Disney Plus: You Can Now Watch ESPN+ Without a Sub

By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow me on X.

Subscribers of Disney Plus’ standalone subscription may notice something different about their home page. For the first time, they can access select live sporting events and on-demand programming from ESPN+ without paying an additional fee for the sports streaming service.

The ESPN+ tile, which now sits atop the regular Disney+ lineup selections, will feature such events in the coming weeks as The Simpsons Funday Football alternative broadcast of this Monday’s MNF game (December 9) between the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys; a Christmas Day lineup of five NBA games; select 30 For 30 ESPN documentaries’ and day one coverage of the Australian Open, which starts January 12, 2025.

In addition, Disney Plus standalone subscribers will get free access to select Hulu programs including Shōgun, Will Trent, Solar Opposites, Reservation Dogs, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and more.

Disney, which plans to launch a standalone streaming service for the cable/satellite version of ESPN, is trying to persuade more Disney Plus standalone users to upgrade to bundle in ESPN+ and/or Hulu. The Disney Plus standalone sub with ads is $9.99 a month while the Disney/Hulu ads-included bundle is $10.99 a month. The Disney Plus/Hulu/ESPN+ bundle starts at $16.99 a month.

“One of the things I’m most excited about with this launch is that we’re also making the ESPN and Hulu tiles visible to all subscribers,” Alisa Bowen, President of Disney+, said in a release. “That means, for our Disney+ standalone subscribers, they’ll have a really easy way to discover everything we offer from these two incredible brands, and have the ability to upgrade their subscription for the full bundle experience.”

The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered television 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.