A version of this article first appeared in the CNBC Sport newsletter with Alex Sherman, which brings you the biggest news and exclusive interviews from the worlds of sports business and media. Sign up to receive future editions, straight to your inbox.
ESPN executives already fear it’s coming: the inevitable backlash of customer confusion when Disney formally announces the launch of the long-awaited ESPN “flagship” streaming service in the fall – likely before the start of the NFL season.
ESPN already has a streaming service in the market in ESPN+, which costs $11.99 per month and can be bundled with Disney+ and Hulu for $16.99 per month.
When ESPN launches whatever it decides to call its flagship platform, it will need to clearly explain to customers what they’re getting in the more expensive service (which will cost either $25 or $30 per month, I’ve been told).
Subscribers will have the option to bundle “flagship” with Disney+ and Hulu. ESPN+ will likely be marketed as a tier of the more expensive platform, rather than its own standalone product. In other words, there will effectively be a “flagship light,” which will be the artist formerly known as ESPN+.
