ESPN+ Grows to More Than 2M Paid Subscribers

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ESPN+, ESPN's the direct-to-consumer streaming service, now has more than 2 million subscribers, according to Disney CEO Bob Iger.

Iger, speaking on Disney’s earnings call with analysts on Tuesday, said the number of subscribers was more than double where it was 5 months ago.

The service got a big boost from last month’s UFC Fight Night, which pushed more than 600,000 fans to sign up for ESPN+.

Related: Disney Reports Lower First-Quarter Earnings

Iger said he expects combat sports to continue to drive the service, which costs $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year. Disney signed a $1.5 billion, five year deal with UFC last year.

ESPN+ is powered by the BAMTech platform, which Iger said has been able to handle heavy viewership and accommodate more than a half-million people signing up in a short period of time.

The same BAMTech platform will be used to support the upcoming Disney+ direct-to-consumer service.

Iger said Disney’s iconic brands will help it break through the competitive clutter of the subscription video market.

The service will also feature a user interface that will help subscribers find the content they’re seeking.

That interface and some programming coming to the service will be previewed for investors and analysts at Disney’s investor day on April 11.

Jon Lafayette
Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.