Starting next month, Disney Plus is bringing some of the best content from its sports network ESPN to the app. And, we're not just talking about its archive or highlights package, there will be live stuff too.
According to Variety, from December 4, a new ESPN tile will be added to the home screen on Disney Plus. This will give subscribers access to select live sports and other ESPN shows and documentaries, regardless of whether you subscribe to ESPN's own service, ESPN Plus.
ESPN's suite of live sports includes the NFL, NBA and MLB as well as big tennis and soccer tournaments. It is also the exclusive home of college football and college basketball. However, Disney CEO Bob Iger and CFO Hugh Johnston clarified that only "certain" live sports events and games will be made available.
Given their use of the word "certain", it's our reading that it's unlikely you'll get the biggest NFL clashes (they'll want you to subscribe to ESPN Plus for that), but you will get a selection of games as well as an array of other content.
The live stuff is great, but there's much much more
As well as its array of live games and an unrivalled commitment to college sports, where ESPN has truly stood apart from its competitors is in its range of documentaries.
The network's 30 for 30 series is iconic, with so many fantastic documentaries about some of sport's most famous athletes, and some incredible stories that you'd never discover otherwise.
A personal favorite of mine is The Two Escobars, which documented the intertwining of industrial-scale drug dealing and soccer in Colombia in the early 1990s. One of the Escobars, of course, is Pablo, the drug lord who amassed a fortune of more than $30 billion and became the most notorious criminal on the planet. The other is Andrés Escobar, a mild-mannered central defender whose fate showed the consequences of when passion for sport spills into something much, much darker. The series is extraordinary and utterly transcends the sports and athletes that are being documented.
If you loved Netflix's The Last Dance or you've been seduced by Welcome to Wrexham, then there is so much here for you to enjoy. And if you're tempted to sign up to the live sports service, then there's a deal in the Black Friday sales that you'll want to know about.
Today's best ESPN Plus deal
ESPN Plus is one of Disney's three streaming services alongside Disney Plus and Hulu, and, if you're looking to amp up your drama, comedy, movie and documentary offering as well as your sports packages, then there are bundles available.
You can get access to Hulu with ads, ESPN Plus with ads and Disney Plus with no ads as well as the Hulu with Live TV plan for a fixed price. For more details on that deal, visit our Black Friday Hulu deals guide. Make sure to keep an eye on our Black Friday streaming deals page as more discounts and savings get announced.
