Streaming
ESPN Price Hikes & Price History (2026)
Updated June 25, 2026 · Researched & fact-checked by Shaheer
ESPN’s standalone streaming plan, launched as ESPN+ in 2018 and rebranded "ESPN Select" in August 2025, has raised its monthly price almost every year. It climbed from $4.99 at launch to $6.99, then $9.99 in August 2022, $10.99 in October 2023, $11.99 in October 2024 and $12.99 on October 21, 2025 ($129.99/year). The bigger, all-in app, ESPN Unlimited, sits above it at $29.99/month. The standalone monthly price has nearly doubled since 2022.
At a glance
- Current price
- $12.99 (Standalone (monthly))
- Last increase
- October 21, 2025 (+8.3%)
- Total change tracked
- +85.8%
- Tracked increases
- 4
Key takeaways
- The ESPN standalone plan (ESPN+, now ESPN Select) reached $12.99/month ($129.99/year) on October 21, 2025.
- It has risen almost every year: $6.99 → $9.99 (Aug 2022) → $10.99 (Oct 2023) → $11.99 (Oct 2024) → $12.99 (Oct 2025).
- The 2022 jump from $6.99 to $9.99 (+43%) was by far the biggest single increase.
- ESPN+ was rebranded "ESPN Select" in August 2025; the full all-in app, ESPN Unlimited, is a separate $29.99/month tier.
ESPN price increase history
| Date | Plan | Region | Old → New | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 21, 2025 | Standalone (monthly) | US | $11.99 → $12.99 | +8.3% | Source |
| October 17, 2024 | Standalone (monthly) | US | $10.99 → $11.99 | +9.1% | Source |
| October 12, 2023 | Standalone (monthly) | US | $9.99 → $10.99 | +10% | Source |
| August 23, 2022 | Standalone (monthly) | US | $6.99 → $9.99 | +42.9% | Source |
What ESPN costs right now
- Standalone (monthly): $12.99 (US)
- Standalone (annual): $129.99 (US)
- ESPN Unlimited (monthly): $29.99 (US)
- ESPN Unlimited (annual): $299.99 (US)
Why ESPN keeps raising its price
ESPN’s standalone streaming plan has become one of the most reliable annual price-risers in streaming. Since launching as ESPN+ at $4.99 in 2018 it has climbed to $6.99, then $9.99 in August 2022, $10.99 in October 2023, $11.99 in October 2024 and $12.99 in October 2025, almost always in Disney’s fall round of streaming increases. The standalone monthly price has nearly doubled in three years.
The big inflection was the August 2022 jump from $6.99 to $9.99, a 43% increase Disney tied to richer live-sports rights. Since then the moves have settled into a familiar $1-a-year cadence. In August 2025 Disney also reshaped the product: ESPN+ became "ESPN Select," a limited-events entry tier, sitting beneath the new flagship ESPN Unlimited app at $29.99/month that carries the full slate of live sports.
For sports fans the practical risk is the rebrand plus the steady $1 bumps: it is easy to assume you are still on the cheap plan when the standalone price has quietly reached $12.99, and easier still to get nudged toward the $29.99 Unlimited tier. Tracking what you actually pay makes each October increase obvious instead of compounding unnoticed year after year.
Frequently asked questions
How much does ESPN’s standalone streaming plan cost now?
As of 2026, the ESPN standalone plan (branded ESPN Select) is $12.99/month or $129.99/year in the US. The full all-in app, ESPN Unlimited, is $29.99/month or $299.99/year.
What happened to ESPN+?
ESPN+ was rebranded "ESPN Select" in August 2025 when ESPN launched its new direct-to-consumer app. Select is the limited-events tier; ESPN Unlimited is the higher-priced plan with the full slate of live sports.
How often does ESPN raise its price?
Almost every year. The standalone plan has gone from $6.99 to $9.99 (August 2022), $10.99 (October 2023), $11.99 (October 2024) and $12.99 (October 2025), usually as part of Disney’s fall streaming price changes.