ESPN Plus and Unlimited Prices Jump Starting Sept. 17
ESPN is raising prices on its streaming plans effective Sept. 17, including ESPN Select (formerly ESPN Plus) and ESPN Unlimited. Monthly Unlimited jumps from $29.99 to $31.99, while Select rises from $12.99 to $13.99. Annual Unlimited will cost $20 more a year at $319.99, timed ahead of football season.
Key Takeaways
- Price changes take effect Sept. 17, 2026, just before the busy fall sports slate.
- ESPN Unlimited rises to $31.99 per month or $319.99 per year ($20 more annually).
- ESPN Select (the former ESPN Plus tier) rises to $13.99 per month or $139.99 per year.
- The Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Select bundle also increases for ad-supported and ad-free options.
- Many pay-TV subscribers can still unlock Unlimited on the ESPN App at no extra cost.
What Is Changing for ESPN Plus and Unlimited?
According to Variety, the Disney-owned sports giant is lifting both monthly and annual rates for ESPN Unlimited and the scaled-down ESPN Select tier. Cleveland.com notes that ESPN Select used to be called ESPN Plus, so fans searching for espn plus pricing should watch that Select plan closely.
Unlimited moves from $29.99 to $31.99 a month, and from $299.99 to $319.99 a year. Select goes from $12.99 to $13.99 a month and from $129.99 to $139.99 a year—about $10 more annually.
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Why Does This Price Hike Matter Now?
The increase lands as football season ramps up. Variety reports Unlimited includes the ESPN and ESPN2 linear networks plus ESPNU, ESPNews, ESPN Deportes, SECN, SECN+, ACCN, and ACCNX, along with thousands of extra live events. The service offers more than 47,000 live events each year.
ESPN Select delivers about 32,000 live events annually but does not include access to the ESPN linear networks. Disney has not disclosed how many people subscribe to the stand-alone ESPN streaming plans.
Will Bundles and Pay-TV Deals Soften the Hit?
Cleveland.com says the Disney+, Hulu, and lower-tier ESPN Select bundle will rise from $20 to $22 a month with ads, and from $30 to $33 without ads. Separately, Variety cites ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro saying subscribers across nearly every major pay-TV provider—including recent additions Comcast Xfinity and YouTube TV—can unlock the full Unlimited experience on the ESPN App at no additional cost.
Pitaro, in an Aug. 20 staff memo reviewed by Variety, called the direct-to-consumer push still in its “early innings” one year after launch and said ESPN is heading into fall in a strong position with NFL, college football, LaLiga, and U.S. Open tennis on the calendar. No immediate reason for the rate changes was given, Cleveland.com reports.
Bottom line for espn plus shoppers: Select, Unlimited, and the Disney bundle all cost more starting Sept. 17 as fall sports heat up.