ESPN to launch standalone app in 2025 aimed at cord cutters [Video]

Disney CEO Bob Iger told investors on Wednesday that ESPN will launch a standalone app in the fall of 2025, allowing customers an opportunity to purchase the channel without needing cable. 

The announcement comes months after Disney formed a partnership with Fox and Warner Bros. to bring a direct-to-consumer product that bundles their sports programming into one app. The joint venture is set to launch in the fall of 2024 and will include sports programming from ESPN, Fox Sports, TNT and TBS, among others. 

While ESPN currently has a paid app, many major live sporting events are not included on ESPN Plus. For instance, basketball fans have been unable to watch the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament without a cable subscription. 

“In the fall of 2025, we will make the full suite of ESPN’s channels available as a standalone and highly interactive digital destination,” Iger said. “This will give consumers the …