After years of questions about its streaming future, ESPN is finally unveiling a new service that dramatically expands its digital footprint.

The media giants face the difficult task of winning over roughly 65 million “cord never” households while avoiding linear TV cord-cutting.

“As we thought about the name, we kept returning to the fact that, across every generation, ESPN is the most trusted, loved and recognized name in sports, and that we should keep it simple and double down on the power of ESPN,” Jimmy Pitaro, ESPN ...

ESPN’s future is nearly here. On Thursday, sports fans can begin paying $30 per month for the entirety of ESPN’s offerings for the first time. The company’s mobile and TV apps have been updated for the occasion as well.

My colleague Andrew Marchand has the must-read story of how ESPN got to this company-defining moment, under its chairman Jimmy Pitaro, who has spent north of $80 billion on live-sports rights during his tenure to keep fans tuned in to ESPN and to stave off the Thanos-like inevitability of YouTube and Netflix consumption.

Disney and Fox say two new sports-heavy streaming services that debut Thursday aren’t meant to kill traditional TV. They might just do it anyway. After keeping the bulk of their sports portfolios on cable,

Disney CEO Bob Iger and ESPN Chair Jimmy Pitaro join CNBC's 'Squawk on the Street' to discuss ESPN's new streaming platform, how the app could compete with other sports networks, and more.

The launch of the ESPN DTC platform and new app is one of the seminal moments in the history of the WorldWide Leader in Sports. But ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro wants to make it clear that there is more to come than what is available at launch.