Optimum, Disney reach multi-year carriage deal that will give subscribers free access to ESPN Unlimited
A detailed view of the ESPN logo on a camera lens prior to an NFL preseason game between the Houston Texans and the Las Vegas Raiders in Houston on Aug. 20, Credit: AP/Maria Lysaker
Optimum cable TV customers will "soon" get free access to ESPN’s direct-to-consumer streaming service and will keep access to the ESPN networks, NFL Network and NFL RedZone under a multi-year carriage deal announced on Thursday.
The announcement by ESPN parent company Disney did not state an exact date when Optimum costumers will start having free access to ESPN Unlimited, which includes all the ESPN-owned networks plus sports not shown on regular ESPN channels. ESPN Unlimited currently retails for between $13.99 and $31.99 a month.
The biggest news for Optimum's cable customers, many of whom are on Long Island, may be that there will be no carriage dispute that interrupts access to the ESPN-owned channels as the NFL season approaches.
ESPN acquired the NFL Network and RedZone channels earlier this year. The agreement also includes Disney's entertainment channels.
Anthony Rieber covers sports media and business and professional sports (you know, games and trades and things). He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since Jan. 1, 2026.
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