ESPN Sets Launch Date For OTT App

ESPN will launch its $4.99-a-month OTT app, ESPN+, on April 12, ushering in a new era for the nearly 40-year-old Disney-owned sports network.Disney execs had forecast a launch in the spring but hadn’t specified the date. Pressure had been building for years on the company to mount a meaningful response to cord-cutting and the loss of video subscribers, even though the network remains a dominant power in the cable TV landscape.While all linear TV networks have lost subscribers in recent years as new options proliferate for over-the-top viewing, the losses at ESPN have complicated the narrative at Disney at a crucial time.