Live sporting are coming to Disney + sooner than you might think.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, ESPN says that following Tuesday’s WNBA suggestion- off games, including Caitlin Clark’s standard season debut with the league, will flow on Disney+.
The Phoenix Mercury may experience the Las Vegas Aces on May 14 when Clark’s Indiana Fever and Indiana Fever square off against the Connecticut Sun. Both sports will flow on Disney+, the firm says, and will also be accessible on ESPN+, and on ESPN2.
The WNBA games are a big deal, as until now, Disney + has not been in the live sports business, with one rare exceptions. Disney has created some innovative channels with the NFL and NHL that used technologies to stream live sports, but with lively figures instead of actual players.
The WNBA game will be the whole, studio productions, no animated simulcasts. And it might generate significant numbers given the attention and buzz Clark is generating in the league.
Clark delivered report- shattering numbers in this year’s NCAA person’s sports competition, with the ultimate delivering almost 18.9 million people. Certainly ESPN, Prime Video and CBS Sports want to keep that momentum going, and Disney + is a way to do that with younger viewers. Clark has already played for the Fever in its training activity, but Clark’s will be playing for the first time in her first official regular-season game.
On Tuesday night, Disney CEO Bob Iger said that the business may include an ESPN stone to Disney + later this month, with selected life activities available at no charge, and with access to ESPN+ information to subscribers to both companies.
On the company’s second quarter earnings call, Iger stated on Tuesday that” we see this as a first step to bring ESPN to Disney+ viewers as we prepare for the launch of our enhanced standalone ESPN streaming in the fall of 2025.”
Despite the fact that a dedicated tile probably wo n’t be ready by then, Disney is moving in the right direction in the space. However, the announcement that the first live event on Disney + will take place just a week after that announcement highlights how quickly it is moving.