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If you’re a sports fan, ESPN is the go-to hub for year-round live sporting events, including Monday Night Football, NBA games and even March Madness. DirecTV Stream used to be another source to watch ESPN at home for free — and even included a five-day free trial for new users at signup, but due to a licensing dispute with Disney, an estimated 11 million subscribers lost access to major channels including ESPN and ABC on Sunday (Sept. 1), according to CNN. Thankfully, the live-TV streamer isn’t the only cable alternative that’ll let you watch ESPN online.
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ESPN is one of the easiest ways to get access to games and analysis, but sports fans who have become cord-cutters don’t have to re-invest in cable if they want to watch ESPN. There are a variety of affordable streaming options that can give you access to watch ESPN online.
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These days, there are a number of live TV streaming platforms that include ESPN as well as hundreds of other channels that’ll get you access to NHL, UFC and more online at home. Plus, most of the platforms include promos and free trials that’ll help save you additional money while allowing you to watch ESPN online for free.
Keep reading to learn how to watch ESPN at home without cable.
How to Watch ESPN Online Without Cable
ESPN+ is the official streaming platform for ESPN, and a subscription includes instant access to games and more exclusive content for $10.99/month. You can save more than 15% off by purchasing an annual subscription for $109.99/year. There is no free ESPN+ trial, but it does include exclusive on-demand videos and access to content from what was formerly known as ESPN Insider.
In addition to live sports, ESPN+ has original shows to stream on-demand, plus game recaps and analysis hosted by Peyton Manning, a shorter version of NFL Primetime and full replays of historic NFL matchups.
To expand your savings and content offerings, you can also bundle ESPN+ with Hulu and Disney+ for a single monthly price of just $14.99 for all three services.
How to Watch ESPN Online Free
While ESPN+ doesn’t currently offer a free trial, there are other streamers that offer ESPN online free. If you want access to ESPN and additional channels, you can take advantage of Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV and Fubo, which are all offering free trials or promos right now. Some of them can give you free access to ESPN for up to a week.
Here are all the ways to watch ESPN online, including ways to stream ESPN online for free.
Sling TV
Sling TV is providing new users half-off their first month when they sign up for one of the three packages available. ESPN is only included in the Orange and Orange + Blue packages, which you can get for as low as $20 for the first month (reg. $40). After your first month you’ll be charged the full package price.
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The Orange package includes 32 channels and can be streamed on one device at once. For even more channel options including FS1 and the NFL Network, you can combine both plans for $27.50 for the first month (reg. $55/month) and get access to all 68 channels.
Fubo
Fubo is another affordable option you can take advantage of to watch ESPN online. The streamer offers a seven-day free trial that’ll give you access to ESPN free and more than 100 live TV channels.
After your free trial is over, Fubo’s Pro Plan is its cheapest option at $79.99/month and it comes with 199 channels, 1000 hours of DVR storage and the ability to watch content on up to 10 screens at once. You can also upgrade to its Premier plan for $99.99/month, which includes everything in its Elite plan as well as access to Showtime and 275 channels.
Hulu + Live TV
For the most content options, Hulu + Live TV gives you access to the entire Hulu library in addition to more than 95 live TV channels — including ESPN for just $77/month. Plus, the streamer is offering a rare three day free trial for new users that sign up, which will give you access to everything for free. Once the promo ends, you’ll be charged the regular fee of $77 a month.
And, unlike the rest of the options, you can also expand your content library by bundling Hulu + Live TV with Disney+ and ESPN+. You’ll not only have all of the Hulu library to watch, but also exclusive and original programming available exclusively on ESPN+.