(03-11-2021 06:21 PM)Bronco14 Wrote:  

(03-11-2021 09:31 AM)orangefan Wrote:  The new ESPN deal with the NHL is another interesting step towards the future of televised sports. The package includes "75 ESPN-produced national regular season games will be streamed on ESPN+ and Hulu" and ESPN+ "is effectively replacing NHL.TV as the NHL’s out-of-market streaming service, with over 1,000 games each season available for fans to stream."

An article from Zacks Equity Research emphasizes the impact of the deal on Disney's larger streaming strategy.

Quote:The Walt Disney's DIS latest seven-year media rights deal with The National Hockey League ("NHL") is set to accelerate the former’s plan to evolve as a streaming power house.

The media giant has been focusing on its direct-to-consumer business that comprises of Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu (forms Disney bundle) to tackle disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic in its movie production, theme parks and cruise businesses.

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Apart from robust content, Disney’s cross-promotional strategy with its streaming services is also expected to drive subscriber growth.

Notably, beginning Mar 10, Hulu started offering access to ESPN+ sports programming directly in the Hulu app. Markedly, users need to buy ESPL+ add-on ($5.99 per month) or Disney bundle (which will cost $13.99 monthly from Mar 26) to access ESPN+ on the Hulu app.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/disneys-d...01258.html

Interesting.......Is the NHL completely jumping w/ ESPN?

If only ESPN+ was part of Disney+ & not an add-on......

If you get the Disney bundle by the time they issue the signup discount you get ESPN+ for essentially a buck.