ESPN+ Price Hike Coming (Again)

Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images for GQ Australia

Struggling mom-and-pop shop Disney is hoping you, the wealthy UFC fan, can continue to support its efforts to make a difference. UFC requires a subscription to ESPN+ to …


GQ Australia Men Of The Year Awards 2018 - Ceremony
Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images for GQ Australia

Struggling mom-and-pop shop Disney is hoping you, the wealthy UFC fan, can continue to support its efforts to make a difference.

UFC requires a subscription to ESPN+ to purchase its pay-per-view (PPV) cards, while also staging most (but not all) of its “Fight Night” events on the digital streaming network. Beginning Aug. 13, the monthly cost will rise from $5.99 to $6.99, with the annual price increasing from $59.99 to $69.99.

That’s according to Variety, which also notes that ESPN+ has nearly 14 million subscribers.

Disney’s monthly bundle package, which includes ESPN+, HULU, and Disney+, remains unchanged at $13.99. HULU has some pretty good content and Disney+ boasts the usual lineup of kid programming, along with the Marvel and Star Wars libraries.

That said, streaming services like Netflix, HBO MAX, and Amazon Prime, just to name a few, have become so prevalent that streamers have to pick and choose which subscriptions to purchase or risk breaking the bank.

UFC fans who want to subscribe to ESPN+ for the upcoming UFC 265 PPV event, featuring the interim heavyweight title fight between Derrick Lewis and Ciryl Gane, as well as the women’s bantamweight showdown between Amanda Nunes and Julianna Pena, can still get in for $5.99 per month by clicking here.

This marks the second time the monthly subscription to ESPN+ has increased, first changing from $4.99 to $5.99 back in late 2020.