ESPN+, the sports network’s direct-to-consumer streaming service, just crossed the 1 million paying subscribers mark, the company announced on Thursday.
The milestone comes just over five months after ESPN+ was launched in April, with the app giving sports nuts thousands of live MLB, MLS, NHL and English Premier League games, along with access to its “30 for 30” documentary series archive. ESPN+ also offers users exclusive shows like Kobe Bryant’s basketball breakdown show “Detail.”
“Combining sports, technology and the ESPN brand is a very powerful combination, and we are just getting started,” ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. “Very quickly, a wide range of sports fans have seen the value of ESPN+. With high quality programming and an outstanding user experience, ESPN and DTCI are expanding the ways Disney is serving sports fans.”
The service was hyped up for months leading up to its April launch, with Disney chief Bob Iger teasing the app during quarterly earnings calls. ESPN+ runs $4.99 a month, or $49.99 for a year, and is available on iOS, Android, and a host of TV streaming options, like Apple TV and Roku. While it offers thousands of live events, which recently included the addition of NCAA football to the mix, its still missing certain things — chiefly, NFL action — that’ll drive subscribers even higher.
If you want more info on ESPN+, TheWrap gave a full breakdown for “maniacal” fans back in April.