The long-awaited ESPN direct-to-consumer gambit is almost upon us. And it’s finally becoming real as concrete details are being revealed about the product.
After being known both inside and outside of Bristol as “Flagship”, the company made known that the new direct-to-consumer platform would be simply called “ESPN” without any additional plus signs or monikers or clever plays on words that would have cost millions of dollars for a consulting firm to create.
But more important than the name is the price point. ESPN is trying to thread a delicate needle – they have to charge the right amount for cord cutters to feel like they are getting good value while also not totally undermining their linear cable business and making it too cheap to devalue another central revenue stream.
Ahead of the company’s Upfront presentation, network president Jimmy Pitaro made the reveal. ESPN DTC will cost $29.99 per month, per Variety. ESPN later confirmed the price in a network press release and stated that an annual subscription will go for $299.99.
This price point includes not just all of ESPN’s linear content, but also importantly live sports that appear on ABC as well. So you can get ESPN on ABC on ESPN. Crystal clear, right?
The direct-to-consumer platform will also have a bundle option for consumers. A Disney “Unlimited” bundle with Disney+ and Hulu, will cost $35.99 per month with ads but have an initial promotional price of $29.99 per month. The same bundle will cost $44.99 per month without ads.
The company is also offering a “select” option that will feature ESPN+ and other live events from ESPN for $11.99 per month, although it is unclear what exactly is missing from that offering that is included in the full package. The annual price runs for $119.99 and the Disney bundles are $16.99 and $26.99 depending on whether you get ads.
By comparison to these prices, the tabled joint venture with Fox and WBD, Venu Sports, was going to be set at $42.99 per month before the project was shut down. Although WBD and Fox certainly have their top tier sports products to point to, the bulk of the content at Venu was surely coming from ESPN.
And we know that Bristol is continuing to try to add as much content as they can to the platform, whether that be bringing back former personalities like Rich Eisen or exploring deals with leagues and other potential partners to work together.
The ESPN DTC platform certainly isn’t cheap, and it’s not going to have everything that you want or need as a sports fan. However, given all of the major events contained within the WorldWide Leader of Sports, it’s going to be a must have for anyone who is currently looking for a way to access the network’s vast array of programming and live sports without it at the moment.
The major question now will be whether or not the price point leads any fans to rework their current cable, satellite, or streaming configurations to make this a primary option.
About Matt Yoder