What is ESPN Plus?
ESPN has been the place to watch sports since its launch in 1979. However, ESPN Plus offers something different and gives subscribers the ability to stream live sports without cable TV.
Live sports on ESPN Plus can be viewed almost anywhere with mobile apps, web browsers, and game consoles. If that’s not enough, you can watch on Apple TV, Amazon FireTV, Google Chromecast, Android TV, and Roku.
Of course, a streaming service is only as good as its content. In this area, ESPN Plus offers a lot for sports fans.
Watch the 2023 Cricket World Cup with ESPN+
ESPN+ is the official streaming home of the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup. The tournament kicks off on Thursday, October 5, with England against New Zealand.
To watch the action on TV, you will need the channel Willow TV which is available through TV services such as Sling TV.
What sports are available on ESPN Plus?
The service doesn’t offer all of the live coverage of sports on ESPN’s cable networks. However, ESPN Plus does give subscribers a comprehensive range of sports with a variety of professional and college league games.
Baseball
Getty ImagesIn the 2023 MLB season, ESPN Plus will stream each MLB team at least ten times. Naturally, this means a lot of coverage, and those who want to look back at classic games will be able to dive into the MLB archives and revisit coverage.
It is worth noting that local market blackout restrictions do apply to out-of-market games.
With that said, this is a significant offering, and ESPN Plus also includes coverage of the Little League World Series.
Hockey
Getty ImagesESPN Plus boasts 1,000 out-of-market NHL games from every team, all season long. 75 of these games are exclusive to ESPN, and there is a mixture of games from the Eastern and Western Conferences. There is also college ice hockey on offer for those who want to see up-and-coming talent. As a result, hockey fans should have no trouble finding something to watch.
Much like the MLB, the NHL is subject to blackout restrictions, so if a game is broadcasted locally in your market, it is unlikely you’ll find it on ESPN Plus.
Soccer
Getty ImagesIf you want to see the best of European and U.S. soccer, ESPN Plus is a compelling service. It has over 350 out-of-market games, including the top tier of football in Europe like Germany’s Bundesliga League, Italy’s Serie A, and Spain’s La Liga.
The Carabao Cup and FA Cup are featured on the streaming platform, and this means that viewers can see England’s best teams, like Manchester City as well as underdog stories, like Wrexham AFC. For those who enjoy a German knock-out competition, there is coverage of the DFL Supercup.
Fans with a U.S. focus can enjoy US Open games on ESPN Plus, and international supporters will have access to the UEFA Nations League as well.
Basketball
Getty ImagesESPN Plus has plenty of basketball games, with 200 live college conference games. These games are from 18 different conferences in the U.S. This means that viewers can enjoy a whole variety of stakes, and there are six women’s college basketball championship games included in the service.
Viewers can get involved in the action with a “Bracket Predictor” that analyses the games. Naturally, anyone who enjoys fantasy sports will see this as a significant bonus.
Football
Getty ImagesCollege football, including the NCAA, is heavily featured on ESPN Plus, and the service offers hundreds of live games. These games are from a variety of conferences like Ohio Valley and MVFC. There is also access to the Football Bowl Subdivision and the Football Championship Subdivision games as part of the offering.
Those who enjoy the NFL can not watch live games but can catch up on the highlights and get expert commentary by watching NFL PrimeTime.
Boxing
Getty ImagesThere are many Top Rank Boxing fights on the service, including main events and undercard matches. There is also the opportunity to check out re-airs of all Top Rank matches and some PPV (pay-per-view) events.
Tennis
Getty ImagesWhile every Tennis fan will have a favourite tournament, few would want to miss Wimbledon, the US Open, or the Australian Open. Fortunately, ESPN Plus has coverage of all these sporting events, including the men's and women’s singles and doubles competitions.
The only major competition missing is the French Open, but viewers may find consolation in the U.S. college tennis matches that are available.
Golf
Getty ImagesESPN Plus has hours on hours of PGA coverage. This includes Featured Group and Featured Hole Coverage throughout the tournament. Additionally, there is a new lead-in program to Saturday and Sunday’s coverage called PGA Championship with No Laying Up.
Other Live Sports
Getty ImagesIf all that sport wasn’t enough, ESPN Plus also has live coverage of swimming, diving, track and field, lacrosse, and rugby. Interestingly, Super Rugby, the Lion Series, and Rugby Championship are available to subscribers.
Cricket fans aren’t forgotten either with New Zealand Cricket and Cricket Ireland matches.
ESPN Plus Subscription Plans & Pricing
ESPN Plus costs $9.99 a month, but like most subscription services, there is a discount for an annual subscription. Those who commit to ESPN Plus for a year will pay $99.99.
Perhaps the best deal for the service is as part of a Disney bundle. This gives viewers Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Plus for just $13 per month.
Of course, most providers update their deals, so it’s always worth checking what deals are on offer.
How to sign up for ESPN Plus
Signing up for ESPN Plus is relatively easy, but here is a step-by-step guide to avoid any confusion.
- Visit the ESPN Plus homepage.
- Click “Sign Up Now”.
- Click Sign-Up to create an account.
- You will be asked for your payment information.
- Check all your information is correct and click “Buy ESPN Plus”
- A page will notify you of the successful transaction and you can begin watching.
Watching Live Sports on ESPN Plus
Getty ImagesThe app looks similar to other streaming services like Netflix and Disney+. Simply click on a sport that interests you and you can start live streaming.
Sports can be watched at 60fps in 1080p or downgraded to 720p when needed. On top of that, the service can be streamed from three devices simultaneously.
ESPN Plus offers an array of highlight shows, replays of classics, and the latest games available.
It’s also worth noting that through the likes of “Bracket Predictor”, fans can interact with Fantasy Leagues.
How to watch UFC PPVs and Fight Night events on ESPN Plus
Getty ImagesThere are plenty of PPV events on ESPN Plus, making UFC fans happy. The PPV events cost $79.99. For those who don’t want to pay more, Fight Nights are typically available through a standard subscription.
ESPN Plus Pros & Cons
Naturally, sports preferences will be a factor in the pros and cons for ESPN Plus, but here are the key points.
Pros
- Access to a wide variety of sports across the world.
- Fantastic coverage of college sports.
- Great UFC and Boxing choices.
- “Bracket Predictor” to help Fantasy sports fans.
Cons
- No live NFL or NBA games.
- Additional PPV fees for fights.
- ESPN is not included in the pricing.
ESPN Plus Compared to Other Live Sports Streaming Services
ESPN Plus has an incredible range of sports, and with this in mind, there is plenty for most sports fans. It is also priced at a rate that is cheaper than many of its competitors.
With that said, Football and Basketball fans may want live coverage of their favourite teams. The likes of FuboTV and Sling TV offer live streams of the sports, but it comes at a cost.
Here is a comparison of the offerings in some key areas:
| ESPN Plus | fuboTV | Sling TV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $9.99/mo. | $70/mo. | $50/mo (Orange + Blue) |
| Offline Downloads | Yes | No | No |
| On-demand Content | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Live Sports Streaming | Yes | Yes | Yes |
The bottom line
ESPN Plus offers a huge number of live sports, highlights, and opportunities to watch PPV fights at a relatively cheap rate, especially if it is purchased as part of a bundle deal.
Although it doesn’t have live coverage of the NFL or NBA, it will be enjoyed by most sports enthusiasts. Particularly, by those who already have ESPN as part of their cable package.
You can find out more about ESPN Plus and how it adds to your current sports packages here.