蘑菇AV

Disney鈥檚 carriage fee dispute game plan: The company blocked access to ESPN and more for DirecTV customers, flexing its power over pay TV providers.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the media companies with the highest TV usage, how ESPN is being maneuvered, how multiple new streaming bundles will change the game, and a tie up between Walmart and Disney for enhanced targeting and measurement across streaming. Tune in to the discussion with our vice president of content Paul Verna.

ESPN and Amazon will join NBC as primary basketball broadcasters next season. Our take: NBC's ambitious NBA investment and early marketing push signal its commitment to reclaim a prominent role in sports broadcasting. Success will rest on effectively transitioning viewers from current rightsholders while capitalizing on Peacock's streaming capabilities.

Disney also surpasses 10% when its separate brands鈥擧ulu, ESPN, and Disney+鈥攁re combined. Hulu and Disney+ together will capture 10.8% of CTV ad sales in 2026. We do not have an estimate for ESPN ad revenues.

ESPN is launching a flagship streaming app that will include all linear content. As 蘑菇AV senior analyst Ross Benes noted in a recent webinar: 鈥淣etflix knows that if it puts $150 million on two Christmas games, it has a rough idea of how many people are going to watch. That's a safer bet than spending that on a movie.鈥�.

ESPN and Formula 1 have reentered negotiations for a broadcast and streaming rights package, with their current deal set to end after the 2025 season. The previous agreement was extended in 2021 at a value of as much as $90 million annually, per Forbes. The NHL鈥檚 Canadian broadcasting rights deal with telecom giant Rogers Communications is also ending after the 2025 season.

ESPN is launching a flagship streaming service in fall 2025. Streaming services like DAZN and ESPN+ offer sports programming with smaller audiences, such as boxing and second-tier college football games. Although there are more digital sports viewers than traditional TV sports viewers, that doesn鈥檛 necessarily mean people are spending more time watching sports digitally.

That could mean exploring digital extensions or niche streaming offerings, similar to what ESPN is planning with its upcoming direct-to-consumer service. The spinoff will allow SpinCo to manage its own financials independently, without being tied to Peacock鈥檚 aggressive streaming investments. Our take: The formation of SpinCo signals that the traditional cable bundle is entering its final stage.

A Post Malone-fronted campaign and media placements on Amazon Thursday Night Football and ESPN are also boosting sales. Our take: Despite considerable uncertainty in the retail landscape, Deckers鈥� Ugg and Hoka brands are well-positioned to continue their hot streak in 2025.

Penn Entertainment, which launched the ESPN Bet platform with ESPN late last year, reported a smaller Q3 loss, citing unfavorable performance in the US Northeast and lower customer visits to its Southern casinos. Revenues inched up 1%. Still, the companies pointed to developments that bode well for growth. The number of ESPN Bet monthly active users increased 144% YoY in October.

MySports will offer access to all the channels that Venu planned to offer, including ESPN and TNT, plus the additional networks like NFL Network and NBA TV. Currently in a public beta, subscriptions start at $69.99 monthly, higher than Venu鈥檚 proposed $42.99 launch price鈥攖hough DirecTV is offering an introductory discount of $49.99 for the first three months.

Netflix is entering live sports, while ESPN plans a comprehensive streaming app. Single teams' games now appear across up to five different services weekly. Our take: Amazon's positioning at the Upfronts represents a watershed moment in the advertising landscape; the company's blend of premium sports rights and advanced analytics positions it to claim a larger share of TV ad budgets.

Disney also surpasses 10% when its separate brands鈥擧ulu, ESPN, and Disney+鈥攁re combined. Hulu and Disney+ together will capture 10.8% of CTV ad sales in 2026. We do not have an estimate for ESPN ad revenues. OTT companies do earn ad dollars outside of CTV. Subscription OTT services, for instance, will earn $2.48 billion in ad revenues on mobile or other devices in 2026.

The deal will allow Fubo to package all of Disney鈥檚 broadcast and sports networks into its service, giving it access to popular content from ABC, ESPN, and more. We expect US digital pay TV households to steadily increase over the next few years, from 20.3 million in 2025 to 22.2 million in 2028.

In September, Disney blocked access to its channels, including ESPN, on DirecTV after it being unsatisfied with carriage-fee negotiations, cutting off access to the NFL season kickoff and second presidential debate.

In September, Disney blocked access to its channels, including ESPN, on DirecTV after it being unsatisfied with carriage-fee negotiations, cutting off access to the NFL season kickoff and second presidential debate.

WBD鈥檚 TNT Sports will produce the iconic 鈥淚nside the NBA鈥� show, featuring Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal, which will air on ESPN and ABC starting with the 2025-26 season. TNT Sports will expand its collegiate sports coverage by broadcasting Big 12 football and basketball games from 2025, complementing its existing College Football Playoff content.

Its vast media empire includes late-night talk shows, ESPN, podcasts, and other platforms that allow it to cross-promote its film releases at relatively low additional cost鈥攁 strategy it has relied on for more than a decade.

Will streamers band together to create a sports broadcast hub? ESPN is trying to persuade competitors to jump on board, and revenue pressures could sway them.

The news: The fifth game of the 2024 WNBA Finals between the Minnesota Lynx and the New York Liberty was the league鈥檚 most-watched finals contest in 25 years, with 3.3 million viewers, per Nielsen data reported by ESPN. The number of watchers was especially noteworthy given the competition from the NFL鈥檚 鈥淪unday Night Football鈥� and MLB鈥檚 National League Championship Series.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the main takeaways from this year's Super Bowl; which ads had the biggest impact; how Fox, ESPN, and Warner Bros. Discovery's (WBD's) new giant sports streaming service announcement changes the game; some unbelievable facts about trees; and more. Tune in to the discussion with our forecasting writer Ethan Cramer-Flood, director of forecasting Oscar Orozco, and analyst Max Willens.

Amazon and Disney could team up on ESPN: Thursday Night Football could make Amazon a desirable partner for ESPN鈥檚 uncertain streaming future.

It looks like gambling is coming to ESPN: Disney is reported to be close to striking a deal with sportsbook DraftKings.