Sports fans know ESPN delivers the best collection of games and analysis on TV. Whether you follow the NFL, NBA, NHL, NBA, or any other sport, the “worldwide leader” aims to bring you the best coverage. Thankfully, there are legal ways to watch this channel for free. We’ll walk you through all the options.
Watch ESPN on a Free Trial of a Live TV Streaming Service
In 2024, most live TV streaming services carry ESPN: DIRECTV STREAM, DIRECTV Via Internet, Fubo, Hulu Live TV, Sling TV, and YouTube TV. You can start watching with a free trial of almost all of them. There is no contract required - you can cancel anytime. You can access these services on a smart TV, a streaming device like a Roku or Amazon Fire Stick, or your phone, tablet, or computer. As long as you have an internet connection, you can watch TV.
ESPN Options at a Glance
| Feature | DIRECTV STREAM | Hulu Live TV | Sling TV | Fubo | YouTube TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base Price | $86.99 | $82.99 | $40 | $94.99 | $72.99 |
| Base Channels | 220 | 105 | 49 | 197 | 121 |
| Max Channels | 283 | 142 | 143 | 226 | 171 |
| Local Channels | Yes | Yes | In select markets | Yes | Yes |
| Sports Channels | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Regional Sports Networks | 37 | 7 | 0 | 35 | 6 |
| DVR | Unlimited | Unlimited | 50 Hours (upgradable) | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| On-Demand Services | No | Hulu, Disney+, ESPN+ | No | No | No |
| Free channels | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Free Trial | 5 Days | 3 Days | No | 7 Days | Yes |
ESPN Live Streaming Options
Our top choice for ESPN fans is DIRECTV STREAM. Get started with a 5-day FREE trial and you’ll find an unbeatable channel lineup with 35 of the top 35 cable channels, a top-notch user interface, an unlimited DVR and 20 concurrent streams at home.
With the best lineup of regional sports networks available and lots of tempting add-on channels and packages, DIRECTV STREAM is our favorite live TV streaming service, though it’s not the least expensive.
We also recommend Hulu Live TV for ESPN. You can try it free for 3 days. In addition to 33 of the top 35 cable channels, you’ll also get the great on-demand libraries of Hulu, Disney+, and the live sports of ESPN+. That’s a fantastic value for 3 free days.
Thanks to those free services, this is the best overall entertainment value available right now.
If you want to save money over the long haul, we recommend Sling TV. This ultra-flexible live streamer offers lots of different channel packages, but you can get ESPN on the Sling Orange package or the Orange+Blue combo. While there is no free trial, Sling frequently offers great deals on your first month. No other live streaming service offers more ways to save money.
Another strong choice is Fubo. Subscribers get 19 of the top 35 cable channels and immediate access to the hard-to-find Bally Sports networks. We generally don’t recommend Fubo because of its high price, but it does offer some channels that are hard to find.
Does ESPN+ Have ESPN?
No. ESPN is a linear-only channel, while ESPN+ offers different live sports and some on-demand programming. ESPN+ is a nice complement to ESPN the channel, but they have different programming. Remember, if you try Hulu Live TV, you get ESPN+ for free alongside the ESPN channel.
Can You Watch ESPN on Peacock, Max, or Prime Video?
While Amazon Prime Video, Max, and Peacock have important sports rights, they do not offer any way to watch ESPN.
Again, you need a service like DIRECTV STREAM, DIRECTV Via Internet, Fubo, Hulu Live TV, Sling TV, and YouTube TV to watch ESPN.
Can You Watch ESPN Without a Live TV Streamer or Cable Package?
There is no standalone ESPN option right now, but the company has one planned. Disney was planning to bundle ESPN with several other sports providers with a service called Venu Sports, but a lawsuit from Fubo stopped the service before it could launch.