After the failure of Venu, ESPN and Fox are making another bid to bundle their networks together as part of a lower-priced streaming option.
Disney and Fox Corporation have agreed to bundle their new direct-to-subscriber streaming services — ESPN and Fox One, respectively — for a reduced price, it was announced Monday. The bundle will cost $40/mo, lower than the combined $50/mo the services would cost individually (ESPN is priced at $30/mo and Fox One at $20/mo). The news was reported by Deadline shortly before the official announcement.
While both streamers are set to launch a week from Thursday, the bundle will not be available to purchase until October 2.
The bundle reconstitutes two-thirds of the abandoned Venu streaming service, which would have combined ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery sporting events into one app. The initial price of that service would have been $43/mo. The inclusion of WBD filled in gaps that will not be accounted for in the new bundle, particularly in the MLB and NHL postseasons (the NBA Playoffs as well, when WBD still held the rights).
Nonetheless, the $40/mo price is the lowest one could reasonably hope for a service that includes both ESPN and Fox Sports. The lowest-priced streaming vMVPD, Sling, only offers its $45/mo rate for plans that include one of ESPN or Fox, with subscribers having to pay $60/mo to get both.
The ESPN/Fox bundle, Paramount+ ($8/mo), Peacock ($11/mo) and HBO Max ($17/mo to access live sports) equals a total of $76/mo, just shy of $83/mo for YouTube TV. (It should be noted that combining those separate streaming services also provides access to the streaming-exclusive events on ESPN+, Paramount+, Peacock and HBO Max that are not available through a YouTube TV.)
Disney CEO Bob Iger said last week that the company planned to bundle the new ESPN app with other streamers, and it does not seem likely that the effort will end with Fox. ESPN already secured rights to sell and bundle the $15/mo NFL+ premium with new app in one of its multiple NFL deals last week.
