ESPN Unlimited vs ESPN Select: What’s the difference?
ESPN Unlimited vs ESPN Select: What’s the difference?
Before you choose between ESPN services, you have to know what you’re getting. Find out below!
In 2025, ESPN fulfilled the hopes of sports fans everywhere by finally making its full content lineup available on a direct-to-consumer basis by launching ESPN Unlimited. With an ESPN Unlimited subscription, viewers can watch all live sports events on ABC, ESPN, and other linear channels without needing a pay-TV plan.
That gives viewers access to a huge number of events, including “Monday Night Football” games, nationally broadcast NBA, NHL, and MLB games, college football galore, and popular studio shows like “First Take” and “NFL Live,” all of which live on ESPN. The Worldwide Leader in Sports, indeed.
But ESPN offers another subscription plan called ESPN Select, and knowing the difference between the two is critical. Despite having similar names, they’re vastly different streamers, and we’ll explain everything you need to know about which is which and what’s available on each below.
ESPN Select vs ESPN Unlimited: Everything you need to know
What is ESPN Select?
ESPN Select is the new subscription tier built to house the content that was formerly offered with ESPN+. That includes a selection of live events, including exclusive games from across many sports that can’t be seen elsewhere. It also includes PGA TOUR LIVE, as well as NHL Power Play, the out-of-market NHL streaming service.
An ESPN Select subscription also has “30 for 30” and a huge selection of ESPN Original documentaries. It’s a more limited ESPN experience to be sure, but it’s a capable entry-level sports streaming service nonetheless, with tens of thousands of live events each year.
What is ESPN Unlimited?
As the name might suggest, ESPN Unlimited is a much more comprehensive experience overall. For starters, it includes ESPN Select, so everything in that subscription — including ESPN+ content — is also available in ESPN Unlimited. But that’s just a fraction of the overall programming available with this plan.
ESPN Unlimited also includes all linear ESPN cable channels, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ACC Network, SEC Network, and ESPN Deportes. Any live sports being broadcast nationally on ABC will also be available to stream with an ESPN Unlimited subscription. Now that ESPN owns NFL Network, that channel is also available to stream with an ESPN Unlimited subscription.
What happened to ESPN+?
ESPN+ now lives inside ESPN Select. Think of ESPN Select as the plan name, while ESPN+ is the content engine and digital library powering things under the hood. You’ll still notice the ESPN+ badge as you navigate the ESPN Select library, but the subscription is no longer called ESPN+.
Since ESPN Unlimited includes everything in ESPN Select, you’ll also be able to watch ESPN+ content with a subscription. The distinction may seem minor, but it’s important to remember what’s what if you’re trying to find the right piece of ESPN content. ESPN+ is still around; it’s just housed in ESPN Select, which is included in ESPN Unlimited. It’s a little like the Russian nesting doll of sports streaming.
How much do ESPN Unlimited and ESPN Select cost?
ESPN Select is far less expensive than ESPN Unlimited, thanks to the more limited content lineup. A subscription to ESPN Select by itself starts at $14 per month, and also has an annual option costing $140 per year.
ESPN Unlimited has monthly and annual plans, as well. This service on its own costs $32 per month, or viewers can choose an annual plan of $320 per year.
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| ESPN Select | Monthly: $14 Annual: $140 |
| ESPN Unlimited | Monthly: $32 Annual: $320 |
What does ESPN Unlimited have that ESPN Select doesn’t?
For starters, it’s important to be clear that everything available with ESPN Select is also included in ESPN Unlimited. ESPN Unlimited also has a huge selection of programming not available on ESPN Select, including:
- Live streams of all ESPN cable channels.
- Marquee events like “Monday Night Football.”
- Popular studio shows including “SportsCenter.”
- Live access to NFL Network.
- Features like AI-created “SportsCenter For You.”
Are ESPN Unlimited and ESPN Select both in the Disney Bundle?
Yes, viewers can purchase the Disney Bundle with either ESPN Unlimited or ESPN Select. See the current pricing of each bundle in the table below:
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Disney+ and Hulu with ads plus ESPN Select | $17 per month |
| Disney+ and Hulu with no ads plus ESPN Select | $27 per month |
| Disney+ and Hulu with ads plus ESPN Unlimited | $36 per month |
| Disney+ and Hulu without ads plus ESPN Unlimited | $45 per month |
ESPN Unlimited
ESPN launched its highly anticipated direct-to-consumer streaming service on August 21, 2025. For the first time, this service gives sports fans access to its full lineup of linear channels without a traditional cable or satellite subscription.