Walt Disney Co. on Thursday rolled out a flagship direct-to-consumer ESPN service, giving U.S. sports fans full streaming access to the network’s linear channels, ESPN+, studio shows and on-demand programming through a revamped ESPN app. The launch—marketed as “National ESPN App Day”—is backed by an integrated campaign featuring brand tie-ins with Complex, Lyft and Samsung and an introductory bundle that offers ESPN, Disney+ and Hulu for $29.99 a month for the first year. Fox Corp. entered the fray the same day with FOX One, a platform that combines live sports, Fox News, entertainment programming and local stations for $19.99 a month after a seven-day free trial. A joint bundle with ESPN priced at $39.99 a month is slated to begin on Oct. 2, underscoring the companies’ willingness to cooperate even as they compete for cord-cutters. ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said the company is “running parallel paths” to protect fees from multichannel video distributors, while FOX One Chief Executive Pete Distad stressed the new service is not designed to undercut cable partners. Still, analysts warn the moves could hasten cord-cutting: Kagan projects ESPN’s U.S. pay-TV base will shrink to 57.9 million by 2026 from 65.1 million in 2024, with Fox Sports 1 sliding to 57.2 million from 62.8 million over the same period. The twin launches target roughly 65 million U.S. households that no longer take traditional pay-TV, intensifying an already crowded streaming market. With live sports long considered the last bulwark of the cable bundle, Disney and Fox are betting that making their most coveted rights available online will unlock new revenue streams without cannibalizing a business that still delivers billions in affiliate fees each year.