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Disney has hiked prices across Disney+ and Hulu, with ad-free standalone plans rising 13 percent from $19 to $21.50 per month and ad-supported plans rising from $12 to $12.50. Bundle prices also increased, including the Disney+/Hulu/ESPN Select bundle without ads jumping from $29 to $33, while Hulu + Live TV rose by $10 monthly.
Disney is increasing subscription prices for Disney Plus and Hulu starting Wednesday, with premium ad-free plans rising to $21.49 monthly and the combined bundle reaching $22. Ad-supported plans see a smaller increase to $12.49, while the top-tier bundle including ESPN Unlimited stays at $45.
ESPN, set to air its first Super Bowl in 2027, has begun planning ways to use Disney's broad portfolio of characters and franchises to draw in a wider television audience. Preparations reportedly started almost immediately after the conclusion of the 2026 Super Bowl, with executives exploring cross-promotional tie-ins tied to Disney's intellectual property.
At a Fast Company event, ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro and Monday Night Football host Laura Rutledge discussed how ESPN is transforming from a traditional TV network into a personalized, interactive digital platform. The conversation, moderated by Fast Company editor Brendan Vaughan, focused on how streaming, social media, fantasy sports and online betting are reshaping ESPN's business model.
Disney has agreed to pay $50 million to settle Biddle v. The Walt Disney Company, a lawsuit accusing it of using ESPN's leverage to force streaming services into pricier bundled channel packages. The settlement covers anyone who subscribed to YouTube TV or DirecTV Stream (including DirecTV Now or AT&T TV Now) between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2026, and claims must be filed by Sept. 8. Disney denies wrongdoing, and payout amounts will vary based on subscription length and total number of claims submitted.
Cory Edwards, a Starbucks manager who coaches Little League in Henderson, Nevada, gave his team an unscripted pep talk while trailing 11-2 in the World Series final, telling them to hold their heads high and get tougher under pressure. ESPN's clip of the moment spread widely online, and Edwards later told The New York Times the message was really about character, not the scoreboard.
YouTube TV has finished folding ESPN Unlimited directly into its platform, meaning eligible subscribers no longer need to open a separate ESPN app to stream its content. The rollout, promised as part of last year's carriage deal after ESPN briefly left YouTube TV, covers events like the US Open, college football, WWE, La Liga and out-of-market NHL games, plus ESPN Originals and the 30 for 30 library.
The 2026 US Open Tennis Championships will run from Sunday, August 30 through Sunday, September 13 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York. The tournament, the year's final Grand Slam, will be broadcast across ESPN, ABC and The Tennis Channel, with the ESPN app offering the most convenient streaming access for fans.
Roku announced it will stream eight Sunday night NWSL matches for free via The Roku Sports Channel, beginning with Seattle Reign FC versus Houston Dash on August 30 and ending with San Diego Wave FC versus Boston Legacy FC on October 25. The company also plans to carry a Sunday night match every week during the 2027 season.
ESPN executive Michael Szykowny and Pixar's Jay Ward described at Disney's D23 convention how the network builds its animated alternate broadcasts, which recast real athletes as characters like Toy Story figures or Simpsons cast members. The system combines NFL Next Gen Stats player-tracking data, Sony's Beyond Sports engine and Hawk-Eye optical tracking to animate characters in real time, while commentator Drew Carter now uses a VR headset instead of a full motion-capture suit to sync his live calls with his on-screen avatar.
ESPN is hiking subscription costs across its streaming lineup starting September 17. ESPN Select rises from $13 to $14 monthly, ESPN Unlimited climbs from $30 to $32, and several bundles combining ESPN with Disney Plus and Hulu will also cost more, with increases ranging from $2 to $3 per month.
ESPN is increasing subscription costs across nearly all its streaming tiers, with ESPN Unlimited rising to $32 monthly and $320 annually, and ESPN Select climbing to $14 monthly and $140 annually. Several Disney+ and Hulu bundles that include ESPN Select will also see price hikes, though bundles featuring ESPN Unlimited remain unaffected for now.