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ESPN Plus is one of the best streaming services you can sign up for to watch sports, and its subscription plan has plenty to offer for fans of baseball, hockey, UFC, football, college sports, soccer, tennis, and more.
ESPN Plus members get livestreaming access to select games, along with original docuseries and exclusive sports analysis. It's also available as part of the Disney Plus Bundle, which also includes Disney Plus and Hulu for a discounted price.
To help you decide whether ESPN Plus is right for your needs, we broke down all of the service's main features and plans, including ESPN Plus pricing and details on all the sports you can stream.
What is ESPN Plus?
ESPN Plus is a subscription streaming service that focuses on sports. Members can watch live games and exclusive on-demand videos, as well as access written content from what was formerly known as ESPN Insider.
Though ESPN Plus has its own lineup of live sports, on-demand shows, and exclusive programs, the service does not include direct access to the regular ESPN cable channel.
How much does ESPN Plus cost?
An ESPN Plus subscription costs $10 a month or $100 annually. There's also a bundle that packages ESPN Plus with Hulu and Disney Plus for a starting price of $13 a month — which is 50% off the regular combined cost of all three services. ESPN Plus is also included with every Hulu + Live TV membership.
If you're looking for a gift that's perfect for any sports fan, you can also purchase an annual ESPN Plus gift subscription for $100. Gift subscriptions can only be redeemed by new members.
If ESPN Plus doesn't sound like a good fit for your game-night needs, you can find other streaming recommendations in our guides to the best sports streaming services and best free sports streaming services.
How do I sign up for ESPN Plus?
Head over to the ESPN Plus website and create an account, or open your existing ESPN account, and you'll be prompted to sign up.
What's included with ESPN Plus?
ESPN Plus includes a ton of sports content, from live games to on-demand shows and exclusive stories. Just like broadcast TV, however, live games are streamed with commercial breaks.
Subscribers can watch select live games from the MLB, NHL, and NFL when their seasons are active. There's also PGA golf, UFC, college football, college basketball, international soccer, and tennis. On the downside, ESPN Plus does not typically stream live NBA games — which means that you'll have to look into a service like Sling TV to follow the NBA season.
In addition to games, ESPN Plus features a library original shows, including game recaps and analyses hosted by sports stars like Peyton Manning, and a shorter version of "NFL Primetime." Documentary programs like "30 for 30" are also available to stream on-demand.
Most ESPN Plus content streams in up to 1080p Full HD resolution, but unlike Disney Plus, 4K streaming is not supported.
Does ESPN Plus offer UFC PPV and UFC Fight Night events?
ESPN Plus offers exclusive UFC pay-per-view (PPV) matches. UFC PPV events cost $80 for existing subscribers. ESPN Plus also offers a special discounted bundle for new members that includes a one-year membership and one PPV event for $124.98.
The most recent UFC PPV match was UFC 291: Poirier vs. Gaethje 2 on July 29, and the next fight will be UFC 292: Sterling vs. O'Malley on August 19. In addition to PPV matches, ESPN Plus features access to regular UFC Fight Night events. Fight Nights are typically included as part of a regular ESPN Plus subscription for $10 a month.
Can you watch football on ESPN Plus?
ESPN does stream select football games during the NFL season. ESPN's schedule for the 2023-24 NFL season includes 12 games that are set to be livestreamed on ESPN+. Football lovers can also find on-demand shows and series like Peyton's Places, Man in the Arena with Tom Brady, and NFL Matchup.
Can you stream ESPN Plus for free?
Right now, there is no way to watch ESPN Plus for free. ESPN Plus used to have a free trial for new members, but the service no longer offers this option. Likewise, there are no current promotions available with other services outside of the standard discounts you get with a Disney Plus Bundle, UFC PPV match purchase, or Hulu + Live TV membership.
What's not included with ESPN Plus?
ESPN Plus is separate from the ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNews cable networks, so a subscription will not grant you access to live broadcasts of those channels. To get live streaming access to ESPN's cable channels, you'll need to sign up for a live TV streaming service like Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV, or FuboTV.
Where can I watch ESPN Plus?
One of the cool things about ESPN Plus is that you can access it through the regular ESPN app. Instead of launching a separate service, all the ESPN Plus content is unlocked in the ESPN app once you subscribe.
The app is available on virtually every platform you can imagine — phones, tablets, laptops, Roku players, Fire TV products, Apple TV, Android TV, Chromecast, PS4 and PS5, Xbox One and Xbox One X|S, and Samsung smart TVs.
You can also stream most content on up to three devices simultaneously with one account. That said, pay-per-view events are limited to two devices.
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