ESPN goes all-in on streaming

Disney-owned sports channel ESPN launched its streaming app today, aiming to lure back cord-cutting customers and new subscribers.

Costing $29.99 a month, the service will offer all 47,000 of the network’s annual live events and other library content. WWE events, documentaries, and studio shows, such as The Pat McAfee Show, will also be included.

Anyone paying for ESPN on cable gets the app for free.

The AI-powered app introduces features called “Verts,” a TikTok-style video feed, and “StreamCenter,” which syncs users’ phones and TV so they can track live stats, betting odds, and shopping deals during games.

The ESPN app can also be bundled with Disney+ and Hulu at the same price for the first year, before rising to $35.99. Disney hopes bundles will reduce subscriber churn—an industry term referring to the rate of subscription cancellations.

ESPN’s app launch comes as its reach has shrunk from 100 million homes in 2011 to just 61 million now, per the New York Times.