ESPN Unveils Streaming Bundle With Disney+ and Hulu – Here’s Why You Should Care (Or Not
Sage Matthews: Another day, another corporate bundle that sounds great until you read the fine print. Of course this happened.
So here we go again—ESPN has launched a new streaming service called ESPN Unlimited, and in what can only be described as a desperate Hail Mary to lure cord-cutters, they’re throwing in a year of Disney+ and Hulu for free. Because nothing says “we care about our customers” like making them sign up for three services just to get one at a reasonable price.
Launched on August 21, ESPN Unlimited is being touted as the first time all of ESPN’s content—including every linear channel from the main ESPN network down to niche ones like SECN and ACCNX—is available together in one place. That means subscribers can stream live coverage of over 47,000 annual sporting events, including NFL, NBA, and college football games, plus shows like SportsCenter and First Take without interruption.
But here’s the catch: if you want access to everything ESPN offers, it’ll cost you $29.99 per month. However, there’s an introductory offer where for the first year, you can get ESPN Unlimited bundled with Disney+ and Hulu (both with ads), all for the same $29.99/month rate. After that? The price jumps to $35.99/month. So yes, you’re essentially getting two streaming services for free—for now. But let’s not pretend this isn’t just another bait-and-switch tactic.
The original ESPN+ service, which debuted back in 2018, was rebranded as ESPN Select and remains available at a lower price point. But if you want full access to live TV and exclusive events, you’ll need to upgrade to ESPN Unlimited.
Let’s also not forget that this is happening in a world where most people already have too many subscriptions and are constantly bombarded by similar deals promising “unlimited” access to content they probably don’t even watch. And yet, here we are, expected to get excited about yet another platform demanding our money and attention.
If you’re wondering why anyone would fall for this, well, welcome to late-stage capitalism. It’s not like consumers have any real choice anymore. Every major media company is forcing us into these bloated bundles whether we like it or not.
And honestly, who even watches cable anymore? We’re all just paying for different versions of the same thing at this point.
Still, if you’re a sports fan who refuses to miss a game and doesn’t mind ads, this might be worth a look—at least for the first year. Just remember: nothing stays free forever, and the second year will cost you more than the base ESPN service alone.
Anyway, can’t wait to see how this gets worse.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and New York Post
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