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ESPN Raises Streaming Prices Again, Effective September 17

ESPN Unlimited climbs to $31.99 a month and ESPN Select to $13.99, as the network marks its first year as a standalone streaming service ahead of NFL season and its first Super Bowl broadcast.

Meridians Tech Desk

Published 31 August 2026 · Updated 31 August 2026 · 3 min read

ESPN Raises Streaming Prices Again, Effective September 17Streaming
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The short answer

  • ESPN is raising prices on both of its direct-to-consumer streaming plans effective September 17, 2026: ESPN Unlimited goes from $29.99 to $31.99 a month ($299.99 to $319.99 annually), and ESPN Select goes from $12.99 to $13.99 a month.
  • The increase lands as ESPN marks its first anniversary as a standalone streaming service, launched in 2025, heading into a heavy fall sports slate including the NFL, college football, the U.S. Open, LaLiga, and ESPN's first-ever Super Bowl broadcast.
  • The Disney+, Hulu and ESPN Unlimited bundle stays at $36 a month; roughly 80% of ESPN Unlimited subscribers reportedly use it.
  • It's unclear whether the ESPN Unlimited/Fox One bundle or the ESPN Unlimited/NFL+ Premium bundle, both currently $39.99 a month, will also increase.

ESPN is raising prices on its streaming plans for the second time in the year since launching as a standalone service. The new prices take effect September 17, 2026.

What's changing

  • ESPN Unlimited monthly: $29.99 → $31.99
  • ESPN Unlimited annual: $299.99 → $319.99
  • ESPN Select monthly: $12.99 → $13.99
  • ESPN Select annual: up $10, to $139.99

Why now

The timing lines up with ESPN's first anniversary as a direct-to-consumer streaming service and the start of a packed fall sports calendar: NFL and college football kick off, the U.S. Open wraps up, LaLiga soccer continues, and ESPN is set to broadcast its first Super Bowl. ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro framed the service's mission as giving "sports fans...optionality and a new way to connect with ESPN," though the company hasn't offered a specific rationale tied to this particular increase. One report described the move as falling "in line with the steady price increases of other streaming offerings," pointing to Peacock's own recent hike as a comparable example.

What doesn't change — yet

The Disney+, Hulu and ESPN Unlimited bundle holds at $36 a month; about 80% of ESPN Unlimited subscribers reportedly use that bundle rather than paying for ESPN alone. Bundles pairing ESPN Unlimited with Fox One or with NFL+ Premium currently cost $39.99 a month each, and it isn't clear whether those prices are changing too.

Sources

Every factual claim above is traceable to these documents. Check them — that is why they are here.

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Meridians Tech Desk is an editorial desk at Meridians, not an individual. A desk byline means the article was produced and fact-checked to that desk's published standards. Read our editorial standards and corrections policy.

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