ESPN Raises Streaming Prices for the First Time Since Its New App Launched
ESPN is raising prices across both of its direct-to-consumer streaming plans on September 17, 2026 — the first increase since the new ESPN app launched a year earlier.
ESPN Select, the entry-level plan and the new name for what used to be called ESPN+, goes up by $1 per month, from $12.99 to $13.99. The annual Select price rises from $129.99 to $139.99. ESPN Unlimited, the top-tier plan that includes access to all of ESPN's linear networks, jumps by $2 per month, from $29.99 to $31.99, with the annual price moving from $299.99 to $319.99. (The Hollywood Reporter, 24 August 2026)
The increase also reaches beyond standalone subscribers. ESPN's official support page confirms that Disney+ and Hulu bundles that include either ESPN Select or ESPN Unlimited will see the same price adjustment on the same date. (ESPN Support, 20 August 2026; 9to5Mac, 24 August 2026)
The timing is notable in a quiet way. The new ESPN app — a relaunched direct-to-consumer service offering two plans, Select and Unlimited — went live on 21 August 2025. That makes the app barely a year old when the first price hike lands. Before the relaunch, the service existed as ESPN+, which launched in April 2018 at $4.99 per month. The Select plan's original promotional price was $11.99 per month at launch. (ESPN Press Room, 13 May 2025; ESPN Press Room, 2 April 2018)
For fans, the math is straightforward. A Select subscriber paying monthly will see an extra dollar leave their account from late September. An Unlimited subscriber pays $2 more. Bundle customers face the same proportional shift, depending on which ESPN tier their package includes. Subscribers who switch between Select and Unlimited can still do so at any time — the change takes effect immediately, with a prorated charge. (ESPN Support, 15 April 2026)
The broader sports streaming market has been shifting in parallel. Venu Sports, a joint venture announced in August 2024, was set to launch at $42.99 per month with a seven-day free trial, though that venture's trajectory has been complicated by legal challenges. (ESPN Press Room, 1 August 2024)
ESPN has not separately commented on the reasoning behind the new pricing. The increases are confirmed on the platform's own support documentation, and they take effect 17 September 2026.
