In anticipation of its all-in-one sports media streaming platform launch, ESPN has produced a new ad campaign headlined by none other than “Peacemaker” and WWE star John Cena.
The professional wrestler-turned-actor stars in the streaming service’s first commercial opposite a mascot dressed in the ESPN app’s logo. The commercial finds Cena standing in a room adorned with merchandise and banners promoting some of ESPN’s original programming, including “First Take,” “SportsCenter,” “Get Up” and “College GameDay.”
As Cena looks at a group of whiteboards listing the the “All New ESPN App Team,” he sees a rush of clips from past ESPN shows and sporting events, which prompts him to smile, bump fists with the ESPN app’s mascot and march with purpose out of the room.
Some of the names featured on Cena’s whiteboards include well-known ESPN personalities and sports commentators like Stephen A. Smith, Scott Van Pelt, Elle Duncan, Troy Aikman, Peyton Manning, Pat McAfee and more. You can watch the commercial yourself in the video below.
Disney’s standalone ESPN streaming service is set to officially launch on Aug. 21. The platform will offer a combination of ESPN’s original network programming, new fantasy sports integrations, enhanced statistics and betting and e-commerce features. On Aug. 6, ESPN also announced that it has reached a domestic rights agreement with WWE, which will allow ESPN’s new streaming service to become the exclusive U.S. home for all of WWE’s Premium Live Events, including “WrestleMania,” starting in 2026.
A variety of subscription plans costing everywhere from $29.99 to $11.99 per month will be available to consumers. Subscribers will also be able to subscribe to ESPN’s app in ad-supported and ad-free bundles with Disney+ and Hulu for $35.99 and $44.99 per month.
The launch of ESPN’s new, Cena-centric ad campaign coincides with Disney and Fox’s Monday announcement that the two companies’ ESPN and Fox One streaming services will be packaged together in a $39.99 per month bundle starting Oct. 2.
Both streaming services are, notably, timed to launch on Aug. 21, just a few weeks before the NFL regular season kicks off in America with a game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday, Sept. 4.
