ESPN+ Shake-Up 2026: New Pricing, Launch Date & Must-Watch Live Sports Revealed

Disney has confirmed that the cost of its flagship sports streamer will jump again on 6 January 2026, when the all-in “ESPN Unlimited” bundle (ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu) rises for new subscribers; existing customers will feel the hike when their next billing cycle renews thereafter. The standalone service isn’t escaping the increases, either: industry analysts expect ESPN+ to move from the current $10.99 to at least $12.99 per month, mirroring the fall 2025 bump that pushed “ESPN Select” up by the same dollar amount. Why the steady stream of price hikes? Disney’s streaming division continues to absorb escalating sports-rights fees—most notably the new NHL and UFC renewals—as well as big-ticket original productions tailored for the platform. Executives also point to churn-reduction measures; by nudging fans toward the pricier Unlimited tier, Disney corrals viewers into a stickier bundle that is harder to cancel. For cord-cutters weighing their options, the headline change is the shrinking gap between ESPN+ and traditional cable bills. At the projected $12.99 rate, a 12-month ESPN+ subscription will cost roughly $156, before pay-per-view UFC events and add-ons. By comparison, the Unlimited bundle is expected to climb to about $37 monthly in 2026, or $444 annually—still cheaper than most regional-sports-network cable packages, but no longer the slam-dunk bargain it was three years ago. What stays the same? All out-of-market NHL games, exclusive MLB and soccer matches, and the entire UFC Fight Night slate remain included in the base plan. Disney has not announced any blackout-zone changes, and the single-account simultaneous-stream limit (two concurrent devices) is unchanged—for now. How to save: 1. Lock in an annual plan before 6 January; pre-paying a year at today’s rate could save up to $24. 2. Students can still grab ESPN+ for $9.99 a month with verified enrollment. 3. Verizon’s “myPlan” perk offers six months of ESPN Select gratis for new 5G customers—worth activating before the promotion expires in February. Bottom line: ESPN+ remains the home of UFC prelims, out-of-market NHL, PGA Tour Live and thousands of niche events, but the budget math is changing fast. If you’re on the fence, mark your calendar for the January price switch and decide whether to lock in now or shop around; the next hike may arrive sooner than you think.