Disney Makes a Run for Streaming Glory as ESPN Breaks Free from Cable

It’s game day for DisneyDIS

, and they’re stepping onto the field without a cable in sight. The entertainment heavyweight launched its long-awaited ESPN app that streams every highlight, game, and buzzer-beater in one spot. With US cable subscriptions down 40% since 2011, this marks ESPN’s bold play to capture the modern audience.

• Starting at $29.99 per month, the all-in-one app offers 47K+ live events per year, including championships like the NCAA, PGA, and more — a major upgrade from the limited ESPN+ offering.
• But the market is fierce, as ~30% of new sign-ups run through platforms like AmazonAMZN
  , YouTubeGOOG
  , and AppleAAPL
  — each competing to become the primary destination.

Platform power shift: Insiders call this “the next chapter of the streaming wars,” as Big Tech grapples with legacy media. To compete, ESPN’s future leans on locking up exclusive rights and giving fans a reason to pick its app over the streaming crowd. The company already nabbed deals with the NFL, NBA, and WWETKO

— but if recent moves are any indicator, the real streaming playoffs are just starting.