The NFL preseason fever is already looming among NFL fans. But just weeks before the 2026 season kickoff, ESPN left them in a sour mood. It will now cost heavier on fans’ pockets as the network increased the annual cost.
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“ESPN has increased their annual cost for streaming the channel to $320 a year, an increase of $20 over last year,” Outkick founder Clay Travis broke the news on X on August 24. “Increase starts for football. Remember when people argued streaming would save sports fans money compared to cable? Sports fans keep paying more and getting less.”
ESPN Unlimited will cost $32 per month starting September 17, according to the company’s support page. The annual subscription will also rise from $300 to $320.
The hike came after ESPN formally acquired NFL Network on April 1. Last month, ESPN announced that NFL Network would be included in ESPN Unlimited subscriptions.
By including NFL Network in ESPN Unlimited, subscribers have access to seven exclusive regular-season games within the ESPN app, including five International Series games and a Week 16 doubleheader.
ESPN will host Super Bowl LXI for the first time, a milestone fans expected to justify premium access. They ensured their subscribers were pumped up for the NFL season as they planned additional programming and events across Southern California. The “Year of the Super Bowl” initiative, the 12-month programming blitz, was part of the plan.
“In a memo to staff obtained by Sports Media Watch last week, ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro marked the anniversary of the ESPN D2C launch, saying that the company is in the ‘early innings’ of its ‘direct-to-consumer journey,’” Sports Media Watch reported.
However, the timing of their raising subscription prices has put them in the hot seat. After all, fall is an important season in the world of sports, with the NFL holding the majority of fandom. So, many fans feel that ESPN took advantage of their emotions to earn some extra money.
“When the average fan got priced out of stadiums, it was only a matter of time before greed would find a way. Paywalls and subscription services are the way to keep the revenue streams flowing. It’s not about the fans. It’s never been about the fans. It’s all about the money,” a fan wrote.
“I refuse to pay for another streaming service to watch football. It makes me sick that tax dollars build stadiums but half the country cannot afford to watch games much less attend one,” another wrote.
“I despise ESPN with the heat of a thousand suns. When I can only get NFL from ESPN? I’ll stop watching the NFL,” wrote an upset fan.
“NOT ME!! Out of ESPN EXTRAS,” another added.
“Wtf is espn even worth having for? Mnf games? (3/4ths are in free tv) college football? Also on free tv. The quality of programming keeps dropping too, banana ball? And you want $320? No thanks…,” one fan wrote.
While many fans have shared alternate ways to subscribe to ESPN, it is worth noting that an average sports fan in America now needs to pay for multiple subscriptions to watch a handful of their favorite sports. It’s certainly becoming a debate worth talking over.