Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Walt Disney Company holds 70 percent ownership of ESPN Inc., Hearst Communications owns 20 percent, and the National Football League retains a 10 percent stake. This joint venture created the unique corporate structure that established the streaming service.
ESPN+ launched on the 12th of April 2018 with a monthly subscription fee of $4.99. The platform was announced as part of Disney Direct-to-Consumer and International on the 2nd of April 2018 before beginning operations later that month.
In August 2025, ESPN+ transitioned into a broader direct-to-consumer streaming service and rebranded its previous product as ESPN Select. The ESPN+ name remains active as a programming brand due to contractual obligations with certain content providers.
By late August 2022, the standalone monthly price for ESPN+ reached $9.99 following an increase of three dollars from the July 2022 announcement. The pricing had previously risen to $6.99 by 2021 after two smaller adjustments since the initial launch.
ESPN+ secured exclusive U.S. distribution of all UFC pay-per-view events starting with UFC 236 on the 18th of March 2019 under a five-year deal announced in May 2018. The platform also acquired Major League Soccer matches, out-of-market National Hockey League games, and international cricket leagues including the India national team.