A new ESPN tile is added to the app’s home screen. The tile just says “ESPN” because it currently only includes the live games and shows that are normally part of ESPN Plus. But next year will see the long-awaited debut of a TRUE The streaming service ESPN – you know, the actual cable channel with shows that sports fans can’t live without – and which will also be accessible via this Disney Plus portal at some point.

The reason Disney is putting all of this content under one roof is simple: it wants to get more people to sign up for the Disney Plus/Hulu/ESPN Plus three-package package. And the less friction there is, the more attractive the package becomes for customers who may currently only be paying for the core service. To push the package even further, Disney Plus subscribers can now access “a curated selection of live sports events and shows from ESPN Plus, as well as movies and series from Hulu.” The tiles for both services now appear in the main navigation, even if you don’t pay for Hulu or ESPN.

“This gives our bundle subscribers a single place to consume everything they love from all of our brands,” Alisa Bowen, president of Disney Plus, said in a press release. ESPN Plus offers access to “over 30,000 live sporting events per year” as well as plenty of original content. But that’s actually only a half-step toward the ultimate goal of bringing true, linear ESPN to the service. Disney says what we’re seeing today is “the foundation for expanded sports offerings on Disney Plus in the U.S. with the launch of ESPN’s flagship direct-to-consumer product, expected in fall 2025.”

The ESPN streaming service is expected to launch as early as August and is rumored to cost more than $30 per month. Yes, only for ESPN. You can watch it through Disney Plus, but CEO Bob Iger said the ESPN app will offer a more feature-rich sports experience with built-in betting and fantasy leagues. The Disney option is for people who want the convenience of having everything in a single app.

Disney is determined to make its streaming business a reliable moneymaker, and the real money is in packages and ad-supported plans. On the advertising front, advertisers will now have the ability to purchase inventory “by sport, league, team, within live events and across all marketplaces” as ESPN content streams on Disney Plus. The company has also taken steps to prevent password sharing and is now charging customers between $6.99 and $9.99 to allow others to log into their Disney Plus account from another location .

The cost of a Disney Plus subscription will inevitably continue to rise. And Disney will no doubt cite the app’s value as an all-encompassing entertainment hub – now including sports – as justification for these increases. For the end consumer, this may all be reminiscent of cable, but this is the streaming age we’re in.