• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, October 8, 2024
The Best Employers in Sports survey is now open! Take the survey

Disney Outlines Sports Plans At Annual Investors Day

LSU x Alabama
Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Disney’s direct-to-consumer push is moving forward at full speed. 

ESPN’s digital platform ESPN+ will be directly integrated into Disney-owned Hulu next year, the company announced at its annual investor day Thursday. 

The sports streaming service has surpassed 11.5 million subscribers, more than triple what it had in Q4 2019, and expects to reach 20 million by 2024.

New ESPN+ Exclusives: 

  • Stephen A. Smith’s studio show, launching in January 
  • A daily morning highlights show
  • “PGA Tour Live on ESPN+,” featuring live coverage and on-demand replays
  • “Man in the Arena,” a nine-part Tom Brady docuseries, debuting in 2021 

Disney+, which now has over 86.8 million subscribers, will also get its share of sports content — including a “Mighty Ducks” series.

The platform will also stream original films based on the lives of some notable athletes:

  • NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo
  • Phoenix Suns guard and NBPA President Chris Paul
  • Former Oregon wide receiver Keanon Lowe, who disarmed a student with a loaded gun while working as a high school security guard last year

ESPN also announced a 10-year, roughly $3 billion rights deal with the SEC Conference, set to begin in 2024.

The agreement will see ESPN become the exclusive carrier of all SEC football and men’s basketball games, many of which will air on ESPN+. 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Sep 6, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark before the game between the Southern Methodist Mustangs and the Brigham Young Cougars at Gerald J. Ford Stadium.

Big 12’s Brett Yormark Doesn’t ‘Wake Up Thinking’ About SEC, Big Ten

Big 12’s commissioner says he isn’t concerned about reports of a Big Ten–SEC scheduling alliance.
Breanna Stewart

Why WNBA Finals Are Threading the Needle During Peak Sports TV

The league’s new media deal could solve the problem.

How the WWE’s Farm Circuit Became a Primetime Draw

NXT produces generational talent—and it occupies a new prime-time network slot.

Vandy Trying to Cash In on Upset

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia is looking for new NIL deals.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

Shams to ESPN; NHL Drops Puck

0:00

Featured Today

Ryan Smith Sees Salt Lake City As Next Vegas-Like Sports Town

Utah Hockey Club’s owner says all the pieces are falling into place.
A DraftKings sign
October 7, 2024

A DraftKings Exec Left for Fanatics. Then the Bitter Legal Battle Began

Mike Hermalyn has been sidelined at Fanatics for nine months now.
opinion
October 6, 2024

Where Is the Dang Game? Fragmentation Has Hit Fever Pitch

A correction is coming in the increasingly confusing landscape of live sports.
October 5, 2024

MLB Gets the Shohei Ohtani Postseason Treatment. The Value Is Immense

The Japanese superstar finally makes his playoff debut Saturday.
patrick_mahomes

Super Bowl TV Viewership Sinks 8%

CBS Sports’ telecast of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 31-9 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs averaged 91.629 million viewers, down 8%.
person_playing_cricket
December 23, 2020

Prominent Tech Execs Line Up to Back Cricket Growth In the U.S.

More than 20 investors have now bought into American Cricket Enterprise, parent company oMajor League Cricket.
man_riding_stationary_bike
December 28, 2020

Connected Fitness Company Echelon Lands $65 Million Investment

The funding came from Goldman Sachs and North Castle Partners, who now own controlling interests in the company.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
woman_holding_hockey_stick
December 23, 2020

NBC to Air NWHL Finals, Adds to Banner Year for Women’s Sports

It will be the first time professional women’s hockey games are shown live on a major national cable network in the U.S.
antetokounmpo_dribbling_basketball
December 23, 2020

‘Giannis Effect’ Felt by Bucks Following Record-Breaking Extension

Since he was drafted in 2013, the Bucks’ valuation has jumped from No. 30 in the league at $312 million to No. 19 at $1.58 billion.
December 22, 2020

Adam Silver Says NBA Expansion is ‘Manifest Destiny of the League’

“It’s sort of the manifest destiny of the league that you expand at some point,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Monday.
December 22, 2020

Adidas Partners With Jerry Lorenzo, Fear of God Brand

Lorenzo will lead creative and business strategy for Adidas basketball globally, and launch a Fear of God athletics sub-brand.