Along with Fox Sports and CBS, ESPN is one of those non-negotiables every sports fanatic must have in their channel lineup. ESPN's range is wide enough to cover big leagues like MLB and NBA, but it also leaves enough room for college games, international teams, and more obscure sports. When it's not broadcasting live events or highlights, it airs the iconic SportsCenter as well as a ton of other news programs and documentaries.
Now, ESPN used to be exclusive to cable owners, but that's no longer true in today's streaming age. These days, all you need is a live TV subscription to start watching the latest game or the newest insights on ESPN.
Contrary to popular belief, you can't watch ESPN live on ESPN+, which functions more like a sister channel with its own exclusive shows rather than an extension of the main channel.
To watch ESPN live without cable, all you have to do is subscribe to one of the live TV services that carry the channel. We listed the best ones below and included other helpful details like price points and channel lineups to help you choose which service best fits your specific needs.
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream is a streaming service that offers everything from live TV, local channels, on-demand films, sports packages, and even premium cable networks like HBO and Starz for an additional fee. Its plans, which start at $70/month, are on the pricier side of live TV, but that’s because it offers unlimited DVR and streams on top of at least 75 channels, depending on the plan you pick.
How much does DirecTV Stream cost?
$79.99/monthDoes DirecTV Stream have a Free Trial?
5 days
Which channels are on DirecTV Stream?
A&E, ABC, AMC, Animal Planet, AXS TV, Baby First TV, BBC America, BET, Bloomberg Television, Boomerang, Bounce, Bravo, C-SPAN, C-SPAN2, Cartoon Network, CBS, CMT, CNBC, CNN, CNN en Espanol, Comedy Central, Discovery Channel, Disney Channel, Disney Jr, Disney XD, E!, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNU, Food Network, FOX, Fox Business Network, Fox News Channel, Fox Sports 1, Freeform, FX, FXX, Galavision, Gem Shopping Network, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, HGTV, History, HLN, Home Shopping Network, Investigation Discovery, ION, Lifetime, MeTV, MotorTrend, MSNBC, MTV, MTV2, NBC, NFL Network, One America News, Ovation, Oxygen, Paramount Network, PBS, QVC, QVC2, ReelzChannel, REVOLT, RFD-TV, RSNs, Sundance TV, SYFY, TBS, TCM, TeenNick, Telemundo, The CW, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, truTV, TV Land, Univision, Univision East, USA, VH1, Vice, WE tvSling TV
Sling’s TV, in its plans Orange + Blue, is for those who want either the family-friendly content of Sling Orange with the sports or the news focus of Sling Blue. The live TV package has a total of 46 channels, including IFC, TNT, and MGM, plus cloud DVR and simultaneous streams. As with its individual plans, you can select from bundles like the Sports Extra or the News Extra to enhance your base package.
How much does Sling TV cost?
$40/month
Which channels are on Sling TV?
A&E, AMC, AXS TV, BBC America, BET, Bloomberg Television, Bounce, Bravo, Cartoon Network, Charge!, CNN, Comedy Central, Comet, Discovery Channel, Disney Channel, E!, EPIX Drive-In, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, FETV, Food Network, Fox News Channel, Fox Sports 1, Freeform, Fuse, FX, HGTV, History, HLN, IFC, Investigation Discovery, Lifetime, Local Now, MotorTrend, MSNBC, National Geographic, NBC local channels, NFL Network, Nick Jr., QVC, SYFY, TBS, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, truTV, USA, ViceHulu with Live TV
Combining the best of streaming and cable, Hulu with Live TV pairs Hulu’s original programming like Only Murders in the Building, imports like Normal People, and licensed ABC shows like Modern Family with live TV channels like CNN, CBS, and TCM to give you an all-in-one TV package. The plans start at $77/month (with ads), but for an additional fee, you can upgrade to a bundle that removes commercials and throws in Disney+ and ESPN+ to the mix.
How much does Hulu with Live TV cost?
$76.99/monthDoes Hulu with Live TV have a Free Trial?
3 days
Which channels are on Hulu with Live TV?
A&E, ABC, ABC Localish, ABC News Live, ACC Network, Adult Swim, Animal Planet, BET, Big Ten Network, Bloomberg Television, Bravo, Cartoon Network, CBS, CBS News, CBS Sports Network, Cheddar News, CMT, CNBC, CNN, CNN International, Comedy Central, Comedy TV, Cozi TV, Dabl, Discovery Channel, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, E!, ESPN, ESPN College Extra, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, Food Network, FOX, Fox Business, Fox News Channel, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, Freeform, FX, FXM, FXX, FYI, Golf Channel, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, HGTV, History, HLN, Investigation Discovery, Justice Central TV, Lifetime, Lifetime Movies, Localish, Military History Chanel, Motor Trend, MSNBC, MTV, NASA, Nat Geo Wild, National Geographic, NBC, NBC News Now, NBCLX, News Nation, NFL Network, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, OWN, Oxygen, Paramount Network, Pop, QVC, SEC Network, Smithsonian Channel, Start TV, SYFY, TBS, Telemundo, The CW, The Grio, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, truTV, Turner Classic Movies, TVLand, Universal Kids, USA, VH1, Vice, Weather ChannelFubo
Designed for the ultimate sports fan, Fubo is an on-demand and live TV service that streams games from multiple leagues including the NFL, NBA, MLB, and the Premier League. You can get up to 215 live channels on your lineup, which includes coverage on RSNs and local stations, though you might have to pay extra if you want premium entertainment channels like Starz and Showtime.
How much does Fubo cost?
$79.99/monthDoes Fubo have a Free Trial?
7 days
Which channels are on Fubo?
A&E, ABC, ABC News Live, ACC Network, AccuWeather, Animal Planet, Bein Sports, Bein Sports 4, Bein sports 5, Bein Sports 6, Bein Sports 7, Bein Sports 8, Big Ten Network, Bounce, Bravo, CBS, CBS Sports Network, CBSN, Cheddar, CMT, CNBC, Comedy Central, Comet, Cozi TV, Discovery Channel, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, E!, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNU, Estrella TV, Food Network, FOX, Fox Business Network, Fox News Channel, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, Freeform, fubo Sports Network, FX, FXX, FYI, Galavision, GetTV, Golf Channel, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Drama, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, HGTV, History, IFC, INSP, Investigation Discovery, ION, Local Now, MotorTrend, MSNBC, MTV, National Geographic, NBC, NBCLX, NBCSN, Newsmax, NFL Network, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, Olympic Channel, OWN, Oxygen, Paramount Network, Pop, RSNs, SEC Network, Smithsonian Channel, SYFY, Tastemade, Telemundo, The CW, The Weather Channel, TLC, Travel Channel, TUDN, TUDNxtra1, TUDNxtra10, TUDNxtra11, TUDNxtra2, TUDNxtra3, TUDNxtra4, TUDNxtra5, TUDNxtra6, TUDNxtra7, TUDNxtra8, TUDNxtra9, TV Land, TVG, Unimas, Universal Kids, Universo, Univision, USA, VH1, Vice, WE tv, WGN AmericaYouTube TV
Often dubbed as the best cordless replacement to cable, YouTube TV is a live TV streaming platform that gives you access to more than 100 channels, sporting events, local channels, unlimited DVR space, and up to three simultaneous streams. But what really gives YouTube TV its edge is customization; depending on your needs, you can easily add premium channels like HBO, sports channels like NFL Redzone, and Spanish channels like Unimas to your preferred lineup.
How much does YouTube TV cost?
$72.99/monthDoes YouTube TV have a Free Trial?
7 days
Which channels are on YouTube TV?
ABC, ABC News, ACCN, Adult Swim, AMC, Animal Planet, BBC America, BBC World News, BET, BET Her, Big Ten Network, Bounce, Bravo, Cartoon Network, CBS, CBS local channels, CBS Sports Network, Cheddar, Cheddar News, CMT, CNBC, CNBC World, CNN, Comedy Central, Comedy TV, Comet, Court TV, Cozi TV, Dabl, Discovery Channel, Disney, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Docurama, Dove Channel, E!, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, Food Network, FOX, Fox Business, Fox News, FOX SOUL, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, Fox Weather, Freeform, FX, FXM, FXX, Galavision, Game Show Network, Get TV, Golf Channel, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Drama, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, HGTV, HLN, HSN, IFC, Investigation Discovery, ION, Justice Central TV, LAFC Channel, Law & Crime, Live Now, Local Now, Localish, MotorTrend, MSNBC, MTV, MTV 2, MTV Classic, My TV, Nat Geo Wild, National Geographic, NBA TV, NBC, NBC local channels, NBC News Now, NBC Universo, NBCLX, NBCSN, NECN, News Nation, NFL Network, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, Nicktoons, Orlando City Channel, OWN, Oxygen, Oxygen True Crime, Paramount Network, PBS, PBS Kids, PBS local channels, PC Mag, Pop, QVC, Recipe.TV, Scripps News, SEC Network, Smithsonian Channel, SNY, Start TV, Sundance TV, SYFY, Tastemade, TBS, Teen Nick, TeleHit, Telemundo, The CW, The Great Courses, The Weather Channel, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, Tru TV, Turner Classic Movies, TV Land, TYT, Unimas, Unimas local channels, Universal Kids, Univision, Univision local channels, USA, VH1, WE tvVidgo
Carrying over 110 channels on its most basic plan alone, Vidgo is a hefty on-demand and live TV streaming service that offers cloud DVR, multiple streams, and access to your local ABC and FOX stations. Sports fans will be glad to know that the lineup includes ESPN, Fox Sports, and the NFL Network, while Spanish-language viewers will find much to like in the service’s Vidgo Mas plan, home to more than 45 Spanish live channels.
How much does Vidgo cost?
$69.99/month