Disney, Sports Leagues Talking The New DTC Service

The wide world of sports on ESPN could be getting even wider over the next few years. That’s according to a report from the Wall Street Journal, which says that Disney has been having conversations with major sports leagues about potentially adding even more in the way of live sports rights.

• ESPN could integrate games from NFL+ and NBA League Pass.
• Disney remains interested in local MLB rights.
• The company could also still partner with a tech firm like Verizon or Apple.

The Streamer reports Disney is planning to create a direct-to-consumer version of ESPN and its sibling channels that won’t require a cable or satellite subscription to access. The service is targeting a release date of 2025 or 2026, and before launch Disney wants to make sure the service offers as many live sports as possible to justify a price that will almost certainly run north of $30 per month.

The Journal reports that Disney has had conversations with the NFL regarding integrating content from NFL+ onto the new ESPN streamer. That would instantly grant ESPN the rights to stream every single in-market NFL game to users’ mobile devices, and while that would not mean that all NFL games would be on ESPN going forward, it would be a big step in that direction.

Talks with leagues are still in the preliminary stages, and some or all of these potential deals could fall through or simply never materialize. Disney is also in discussions with firms like Apple and Verizon to boost distribution of the future ESPN streaming platform and assume some of the financial burdens, but if it can iron out all of these details, the ESPN streamer may become a true one-stop destination for all major sports.