ESPN Raises Streaming Prices on Both Plans Starting September 17
ESPN is raising the monthly price of its top-tier streaming plan, ESPN Unlimited, from $29.99 to $31.99 — and lifting its lower-cost ESPN Select tier from $12.99 to $13.99 — effective September 17, 2026. Annual plans go up too: Unlimited from $299.99 to $319.99, and Select from $129.99 to $139.99. The increases were first reflected on ESPN's own support page on August 20 and confirmed by Variety on August 24.
Both plans are part of ESPN's direct-to-consumer streaming service, which launched a year earlier with the Unlimited plan priced at $29.99 per month for the first 12 months. The $29.99 introductory rate was always time-limited; the new $31.99 figure is the first increase beyond that launch price.
The two tiers offer very different amounts of sport. ESPN Unlimited includes the ESPN and ESPN2 linear networks — the traditional TV channels — along with ESPNU, ESPNews, ESPN Deportes, SECN, SECN+, ACCN, and ACCNX, and streams more than 47,000 live sporting events each year. ESPN Select carries roughly 32,000 live events annually but does not include access to the ESPN linear channels. Unlimited has also recently integrated NFL Network and CW Sports into the ESPN App, and lets subscribers stream ACC, Mountain West, and Pac-12 games carried by The CW Network.
For fans paying out of pocket, the jump is modest but real: $2 more per month on Unlimited, $1 more on Select. Some subscribers will not feel it at all. Customers of major pay TV providers — including recent additions Comcast Xfinity and YouTube TV — can unlock the full ESPN Unlimited tier on the ESPN App at no additional cost, meaning their access is tied to their existing TV subscription rather than a standalone streaming payment.
ESPN has been steadily adding content to the service. In July, the company reached a media rights agreement with the Women's Pro Baseball League, making ESPN the league's national streaming home starting August 1. In an August 20 memo reviewed by Variety, ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro praised the team that launched the standalone streaming service and pointed to the progress of its first year.
Disney, ESPN's parent company, has not disclosed how many subscribers have signed up for the ESPN streaming plans. The service launched with a limited-time bundle offering the Unlimited plan alongside Disney+ and Hulu for $29.99 per month for the first 12 months.
The September 17 increase gives current subscribers roughly three weeks before the new prices take effect. Anyone on an annual plan will see the higher rate at their next renewal.
