ESPN+ is raising its annual subscription price by $10, UFC pay-per-view gets a hike, too

[Shawn Knight]

In brief: ESPN, the self-proclaimed worldwide leader in sports, will be raising the price of its annual ESPN+ subscription by $10 starting early next year. And in related news, the Ultimate Fighting Championship will be looking to squeeze a bit more money out of its pay-per-view events. Moving forward, PPVs will command $69.99, up from the current rate of $64.99.

The cost of an annual subscription to ESPN+ will increase to $59.99 per year in 2021. Per Variety, renewals for existing subscribers will remain at $49.99 until at least March 2, 2021.

The change comes after ESPN bumped the monthly rate over the summer, from $4.99 to $5.99. Even at $59.99 a year, it’s still cheaper to opt for the annual rate versus paying month by month.

For now, the cost of Disney’s triple-play bundle, which includes Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+, will remain at $12.99 per month. Come late March 2021, however, Disney+ will be going up by $1, which will push the price of the bundle up to $13.99 per month.

Disney is the majority owner of ESPN with an 80 percent stake in the Bristol, Connecticut-based broadcaster.

The UFC was hit hard by the pandemic through the loss of live gate revenue. Undeterred, the UFC pushed forward without live crowds and was among the first major sports organizations to resume activity during the pandemic. The company has spared no expense in keeping fighters and employees safe with strict Covid protocols while entertaining millions of combat and sports enthusiasts alike.

The UFC's next PPV event is scheduled for January 23 where former lightweight champions Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier will lock horns.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/88134-espn-raising-price-annual-subscription-10.html

 

[mrvco]

Clearly ESPN+ does not sell itself as an ala carte service as well as Disney would like, hence requiring it to purchase UFC PPV and including it in the D+ and Hulu bundles (sans rate increase). I've only tried D+ once, but as with any of these streaming services, I don't find any of them sticky enough that I would maintain a subscription for more than a month once or twice per year.

 

[Uncle Al]

I knew there was a good reason I was not a subscriber ..... now I have even more reasons!

 

[Hexic]

We enter the phase where market penetration pricing is disappearing, combined with services seeing just how far they can push their consumers before they stop paying.

What a joke.

 

[QuantumPhysics]

Thank goodness I don't care to subscribe to ESPN, DISNEY or anything else I can get content from on Frostwire.

 

[wiyosaya]

We enter the phase where market penetration pricing is disappearing, combined with services seeing just how far they can push their consumers before they stop paying.

What a joke.

Sooner or later, subscribers will refuse to pay what ESPN+ is demanding.

Thank goodness I don't care to subscribe to ESPN, DISNEY or anything else I can get content from on Frostwire.

I bet they are a target for a copyright infringement lawsuit.

 

[toooooot]

It is already annoying that rich spoiled sportsmen attempt to teach hard working people who pay these insane subscription fees how to live.
Robert A. Heinlein:
“ The United States has become a place where entertainers and professional athletes are mistaken for people of importance"
These dumb glorified humans that have very low practical value for our society sincerely believe they are the leaders of the people.
The choice is clear, don't pay for their services, or watch but not pay. Also, if you are active on media platforms, remind them their place. We can lose them all in a day, and our lives will change very little.

 

[EClyde]

I can't imagine paying a dime to watch those clone, processed hacks

 

[Toju Mikie]

The only sports I watch are on the local channels.
It's cheaper to just play video games.
I have NBA 2K

 

[Dimitrios]

It is already annoying that rich spoiled sportsmen attempt to teach hard working people who pay these insane subscription fees how to live.
Robert A. Heinlein:
“ The United States has become a place where entertainers and professional athletes are mistaken for people of importance"
These dumb glorified humans that have very low practical value for our society sincerely believe they are the leaders of the people.
The choice is clear, don't pay for their services, or watch but not pay. Also, if you are active on media platforms, remind them their place. We can lose them all in a day, and our lives will change very little.

I clicked on this story just to read this comment.................... WELL SAID!

 

[Nobina]

We enter the phase where market penetration pricing is disappearing, combined with services seeing just how far they can push their consumers before they stop paying.

What a joke.

Companies raising price to see how far they can push it and it turns out they can push it very far. Reminds me of smartphones. People don't blink to buy a phone for over a grand while they were buying flagships for around $700 a few years back. It is never coming down.

 

[scavengerspc]

Thank goodness I don't care to subscribe to ESPN, DISNEY or anything else I can get content from on Frostwire.

I don't care for thievery.