Walt Disney’s ESPN on Thursday introduced its first comprehensive direct-to-consumer streaming service, giving sports fans full access to the network’s programming without a cable subscription for the first time in its 45-year history. The new ESPN app costs $29.99 a month, or $299.99 a year, and streams more than 47,000 live events annually, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and major college sports. Beyond live games, the platform folds in sports betting via ESPN Bet, real-time fantasy statistics, shopping links and AI-driven personalization tools. New features such as ‘Verts’—a scrollable vertical video feed—and ‘SportsCenter for You’ generate highlights and news tailored to each user, while a multiview option lets viewers track multiple contests at once. Pay-TV customers can authenticate the app, and introductory bundles offer ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu at no extra charge for the first year. Disney executives say the launch is central to reversing subscriber losses that have cut ESPN’s U.S. cable reach to roughly 61 million homes from about 100 million in 2010. Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger has called the service “a sports fan’s dream,” and Chairman Jimmy Pitaro described the debut as only “the first inning,” with additional interactivity and content deals planned. Earlier this month Disney reached a preliminary agreement to fold NFL Network, NFL RedZone and NFL Fantasy into the app in exchange for a 10% equity stake, and WWE pay-per-view events are set to join in 2026. The launch lands amid accelerating cord-cutting and intensifying competition. Fox Corporation simultaneously rolled out Fox One, a $19.99-a-month service that marries live sports, news and entertainment, and will be offered in a joint bundle with ESPN this October. Analysts see the twin releases as a watershed for legacy media, testing whether companies can attract cord-cutters to streaming without cannibalizing the still-lucrative cable bundle.