Today marks the beginning of ESPN+, a direct-to-consumer service that ESPN hope’s will help curb their dwindling subscriber count. Since the debut of streaming sites like Netflix, Hulu and YouTube TV, ESPN has seen a significant decrease in subscribers due to consumers “cutting the cord”, and only paying for the content they want to see.
The new ESPN App launches today with a completely re-imagined experience that includes the seamless integration of ESPN+, the first-ever multi-sport, direct-to-consumer premium subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International group, in partnership with ESPN.
ESPN+ debuted today boasting a “Limited Time 30 Day Free Trial.” After the free trial period, the fee will be $4.99 a month, or $49.99 a year. The free trial offer is set to end on 4/19/2018.
Now, what does ESPN+ offer for that price? ESPN+ will offer access to thousands of live games and the extensive ESPN on-demand library of documentaries and game archives. This service is seen as a “add on” to ESPN’s cable channel lineup, so don’t expect to be able to watch their core channels like ESPN and ESPN 2.
Here’s a full breakdown of the content provided by the service:
-
- MLB – A daily game, seven days per week, throughout the regular season, a total of more than 180 games that will include every MLB team.*
- NHL – Beginning with the 2018-19 season, a daily game throughout the regular season (in keeping with the NHL schedule), a total of more than 180 hockey games* — as well as on-demand replays of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
- MLS – the entire MLS LIVE out-of-market schedule with more than 250 games* this season, as well as the local-market home for the Chicago Fire, exclusively bringing 23 Fire matches to fans in Chicago.
- College Sports – thousands of live events – including football, basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, track & field, gymnastics, swimming & diving, lacrosse, wrestling, volleyball, golf and more – from 20 conferences across the country.
- Top Rank Boxing – Hundreds of live boxing matches, including 18 ESPN+ exclusive Top Rank fight cards throughout the year, all Top Rank on ESPN undercard fights, re-airs of all Top Rank on ESPN and Top Rank on ESPN PPV bouts, plus weigh-ins and more.
- PGA Tour Golf – 50 days of coverage from 20 PGA tour events, including the RBC Heritage, THE PLAYERS Championship, the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, the FedExCup Playoffs and more.
- Grand Slam Tennis – Hundreds of men’s and women’s singles, doubles and other matches, from the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.
- Cricket – Hundreds of Test, ODI and T20 format matches from New Zealand Cricket and Cricket Ireland.
- Rugby – Hundreds of matches from SANZAAR Rugby, the HSBC World Rugby Sevens series, and Major League Rugby.
- Canadian Football League – Nearly 200 games from Canada’s professional league.
- English Football League – Approximately 200 total matches, including an average of four per week from Sky Bet Championship Playoffs, League 1 and League 2, plus six matches per month from the EFL Cup (beginning in August) and 16 matches per month throughout the EFL 2018-19 season.
- UEFA Nations League – Over 100 live matches from the newly created tournament. Pay TV customers with an ESPN+ subscription will be able to access the entire tournament including the 36 UNL matches on ESPN linear networks and ESPN3.
The service is available now, and you can sign up for your free trial here.