2018.
