The initial returns for ESPN’s and Fox’s respective streaming apps are in.
According to third-party data firm Antenna, ESPN Unlimited and Fox One generated approximately one million combined subscribers during the period of August 21 (when both apps launched) to August 31. These subscribers, Antenna suggests, are “genuinely new,” meaning it does not include existing Disney subscribers who switched plans, or those that access ESPN Unlimited through a traditional pay TV subscription.
The firm did not break out the specific numbers for both ESPN Unlimited and Fox One, but Front Office Sports reports that “ESPN captured the lion’s share” of the combined one million subscribers. Antenna contends that both services will see substantial bumps in the month of September, which coincides with the beginning of football season.
Per the data firm, four in five new ESPN subscribers did so through a bundle. The network is offering a bundle alongside Hulu and Disney+ for the same price as standalone ESPN, $30 per month, as a launch promotion. ESPN and Fox also partnered for a bundle of their own, priced at $40 per month.
Notably, over 10% of all new ESPN subscribers are signing up for the annual plan, a substantial figure compared to other streamers like Paramount+ (5.6%), Peacock (4.3%), and HBO Max (0.6%).
Fox One, on the other hand, had success partnering with Amazon Prime Video Channels, which has generated nearly 60% of all signups for the streamer. However, just 1.6% of Fox One subscribers are signed up for the yearly plan.
Expectations for both services are being kept relatively low by their respective company’s executives. Both streamers are seen as a way to capture users that are already outside of the pay TV ecosystem, rather than as a substitute or supplement for bundle subscribers.
September’s numbers should provide a better outlook for the starting point of each streamer, as both will be airing their most valuable live sports programming throughout the next few months.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.