ESPN+ Price Hike Coming and What About NFL Sunday Ticket?

 by Ray Keating

News/Analysis

DisneyBizJournal.com

July 17, 2022

 

A price hike is coming for ESPN+ subscribers, according to a CNBC report, but not for those who subscribe via the Disney bundle, that is, Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu packaged together.

CNBC noted that the monthly subscription price for ESPN+ will be going from $6.99 per month to $9.99 as of August 23. The annual cost for ESPN+ would go from $69.99 to $99.99. The monthly bundle price will remain at $13.99.

 

ESPN+ has an impressive line-up for sports fans, including NHL hockey games and and PGA Tour Live. 

 

For good measure, Disney remains in the running for NFL Sunday Ticket, which allows viewers to have access to all out-of-market Sunday afternoon games. Sunday Ticket always has been on DirecTV, but that deal is due to expire at the end of the 2022 NFL season. The NFL has made clear that it wants a streaming partner, and Disney/ESPN, Apple and Amazon reportedly are in the mix. Also, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has said that a decision on NFL Ticket will come before the fall. Rumors swirl that Apple is in front to win, at least for now, as speculation has been quite fluid around this topic for some time now.

 

In addition, the NFL will soon be launching its own NFL+ streaming service.

 

The latest numbers show that ESPN+ has 22.3 million subscribers.

 

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Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com; and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries, and the Alliance of Saint Michael novels; and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.

 

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

Two great ways to order Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel, which is Ray’s sixteenth work of fiction, and the first in the Alliance of Saint Michael series. Signed paperbacks here and the Kindle edition here. 

 

Two great ways to order Ray Keating’s new nonfiction book – The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Signed paperbacks here, and paperbacks, hardcovers and Kindle editions here.  

 

Get all of Ray Keating Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries in paperback and for the Kindle at Amazon.com and signed books at www.RayKeatingOnline.com. 

 

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

Where to Watch Football in Disney World?

by Ray Keating

Review

DisneyBizJournal.com

December 19, 2021

 

The end of the NFL season is fast approaching. Your team is in the playoff mix. And you’re either vacationing at Walt Disney World, or you live locally but don’t have access to NFL Sunday Ticket via DirecTV? What to do?

 

Well, I came across an answer recently.

Head over to Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. That’s always worth a visit. After taking a stroll around the place, head to Rix Sports Bar and Grill.

 

The food is pub-style adequate. I had the Kona Burger on a recent visit, which is a half-pound burger with grilled pineapple, teriyaki aioli, and wonton strips among the toppings. It was pretty good – not great, not poor. Matters improved just a bit by tossing in waffle fries. (Yes, I’m a sucker for waffle fries.)

Other items that caught my eye on the lunch menu were the Venetian Burger, Ale Battered Fish and Chips, a California Chicken Sandwich, and yes, I’d like to give the Meatloaf Sandwich a try. Also, I missed the Blue Cheese Cole Slaw last time, so that will be something to try.

 

Will there be a next time? Yes. I’m a local without DirecTV, and am a Minnesota Vikings fan. Our waiter informed us that Rix has NFL Sunday Ticket, with games spread across some 31 television screens. Count me in.

 

So, bring on the appetizers, the drinks, and the main menu items at Rix, and let’s go Vikings. Skol!

 

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Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant novels and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.

 

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

Great Christmas Gift! The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution is here! It combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement and fun for Disney fans, including those who love Mickey, Marvel, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Pixar, princesses and more. Also, “The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution” comes with a handy spiral binding for easy use. 

 

Keating has three new books out. Vatican Shadows: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel is the 13^th thriller/mystery in the Pastor Stephen Grant series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed books at www.raykeatingonline.com. Past Lives: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story is the 14th book in the series. Again, get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed book at www.raykeatingonline.com. And order the 15th book in the series What’s Lost? A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story – grab it at Amazon.com or signed editions at www.raykeatingonline.com. 

 

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

Disney Focused on Expanding ESPN/ESPN+ Line-Up

 by Ray Keating

Analysis

DisneyBizJournal.com

May 25, 2021

 

Disney’s push in expanding the live sports line-up on its ESPN+ streaming service, and ESPN and ABC cable/broadcast channels, has been impressive in recent months. And the company is in the conversation, as has been widely reported and we at DisneyBizJournal have been predicting, to grab NFL Sunday Ticket from DirecTV, where it’s been for 25-plus years.

Disney and Baseball

 

The most recent news regarding live sports came on May 13, with Disney announcing that its ESPN agreement with Major League Baseball would be extended, with a new deal covering 2022 through 2028. 

 

ESPN will televise 30 regular-season games annually, including 25 editions of Sunday Night Baseball, and five additional games, including the national Opening Night telecast. ESPN will continue to exclusively carry the Home Run Derby and will be able to simulcast all ESPN and ABC games on ESPN+.

 

In addition, if the MLB Wild Card Series is expanded, ESPN will exclusively televise all of it starting in 2022. However, if the current Wild Card format stays, then ESPN will exclusively televise one of the two MLB Wild Card Games and receive eight additional exclusive regular-season games each year. 

 

For good measure, ESPN+ not only will continue streaming a Major League Baseball game nearly every day of the season, but add new MLB content.

 

While this MLB deal is a reduction of regular season games on ESPN – from 90 games per season to 30 (or 38) – the relationship remains extensive between Disney and MLB. And as Chris Katje at Benzinga noted, “The new deal lowers ESPN’s annual fees from $700 million to $550 million while still keeping the best content.”

 

Disney and Football

 

This MLB agreement comes on top of the March 2021 deal with the NFL that runs through 2033. As DisneyBizJournal reported, Disney picked up two Super Bowls, and “ESPN keeps Monday Night Football, while adding six games each season, featuring three Monday night doubleheaders (with a game on ESPN followed by a game on ABC), a late-season Saturday doubleheader, and a Sunday morning game on ESPN+. Also, Monday Night Football will gain a ‘flex’ option starting in week 12 of the season to ensure better games. And ESPN will continue to air the NFL draft.”

 

Disney and Hockey

 

Also in March, Disney announced an extensive, seven-year deal with the NHL, running from the 2021-22 season through the 2027-28 season. As DisneyBizJournal noted, the deal includes the NHL.TV out-of-market subscription service moving exclusively to streaming as part of an ESPN+ subscription; the Stanley Cup finals on ABC in four of the seven years; half of the NHL playoff games on ABC and ESPN each year; and 25 NHL games exclusively on ESPN.

 

Disney and Golf

 

March also saw the announcement that ESPN+ would be the streaming home of PGA TOUR LIVE starting in 2022 and running through 2030. According to ESPN, that will cover “36 tournaments a year, including a full four days of coverage at 28 events with four simultaneous live feeds each day. PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+ will also feature on-demand replays of PGA TOUR events, original golf programs, edited speed round recaps and more.”

 

Disney and Basketball

 

And finally, Disney is in the midst of a television deal with the NBA that it splits with TNT. That agreement expires after the 2024-25 season.

 

If Disney winds up arriving at a deal with the NFL for Sunday Ticket, ESPN+, along with ESPN, will become the clear live sports powerhouse. Expect already strong growth in ESPN+ subscriptions to accelerate.

 

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Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of the  Pastor Stephen Grant novels and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.

 

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

Keating has two new books out. Vatican Shadows: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel is the 13ththriller/mystery in the Pastor Stephen Grant series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed books at www.raykeatingonline.com. Past Lives: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story is the 14th book in the series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed book at www.raykeatingonline.com. And pre-order the 15th book in the series What’s Lost? A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story.

 

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

 

You also can order his book Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York  from Amazon or signed books  at RayKeatingOnline.com. His other recent nonfiction book is Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know. 

 

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CNBC Reports That Disney Seeking Expanded NFL Rights

by Ray Keating

News/Analysis

DisneyBizJournal.com

February 23, 2020

CNBC reported today that The Walt Disney Company is interested in expanding its partnership with the NFL.

Based on interviews with industry sources, CNBC noted that the NFL, once it completes a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the players, will be ready to move ahead in arriving at new TV deals. 

NFL owners approved terms for a new 10-year CBA on February 20 that would expand the NFL regular season from 16 to 17 games, reduce the number of preseason games, and expand the number of teams in the playoffs from 12 to 14. The current CBA runs through the 2020 season. The new deal would last 10 years, with the players getting 48 percent of league revenues under a 16-game season and 48.5 percent under a 17-game year. The NFL Players Association still needs to vote, with passage requiring two-thirds of the 32-team player representatives and then a majority of the players.

CNBC noted that the current NFL broadcast deal goes through the 2022 season, and that the NFL would like to stick with more traditional media in the new deal, but at the same time, jacking up the prices for their games. CNBC noted: “Rates on Sunday afternoon games may double, jumping from $1 billion annually to $2 billion annually. ESPN pays $2 billion annually for Monday Night Football and may need to pay $3 billion to keep the package, two of the people said. Renewals will likely be seven or eight-year deals, the people said.”

Regarding the future of Disney (which owns ESPN and ABC) and the NFL, Disney possesses the resources not only to retain its Monday Night Football status, but perhaps snag one of the other packages. In addition, CNBC noted that Iger wants to see ABC back in the playoff and Super Bowl picture.

However, even more interesting is the idea that Disney could grab Sunday Ticket away from AT&T. In fact, AT&T has not exactly been high on its DirecTV acquisition, and has been sending signals that the price for continuing the NFL Sunday Ticket deal, after it expires after the 2022 season as well, is likely to be too costly. AT&T currently pays $1.5 billion annually. Meanwhile, Disney has ESPN+ just waiting for something like Sunday Ticket. But other streamers will likely be in the mix for Sunday Ticket, with CNBC mentioning Amazon, Apple TV+ and YouTube TV.

Disney in competition with Amazon, Apple TV+ and YouTube? Sound familiar? Where the heck is Netflix?

In the end, the NFL will continue to be the king of sports in terms of dollars rolling in the door, with CNBC reporting that annual revenues could double. And no one should be surprised if Disney comes out with Monday Night Football, some post-season action, and Sunday Ticket – at the very least.

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of The Disney Planner 2020: The TO DO List Solution and the Pastor Stephen Grant novels. He can be contacted at  raykeating@keatingreports.com.