• ESPN+ is a sports programming brand owned by ESPN, a joint venture between the Walt Disney Company (72%), Hearst Communications (18%), and the National Football League (10%), which first launched as a subscription streaming service on April 12, 2018.
  • Initially, it operated as an over-the-top platform in the U.S., offering exclusive content like UFC fights, NHL out-of-market games, college sports, golf, and soccer, but it deliberately excluded ESPN's linear cable networks to protect traditional TV subscribers.
  • Built on technology from BAMTech (later Disney Streaming), the service was conceived to combat cord-cutting; Disney acquired a controlling stake in the tech company in 2017 and set a $4.99 monthly price point to complement its existing networks.
  • Notably, it added MLB.TV as an add-on package and was part of Disney's broader streaming strategy, though a proposed acquisition of Fox's regional sports networks was blocked by antitrust regulators.
  • On August 21, 2025, the service was folded into the new ESPN direct-to-consumer platform, with its former product tier rebranded as ESPN Select, while the ESPN+ brand will remain active for contractual obligations.
  • The ESPN+ brand will continue to be sold as a standalone package to commercial establishments, marking a transition from a standalone subscription to an integrated part of ESPN's digital ecosystem.