Antenna’s Q4’25 State of Subscriptions Report on Sports and Streaming is set for release next week. A key component of that report will be a look at the impact of the launches of direct-to-consumer (DTC) services by ESPN and FOX. Both services feature marquee live sports programming that was previously largely exclusive to linear broadcast audiences.
ESPN’s new flagship DTC service and FOX One launched on August 21, and the data suggests that consumers have enthusiastically embraced these new additions to the streaming landscape. From launch through the end of October, Antenna estimates 3M cumulative Sign-ups for ESPN and 2.3M for FOX One. These figures do not include existing Disney subscribers who switched from other plans, or individuals who activated either service through an MVPD (Multichannel Video Programming Distributor) partnership.
Of all ESPN’s sign-ups since launch, Antenna estimates that more than half (1.7M) opted for the new flagship ESPN Unlimited plan, with the remaining picking the more limited ESPN Select plan (formerly ESPN+).
FOX One, which includes other news and entertainment programming in addition to sports, had a particularly strong October, with more than 1.1M Sign-ups.
We’ll have more on the ESPN and FOX One launches in the Q4’25 State of Subscriptions report, along with other insights and trends related to sports and streaming, including data on vMVPDs, league-specific services, and Regional Sports Networks (RSNs). In addition, the Q4’25 installment includes some first looks at Antenna’s new Subscriber Views data, providing deep insight into the role that sports plays for streamers.
If you’re not already on Antenna’s mailing list, sign up now to make sure you receive your own copy direct to your inbox as soon as it’s released. Antenna clients have exclusive access to a client-only expanded version of the Q4’25 State of Subscriptions report. Want to become an Antenna client? We want that for you, too! Drop us a line and let’s chat.
For more detailed information on Antenna’s methodology and definitions of core metrics, please visit http://www.antenna.live/methodology.
