ESPN has lost about two million domestic subscribers over the past 12 months, according to Disney’s annual report, but added more than one million for its OTT service ESPN+.
ESPN’s total US subscriber base stands at about 86 million, per Disney’s report for its 2018 fiscal year, which ended in September. That sub number compares to 88 million as reported in Disney’s fiscal 2017 report. The Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD all lost lost three million subs, while Freeform shed two million. Meanwhile, ESPN+ has surpassed one million paying subscribers in just over five months since its April 2018 launch.
Broadband TV Views. These figures show the impact that cord-cutting seems to have on subscriber figures of legacy cable channels – especially for ESPN, which is part of most people’s basic cable subscription in the US. No wonder, most broadcasters are now embracing OTT alternatives to their regular cable offer.
