ESPN streamer launches ad blitz

People in L.A. and New York better get ready for a sea of ESPN red on their morning and evening commutes.

- BY STEPHEN BATTAGLIO

Bloomberg Getty Images JIMMY PITARO, the chair of ESPN, has championed its move into streaming.

Walt Disney Co. is backing the Thursday launch of its sports media unit’s direct-to-consumer streaming app with a major advertising campaign aimed at captive audiences in their cars and aboard trains.

The aggressive four-week push is aimed at telling consumers that ESPN — long one of the pillars of the cable TV business — will be available for the first time without a pay TV subscription.

The service, a major initiative since ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro took over the Disney unit in 2018, is a response to the growing number of consumers who are bypassing cable and satellite for streaming video platforms. The trend has decreased the number of pay TV homes receiving ESPN, which is a major source of revenue for the company.

Consumers can subscribe to the new ESPN streaming app for $29.99 a month. Households already paying to receive ESPN channels through cable or satellite can sign up at no additional cost, enabling up to five people to stream the service on mobile devices and internet-connected TV sets.