ESPN and the future of Australian sports rights
Today ESPN is set to become the biggest TV sports network in Australia when its two local channels, containing thousands of hours of live sports, move on to Disney+.
In joining its parent company’s streaming service, ESPN has effectively increased its Australian reach by an estimated 3.1 million subscribers.
Add 1.5 million Kayo Sports subscribers, 1.3 million Fetch TV viewers, and a huge chunk of the 1.4 million Foxtel subscribers who pay for sports, and ESPN has suddenly become the biggest TV sporting network in Australia, dwarfing the likes of Stan Sport and Optus Sport.