ESPN+ Review (2022): A Great Service for Some Sports Fans
When it comes to sports, ESPN is the biggest name in the business. But does their ESPN+ streaming service do their brand justice? Before you sign up, check out our complete ESPN+ review below.
ESPN+ is one of the most popular sports streaming services out there, offering a combination of live and on-demand content. Even though it shares the name with the huge sports network, ESPN+ is a separate service and does not air the same content that you would find on ESPN. They do still offer a variety of sports, it’s just not the ones you’ll find airing on ESPN.
The best way to think of ESPN+ is as its own standalone app, almost live a separate ESPN channel altogether where you can watch everything from UFC events to golf tournaments to soccer matches and a whole lot more.
If you’re confused, don’t worry, we’ll explain everything below.
I’ve been using ESPN+ for about 3 years at this point and have pretty good insights into what it does well and what it could do better.
Keep reading our ESPN+ review to answer these questions:
- What is ESPN+?
- What Can ESPN+ Offer Sports Fans?
- What Devices Work with ESPN+?
- What Features are Included with ESPN+?
- How Does ESPN+ Work?
- How Much are ESPN+ Packages?
- ESPN+ Pros & Cons
- FAQ
- Is ESPN+ Worth It?
You’ll find all kinds of information about ESPN+ in the sections below…
What is ESPN+?
ESPN+ is a live and on-demand streaming service. With the name ESPN, you can guess that this is a sports streaming service. Of course, ESPN+ and ESPN the network are two different things. With ESPN+ you’ll get plenty of international sports, golf, soccer, and college sports. There are some exceptions here and there, but if you’re looking for those options, this is where you can find them. ESPN+ is fairly priced for this kind of niche streaming service. You can watch content from just about anywhere as long as you have decent internet. To watch ESPN+, you just need a streaming device like mobile phones, Chromecast, Apple TV, and other devices.
What Does ESPN+ Offer Sports Fans?
Even though ESPN+ isn’t the traditional ESPN service you might be used to, they have a ridiculous amount of content for sports fans to enjoy. That said, some of the events you find might be new to you, including loads of fun, international sports that you might not even know exist! You’ll have the option to watch a huge variety of college sports, including football. You’ll also have access to exclusive UFC events and optional PPVs. Nearly 1,000 out-of-market NHL games also air on ESPN+, so hockey fans will find a lot to love! Even when you have a sport that doesn’t air on ESPN+, namely NFL and NBA, you will still receive some news and analysis concerning those sports. That’s because in addition to live events, ESPN+ offers plenty of news and analysis, documentaries, and more.
ESPN+ does not offer live events for NFL or NBA. You will receive some MLB games and nearly 1,000 NHL games. Other sports you will find include:
- UFC
- Soccer
- International Sports
- Volleyball
- Boxing
- E-Sports
- Minor League (NBA G) Basketball
In other words, if you’re a sports fan that loves all sports or is looking for something new to watch, ESPN+ might be the right service for you to check out!
What Devices is ESPN+ Available On?
ESPN+ lives within the regular ESPN app. This is good news for sports fans, because the ESPN app works on most devices.
You can watch ESPN+ on:
- Apple & Android Mobile Devices/Tablets
- Select Samsung Smart TVs
- PS4 & Xbox One
- Roku
- Chromecast
- Apple TV
- Computers
You can stream ESPN+ on up to three devices at one time.
What are the Main ESPN+ Features?
ESPN+ offers some live events you won’t find anywhere else, but you might be interested in what you receive beyond live events. ESPN+ includes a few other features that might entice someone to sign up.
Here are the added features you’ll get with an ESPN+ membership:
Live Sports
ESPN+ carries tons of live sporting events every single day that you won’t find on the regular ESPN channels, including college sports, soccer, golf, tennis, MMA (UFC and PFL), baseball, and a whole lot more.
On-Demand Content
If a game aired live, you should be able to find it later in the on-demand library. Of course, ESPN+ has an on-demand library that is filled with exciting choices beyond previously aired games. You will have access to the 30 for 30 documentary series. You will also have access to NFL Primetime, Sneaker Center, classic NFL games, ESPN+ original series, and so much more. The on-demand library includes a mix of previously aired and original content. You can even enjoy SportsCenter replays in the on-demand library.
Simultaneous Streaming
Most streaming services offer people multiple streams to watch at the same time. This covers family usage or if someone just happens to be watching more than one thing at the same time. ESPN+ offers users three simultaneous streams for regular events, but this drops down to two simultaneous streams for PPV events. This number is fairly standard amongst streaming services which can definitely come in handy for families sharing a streaming service.
Premium ESPN Content is Accessible
ESPN+ runs through the ESPN app, which makes it incredibly easy to share between the two services. For instance, if you have a cable or live streaming provider, you can sign in through the ESPN app to get live events from ESPN networks included with your ESPN+ content. If you’re an ESPN+ subscriber, you receive access to all kinds of premium ESPN content including things like tips for fantasy sports and exclusive articles.
How Does ESPN+ Work?
ESPN+ works like any other streaming service. You will sign up for an account. Once you’ve done that you can sign into your account using a streaming device.
As long as you have a stable internet connection you should receive rather reliable service from ESPN+.
Once you’re signed in, things get even easier. ESPN+ offers excellent ways for you to find the sports you want to watch and they offer some intuitive browsing options that will come in handy if you’re not sure what to watch. Once you find what you want, just click it and you’re good to go.
With ESPN+ you can stream on three devices at once.
Signing Up for ESPN+
If you have a regular ESPN account, the easiest way to sign up for ESPN+ is to add it to your ESPN account. This will allow you access to your ESPN account within your ESPN+. This is especially handy if you want access to fantasy sports leagues and other content from ESPN.
If you don’t have an account with ESPN, you can sign up through the ESPN+ website or you can sign up through various streaming devices, like Roku.
Unfortunately, ESPN+ does not offer a free trial. They do allow you to cancel at any time, though. When you choose the place, you want to sign up, you’ll just fill out some basic information and you’ll be ready to watch. They try to make it as easy as possible for everyone.
Using ESPN+
ESPN+ is a pretty easy streaming service to use, but there is a slight learning curve. Because the ESPN+ service lives within the regular ESPN app, there can be some confusion at first about which content you have access to as the homescreen of the ESPN app is a blend of regular ESPN content (requires a cable/streaming TV subscription) and ESPN+ content.
The easiest thing to do is to switch over to the ESPN+ tab at the top which will then filter just the ESPN+ content that’s included in your subscription.
You can also search for sports by team or by the actual sport, to find other leagues or international options you didn’t know about.
Once you’ve signed into the app on your internet-connected streaming device, it’s as easy as choosing what you want to watch.
How Much are ESPN+ Packages?
ESPN+ is currently available for either $6.99 per month or at a discounted annual rate of $69.99 per year.
This covers everything the service has to offer, as there is only one package option. The only thing not covered in this price are the optional monthly UFC PPVs that are exclusive to ESPN+. You need to be an ESPN+ subscriber to enjoy these PPVs, but they do come with a fee of around $65 per event.
ESPN+ does not include any sort of free trial, but you can cancel the service whenever you want.
According to reports, on August 23, 2022, the price of ESPN+ will increase to $9.99 per month or $99.99 for the annual plan.
ESPN+ pricing after August 23, 2022 will be as follows:
- Monthly Plan–$9.99/month
- Annual Plan–$99.99/year
- Disney Bundle–Get ESPN+, Disney+, and Hulu (ad-supported) for $13.99 per month
- Disney Bundle (No-Ads)–Get ESPN+, Disney+, and Hulu (no ads) for $19.99 per month
- PPV Standalone–$74.99 per PPV event
- PPV Package (PPV & ESPN+ Annual Subscription)–Get one pay-per-view UFC event and an annual ESPN+ subscription for $124.98.
- PPV & The Disney Bundle–Get one pay-per-view UFC event plus the Disney Bundle for $88.98, then $13.99 a month.
ESPN+ Pros & Cons
ESPN+ is a great service for sports fans, but it’s not perfect. If you’re favorite sport is baseball or football, you may find ESPN+ severely lacking. However, if you can ignore the shortcomings, you’ll find plenty of sports entertainment here that you won’t find anywhere else. Here are the pros and cons of ESPN+:
Pro: Lots of Live Events to Choose From
If you’re interested in college sports, you’ll find plenty to love. The other area where ESPN+ truly excels is offering both niche sports like MMA and international sports. In other words, if you want to watch Korean baseball, cricket, or something like beach soccer, ESPN+ has you covered! I find that if you look at ESPN+ expecting the basics of NFL, MLB, and NBA, you’ll be disappointed, but if you celebrate the unknown or the rarely celebrated sports, you’ll really enjoy what ESPN+ has to offer.
Pro: The On-Demand Library is Excellent
Most live events end up in the on-demand library. There are also dozens of ESPN+ exclusive shows, sports-related movies and TV shows, documentaries, and shows offering news, commentary, and analysis. There is so much sports content here, it’s hard to complain. From the 30 for 30 series to SportsCenter replays or commentary shows like NFL Primetime, ESPN+ has an on-demand library that will please most sports fans.
Pro: Easy to Use
Thanks to having integration with the ESPN app, ESPN+ subscribers will be able to include game details and more from their ESPN account to enhance the service. The real reason this is great though is because the ESPN app has been around for a long time, which means it’s available on most streaming devices and most of the user problems have already been sorted out. The ESPN app has been praised for its ease of use, so most people will find it an easy experience and a great way to watch sports.
Con: No ESPN Live Stream
ESPN and ESPN+ are two different services. That means that when something airs on one of ESPN networks, it’s not going to air on ESPN+. Despite that, you will have access to see that these things are airing. If you’re a cable or streaming subscriber, you can link your account to ESPN+ to get access to all the ESPN content airing on the network. However, if you’re not a subscriber, ESPN+ will offer many unfortunate reminders of the sports you won’t be able to watch with this streaming service.
Con: Missing Some Key Sports
I love the fact that you can find so many uncommon sports on ESPN+, but sometimes you just want to watch an NFL game. You can’t do that with ESPN+. There’s also super limited access to NBA and MLB games. This means that if you were using ESPN+ as your only means to watch sports online, you’d be missing out. ESPN+ works best as a sports supplement for this reason, and not the sole stop for mainstream sports.
FAQ
What is ESPN+?
ESPN+ is a streaming service that offers both live and on-demand sports content. ESPN+ does not offer programs found on ESPN networks. This is a separate service that specializes in offering college sports, NHL, international sports, soccer, golf, and more! In addition to the live content, there is an excellent on-demand library offering everything from replays to original series.
How much is ESPN+?
Currently, ESPN+ is available for the monthly price of $6.99 or the yearly price of $69.99. If you’re thinking of signing up, they will be raising the prices in late August 2022. The price will go up to $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year.
Does ESPN+ have a free trial?
ESPN+ does not offer a free trial. While you are not able to sample the service before signing up, you are free to cancel whenever you wish. This ensures that you only pay for the service you’ve received.
What devices are compatible with ESPN+?
ESPN+ is available through the ESPN app, which means you can use almost any internet-connected streaming device. ESPN+ is available on computers, smartphones, tablets, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, select smart TVs, PS4, Xbox One, and many other devices.
Is ESPN+ Worth It?
How much you love ESPN+ will likely depend on the kind of sports you want to watch. ESPN+, which does not offer traditional ESPN network coverage, offers things like college and international sports more than anything.
So, if you like all kinds of sports and are interested in a cheap way to watch something you might not have seen otherwise, this is the service for you. ESPN+ offers an easy-to-use platform of harder to find sports. The price is right for a service like this and if you find it’s not the right service for you, you’re free to cancel anytime.
Want to learn more? Click here to get started with ESPN+.
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