ESPN has revealed the release date and price for the new direct-to-consumer service.
ESPN Direct-to-Consumer Service: Release Date And Price
ESPN’s direct-to-consumer (DTC) service is coming just in time for football season. The new service launches on Thursday, August 21.
What is the direct-to-consumer service? For the first time, ESPN will be offered to customers as a standalone streaming service. In the past, ESPN had to be purchased through a cable provider. Starting August 21, that is no longer the case.
ESPN DTC’s unlimited plan will cost $29.99 per month. This plan provides access to all of ESPN’s linear networks, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+, and ACCNX.
The ESPN DTC’s unlimited plan can be bundled with Disney+ and Hulu for a special launch price of $29.99 per month for the first year.
ESPN DTC will live within an enhanced ESPN app that offers a more personalized viewing experience. The tagline reads, “All of ESPN. All in one place.”
With the service debuting in late August, fans don’t have to miss out on some of the fall’s biggest events, including college football, NFL, international soccer, US Open tennis, WNBA playoffs, PLL playoffs, international soccer, women’s college soccer, volleyball, field hockey, and more.
Later on this year, fans can watch the NBA, NHL, and UFC.
The DTC also allows access to ESPN’s studio shows, including SportsCenter, Get Up, First Take, The Pat McAfee Show, Pardon the Interruption, NFL Live, Inside the NBA, College GameDay, The Rich Eisen Show, NBA Today, and more.
NFL Programming And WWE Events Coming To ESPN DTC
ESPN 🤝 @WWE
Starting in 2026, ESPN’s DTC platform will be the U.S. home of every WWE Premium Live Event – including @WrestleMania
Details: https://t.co/JBmWsU5gvS pic.twitter.com/rdGYpPHtOQ
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) August 6, 2025
ESPN is partnering with two of the biggest corporations, the NFL and WWE, to take the Worldwide Leader in Sports to the next level.
As reported last week by The Athletic, ESPN and the NFL agreed to a non-binding agreement where ESPN will acquire NFL Network and several NFL Media assets in exchange for a 10% equity stake in ESPN.
The NFL will also license certain content and intellectual property to ESPN.
NFL programming will now be available on ESPN and the new ESPN DTC. NFL Network and RedZone are two of the prized possessions heading to ESPN platforms. ESPN will also license more NFL games per season that air on NFL Network.
In 2026, ESPN will be the new exclusive U.S. domestic home of all WWE Premium Live Events (PLEs). This means that WWE’s most prestigious events — including WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, and SummerSlam — will air on ESPN platforms, such as the direct-to-consumer streaming service.
