Disney and ESPN have cooked up a plan to try to whet the sports appetite of Disney+ U.S. customers — who may not necessarily be the more voracious fans of sporting events.
ESPN is set to launch “SC+,” a new, daily “SportsCenter” show, exclusively on Disney+ on Monday, March 3. They’re calling it “SC+” but it’s a shorter, more streamlined offshoot of the 45-year-old sports highlights show that airs on ESPN. The shows will run at least 15 minutes but will vary in length.
“SC+” is described as a “fast-paced daily update” of top sports moments built around the SportsCenter Top 10 plays segment, featuring exclusive commentary and analysis from ESPN insiders and reporters. According to Disney, the show is designed for a more casual, entertainment-focused audience.
“SC+” will be available for streaming every morning starting at 9 a.m. ET, with each episode available on demand for 24 hours on Disney+ in the U.S. Weekday editions will be hosted by Gary Striewski and Randy Scott (pictured above), who will also continue to anchor the 7 a.m. ET edition of “SportsCenter” on ESPN. On weekends, Hannah Storm and Jay Harris will host “SC+” following their “SportsCenter:AM” program on ESPN.
The launch of “SC+” on Disney+ is a continuation of Disney’s strategy to introduce sports content to the streaming service’s customer base. That started with the addition of an ESPN tile to Disney+ in December, featuring a smattering of content from ESPN+ including some live sports events, studio shows and ESPN originals like “30 for 30” documentaries.
The goal: to upsell Disney+ subscribers to the three-way Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ bundle. ESPN+, which is available separately for $11.99/month, includes more than 30,000 live sports events annually and a library of on-demand replays and original content and studio programming.
Meanwhile, the addition of “SC+” and select ESPN content to Disney+ is laying the groundwork for the streamer to serve as an on-ramp for what’s currently being called ESPN Flagship, a streaming service slated to launch in the fall of 2025 with all of the programming from the linear TV sports channels (as well as all of ESPN+). Customers who subscribe to both ESPN Flagship and Disney+ will have access to the full suite of ESPN and ESPN+ content within Disney+, according to the company.
“It’s an absolute honor to take one of ESPN’s most prestigious and historic brands in ‘SportsCenter’ and infuse it with the energy and creativity afforded by Disney+,” said Mike Foss, ESPN’s senior VP of studio and entertainment. “‘SC+’ endeavors to tell the best stories in sports daily in an unforgettable way. This fresh approach, combined with the expansive reach of Disney+, will resonate whether you are an ardent sports fan or looking for something new after your latest series binge.”
Disney+ president Alisa Bowen commented, “ESPN has long defined excellence in sports programming, and now Disney+ subscribers will have daily access to the most exciting sports news, moments and stories.”
Pictured top: Gary Striewski (left), Randy Scott
