New ESPN app surpasses 2M subs, Fox One cracks 1M in first 40 days

Early returns for both ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer app and Fox One are looking solid.

Data research firm Antenna recently revealed subscriber estimates for both streaming services through their first 40 days of availability. Per Antenna, ESPN captured approximately 2.1 million new sign-ups between its launch on August 21 and September 30. Crucially, those subscribers figures measure individuals who are new to the ESPN ecosystem and do not include existing Disney subscribers who switched plans, or folks that authenticated into the new app via a pay TV subscription.

Further, Antenna estimates 57% of those new ESPN subscribers opted for the Unlimited plan, which runs $30 per month, with 43% signing up for the Select plan (formerly ESPN+) for $12 per month. About two-thirds of new ESPN subscribers purchased their package through a bundled offering, with Disney’s promotional packages that include both Disney+ and Hulu for the same monthly price as ESPN Unlimited likely proving popular among consumers.

Out this a.m. from Antenna: an update on ESPN and FOX One’s streaming services. From launch through Sept 30, Antenna estimates 2.1M Sign-ups to ESPN and 1.1M Sign-ups to FOX One. Full post and more data here: https://t.co/B24Mx47qys pic.twitter.com/dKt6GVBBUu

— Antenna (@AntennaData) October 20, 2025

As for Fox One, Antenna estimates the new direct-to-consumer streamer has captured 1.1 million subscribers at a price point of $19.99 per month. When Antenna published its first estimates last month, about 60% of Fox One subscriptions were sourced through Amazon Channels, which takes a cut of each subscriber’s monthly payment.

Fox One saw a particularly big spike prior to the Super Bowl rematch between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs on September 14, capturing nearly 350,000 new subscribers in that single day.

Given the premium price point of both streaming services, modest uptake is to be expected. Both companies have been crystal clear that these services are designed to capture individuals currently outside the pay TV ecosystem. In other words, ESPN and Fox are not marketing these apps as replacements for the bundle, rather they are an alternative means to access their content if one isn’t a bundle subscriber.

As such, both streamers cracking a million subscribers in 40 days is pretty encouraging. The question becomes whether each service can sustain the growth and retain these subscribers once football season draws to an end.