ESPN Unlimited and ESPN Select Prices Are Going Up Sept. 17 — Here's What You'll Pay
ESPN's standalone streaming plans get their first price hike since launch, though most bundle subscribers won't feel it.
ESPN is raising prices on its two direct-to-consumer streaming plans starting September 17 — the first increase since the service launched more than a year ago.
What’s changing, in dollars
ESPN Unlimited, the flagship tier, goes from $30 to $32 a month. The annual plan rises from $300 to $320. That’s an extra $24 a year for monthly subscribers, or $20 a year for those who prepay annually.
ESPN Select, the plan that essentially replaced the old ESPN+, climbs from $13 to $14 monthly and from $130 to $140 annually — a $12 or $10 yearly difference depending on billing cycle.
The bundles move too. Disney+, Hulu and ESPN Select together will go from $20 to $22 a month with ads, or $30 to $33 without ads. Notably, the bigger bundle — Disney+, Hulu and ESPN Unlimited — is not changing. That package stays at $36 a month with ads and $45 ad-free.
Who actually pays more
This matters because of how ESPN’s user base is structured. Cord Cutters News reports most ESPN Unlimited subscribers already get it through that Disney+/Hulu trio bundle, and that bundle price is frozen. So the people facing a real bill increase are those paying for ESPN Unlimited or ESPN Select as standalone services, not as part of the bundle.
Other discounted pairings — ESPN Unlimited combined with Fox One or NFL+ Premium — haven’t had new pricing announced, so it’s unclear yet whether those change too.
The bigger pattern
ESPN isn’t alone. Peacock recently bumped its Premium tier from $11 to $13 a month. And the direction of travel for internet-delivered sports and live TV has been consistently upward for years — YouTube TV launched at $35 a month in 2018 and now runs north of $80. ESPN’s move fits a broader industry habit: launch a service at an introductory price, build a subscriber base, then start raising rates once the platform is established. ESPN’s own internal messaging reportedly describes the direct-to-consumer push as still in its early stages, which suggests this likely won’t be the last adjustment.
What to do about it
If you’re on a standalone ESPN Unlimited or Select plan and don’t need it, September 17 is your deadline to decide. Locking in an annual subscription before that date secures the current lower rate for a full year — $300 instead of $320 for Unlimited, or $130 instead of $140 for Select. That’s a straightforward way to delay the increase, even if it doesn’t avoid it long-term.
If you’re already getting ESPN through the Disney+/Hulu bundle, there’s nothing to do — your bill isn’t moving. But if you’re on the smaller Disney+/Hulu/ESPN Select bundle, expect $2 more a month (or $3 more for the ad-free version) starting next month.
Worth checking your own statement either way: ESPN’s plan names changed from the familiar ESPN+ within the past year, and it’s easy to lose track of which tier you’re actually paying for. A few minutes confirming your plan now could save you from a surprise charge in October.