- Disney is expanding its sports streaming services this year.
- They’re merging Fubo with Hulu + Live TV and making ESPN more accessible.
- CEO Bob Iger emphasizes making ESPN “as accessible as possible.”
Disney is stepping up its sports streaming game. CEO Bob Iger wants to make ESPN easily available to everyone. He mentioned this during a recent earnings call when asked about the potential confusion from Disney’s complex sports strategy.
To give you a bit of background, last year, Disney teamed up with Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery to launch a service called Venu. However, they scrapped that plan in January due to legal issues. Instead, Disney decided to integrate Fubo into its Hulu + Live TV service. Now, Fubo will offer a new bundle featuring Disney’s sports channels, including ESPN and ABC.
Sport fans have more options arriving as Comcast and DirecTV are also introducing their own bundles that include ESPN. On top of that, Disney plans to launch a stand-alone ESPN streaming service later this fall.
With all these changes, it’s easy to see why some analysts are worried about overwhelming viewers. But Iger explained that this multitude of options is intentional. He stated that the rise of smaller bundles made Venu feel unnecessary. The new approach provides ESPN through various platforms, giving fans more ways to watch their favorite sports.
Looking ahead, the ESPN-only service aims to cater to serious sports enthusiasts. It will include features like betting, fantasy games, and personalized options. Iger highlighted that ESPN offers sports content every day of the year, making it a strong choice for viewers.
This strategic shift shows Disney’s commitment to making sports viewing as flexible and accessible as possible.
