ESPN Classic was launched on May 6, 1995, as the Classic Sports Network. In 1997, ESPN, Inc. purchased the network for $175 million, and relaunched it as ESPN Classic the following year. The network originally focused on carrying classic sporting events, other programs and documentaries. In 2014, ESPN began to phase out ESPN Classic as a linear service, transitioning it to a branded video on-demand offering. In 2021, media reports indicated the channel would close at the end of the year, and it did so in the late hours of December 31, 2021.