ESPN’s popular sports talk and commentary shows such as First Take and SportsCenter have led to the channel being one of the people’s go-to choices to watch sports and games-related shows. And if you are a fan of sports but not a fan of cord TV, surely you will be looking for ways through which you can stream ESPN live without cable.
Apart from the traditional cable TV route used initially, people are now moving to find better alternatives for watching and keeping up with your favorite content. Also, ESPN’s immense popularity among fans has led to the channel expanding its accessibility rapidly by increasing the channel’s visibility on various platforms.
These services are cheaper, more efficient and a great alternative to traditional cable connections.
If you’re a football fan or just a good old sports enthusiast, here’s how you can watch ESPN without cable –
Where You Can Watch Live ESPN
There are plenty of streaming services in the market, offering a wide variety of subscription packages and plans at incredibly low pricing. A good internet connection, a compatible device, and a subscription to any of the plans give you full access to all the content streamed on ESPN along with other benefits.
Popular streaming services include FuboTV, Hulu, DIRECTV STREAM, Vidgo, YouTube TV, etc.
Subscribing to any of these streaming services gives you added benefits like simultaneous streams for multiple users, DVR storage to record and watch content in case you miss it, and much more!
Let’s take a closer look at some of the options available to watch ESPN live –
DIRECTV STREAM
DIRECTV STREAM is one of the popular choices for watching ESPN. It has a variety of subscription plans and packages to choose from and can be streamed on any compatible device.
Although available in all the packages – Entertainment, Choice, Ultimate, and Premier, you can use DIRECTV STREAM to stream ESPN live best through its Entertainment package. Priced at $69.99, this package offers 65 channels and ESPN and other channels like Nickelodeon, CNN, Comedy Central, CNBC, MSNBC, etc.
Their Choice package, priced at $89.99 per month, includes ESPNews, ESPNU, as well as a free HBO MAX subscription for three months.
Other features that make DIRECTV STREAM so popular are its unlimited DVR capacity. It lasts up to 90 days, simultaneous streaming for 20 users– the highest one we’ve seen so far and is supported by all major streaming devices like Apple TV, Roku, Android TV, etc.
FuboTV
Fubo TV has three subscription packages – Starter, Pro, and Elite. All the three come with ESPN as a part of their channel lineup.
There are certain added benefits and a more extensive channel library if you choose to subscribe to the Pro or Elite plan, but if ESPN is the only channel you’re looking for, the Starter plan should suit you well!
Fubo TV’s Starter plan has 109 channels in its lineup like FS1, Comedy Central, VH1, and up to 30 other sports channels. It costs $64.99 per month, allows for three simultaneous streams at a time, and 250+ hours of DVR storage.
Fubo TV’s Pro plan costs $69.99 per month and has 109 channels in its channel lineup. It also offers ten simultaneous streams and 250+ hours of DVR storage.
Fubo TV’s Elite plan, the most expensive plan offered by FuboTV, is $79.99. It has over 150+ channels in its channel lineup, having over 50 sports channels. It also offers 1,000 hours of DVR storage.
They also have an extensive on-demand library with over 15,000+ pieces of on-demand content available.
Hulu Live TV
Hulu Live TV is a widely popular streaming service due to its extensive collection of plans and features. It has ESPN and ESPNU, ESPN 2, ESPNews, ACCN, etc., in its channel lineup. Hulu Live TV’s subscription starts at $69.99 per month. You can also upgrade to a no-ads plan offered by Hulu for $75.99 per month.
It has over 65+ channels in its lineup with an extensive on-demand library of over 42,000 on-demand titles. Hulu + Live TV also offers simultaneous streaming for up to 2 users and 50 hours of cloud DVR storage. You can even upgrade to 2000 hours of cloud DVR storage by paying an additional $9.99 per month.
Similarly, you can also get unlimited simultaneous streaming for an additional $9.99, or better yet, both DVR and simultaneous streaming for a total of $14.99 per month.
Sling TV
Sling TV has two basic plans – Sling Blue and Sling Orange. You can also opt for a Sling Orange+Blue subscription plan to avail the best of both of these plans.
Sling TV’s Orange subscription plan has ESPN in its lineup. ESPN 2 and ESPN 3 are also a part of this Orange plan. You can either opt for Sling Orange, which has 30+ channels in its channel library, or Sling Orange+Blue, which has more than 50 channels.
If ESPN is all you’re looking for when selecting a streaming service, Sling Orange is your cheapest bet!
Sling Orange has 32 channels in its lineup and offers up to 10 hours of storage on its cloud DVR. It is priced at $35 per month and offers a no-contract service so that you can cancel anytime.
Sling Orange+Blue offers the best of both subscription plans. Sling Orange has ESPN, ESPN 2, and 3, whereas Sling, Blue has FS1, a major sports channel in the United States. It is priced at $50 per month and offers simultaneous streaming for up to 4 users and a free 3-day trial period.
With an additional $5 per month, you can get 50 hours of cloud DVR storage. Similarly, by paying an additional $10 per month, you can avail of the Sports Extra add-on and get access to channels like ACC Network, SEC Network, ESP News, ESPNU, and more.
Vidgo
Vidgo has ESPN and several other channels like ESPN 2, ESPNews, and ESPNU. It also offers other sports channels like FS1, FS2, ACCN, NFL Network, etc.
The Core plan, which has ESPN in its lineup, costs $55 per month. The best part about Vidgo is that it offers discounted pricing for the first three months. It also offers three users to stream simultaneously, 70+ channels in its lineup and is compatible with almost all major streaming devices.
The best part about Vidgo is that it allows for remote social interaction when watching the same content with your family and friends in the comfort of your home. Vidgo also has unique, real-time polls and live-react videos for entertainment, making it stand out from its competitors.
The only drawback about Vidgo is that it does not have cloud DVR storage. Vidgo announced the update of this feature a while ago, but no updates have been installed as of yet. But, you can rewatch content on some channels within 24 hours of its airing.
YouTube TV
YouTube has only one subscription plan, including ESPN in its channel lineup. ESPN is a part of this plan and 85 other channels, including Comedy Central, Discovery, TLC, and Paramount Network. SEC Network, ESPNU, ESPNews, is also included in YouTube TV’s subscription plan.
YouTube TV also offers many local channels and regional sports networks depending on where you live in the United States.
It is priced at $64.99 and compatible with all major streaming devices like Apple, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Android TV, etc. Other features include simultaneous streaming for up to 3 users, six customizable profiles, unlimited DVR storage on the cloud, and an extensive on-demand library with up to 2,000 pieces of on-demand content.
For an additional $11 per month, you can get 13 extra sports channels along with your pre-existing subscription plan.
YouTube TV also provides a two-week free trial to all its subscribers to test out the application, interface, and content. If you don’t like the content available on YouTube TV, you can cancel your subscription and get a full refund within the trial period.
How to Watch ESPN for Free
Almost all legitimate streaming services have a subscription fee you need to pay to access their content. Although a few websites and apps are available to watch ESPN for free, they are usually full of spam and are not entirely secure.
The best way to watch ESPN for free is by taking advantage of the free trial periods offered by these subscription services. Streaming services like FuboTV, Sling TV, YouTube TV, Hulu Live TV, etc., mostly come with a free seven or 14-day trial period to test it out. Fubo TV, Sling TV, Vidgo, YouTube TV, and DIRECTV STREAM offer a trial period of 7 days.
All the content on the respective streaming service is available during this trial period free of cost. You can extend this free trial period by creating multiple new accounts. You can also increase the duration of your trial period by using new payment methods and alternate email addresses when subscribing to a particular plan.
When subscribed, remember to unsubscribe from the streaming service before the end of the trial period, or you will be charged for that particular month.
Watch ESPN on Fire TV
ESPN can be streamed on your Amazon Fire TV effortlessly by downloading the ESPN app on your Fire TV. Fire TV offers a great way to watch all your favorite content and club all your streaming service subscriptions in one place!
To watch ESPN on Fire TV, follow the step by step guide given below –
Step 1 – Start by subscribing to any streaming services mentioned above, having ESPN in their channel lineup.
Step 2 – Select the search icon on your Fire TV’s home screen.
Step 3 – Search the name of the streaming service you have subscribed to and select OK.
Step 4 – Select Download, to download the streaming service
Step 5 – Once the app is installed, open it
Step 6 – Log in with the credentials used to subscribe to the service, and you’re good to go!
Watch ESPN on Apple TV
Apple TV is one of the most popular streaming device options available in the market right now. By clubbing it with a suitable streaming service plan, you can effortlessly binge-watch all your favorite content with ease!
The steps to set up ESPN on your Apple TV are quite simple and only require you to download and set up your streaming service app.
Here’s how you can watch ESPN on Apple TV –
Step 1 – Subscribe to a streaming service like FuboTV, Sling TV, DIRECTV STREAM, etc., having ESPN in its channel lineup.
Step 2 – Select the search icon on the corner of your home screen
Step 3 – Type in the name of the streaming service you have subscribed to
Step 4 – Once typed, select OK
Step 5 – Download the app by clicking on the cloud icon
Step 6 – Once the app has been installed, open it
Step 7 – Log in with the credentials you used to subscribe to the streaming service.
Once done, you will be able to access and watch ESPN by simply opening the subscription service app on your Apple TV.
Stream ESPN with the ESPN App
The ESPN app, previously known as WatchESPN, has all the live games and shows, as well as a ton of on-demand content available in its library. The ESPN app can be downloaded on your Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, or any other device and can be then used to watch ESPN.
Along with ESPN, it also gives you access to content on ESPN 2, ESPN 3, ESPNews, ESPNU, among others.
You can download the ESPN app for free, but you need a subscription plan or pay-TV provider initials to access the content.
Conclusion
In this article, we discussed the various ways you can stream ESPN without cable. Various subscription plans and packages are available right at the click of a button to help you watch your favorite shows and games on ESPN!
