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ESPN to hike streaming prices ahead of 2026 football season

ESPN is increasing prices for its ESPN Unlimited and ESPN Select streaming plans, with new rates taking effect September 17, 2026. Monthly and annual costs rise for the premium tier, while bundle options and free trials offer some relief.

By Tertius News AI Desk 2 outlets · 2 articles Version 1 Coverage Aug 24–25, 2026 Published 1h ago

ESPN raises streaming prices ahead of 2026 football season

ESPN is raising prices on its streaming subscription plans just before the 2026 football season. The Disney-owned sports company will increase the monthly cost of its premium ESPN Unlimited plan to $31.99, a $2 jump, and its ESPN Select plan (formerly ESPN+) by $1 to $13.99 per month, as reported by The Oregonian and syracuse.com.

The new rates are now listed on ESPN's pricing support page and the ESPN Unlimited signup page, according to syracuse.com. The increase takes effect on September 17, 2026, and also applies to add-ons for existing Disney+ and Hulu subscribers.

Monthly and annual costs

For ESPN Unlimited subscribers paying monthly, the annual outlay rises from $359.88 to $383.88, according to syracuse.com. That outlet calculates the increase at $2 per month and $24 per year for monthly billing. The Oregonian, however, cites an annual price of $319.99, saying that reflects a $20 annual increase. The discrepancy between the two outlets' annual figures is not fully explained, but both agree on the $2 monthly increase.

ESPN Select, which was previously known as ESPN+, goes up by $1 to $13.99 per month. That works out to roughly $10 more per year, or $139.99 in total, according to The Oregonian.

In addition, the bundle that includes Disney+, Hulu, and a lower tier of ESPN Select will increase from $20 to $22 per month for the ad-supported version, and from $30 to $33 per month for the ad-free option, the Oregonian reported.

How to offset the higher prices

For consumers looking to soften the blow, syracuse.com highlights the ESPN Unlimited Trio Bundle, which remains at $35.99 per month. It includes ESPN Unlimited, ad-supported Disney+, and ad-supported Hulu. Paying for these three services separately would cost $95.88 more per year than the bundle, the outlet calculates.

There is no direct free trial for ESPN Unlimited, but some streaming services offer workarounds. DIRECTV offers a five-day free trial that includes complimentary ESPN Unlimited activation with its MySports package and higher tiers. fuboTV also includes ESPN Unlimited in its terms, though its free trial availability varies. Hulu + Live TV offers a three-day free trial that includes ESPN.

ESPN and the streaming price trend

ESPN's increase is part of a broader pattern, with streaming platforms raising prices over time. The Oregonian points to Netflix as an example: its standard plan cost $7.99 from 2011 to 2013 and now costs $19.99 for an ad-free or ad-supported fuel spring. The Oregonian also quotes CableTV.com, which found Netflix's price history, and notes that platforms like Netflix and Disney are considering ad-supported free tiers to compete with free, ad-supported services such as Tubi.

The exact reason for ESPN's price hike has not been disclosed by the company. As of the reporting, no official explanation has been given, leaving consumers to wait and see how they will adjust.

What you get with the plans

syracuse.com outlines the content available through ESPN Unlimited: live sports from the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and college sports, alongside channels like ESPNU and the ACC Network. The Trio Bundle adds the full Disney+ and Hulu libraries, including Star Wars, Marvel, National Geographic, and Hulu Originals like "The Girls" and "The Shards."

As September 17 draws near, viewers who want to keep costs steady may consider upgrading to the bundle or taking advantage of trial offers instead of paying the new rates outright.

How each outlet told it

The Oregonian as of Aug 24, 2026, 5:18 PM UTC

Framing: Emphasizes the price hike in the context of the upcoming football season, but gives no specific amounts in the headline. — informational and slightly critical, using phrases like 'hiking' and 'just the latest service to raise its costs'.

Facts Included:

ESPN is raising prices for subscription plans ahead of the 2026 football season.
ESPN Unlimited plan increases to $31.99/month, a $2 increase, totaling $319.99 per year (stated as $20 annual hike).
ESPN Select (formerly ESPN+) increases by $1 to $13.99/month, totaling $139.99 per year (about $10 more).
Disney+, Hulu, and lower-tier ESPN Select bundle increases from $20 to $22 for ad-supported, and from $30 to $33 for no ads.
Price hikes go into effect on Sept. 17.
CableTV.com notes Netflix's price history: standard plan was $7.99 from 2011-2013, now $19.99 for ad-free.
Streaming platforms face competition from ad-supported free services like Tubi, considering ad-supported free tiers.
No immediate reason for price hikes was given.

Read the source article →

syracuse.com as of Aug 25, 2026, 4:17 PM UTC

Framing: Emphasizes price increase and practical consumer advice ('what to know and how to save'), but omits specific figures like the amount of increase in the headline. — consumer-focused and practical, using phrases like 'hiking prices' and 'bigger dent' to convey cost impact.

Facts Included:

ESPN is raising prices for ESPN Select and ESPN Unlimited streaming services ahead of NFL and fall sports seasons.
Prices are listed on ESPN's pricing support page and ESPN Unlimited signup page, with official increase date September 17, 2026.
New prices also apply as add-ons for Disney+ and Hulu subscribers.
ESPN Unlimited monthly cost is now up to $31.99 from $29.99, a $2/month increase ($24/year).
Annual rate for ESPN Unlimited goes from $359.88 to $383.88.
No direct free trial for ESPN Unlimited, but services like DIRECTV (five-day trial), fuboTV, and Hulu + Live TV (three-day trial) offer complimentary activation.
ESPN Unlimited Trio Bundle remains at $35.99 (no increase), saving $95.88 per year compared to individual subscriptions.
Bundle includes ESPN Unlimited, ad-supported Disney+, and ad-supported Hulu.
ESPN Unlimited offers live sports from NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, college sports, including channels like ESPNU and ACC Network.
Disney+ and Hulu content includes Star Wars, Marvel, National Geographic, and Hulu Originals like 'The Girls' and 'The Shards'.

Read the source article →

What was claimed, and who backed it

Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.

Claim	Confidence	Status
ClaimESPN is raising prices for its ESPN Select and ESPN Unlimited streaming services ahead of the NFL and fall sports seasons.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets) via syracuse.com as of Aug 25, 2026, 4:17 PM UTC, The Oregonian as of Aug 24, 2026, 5:18 PM UTC
ClaimESPN Unlimited monthly price increases to $31.99 from $29.99, a $2 per month increase.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets) via syracuse.com as of Aug 25, 2026, 4:17 PM UTC, The Oregonian as of Aug 24, 2026, 5:18 PM UTC
ClaimThe annual cost for ESPN Unlimited rises from $359.88 to $383.88, an increase of $24 per year.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via syracuse.com as of Aug 25, 2026, 4:17 PM UTC
ClaimThe annual cost of ESPN Unlimited is $319.99, reflecting a $20 annual increase.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusContested via The Oregonian as of Aug 24, 2026, 5:18 PM UTC
ClaimESPN Select (formerly ESPN+) monthly price increases by $1 to $13.99, totaling $139.99 per year.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via The Oregonian as of Aug 24, 2026, 5:18 PM UTC
ClaimThe Disney+, Hulu, and lower-tier ESPN Select bundle increases from $20 to $22 per month for ad-supported services and from $30 to $33 per month for ad-free services.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via The Oregonian as of Aug 24, 2026, 5:18 PM UTC
ClaimESPN's price increases take effect on September 17, 2026.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets) via syracuse.com as of Aug 25, 2026, 4:17 PM UTC, The Oregonian as of Aug 24, 2026, 5:18 PM UTC
ClaimThe new ESPN prices are listed on ESPN's pricing support page and ESPN Unlimited signup page, and also apply as add-ons for Disney+ and Hulu subscribers.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via syracuse.com as of Aug 25, 2026, 4:17 PM UTC
ClaimNo immediate reason for the ESPN price hikes was given.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via The Oregonian as of Aug 24, 2026, 5:18 PM UTC
ClaimESPN Unlimited does not offer a direct free trial, but some streaming services like DIRECTV, fuboTV, and Hulu + Live TV offer free trials that include complementary ESPN Unlimited access.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via syracuse.com as of Aug 25, 2026, 4:17 PM UTC
ClaimDIRECTV offers a five-day free trial that includes complimentary ESPN Unlimited activation with its MySports package and higher tiers.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via syracuse.com as of Aug 25, 2026, 4:17 PM UTC
ClaimHulu + Live TV offers a three-day free trial that includes ESPN Unlimited.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via syracuse.com as of Aug 25, 2026, 4:17 PM UTC
ClaimThe ESPN Unlimited Trio Bundle remains at $35.99 per month, with no price increase, and includes ESPN Unlimited, ad-supported Disney+, and ad-supported Hulu.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via syracuse.com as of Aug 25, 2026, 4:17 PM UTC
ClaimSubscribing to the ESPN Unlimited Trio Bundle instead of paying for ESPN Unlimited, Disney+, and Hulu separately saves $95.88 per year.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via syracuse.com as of Aug 25, 2026, 4:17 PM UTC
ClaimESPN Unlimited offers live sports from NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, college sports, and includes channels like ESPNU and ACC Network.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via syracuse.com as of Aug 25, 2026, 4:17 PM UTC
ClaimThe ESPN Unlimited Trio Bundle includes Disney+ and Hulu content such as Star Wars, Marvel, National Geographic, and Hulu Originals like 'The Girls' and 'The Shards'.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via syracuse.com as of Aug 25, 2026, 4:17 PM UTC
ClaimCableTV.com notes that Netflix's standard plan cost $7.99 from 2011 to 2013 and now costs $19.99 for an ad-free standard plan.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via The Oregonian as of Aug 24, 2026, 5:18 PM UTC
ClaimStreaming platforms like Netflix and Disney are considering ad-supported free tiers due to competition from ad-supported free services like Tubi.	ConfidenceLow	StatusSingle-source via The Oregonian as of Aug 24, 2026, 5:18 PM UTC

Transparency & Audit Trail

2 outlets · 2 articles consulted: The Oregonian, syracuse.com 18 claims extracted 1 editorial revision Version 1 Written 2026-08-25