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ESPN+
$6.99
Pros
- Large volume of content
- Clean UI
- Excellent streaming quality
- Inexpensive
- Multiple simultaneous streams
Cons
- No SportsCenter or Monday Night Football
- No live channels
- No NBA coverage
ESPN+ Information
- Type of Service: OTT Streaming Video
- Price: $6.99/mo.
- Free Trial: No
- Simultaneous Streams: 3
- Streaming Quality: 720p, 1080p
What is ESPN+?
ESPN+ is a subscription over-the-top video streaming platform. The service is primarily an add-on subscription on top of ESPN’s core linear networks. This is a no-contract streaming platform that delivers on-demand video and premium sports content through an internet connection either through the ESPN app or through the ESPN website (R). It requires no installation, there are no extra fees, and you can cancel anytime.
The subscription service is one of the least expensive available costing $6.99/month or $69.99/annual. You can also bundle it with Hulu and Disney Plus for $13.99/month. Learn more about this special bundle. This is not a primary source to watch ESPN channels but it does carry a lot of ESPN content.
For decades, ESPN has been the most popular network and brand in sports television. With this service, subscribers will get access to thousands of live sports events plus a library of ESPN’s original sports-oriented film content such as 30 for 30. Users also get access to written analysis from ESPN’s top analysts such as Mel Kiper and Todd McShay and also exclusive fantasy sports content.
This service caters to a wide variety of sports fans. MLS fans will get the entire MLS out-of-market schedule with exclusive local-market coverage of the Chicago Fire. MLB and NHL fans are treated to a daily out-of-market broadcast every day.
College sports fans get access to thousands of games of football, basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, track & field, gymnastics, swimming & diving, lacrosse, wrestling, volleyball, golf, and more. ESPN+ is also the exclusive provider of the BIG 12 Network.
MMA and boxing fans will be delighted because the service offers Top Rank boxing and is the home to several exclusive UFC events including fight nights and pay-per-views.
How Much Does ESPN+ Cost?
ESPN+ offers two subscription tiers. Subscribers can pay monthly or annually. The plans cost $6.99/month or $69.99/annual. Currently, you can also bundle Hulu and Disney+ for $13.99/month. This is one of the most economical ways to get sports and entertainment content.
What Content Is Available On ESPN+?
ESPN+ features a wide variety of sports content including live sports, original programming, ESPN tv shows, on-demand library, and UFC fight nights. Notably missing is SportsCenter. Subscribers will also find live streams of events and matches, full on-demand match and game replays, original series, and “30 for 30” films.
ESPN+ also includes a library of written content that used to be included in ESPN’s “Insider” membership. This content includes fantasy football analysis, NFL draft coverage, college recruiting news, and more.
What isn’t included is normal ESPN cable channels. This means you will need to find a service that offers ESPN as part of their channel line-ups such as Hulu with Live TV or Sling TV. Despite not having a large offering of live sporting events, ESPN+ is an MLS fan’s dream. You can watch the entire MLS LIVE out-of-market schedule as no extra charge.
Live Sports
ESPN+ offers live sports. There are thousands of games and events from professional leagues and international sports as well as college sports from nearly two dozen conferences across the country, including:
- MLB – A daily game, seven days per week, throughout the regular season for more than 180 games that will include every MLB team.*
- NHL – Beginning with the 2018-19 season, a daily game throughout the regular season (in keeping with the NHL schedule) for more than 180 hockey games* – as well as on-demand replays of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
- MLS – the entire MLS LIVE out-of-market schedule with more than 250 games this season, as well as the local-market home for the Chicago Fire, exclusively bringing 23 Fire matches to fans in Chicago.
- College Sports – thousands of live events – including football, basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, track & field, gymnastics, swimming & diving, lacrosse, wrestling, volleyball, golf and more – from 20 conferences across the country.
- Top Rank Boxing – Hundreds of live boxing matches, including exclusive Top Rank ESPN+ main fights and undercard fights, throughout the year.
- PGA Tour Golf – 50 days of coverage from 20 PGA tour events, including the RBC Heritage, THE PLAYERS Championship, the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, the FedExCup
Playoffs and more. - Grand Slam Tennis – Hundreds of men’s and women’s singles and doubles matches, from the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.
- Cricket – Hundreds of Test, ODI and T20 format matches from New Zealand Cricket and Cricket Ireland.
- Rugby – Hundreds of matches from SANZAAR Rugby, the HSBC World Rugby Sevens series, and Major League Rugby.
- Canadian Football League – Approximately 200 games from Canada’s professional league.
- English Football League – Approximately 200 total matches, including an average of four per week from Sky Bet Championship Playoffs, League 1 and League 2, plus six matches per month from the EFL Cup (beginning in August) and 16 matches per month throughout the EFL 2018-19 season.
- UEFA Nations League – Over 100 live matches from the newly created tournament. Pay TV customers with an ESPN+ subscription will be able to access the entire tournament including the 36 UNL matches on ESPN linear networks and ESPN3.
- United Soccer League – Approximately 450 USL matches this season.
ESPN Original Programming
Exclusive, original content developed specifically for ESPN+, including original documentaries, docu-series and more.
- Draft Academy – Exclusive access to ESPN’s series that delivers a personal, behind-the-scenes look at top prospects leading up to the 2018 NFL Draft.
- 30 for 30 Documentary “The Last Days of Knight” – The first film in the award-winning series to appear exclusively on ESPN+.
- Quest for the Stanley Cup – Weekly behind-the-scenes documentary series that goes on the ice, in locker rooms, inside the minds of the players and coaches for an all-access pass during the high-stakes NHL Playoffs.
ESPN TV Shows
New and exclusive ESPN studio programming devoted to multiple sports and sports topics, including:
- Detail (NBA) – Written, produced and hosted by Kobe Bryant, this basketball analysis show will provide his unparalleled insights and game observations about an ESPN-covered game played the day before.
- In The Crease (NHL) – A nightly hockey show co-hosted by ESPN’s Linda Cohn and Barry Melrose providing comprehensive highlights and an analytical deep dive.
- ESPN FC (Soccer) – ESPN’s daily soccer news and information, highlights and analysis program hosted by Dan Thomas joined by top analysts and ESPN’s renowned journalists from around the globe. New shows will be available weekdays and Sundays only on ESPN+.
On-Demand Library
An unmatched sports archive featuring thousands of hours of on-demand programs and past sporting events. At launch, this includes:
- 30 for 30 Archive – The entire archive of the award-winning documentary films (more than 100 in total). ESPN+ will be the only platform where fans can access the full library.
- E:60 and SC Featured – The best of ESPN’s award-winning newsmagazine program, E:60, and storytelling brand, SC Featured.
- The Masters Films – Annual recaps of 57 years of The Masters, beginning with Arnold Palmer’s 1960 victory, and going right up until 2017.
- Becoming – A program for youth and families, profiling the journeys of some of today’s top athletes and how they got their start. Executive produced by LeBron James and business partner Maverick Carter.
- Jon Gruden’s QB Camp – More than 60 episodes of Jon Gruden working with and talking to top QB prospects before they played a snap in the NFL. Among the subjects: Jimmy Garoppolo, Case Kennum, Russell Wilson, Andrew Luck, Cam Newton, Derek Carr, and Dak Prescott.
- Indy 500 – more than 50 annual documentaries capturing the stories of one of the world’s greatest auto racing events, from the 1960s to present day.
- Boxing Libraries – an unmatched, on-demand treasure chest of the greatest fights of all time, including hundreds of fights from the ESPN Big Fights Library and the Top Rank archive, such as Ali vs. Frazier I-III, Ali vs. Foreman, Duran vs. Leonard I-III, Hagler vs. Hearns, Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, among many, many more.
Watch UFC Fight Nights With ESPN Plus
ESPN+ exclusively features UFC Fight Nights and UFC pay-per-views. UFC fans will need to have an ESPN+ subscription to access these events making it a must-have for any UFC fan. The service also includes UFC fight replays. This includes 100+ total fights, including early prelims and main-card events.
Also available are original content such as Dana White’s Contender Series and Ariel & The Bad Guy. You can experience UFC like never before with ESPN’s award-winning editorial coverage, including Ariel Helwani’s combat sport studio show.
Follow the journeys of your favorite UFC fighters with replays of classic UFC fights. This service has an extensive on-demand video library.
Devices Compatible With ESPN+
This service is supported by a wide range of devices. Supported platforms include:
- Amazon – Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, Fire TV Smart TVs, and Fire Tablets
- Apple – iOS devices including iPhones and iPads, Apple TV and within the Apple TV app.
- Google – Android smartphones, Android TV, and Chromecast devices.
- Consoles – PlayStation 4, 5, Xbox One, Series S/X
- Other – Roku players & TVs, Oculus Go, Tizen, Samsung Smart TVs
- Web – At any moment, you can use a Web browser to log in and stream the available content. This works on every device that connects to the Web and has a Web browser.
ESPN+ is not compatible with Nintendo, VIZIO Smart TV, and LG Smart TV. However, you can use the built-in Chromecast feature on VIZIO Smart TVs.
Other ESPN+ Features and Information
ESPN+ is a great app but there are some important things to know about it. The platform is not available outside of the US. You can try to use a VPN to bypass geoblocking restrictions but ESPN does consider this to be against their terms of service for rights reasons.
The next thing to know is that ESPN+ does not offer SportsCenter, Monday Night Football, or NBA games. To use the platform you must access it through the ESPN app which requires you to download it or update it. We believe that this platform is best used in conjunction with a streaming service, such as Hulu + Live TV and Disney+.
The video quality is pretty good. Playback is in 60 frames per second on just about every single device. That means crystal clear HD quality streaming with little to no buffering. Currently, there is no 4K support for on-demand or live streaming. You can also stream simultaneously on 3 different devices at the same time. There is no DVR option available.
ESPN+ Review Conclusion
After years of waiting for ESPN to release a standalone subscription service, it finally arrived in 2019. ESPN+ is a mix of live streaming content, on-demand content, and more. The service may leave some people wanting more as it lacks popular programming such as SportsCenter and Monday Night Football but it does contain a large library of original programmings such as 30 for 30, daily MLB and NHL games, every single MLS game, and content from a wide variety of other sports such as tennis, golf, and even UFC pay-per-views.
ESPN+ does not have its own app, it must be accessed within the ESPN app which feels a little weird. The interface is very clean and the stream quality is excellent. While users may be slightly disappointed it does not contain full access to live ESPN programming it does provide a large volume of content and gives sports fans an incredible value for the price. We definitely recommend this service.
