
ESPN OTT Service Will Launch April 12, Include Live MLB, NHL, MLS Games The $4.99/month direct-to-consumer platform will also feature boxing, college sports, PGA golf, Grand Slam tennis, and more By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor
Monday, April 2, 2018 - 11:52 am
Print This Story
Story Highlights
ESPN unveiled specifics for its long-expected direct-to-consumer OTT service, ESPN , today. The subscription streaming service will launch on April 12 at a cost of $4.99/month (or $49.99/year) and will be an integrated part of a redesigned ESPN App that will serve as the company's all-in-one digital sports platform; it will also be available through ESPN.com.
Live sports content on ESPN will include more than 180 MLB games this season (a game per day), more than 180 NHL games (a game per day), Top Rank Boxing fights, more than 250 MLS games, thousands of college sports events across nearly two dozen conferences (including football this fall), 31 PGA TOUR events, Grand Slam tennis (Wimbledon, US Open, Australian Open), and hundreds of rugby and cricket matches.
Subscribers will also be able to purchase the entire MLB.TV out-of-market package via ESPN and view the games within the ESPN App. MLB.TV will cost an additional $24.99 per month. Beginning with the 2018-19 NHL season, fans will be able to purchase the entire NHL.TV out-of-market package as well.
The reimagined ESPN App will offer an increasingly personalized one-stop digital destination on mobile and digital living-room platforms: ESPN , authenticated live streaming of ESPN's eight U.S. networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SEC Network, Longhorn Network), and ESPN Audio live and on-demand content (including ESPN Radio streaming and podcasts). More details about ESPN and the redesigned ESPN App - including further details about live sports, original, and on-demand programming - will be announced ahead of launch.
ESPN was built on a belief in innovation and the powerful connection between sports and a remarkable array of fans, said James Pitaro, president, ESPN/co-chair, Disney Media Networks, in the announcement. That same belief is at the heart of ESPN and the new ESPN App. With ESPN , fans have access to thousands more live games, world-class original programs, and on-demand sports content, all at a great price. They will get all of that as part of a completely reimagined, increasingly personalized ESPN App that provides easy, one-stop access to everything ESPN offers.
ESPN is the first direct-to-consumer service offering from Disney Direct-to-Consumer and International, the multiplatform media, technology, and distribution organization for content created by Disney's Media Networks and Studio Entertainment groups. A Disney-branded direct-to-consumer service, offering subscription video-on-demand viewing of Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm movies along with a host of exclusive content, will launch in late 2019. Both streaming services are powered by BAMTECH, a unit of Disney Direct-to-Consumer and International.
The launch of ESPN marks the beginning of an exciting new era of innovation for our media businesses, one defined by an increasingly direct and personal relationship with consumers, said Kevin Mayer, chairman, Direct-to-Consumer and International, The Walt Disney Co. This new product reflects our direct-to-consumer strategy focused on combining our beloved brands with our proprietary, industry-leading technology to give users unparalleled access to our world-class content.
The ESPN programming lineup will be built on four key pillars of content: thousands of live sports events, original shows and films, exclusive studio programs, and an on-demand library.
ESPN will connect fans directly to sports they love wherever and whenever they want, said Michael Paull, president, BAMTECH Media. Together, BAMTECH's industry-leading direct-to-consumer video platform and capabilities combined with ESPN's unmatched sports content will deliver fans an all-new streaming experience with exciting product features built for watching incredible live and on-demand sports.
Among the thousands of live sports events confirmed to stream on ESPN are:
MLB - MORE THAN 180 GAMES; A GAME PER DAY THROUGHOUT SEASON: ESPN will feature a game each day, seven days per week, throughout the regular season, representing every MLB team (blackouts apply).
NHL - MORE THAN 180 GAMES; GAME OF THE DAY THROUGHOUT REGULAR SEASON: Beginning with the 2018-19 NHL season, subscribers will get a daily game throughout the regular season (in keeping with the league schedule); blackouts apply.
BOXING - YEAR-ROUND SCHEDULE, INCLUDES EXCLUSIVE KHAN VS. LO GRECO BOUT: ESPN is a key part of ESPN's multiplatform Top Rank Boxing on ESPN agreement and will feature boxing throughout the year, with a selection of exclusive main-event fights beginning with the April 21 Amir Khan vs. Phil Lo Greco bout in Liverpool, UK. In addition, ESPN will feature undercard fights throughout the year from Top Rank on ESPN events, re-airs of all Top Rank on ESPN and PPV events and a library of legendary fights from the Top Rank and ESPN Big Fights archives.
MLS - MORE THAN 250 GAMES: At launch, an ESPN subscription will provide exclusive access to the entire MLS Live out-of-market schedule (blackouts apply). Before launch, fans can access free out-of-market games streaming live on MLSsoccer.com and the MLS App. Additionally, ESPN will be the exclusive local-market home for the Chicago Fire, bringing 27 Fire matches to fans in Chicago.
COLLEGE SPORTS - THOUSANDS OF GAMES AND EVENTS, MULTIPLE SPORTS, ACROSS NEARLY TWO DOZEN CONFERENCES: The ESPN lineup will feature thousands of live sports events - football, basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, track and field, gymnastics, swimming and diving, lacrosse, wrestling
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
02/07/2026
Entering her senior year, this hometown girl is paving a career in live sports production gaining experience in replay and audio and as a TD
In the live-sports...
02/07/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
02/07/2026
BLAST, a competitive entertainment company focused on esports, has announced more than $133 million in revenue for 2025, representing more than 40% year-over-ye...
02/07/2026
Riedel Communications has announced official SKAARHOJ panel support for SimplyLive production workflows, enabled through the SimplyLive 2.1 release. The integra...
02/07/2026
The Fire Rescue Service of the Czech Republic has deployed LiveU video-over-bond...
02/07/2026
Gravity Media USA has announced the appointment of Brittney Boston as Head of Business Development, effective July 1, 2026. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Bosto...
02/07/2026
TwelveLabs, a video intelligence company, has announced $100 million in Series B funding co-led by NEA and NAVER Ventures, with participation from Amazon, Radic...
02/07/2026
The Pro Padel League (PPL) has announced a broadcast partnership with USA Sports that will air five PPL championship matches on CNBC during the 2026 season, the...
02/07/2026
LiveLike, a digital fan engagement platform, has announced eight confirmed FIFA ...
02/07/2026
Cobalt Digital has received Future's Best of Show Award, presented by AV Technology at InfoComm 2026, for its blueCORE family of standalone signal processor...
02/07/2026
Synamedia has announced the appointment of Dr. Tzvi Gerstl as Chief Executive Officer. Paul Segre, who has served as CEO for the past six years, will transition...
02/07/2026
The Esports Foundation (EF) and Sony Group Corporation have announced an expanded collaboration for the Esports World Cup 2026 (EWC), taking place in Paris, Fra...
02/07/2026
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. ( Z') has announced exclusive broadcast and digital rights for the Bundesliga in India for five years, beginning with the...
02/07/2026
NBCU brings together News, Sports, Local, and Telemundo for a 50+ camera live pr...
02/07/2026
Zoey Deutch, John Slattery, Ken Marino, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, and Ben Wang appe...
02/07/2026
Stammering, stuttering, strangulated tones
The Crow Hill Company's latest creation promises to be the most original sound set they've produced to d...
02/07/2026
A new era in unmixing and spectral editing
The latest version of Steinberg's spectral audio-editing software has just arrived, building on the strength...
02/07/2026
Aims to simplify additive synthesis
Sine Machine is the debut launch from Melatonin, a Vienna-based developer who have spent the past six years creating wha...
02/07/2026
Products to remain fully active & supported
Following the news of Native Instruments joining the inMusic brand line-up, Academy and Emmy Award-winning visua...
02/07/2026
What you missed!
Last weekend, Saturday 27 June 2026, saw the debut of Sound On Sounds new GearExpo UK event, the largest dedicated pro-audio event to take ...
02/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/07/2026
Following the successful launch of its inaugural APAC Mentoring Programme last month, the Rise AV APAC Regional Council will bring the conversation around mento...
02/07/2026
Blackmagic PYXIS 6K Used to Shoot Director Takahisa Zeze's Cry Out
Brie Clayton July 2, 2026
0 Comments
Highly mobile camera supports tense and de...
02/07/2026
Broadcast Solutions acquires BFE, expanding its lead in European broadcast, medi...
02/07/2026
Berklee Alum and Faculty Perform at Boston Public Library's 250th Anniversar...
02/07/2026
Broadcast Solutions GmbH, a leading systems integrator and provider of innovative solutions for the broadcast media industry, is acquiring BFE Studio und Medien...
02/07/2026
Cinegy GmbH, the premier provider of software-defined television technology, has extended the ingest facility at leading Brazilian sports company LiveMode, work...
02/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/07/2026
Standalone processors acknowledged for the innovation and value they bring to Pro AV
Cobalt Digital, a leading designer and manufacturer of signal processing ...
02/07/2026
Synamedia announced today the appointment of Dr Tzvi Gerstl as Chief Executive Officer. Paul Segre, who has served as CEO for the past six years, will transitio...
02/07/2026
Screen Australia backs audience-led filmmaking with new insight-driven initiativ...
02/07/2026
Screen Australia refines guidelines for Narrative Content Development and Docume...
02/07/2026
Maxon Autograph: Introduction to working with Tables
Simon Ubsdell July 1, 2026
0 Comments
An overview of Autograph's ridiculously powerful tables...
02/07/2026
Boston Conservatory's Soir e Breaks Records to Fund Student Scholarships The event achieved 127 percent of its fundraising goal in an evening celebrating ...
02/07/2026
How Adam Rosenwach Pivoted from Music to Med Tech Without Missing a Beat What do the rehearsal room and the boardroom have in common? More than you might thin...
02/07/2026
Warner Bros. Discovery UK & Ireland backs Unacceptable for a second series on TL...
02/07/2026
Thursday 2 July 2026
Tea with Judi Dench returns to Sky Arts with legendary guest, Sir Ian McKellen
Sky today confirms Tea with Judi Dench will return this su...
02/07/2026
Summer is heating up - and GeForce NOW is taking players along for the ride.
Start the month with Monopoly: Star Wars Heroes vs. Villains, bringing a galaxy fa...
01/07/2026
Broadcast Management Group (BMG) has announced the appointment of Kathy Samuels ...
01/07/2026
Shade has announced Custom Objects and Automations, a platform expansion releasing June 29, 2026, that adds database and workflow automation capabilities direct...
01/07/2026
FOR-A America has announced the addition of Jaz Wray and Fernando Cruz to its U.S. sales team. Both report to Ernie Leon, Senior VP and Head of Sales and Strate...
01/07/2026
NBC Sports will air all 15 MLB games nationally on Sunday, July 5, across NBC, P...
01/07/2026
Clear-Com has announced a wireless communications upgrade for Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, deploying FreeSpeak II and FreeSpeak Icon systems across both prod...
01/07/2026
England's performance team will use Sony's STATSports APEX GPS tracking system to monitor player physical data in real time during FIFA World Cup 2026 m...
01/07/2026
Adder Technology has announced the appointment of Neil Hillier as Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2026. Hillier succeeds Adrian Dickens, who transiti...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. has announced a strategic transaction creating two separate companies. The Production and Playout business will continue as Bitcentral, now own...