ESPN's DTC streaming service set for fall launch

ESPN's direct-to-consumer streaming service will launch in early fall with a $29.99 per month price point, ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro announced Tuesday.

The service will keep the linear network's name -- ESPN.

"We are providing everything ESPN has to offer directly to fans and all in one place," Pitaro said. "As we thought about the name, we kept returning to the fact that, across every generation, ESPN is the most trusted, loved and recognized name in sports, and that we should keep it simple and double down on the power of ESPN.

"Our straightforward approach to name and pricing will help fans cut through the clutter, and provide them compelling options to access all our content within the enhanced ESPN App. It will be the ultimate sports destination for personalized experiences and features, and, on top of that, fans will be able to choose to bundle ESPN with the industry-leading Disney+ and Hulu streaming services," Pitaro said.

Users can also buy an annual subscription for $299 per year, in addition to a select plan which offers all content available on ESPN+ for $11.99 per month/$119 per year. Current users, depending on their plan, will automatically become subscribers of the new service. In addition, there will be bundling options with Disney+ and Hulu, including an introductory offer of all three services for $29.99 for the first year.

The direct-to-consumer service will allow users to get all seven of ESPN's domestic linear networks in addition to ESPN on ABC and several other streaming options. At launch, it will offer 47,000 live events a year, plus on-demand replays, studio shows and original programming.

The ESPN App will also be upgraded with a number of unique features, including enhanced betting, statistical analysis and personalized "SportsCenter," on mobile and connected TV devices. Additional features will be rolled out at a later date, the company said in a news release.

Additional details about the service, including a specific launch date, will be announced later this summer.