Disney's new ESPN app reaches for sports fans outside cable TV

STORY: :: ESPN Images

Starting Thursday, fans can watch all of ESPN’s sports and shows without needing cable for the first time.

That's when the channel launches a new app for live games and personalized sports updates.

The move is an attempt by owner Disney to bring back millions of fans who have switched to streaming since 2010.

:: Phil Ellsworth/ESPN Images

Compared with the ESPN+ app launched in 2018, it says the new app is much bigger and made for today’s sports fans.

Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger has called it "a sports fan's dream."

:: ESPN Images

The app includes over 47,000 yearly events from sports like the NFL, NBA, and tennis for $30 a month.

It comes with free ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu for a limited time.

:: Phil Ellsworth/ESPN Images

A new "Verts" feature offers personalized vertical video highlights.

Users can also track their bets with an ESPN Bet tab if they link their accounts.

Analysts say it's all a chance to target non-cable users without stealing too many viewers from ESPN’s cable business, which dropped from 100 million homes in 2010 to 61 million this year. Related Videos

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ESPN, which made $1 billion of Disney’s $4.6 billion operating income last quarter, will promote the app with ads featuring actor John Cena.

:: Phil Ellsworth/ESPN Images

Cable subscribers will also get the app, as ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said the company hopes to move all customers to the platform "because that's by far the best, the most holistic experience."

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