It’s not the day for sports fans.
Unfortunately, ESPN+ will raise its subscription fees to $9.99 per month and $99.99 annually starting Aug. 23, according to Variety. The Disney-backed streaming-video sports service currently costs $6.99 per month or $69.99 annually.
The cost of the “Disney Bundle,” a larger subscription that includes ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu, will remain the same for the time being, as will the cost of the UFC pay-per-view events ESPN broadcasts, the news out reports.
Variety reports the price hike stems from Disney’s desire to “wring profits from the company’s growing emphasis on streaming.”
Price hikes are not uncommon among streaming services. For example, Netflix upped its monthly price by up to $2 in January. In addition, customers who purchase a premium Netflix subscription can now watch TV series and movies simultaneously on up to four devices for $19.99 per month.
Additionally, Amazon increased the cost of its annual Prime subscription—which grants access to its original streaming content—by $20 to $139 a year in February.
Of course, no one jumps for joy when streaming services raise prices, so many streamers have or are in the process of implementing ad-tiers. This week, Netflix selected Microsoft as its partner for its upcoming ad-supported tier, while Disney+’s ad-supported tier will go live later this year.
Despite the increased cost, Variety reports Disney believes ESPN+ is still competitive. Competitor DAZN, which largely emphasizes boxing, costs $19.99 per month. Fans can stream Boston Red Sox and Boston Bruins games for $29.99 per month on NESN, a local sports network. In addition, many of the big leagues’ streaming services have monthly fees ranging from $14.99 to $24.99.