Why ESPN+ Needs ‘Monday Night Football’ to Play a Bigger Part in Disney’s Streaming Future

Disney is all-in in the streaming era. Yet one of its most profitable assets, ESPN, has been reduced to a sideline player instead of a star athlete. Though the launch of Disney+ was among the most anticipated product debuts in recent memory, it wasn’t the first Disney-owned streaming service. ESPN+ hit the market in April 2018, and now counts more than 3.5 million paying subscribers. The app gives sports enthusiasts thousands of live games from MLB, MLS, NHL, soccer from England, Germany and Italy, and college football and basketball games from the Big 12 and more than a dozen mid-major conferences like the Sun Belt and Ivy League. ESPN signed a major rights deal with the UFC last year that makes ESPN+ the main host for fights. ESPN+ also offers users access to its “30 for 30” documentary series archive, and exclusive shows like Kobe Bryant’s basketball breakdown show, “Detail,” and Peyton Manning’s “Peyton’s Places” and the revived “NFL Primetime.” Also Read: Kevin Mayer Explains Why Disney+ Had Technical Problems at Launch But what you won’t find on ESPN+ are events like the College Football National Championship, “Monday Night Football” or the NBA Finals. And that lack of big-ticket live...

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