As of the end of October 2025:
- Fox One: 2.3 million paid subscribers
- ESPN Unlimited: 1.7 million paid subscribers
The shift happened quickly. Fox One entered October trailing ESPN Unlimited, but added roughly 1.2 million net new subscribers during the month—more than doubling its base from 1.1 million to 2.3 million—and overtook the leader in sports.
Why FOX pulled ahead
- Broader content bundle
Fox One is not purely a sports service. In addition to Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, and Big Ten Network, it includes Fox News, Fox Business, Fox Weather, and Fox Soul—appealing to households that want sports plus news and general entertainment in one app.ESPN Unlimited, by contrast, is sports-only: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network, and the newly added ESPN Plus library. It does not include any of Disney’s general-entertainment or news properties. - Significantly lower pricing
- Fox One: $19.99/mo or $199.99/year
- ESPN Unlimited: $29.99/mo or $299.99/year
That $10/month gap (33% cheaper) is a major factor when consumers are picking one “skinny sports” service.
- Dominant distribution through Amazon Prime Video Channels
Approximately 60% of Fox One’s sign-ups have come through Prime Video Channels, a frictionless add-on for the 200+ million Prime members in the U.S. ESPN Unlimited is not currently offered as a Prime Video Channel.
The bigger picture for Disney
Disney’s total “new-money” DTC sports subscribers since the August 21 re-launch actually stand higher when you include the lower-tier ESPN Select (the re-branded ESPN+):
- ESPN Unlimited (full linear bundle): 1.7 million
- ESPN Select (sports streaming only, no linear channels): 1.3 million
→ Combined: ~3.0 million new or upgraded paid sports accounts
What’s next?
The real test comes in January. Both services will carry NFL playoff games, but Fox One’s package at $19.99 includes:
- America’s Game of the Week (most-watched regular-season window)
- An NFL Wild Card and Divisional playoff game
- The NFC Championship Game
ESPN Unlimited counters with Monday Night Football, its Wild Card and Divisional game, but at a $10 higher monthly price.
Bottom line
For now, Fox One’s combination of broader content, sharply lower pricing, and Prime Channels distribution has driven faster subscriber growth than the sports-only, higher-priced ESPN Unlimited.
