Disney is seeking to bring its ESPN sports brand to Asia, stepping up efforts to expand in one of the world’s fastest-growing streaming markets.
The company aims to add more live sports to Disney+ and gradually roll out ESPN across Asia, Luke Kang, president of Disney Asia Pacific, said in an interview. Launch timing will vary by market, he said, as sports rights and fan bases differ by country. Disney introduced ESPN on Disney+ in Australia and New Zealand earlier this year, the sports streaming brand’s first presence on the platform in the region.
"Our long-term goal is to integrate ESPN into the platform as we do in other parts of the world and eventually become a premier destination for sports,” Kang said on the sidelines of the Disney APAC Content Showcase in Hong Kong. "We’re constantly looking at all of the sports rights to see what timing is appropriate to launch ESPN.”
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