CNN plans a direct extension of its live news channel for digital viewers. NurPhoto via Getty Images
The walls separating cable television and streaming are collapsing quickly. For years, sports and live news were considered the glue holding the traditional pay-TV bundle together even as scripted shows and movies migrated to Netflix, Disney+ and other streaming platforms. But now, even that final tether is beginning to fray.
In just the past few days, ESPN and FOX have rolled out ambitious new streaming services, while CNN is preparing to launch one later this year. Together, these moves signal a decisive shift: the cable industry’s most established players no longer view streaming as a side experiment. Instead, they’re betting that the future of news, sports and live events lies outside the cable box in standalone apps and subscriptions that look nothing like the old bundles.
ESPN’s flagship streamer brings the full network to cord-cutters
Live sports has always been one of the most important pieces of any TV package. The network’s new direct-to-consumer streaming service makes ESPN’s full suite of channels available for the first time without a cable subscription.
The launch, on Aug. 21, was timed to coincide with college football season, alongside the NFL kickoff, the U.S. Open in tennis, and more. Accessible through an updated ESPN app, the service includes 12 linear networks, the content previously available on ESPN+, and staples like SportsCenter and First Take. New features include multiview camera angles and a personalized, A.I.-powered SportsCenter feed.
There are now two main packages:
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ESPN Unlimited ($29.99/month or $299.99 annually): The first time all of ESPN’s linear channels can be streamed directly by consumers without cable. Until now, fans needed either a traditional TV subscription or a live-streaming service like Sling TV to access the flagship channels.
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ESPN Select ($11.99/month or $119.99 annually): Essentially the rebranded ESPN+, which has existed since 2018. It includes documentaries, studio shows and some live sports but excludes the main ESPN linear feeds.
Fox bundles news, sports and entertainment in one app
Fox has launched Fox One, a $19.99-per-month service that streams all of the company’s sports, entertainment and news content in one place. The platform builds on Fox Nation, its earlier streaming venture designed for “superfans” with documentaries, patriotic series and next-day access to primetime shows.
Fox One, however, goes much further: it streams Fox News Channel live, includes sports and entertainment, and comes with unlimited cloud DVR storage. Personalized recommendations and highlights are part of the pitch, along with bundle options. Subscribers can add Fox Nation, or starting in October, combine Fox One with ESPN’s new service for $39.99 per month.
Fox also touts A.I.-driven personalization to help users discover new content. The goal, according to Pete Distad, CEO of Fox’s direct-to-consumer business, is to target “the cord-cutter and cord-never fans currently not served by conventional pay TV packages.”
CNN prepares its next digital push
Later this fall, CNN will launch its own streaming product. The service will build on CNN’s subscription package, introduced in October 2024, which gives users unlimited access to CNN.com and subscriber-only content.
Pricing remains unknown, but one distinction is clear: unlike CNN+, the short-lived experiment shuttered in 2022, the new service will function as a true extension of the linear CNN channel. It will stream live news, offer video-on-demand, and include original programming and documentaries. CNN+, by contrast, leaned more on lifestyle and supplementary content and never positioned itself as a full-fledged alternative to cable CNN.
“CNN has been leading and innovating in video-led journalism since its inception, and the expansion of our subscription offering to include streaming embodies that pioneering spirit,” Alex MacCallum, CNN’s EVP of digital products and services, said in an announcement in May. Current pay-TV subscribers will receive access to the new service for free.
