ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer service and Fox One, each debuting Aug. 21, combined to generate about 1 million sign-ups in the first 10 days of operation, according to new data from third-party data provider Antenna revealed Tuesday at the Front Office Sports Tuned In summit in New York.
ESPN declined to comment on the subscriber data.
The figures, accounting for the final stretch of August, represent the first glimpse into how the two high-profile streaming services are performing in the market. Each offering represents a major corporate priority for its respective companies as ESPN parent Disney and Fox continue their evolution from a prior, linear-focused business model.
In both instances, the networks are particularly seeking to capture younger consumers who either have dropped a traditional pay-TV service or never had one.
Antenna did not break out the combined sign-up figures for ESPN’s DTC service and Fox One, but said ESPN captured the lion’s share of that number. ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro is expected to speak about the data, and the overall DTC initiative, during his appearance Tuesday at the Tuned In summit.
“This topline data represents genuinely new customers; it does not include existing Disney subscribers who switched from other plans, or those who activated the service through a [multichannel video programming distributor] partnership,” Antenna wrote in a company blog post. “Additionally, both services’ NFL bumps likely hit closer to their first regular-season games, which started on Sept. 7. … While these early returns are strong, they are still just that—early.”
For Disney and ESPN, the release of these DTC numbers is additionally notable as they have said they will stop reporting streaming subscription totals to investors as part of their quarterly earnings reports. That decision follows a similar shift made by Netflix.
Antenna has provided key insights into other major streaming events in sports, such as the NFL’s first playoff exclusive with NBCUniversal’s Peacock in early 2024. The data from those initial days of operation for ESPN’s DTC service and Fox One, however, differs from many other Antenna measurements of the sports impact on more established platforms. Antenna has repeatedly found live sports to be a critical driver of subscriber acquisition, content consumption, and retention for services such as Netflix, Paramount+, and Peacock.
In addition to running their separate services, ESPN and Fox are also offering a joint bundle of the two, specifically targeting sports fans. That bundle will become available Oct. 2 for $39.99 per month.
