STAMFORD, Conn. & BURBANK, Calif.—As part of the landmark agreement between Charter and Disney last fall that expands the streaming options on Charter’s pay TV offerings, Charter and the Walt Disney Company have announced that ESPN+ is now available to Spectrum TV Select Plus customers at no additional cost.
Charter’s activation of the ESPN+ direct-to-consumer inclusion offer means qualified Spectrum video customers can immediately begin streaming thousands of hours of live sports and original programming through the Xumo Stream Box or any other ESPN+ supported device. The availability of ESPN+, which currently retails for $10.99 per month, comes after Charter and The Walt Disney Company in January made the Disney+ Basic streaming app available to all Spectrum TV Select customers nationwide at no extra cost.
While the launch of ESPN+ in Charter’s pay TV offerings is a notable step forward in the availability of streaming services on pay TV, Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery have announced plans to launch a large streaming service this fall combining all their sports offerings. How that as yet unnamed service will impact ESPN+ or Charter’s future programming line-ups remains an open question.
“Through our collaboration with Disney we are providing a better experience for our customers,” said Tom Montemagno, executive vice president, programming acquisition for Charter. “Making ESPN+ available to our TV Select Plus customers allows us to cater to sports fans’ evolving viewing habits with one high-value video package that includes the best of linear and direct-to-consumer sports content.”
ESPN+ includes more than 30,000 live events each year, including exclusive UFC events, NHL games, college sports from more than 20 conferences, international soccer, exclusive PGA TOUR LIVE coverage, Grand Slam tennis, international cricket and more. ESPN+ also gives fans exclusive access to on-demand original content, including popular series like Peyton’s Places and the Places Universe shows, Man in the Arena, The Captain, Why Not Us and the entire library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films.
“The addition of ESPN+ to Spectrum’s offerings helps bridge the gap between linear TV and streaming services to provide a comprehensive entertainment solution for Spectrum customers,” said Justin Connolly, president, platform distribution, The Walt Disney Company. “Spectrum TV Select Plus customers will now have access to ESPN’s linear and direct-to-consumer content, making ESPN+ available to a wider audience and providing fans with even more ways to stay connected to the sports they love such as NCAA Women’s Basketball, FA Cup Soccer, NHL games and more.”
New and existing Spectrum TV Select Plus customers can learn more about how to activate their ESPN+ subscription at no additional cost at spectrum.com/espn+.
Charter noted that TV Select Plus offers all of the programming available through TV Select Signature, plus additional sports channels including Regional Sports Networks and national networks such as MLB Network, NBA TV and NFL Network, for an additional $10 per month. TV Select Plus customers who already have Disney+ as part of their Spectrum service can use their Disney+ account credentials so that both subscriptions are under one account. Eligible customers who already have ESPN+ can go to the website where ESPN+ was purchased and use their existing sign-in credentials to manage their subscriptions once they’ve signed up for their Spectrum-provided service, the company said.
