There’s no denying it’s been a hard year for sports, and all of the major league postponements and cancelations due to Omicron at the end of 2021 haven’t exactly helped the situation. The good news is that while many of us hope for a quick and safe return to normal, we’ve also been exploring more sports streaming options than ever.
Traditionally, sports watchers were considered the last group to cut that proverbial cable cord, but with the way the pandemic has unfolded, fans are now taking action. One survey reveals that nearly 75% of sports fans plan on cutting out cable by early 2022, and many of them will turn to services like ESPN+ to help fill that void.
What Can You Watch on ESPN+?
Fans who want to catch the latest Major League Baseball, National Hockey League or Major Soccer League games will be in all their glory with an ESPN+ membership. It covers all such live events during active seasons, along with other sports like college football, international soccer, tennis, golf, and UFC. You can also tune into a live event midway through and start streaming from the beginning.
Unfortunately, if you’re looking for games from the National Football League or the National Basketball Association, EPSN+ doesn’t stream those live events. Still, there’s a pretty solid overall lineup, so it’s best to consider the service like a secondary or complementary one to your main ESPN event.
Speaking of the overall lineup, EPSN+ also includes an on-demand library (which features the entire lineup of 30 for 30 documentaries), premium written articles and original series. Some other sports that ESPN+ features include:
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Boxing
CFL
Cricket
Lacrosse
MMA
Rugby
Track and Field
Does ESPN+ Have Ads?
If you’re watching a live game you will definitely see ads, and ESPN+ has also started adding pre-roll ads to some of its non-live content as well.
Is ESPN+ Different From the ESPN Cable Channel?
It sure is. While the ESPN channel focuses on the most popular sports, ESPN+ is considered its more niche companion. That’s why there’s a lack of NFL and NBA on ESPN+, not to mention the absence of SportsCenter. But it’s also the reason that ESPN+ features more European, Asian and Latin-American sports, which aren’t typically broadcast on ESPN.
What Original Series Does ESPN+ Have?
The streaming service might not carry football per se, but it does have Peyton Manning’s docu-series Peyton’s Place, a show that revisits big moments in football history through conversations with former players, coaches and other figures who have made a cultural impact. There’s also NBA Rooks, a show that follows rookie basketball players as they transition into the league.
Are you a fan of in-depth analysis from the players’ perspective? Check out the recap show Detail. Want more of ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith in your life? Cue up his sports-news show, Stephen A’s World.
Becoming, with athletes like Henrik Lundqvist and Alex Morgan, More Than An Athlete with Lebron James, and Earn Everything: Duke, which follows the Duke basketball team, are just some of the other series you can access with an ESPN+ membership.
What Kind of Extra Content Does ESPN+ Have?
In addition to those aforementioned premium articles (which hail from some of the most respected voices in the industry), ESPN+ also features game replays, the ability to stream HD content through various phones, tablets, computers and smart TVs, plus it may just be the thing you need to boost your fantasy team to that next level thanks to the included fantasy sports tools.
How Much Does ESPN+ Cost?
Subscribe to ESPN+ for as little as $6.99 a month or grab yourself an annual subscription for $69.99 and save 15%. It’s also worth noting that annual subscribers are able to access UFC pay-per-view matches at $69.99 each, which is a steal compared to the regular price of $89.98.
Can You Bundle ESPN+
Since ESPN+ is a Disney company, you can bundle it into a package that includes Disney+ and Hulu. Those packages cost $13.99 per month for the one that includes the ad-based version of Hulu, and $19.99 per month for the one that includes the ad-free version of Hulu. Bundling all three will save you about five bucks a month when you compare the cost of subscribing to all three separately.
Does ESPN+ Have a Free Trial?
ESPN+ used to have a free seven-day trial, however, that promotion is no more. If you are subscribing to Disney+ and Hulu anyhow, adding in ESPN+ still isn’t free, but it works out to about $2 a month, or roughly the price of a cup of coffee.
How Can You Watch ESPN+ for Free?
As is usually the case with these streaming services, there is a loophole. If you’re a Verizon customer with at least one Get More Unlimited or Play More Unlimited plan, you can also opt into the Disney Bundle for free. With that package, you’ll get Disney, ESPN+ and Hulu at no extra cost for as long as your plan is active.
What’s the Bottom Line?
If you’re a sports lover who enjoys accessing hard-to-watch games, tuning into extra content, reading premium articles and beefing up your fantasy league, seven bucks a month for ESPN+ seems like a fairly reasonable price. And, if you’re a sports fan who already subscribes to Disney+ and Hulu, an extra two dollars a month to add in ESPN+ seems like a downright steal.