Starting Wednesday, Disney+ is introducing significant updates for Disney Bundle subscribers, with a dedicated ESPN tile set to appear on the platform. Additionally, a selection of Hulu and ESPN content will be made available to all Disney+ subscribers, regardless of whether they are part of a bundled package.
Disney+ president Alisa Bowen, said, “This launch really puts a cherry on top of a fantastic year of innovation at Disney+. Earlier in the year, we made Hulu available in the Disney+ app, and now we’re doing the same for ESPN+. This gives our bundle subscribers one place to consume everything they love from all our brands.”
Notably, with ESPN+ viewers get access to over 30,000 live sports events annually, featuring action from leagues and competitions such as MLB, WNBA, college sports, tennis, and golf. In addition to live coverage, the platform offers a robust library of on-demand replays, original programming, and studio shows, catering to sports fans with diverse interests.
Furthermore, with the addition of dedicated ESPN and Hulu tiles, offering a preview of content from both platforms Disney+ is enhancing its experience for standalone subscribers. Subscribers will gain access to a curated selection of studio shows, live sports, and ESPN Films from ESPN+, including unique programming like The Simpsons Funday Football animated Monday Night Football game, five NBA Christmas Day matchups, and the Dunk The Halls animated NBA special. Additional offerings include select 30 For 30 documentaries and Day 1 coverage of the Australian Open, broadening the platform’s appeal for sports enthusiasts.
Additionally, standalone Disney+ subscribers will soon gain access to a variety of Hulu content, including ABC series like Will Trent, Hulu originals such as Solar Opposites, FX originals such as Shōgun and Reservation Dogs, and select library titles like Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.
John Lasker, senior VP of ESPN+, said, “The content that we’re making available to the broader Disney+ subscriber base is a very, very limited amount, it’s a small fraction of the content that’s available on ESPN+, and part of the design there is for us to try to stimulate engagement and interest in sports to a casual sports fan that might not otherwise come to ESPN in their sort of normal media behaviors. So you’re not creating an alternative to ESPN or ESPN+, but more an extended reach opportunity.”