Saturday, May 23, 2026

Price Hike

Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

As Major League Soccer readies to step outside its bubble for its first in-market game today, ESPN announced 64 of the regular season games will be carried on ESPN+. The out-of-market broadcasts follow 31 ESPN network broadcasts of the MLS is Back Tournament, which concluded with the championship last night.

Adding MLS games will help bolster programming on the platform as it attempts to draw and keep subscribers. ESPN+ also recently received a $1 price hike, with subscriptions for new members now $6 per month. Existing users will remain at $4.99.

Disney released its 2020 second quarter earnings last week, a period in which ESPN+ gained 600,000 new users. The streaming platform now has 8.5 million paid subscribers.

A bump in subscription fees is a move to boost the revenue generated by the platform, which dropped a little more than a dollar after ESPN+ was included in a bundle with Disney+ and Hulu — also a significant reason for the nearly three-fold increase in year-over-year subscribers.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Sign up for
The Memo Newsletter

Get the biggest stories and best analysis on the business of sports delivered to your inbox twice every weekday and twice on weekends.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Jan 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) drops back to pass against the Carolina Panthers in the first half during the NFC Wild Card Round game at Bank of America Stadium.

The Haves and Have-Nots of the 2026–27 NFL Schedule

Five teams have no primetime appearances scheduled in 2026.
Jan 17, 2026; Denver, CO, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) runs against Denver Broncos linebacker Karene Reid (47) during the second quarter of an AFC Divisional Round playoff game at Empower Field at Mile High.

NFL Schedule Leans Further Into Holidays, Streaming Expansion

The upcoming slate features several notable changes from 2025.

NFL Schedule Rollout Ramps Up With Full Thanksgiving Slate, Leak Frenzy

CBS gets a top NFC North rivalry to start the Thanksgiving Day games.

Featured Today

Big Money on the Line on Premier League’s Final Day

Arsenal has won the title, but millions are still at stake.
Texas State mascot
May 22, 2026

Mascot-Reveal Videos Are the Newest College Sports Tradition

Student mascot unmasking videos are going mega-viral.
Charlie Pliner and Nikolas Rohrmann
May 22, 2026

How 2 Brown Undergrads Became Sports Dealmakers

An experimental project turned into a permanent course and business deal network.
May 14, 2026

NFL Rivalries Are Made on the Field, Mocked in Schedule Release Videos

Every year, teams find new ways to one-up themselves (and their rivals).
May 16, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Ronda Rousey (blue gloves) celebrates defeating Gina Carano (red gloves) after a women's featherweight bout at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

How Jake Paul’s MVP Plans to Build on Netflix MMA Debut

Saturday’s debut averaged 12.4 million viewers on Netflix.
May 20, 2026

NHL Playoffs Deliver Record Second-Round Ratings for ESPN, TNT

The Canadiens-Sabres series brought additional audience milestones.
May 21, 2026

CBS, TNT Sports Parents Face New Merger Scrutiny by Lawmakers

A group of six U.S. senators raises concerns about the proposed megadeal.
Sponsored

How Microsoft and the Premier League Are Making Fans Feel Closer to the Game

The Premier League reaches fans in 189 countries. Now, with Microsoft, it is making global fandom more personal through AI.
The University of Alabama showed off renovations to Bryant Denny Stadium Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. Sports Illustrated covers decorate the walls inside the new press box. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]
May 20, 2026

Sports Illustrated Defends Its Standards After Plagiarism Incident

SI removed its prediction-markets affiliate following accusations of plagiarism.
Racin' With The Boys
exclusive
May 20, 2026

‘Bussin’ With the Boys’ Launching New NASCAR Show

Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions will produce the show.
May 19, 2026

NFL Pushes Back on Criticism Over TV and Streaming Deals

The league remains steadfast in its overall media approach.
May 19, 2026

Is Sports Coverage the Solution to ‘Google Zero’?

The glossy mag is betting sports coverage can arrest a traffic decline.