Disney Streaming
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Streaming media, Technology |
| Predecessor | BAMTech Media |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Founder | MLB Advanced Media |
| Headquarters | Manhattan, New York City , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Michael Paull (President), Kevin A. Mayer (former senior executive) |
| Products | ESPN+, Disney+, Hulu, Star+ |
| Owner | The Walt Disney Company |
| Parent | The Walt Disney Company |
Disney Streaming—previously known as BAMTech Media from 2015 until 2018, and then as Disney Streaming Services between 2018 and 2021—is a technology-focused subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company, headquartered in Manhattan, New York City. Originating in 2015 as a spin-off from MLB Advanced Media, the digital media division of Major League Baseball, the company specializes in delivering video on demand solutions tailored for OTT platforms. Its prominent clientele includes ESPN (covering ESPN, ESPN+, and ESPN3), the National Hockey League, and Blaze Media.
Initially, MLB Advanced Media held majority ownership, with minority shares owned by the NHL and other parties. In August 2016, Disney acquired a one-third stake for $1 billion. The following year, Disney announced its intention to increase ownership to 75% by investing $1.58 billion, a transaction that received regulatory approval in September 2017. Post-acquisition, Disney Streaming developed subscription-based services aligned with Disney's brand portfolio: the sports-centric ESPN+ and the global family entertainment platform Disney+. In August 2021, the U.S. general entertainment platform Hulu and Latin American service Star+ were integrated into Disney Streaming. By November 2022, Disney had secured full ownership of the company.
BAMTech Media (2015–2018)
BAMTech was established in February 2015 by MLB Advanced Media as an independent entity to commercialize its streaming technology with external investors, while MLB.com and other league-specific assets remained under MLB control. In August 2016, The Walt Disney Company purchased a one-third interest for $1 billion, retaining an option to obtain majority control later on.
On November 1, 2016, BAMTech formed a joint venture with Discovery Communications named BAMTech Europe, which served clients such as Eurosport, the pan-European broadcaster holding rights to the Olympic Games beginning in 2018. In December 2016, BAMTech secured an agreement with Riot Games to distribute and monetize professional League of Legends competitions through 2023, committing at least $50 million annually alongside revenue sharing from advertising. Nevertheless, due to delays, this agreement was abandoned in 2018; Riot instead pursued a non-exclusive distribution deal with ESPN+.
Michael Paull was appointed CEO of BAMTech in February 2017. By August that year, Disney expanded its stake to a controlling 75% for $1.58 billion, placing BAMTech under the leadership of senior executive Kevin A. Mayer. Subsequently, Disney announced plans to launch direct-to-consumer streaming services branded under ESPN and Disney in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
The company unveiled its corporate website and branding in September 2017. Later that year in November, BAMTech acquired Cake Solutions, a software company based in Manchester; Ian Brookes, former director at Cake Solutions, exited amid organizational restructuring.
Disney Streaming Services (2018–2021)
As part of Disney’s March 14, 2018 corporate restructuring preceding the integration of Fox assets, BAMTech was incorporated into Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International. Kevin Swint was named senior vice president and general manager overseeing Disney’s forthcoming streaming service in January 2018, with Agnes Chu joining as programming executive.
By October 2018, internally the division was rebranded as Disney Streaming Services. On October 31 of that year, ESPN executive Russell Wolff assumed the role of EVP and general manager of ESPN+, reporting directly to Michael Paull, president of Disney Streaming Services. WWE concluded its partnership with BAMTech at the end of 2018 and transitioned to Endeavor Streaming in January 2019.
Disney Streaming (2021–present)
On August 3, 2021, the company announced its rebranding to Disney Streaming. During the same month, Disney purchased the NHL's 10% ownership share for $350 million, raising its total stake to 85%, with intentions to potentially acquire Major League Baseball's 15% share by 2022.
By August 10, 2022, Disney Streaming revealed it had amassed a combined subscriber base of 221 million across Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+, overtaking Netflix's 220.7 million subscribers. Later, on November 29, Disney completed the acquisition of MLB's remaining 15% stake for $900 million.
In October 2024, Disney formed a partnership with the grocery retailer Kroger to provide Boost annual subscribers with complimentary access to Disney+, Hulu, or ESPN+. This initiative, along with comparable collaborations between rival streaming and delivery services (Max with DashPass, Peacock with Instacart+), seeks to emulate the subscriber expansion achieved by Prime Video through Amazon Prime’s bundled offerings.