The Disney Deal: When Will DIRECTV Add ESPN+ For Free?

By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow me on X.
Former editor of Satellite DIRECT magazine. Reported on DIRECTV for 30 years.

TV Answer Man, in the press release for the DIRECTV and Disney deal, it said ESPN+ would be added to our packages. When will this happen? — Scott, Pasadena, California.

Scott, DIRECTV and Disney agreed to a new multi-year carriage pact last Saturday that calls for giving the satcaster greater flexibility in how the Disney channels are offered to its subscribers. We don’t know the details of that arrangement so it remains to be seen actually how flexible it is. Despite what some subscribers might hope, it’s unlikely that DIRECTV will offer all-sports or all-kids plans anytime soon. (For more on that, see my article here.) It’s more likely that the Disney deal will help DIRECTV negotiate similar agreements with other companies that could allow it to eventually offer slimmer plans at reduced prices.

The joint statement from DIRECTV and Disney also said that Disney’s standalone services, Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ would be included in ‘select’ DIRECTV packages “under a wholesale agreement.” The statement added that they would also be “made available on an a la carte basis.”

What does that mean? And when will the Disney services be added?

It’s likely that ESPN+ and the other services will be added for free to the more expensive DIRECTV packages such as Ultimate and Premier (and maybe Choice) while Entertainment (and maybe Choice) plan subscribers would have to pay an additional fee to include them to their plans. That’s how Charter’s Spectrum TV handled it after negotiating a similar deal with Disney in September 2023. Subscribers of higher tiers got the Disney services for free as part of their plans.

As for the when here, don’t look for the Disney services to be added soon. By example, Spectrum TV didn’t add ESPN+ for free to select packages for six months after Disney and Charter signed their new deal. And it took Spectrum TV three months before adding Disney Plus. We don’t know if it will take DIRECTV that long months to add ESPN+, Hulu and Disney+, but the Spectrum TV example is probably a good guide.

Scott, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!

The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.

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