ESPN on Disney+: Mega deal to stream ESPN sports in Australia and New Zealand revealed
The popularity of Sydney’s man mountain, Jordan Mailata, after he became the only Australian to win a Super Bowl ring courtesy of the Philadelphia’s win over the Kansas City in New Orleans on Monday, has cemented the popularity of America’s national sport down under.
And with Aussie fans still buzzing after the memorable Eagles’ win, lovers of the of the NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball and hockey — plus a huge array of local and international sport are in for a treat — as Disney+ confirmed on Tuesday it would now stream ESPN sport as part of their subscriber package in coming months.
Sporting giant ESPN is the home of some of the biggest names in sports broadcasting including, Stephen A Smith, Scott Van Pelt , Troy Aikman and Pat McAfee, and is set to deliver thousands of hours of live events, magazine shows and highlights packages via additional Disney channels.
The launch follows the addition of ESPN content to Disney+ in Latin America last year, with Australia and New Zealand to become the first English-speaking markets outside of North America to launch ESPN on the streaming giant.
ESPN‘s sports hub on Disney+ will bring live sports action via the live ESPN and ESPN2 channels, with studio shows including SportsCenter, The Pat McAfee Show, NBA Today, and First Take, along with live events, on-demand replays and iconic original programming including ESPN’s award-winning library of 30 for 30 films.
![LeBron James celebrates with Lakers fans after a historic night at home to Golden State in the NBA.](https://images.thewest.com.au/publication/C-17682266/190a74861e0c1ba78a51564930143b7a9249374e.jpg?imwidth=810&impolicy=wan_v3)
In a massive boost for local hoops fans, Australia’s NBL, which is experiencing an unprecedented resurgence, will also have a new home on Disney+.
All Disney+ premium and standard subscribers in Australia and New Zealand will have access to ESPN on Disney+.
Kylie Watson-Wheeler, who is the Walt Disney Company Australia and NZ senior vice president and managing director as well as the head of ESPN Asia-Pacific, said: “We’re excited to bring ESPN to Disney+ for sports fans across our sports-loving nations.”
“Disney+ will provide access to the biggest ESPN offering ever delivered in our market, including live games and on-demand replays. ESPN’s unrivalled coverage of massive global sporting events and dedicated local programming adds to the wide array of entertainment already available on Disney+ for audiences of all ages.”
Subscribers to Disney+ will have access to coverage of the NBA All-Star Weekend, NBL Championship Series, MLB Opening Day, the NBA Finals and the NHL Stanley Cup Final.
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