ESPN’s Thanks to a deal with The Walt Disney Company in late 2020, you can finally watch ESPN on fuboTV. This article will tell you everything you need to know about the deal and how the fuboTV experience changed. At the same time, there are plenty of other options for streaming ESPN like Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, ESPN+, AT&T TV Now, YouTube TV and the ESPN app.
In this article, we’ll help you decide which option is best for you whether you want to watch Sports Center or the latest UFC fight. We’ve also created a channel schedule for ESPN that you can view for free.
Before we continue, we want to highlight a particularly relevant stream for news, sports, and entertainment. Sling TV is one of the best options for streaming with a rich catalogue of 50+ live channels and 50k+ on-demand movies and episodes.
Try Sling TV today.
Watching ESPN on fuboTV
When fuboTV first began live-streaming, it wanted to focus exclusively on US and international soccer. Over time, the content providers insisted fuboTV carry non-sports channels. Today, fuboTV is a compelling replacement for your cable subscription with lifestyle, news and entertainment channels that appeal to everyone.
But sports is still fuboTV’s biggest draw — a fact that made ESPN’s absence very noticeable. Now, after years of negotiation with The Walt Disney Company, fuboTV is finally getting ESPN along with up to two dozen other Disney-owned channels.
If you already have a fuboTV subscription, or you’re thinking of getting one, here is what you need to know about the change ahead.
What cable channels are coming to fuboTV?
The deal with Disney goes into effect in August 2020. However, neither company has specified the exact date the channels go live. When they do, everyone with the Standard, Family and Ultra plans will get the following channels:
- ABC News Live
- Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD
- Freeform
- ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN3
- FX and FXX
- National Geographic
Subscribers to fubo Latino or fubo Español will get ESPN Deportes and Nat Geo Mundo.
The following channels are available in various combinations when you subscribe to fuboTV’s add-on packages:
- Baby TV
- ESPN Deportes, ESPNews and ESPNU
- Fox Life
- FXM
- NatGeo Mundo and NatGeo Wild
What local and regional channels are coming to fuboTV?
The deal with Disney lets fuboTV carry the live streams of ABC’s local affiliate stations. However, Disney only owns a handful of stations directly. FuboTV must still negotiate deals with station owners around the country. As a result, August’s launch will only include local ABC live streams in Chicago, Fresno, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Raleigh-Durham and San Francisco.
Live streams from other markets will activate as fuboTV signs more deals. In the meantime, fuboTV subscribers will still get feeds of ABC’s national programming and recently-aired episodes on demand.
ESPN operates regional sports networks for the NCAA’s SEC and ACC. The SEC Network is available in states that have schools in those conferences.
Will I have to pay more?
Yes. The days of rock-bottom prices for live TV streaming services are over. Content providers like Disney are in the driver’s seat during negotiations with fuboTV and its competitors. That means, just like cable, subscription prices will keep going up.
FuboTV is raising prices by about $5 per month for all of its existing customers effective August 1, 2020. People who join fuboTV between June 29, 2020, and July 31, 2020, will not see the price increase until September 1, 2020.
The new monthly rates will be $60 for the Standard plan, $65 for the Family plan and $85 for the Ultra plan.
Am I losing any channels?
Yes. We don’t know the full story, but fuboTV is losing nearly a dozen channels owned by Warner Bros. It could be fuboTV cut those channels to offset the higher fees Disney is charging. Or it could be that Warner Bros. wanted higher fees and pulled the channels when fuboTV balked. Whatever the case, the following channels have already disappeared from fuboTV’s lineup:
- Adult Swim, Boomerang and Cartoon Network
- CNN, CNN Español and CNN International
- HLN
- TBS, TNT and Turner Classic Movies
- TruTV
Everything You Need to Know About fuboTV
If you’re considering fuboTV as a way to replace your cable subscription, there’s a lot to consider. The streaming service is very popular among cord-cutting sports fans, especially with ESPN’s debut. The channel lineup also offers options for just about every interest.
fuboTV Pricing and Packages
Despite last year’s price increases, fuboTV is still competitively priced thanks to standard features that exceed what other services offer.
*Note that in order to see the Family, Entertainment, and Ultra plans, you need to first press "Start Free Trial." After you create an account, you'll see all of these plans.
Pro
7-day free trial
$69.99/ month
TRY FREE
Elite
7-day free trial
$79.99/ month
TRY FREE
Latino Monthly
$8 off for the first month
$33/ month
SIGN UP
Ultimate
7-day free trial
$99.99/ month
TRY FREE
You can tailor the lineup by purchasing additional subscriptions to add-on packages and premium content providers.
Learn more about fuboTV’s pricing and packages here.
fuboTV Channels
Nearly half of the channel lineup consists of sports-centric channels. In addition to watching ESPN on fuboTV, you get the other network sports channels plus beIN Sports, TUDN, the NFL Network and more. Depending on your plan, you can also get NBA TV, NHL Network, Tennis Channel, Stadium and others.
When you aren’t watching sports, you’ll find most of the popular basic cable channels. AMC, HGTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon are all part of the lineup.
Learn more about fuboTV’s channel lineup here.
fuboTV Local Channels & Regional Sports Networks
Support for local TV stations is not fuboTV’s strength for the same reason that most ABC stations won’t be available for a while. It has taken a lot of time for fuboTV to negotiate with each station’s owner for the right to their live streams. You’re most likely to get your local NBC station. Half the country can use fuboTV to watch their local Fox or CBS stations.
Sports fans may be particularly disappointed with fuboTV’s support for regional sports networks. When Fox sold its regional sports operations to Sinclair Media, fuboTV lost its access. NBC Sports and/or SportsNet are available in a handful of markets.
Learn more about fuboTV’s local channels here.
fuboTV Supported Devices
The fuboTV is widely available on most streaming platforms.
- Living room devices: Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast and Roku.
- Smart TVs and Blu-ray players: Samsung televisions as well as devices based on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Roku.
- Mobile devices and tablets: Android and iOS.
- Game consoles: Xbox One.
- Desktop browsers: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari.
You can learn more about fuboTV’s device support here.
fuboTV Simultaneous Streams
The Family plan’s support for simultaneous streaming outpaces almost all other live TV streaming services. As many as five devices can access fuboTV at the same time – three on your home network and another two mobile devices. With the Elite plan, you get support for eight simultaneous streams – five at home and three on the road.
You can learn more about fuboTV’s simultaneous streams here.
fuboTV DVR
The Family plan’s support for 250 hours of recording capacity on the fuboTV cloud DVR is larger than many other streaming services’ standard offerings. The Elite plan’s 1,000 hours of recording capacity is only outpaced by a couple of competitors.
Learn more about fuboTV’s DVR feature here.
fuboTV On-Demand Library
Each content provider publishes movies and recently-aired TV episodes to fuboTV’s on-demand library. The only extra content comes from the Fubo Sports Network which airs sports recap shows and sports-themed movies.
Learn more about fuboTV’s on-demand library here.
Other Ways to Watch ESPN Without the Wait
If fuboTV doesn’t float your boat, then consider these other live TV streaming services.
Watch ESPN on Hulu with Live TV
The biggest selling feature of Hulu with Live TV isn’t the live TV. It’s Hulu’s massive catalog of on-demand content. Even then, this is an affordable replacement for cable.
Hulu with Live TV Pricing and Packages
Nearly seventy channels come with Hulu’s subscription plan. If you want more content, the Entertainment and Español add-on plans will let you add nearly twenty additional channels. You can also subscribe to premium content providers like Showtime or HBO Max.
Hulu + Live TV
No Hassle TV
$69.99/ month
SIGN UP
Hulu + Live TV
No Ads
$79.99/ month
SIGN UP
Learn more about Hulu with Live TV’s pricing and packages here.
Hulu with Live TV Channels
The channel lineup includes ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNews plus a mix of sports, news, lifestyle, kids and entertainment channels.
Learn more about Hulu with Live TV’s channel lineup here.
Hulu with Live TV Local Channels & Regional Sports Networks
Hulu with Live TV does a better job of serving up live streams from the network’s affiliate station. Odds are, you’ll get most of your local stations and regional sports networks.
Learn more about Hulu with Live TV’s local channels here.
Hulu with Live TV Supported Devices
The Hulu app supports both on-demand and live TV subscribers.
- Living room devices: Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Chromecast, Echo Show, Roku, Xfinity Flex and Xfinity X1.
- Smart TVs and Blu-ray players: Certain Samsung, LG and Vizio televisions as well as some devices based on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV or Roku.
- Mobile devices and tablets: Amazon Fire Tablets, Android and iOS.
- Game consoles: Microsoft Xbox 360, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Sony PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
- Desktop browsers: Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari.
For more information about Hulu with TV’s device support, click here.
Hulu with Live TV Simultaneous Streams
A monthly fee removes the standard two-device limit on simultaneous streaming. As long as you’re on your home network, you’ll be able to use as many devices as you want.
For more information about Hulu with Live TV’s simultaneous streaming, click here.
Hulu with Live TV DVR
You can also upgrade the cloud DVR’s recording capacity from the standard fifty hours to two hundred hours.
For more information about Hulu with Live TV’s cloud DVR, click here.
Hulu with Live TV On-Demand Library
As mentioned in the introduction, on-demand is where Hulu’s at. Channels that aren’t part of the live TV lineup contribute content to Hulu’s library.
For more information about Hulu with Live TV’s on-demand library, click here.
Watch ESPN on Sling TV
Sling TV is the cheapest way to stream ESPN — but you may have to make compromises.
Sling TV Pricing and Packages
ESPN is part of the Sling Orange plan. If you want the full basic-cable experience, however, you’ll need to get both Sling Orange and Sling Blue.
| Sling Orange Great Value $40.00/ month | 30+ channels ESPN New subscriber special 1 simultaneous stream | Try Sling |
| Sling Blue Great Value$40.00/ month | 40+ channels Fox, NBC, CNN, MSNBC New subscriber special 3 simultaneous streams | Try Sling |
| Sling Orange + Blue Best Value $55.00/ month | 45+ channels ESPN New subscriber special 4* simultaneous streams | Try Sling |
Sling TV offers a dozen ways to expand the channel lineup further. Expansion packs bundle channels by themes like Entertainment, Heartland, Sports and more.
Learn more about Sling TV’s pricing and packages here.
Sling TV Channels
Sling Orange specializes in Disney-owned channels. You’ll get ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3 as well as the three Disney channels. Sling Blue specializes in channels owned by Fox and NBC.
Learn more about Sling TV’s channel lineup here.
Sling TV Local Channels & Regional Sports Networks
Sling TV is perfect for people who get their local TV through an HDTV antenna. The streaming service provides an ideal complement of basic cable channels to go with traditional over-the-air broadcasts.
If you want to stream your local TV stations, then skip Sling TV. Other than in a handful of markets, you just can’t do it.
Learn more about Sling TV’s support for local channels here.
Sling TV Supported Devices
The Sling TV app is widely available.
- Living room devices: Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Facebook Portal, Roku and Tivo Stream.
- Smart TVs and Blu-ray players: Models based on Android TV, Amazon Fire TV and Roku. Also, certain models from LG and Samsung.
- Mobile devices and tablets: Amazon Fire tablets, Android and iOS.
- Game consoles: Xbox One and Oculus Go.
- Desktop browsers: Chrome and Edge.
For more information about Sling TV device support, click here.
Sling TV Simultaneous Streams
ESPN, Disney XD and the other channels unique to Sling Orange can only be streamed to one device. Sling Blue will work with up to three devices at the same time.
Learn more about Sling TV’s simultaneous streaming here.
Sling TV DVR
Sling TV’s cloud DVR gives you a paltry ten-hour recording capacity. Since live local TV isn’t an option, that may not be an issue. But if you need to record several games, then you’ll be hitting that limit quickly.
You can pay for an upgrade, but that only moves the limit to fifty hours.
Learn more about Sling TV’s DVR here.
Sling TV On-Demand Library
The channels in Sling TV’s lineup provide content to watch on-demand.
Learn more about Sling TV’s on-demand library here.
Watch Live TV on ESPN+
ESPN+ carries sports that aren’t available on the various ESPN channels. It is a separate subscription, however.
ESPN+ Pricing and Packages
At only $5 per month, ESPN+ is surprisingly affordable.
| ESPN+ Monthly Plan $5.99/ month | NHL and MLB games Exclusive distributor of UFC PPV events. ESPN+ Originals 3 simultaneous streams | SIGN UP |
| ESPN+ Annual Plan - 2 Months Free! $49.99/ Year | NHL and MLB games Exclusive distributor of UFC PPV events. ESPN+ Originals 3 simultaneous streams | SIGN UP |
You can save even more money by getting ESPN+ bundled with the Hulu and Disney+ on-demand services. A version of the bundle includes Hulu with Live TV, but the savings are relatively small.
Before we continue, we want to highlight a featured deal. The Disney Bundle is one of the best options for streaming with a package that offers a rich catalogue of content for all ages including movies, shows, and sports.
Sign up below to get the whole bundle for only $13.99 a month or get Disney Plus standalone for $7.99.
Learn more about ESPN+ pricing here.
ESPN+ Content
You’ll get major league and college sports events on ESPN+ that don’t air on the ESPN cable channels. The most unique feature is access to boxing and mixed martial arts bouts and pay-per-view events.
For more about ESPN+’s content, click here.
ESPN+ Supported Devices
The ESPN app is available on these devices:
- Living room devices: Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast and Roku.
- Smart TVs and Blu-ray players: Models based on Android TV, Amazon Fire TV and Roku. Also, certain models from Samsung.
- Mobile devices and tablets: Amazon Fire tablets, Android and iOS.
- Game consoles: PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Oculus Go.
- Desktop browsers: Chrome and Edge.
You can learn more about ESPN+ device support here.
ESPN+ Simultaneous Streams
ESPN+ lets you stream to three devices simultaneously. However, PPV events will only work with two devices at a time.
Learn more about ESPN+ simultaneous streams here.
ESPN+ DVR
There’s no cloud DVR, but you can replay many events for a limited time after they air.
Learn more about DVR on ESPN+ here.
ESPN+ On-Demand Library
The original ESPN+ content as well as shows from ESPN are available on-demand.
Learn more about ESPN+’s on-demand library here.
Watch ESPN on AT&T TV Now
AT&T TV Now may be the most expensive option for cord-cutters, but the streaming service includes premium features and offers the largest channel lineup.
AT&T TV Now Pricing and Packages
In addition to the two featured plans, AT&T TV Now offers five alternatives with even more channels (and higher prices). ESPN and ESPN2 are part of every subscription plan.
Entertainment
The Essentials
$69.99/ month
SIGN UP
Choice
Must-Have Sports
$89.99/ month
SIGN UP
Ultimate
Sports, News, Movies
$104.99/ month
SIGN UP
Premier
Maximum TV
$149.99/ month
SIGN UP
Learn more about AT&T TV Now’s pricing and packages here.
AT&T TV Now Channels
The channel lineup can include more than 140 channels, depending on which plan you choose. All of the most popular basic cable channels are available.
Learn more about AT&T TV Now’s channel lineup here.
AT&T TV Now Local Channels & Regional Sports Networks
You have a pretty good shot of getting your local network affiliate stations with AT&T TV Now. Its support for regional sports networks is also pretty good overall but varies by market.
Learn more about AT&T TV Now’s local channels here.
AT&T TV Now Supported Devices
The AT&T TV Now is available on these platforms:
- Living room devices: Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast and Roku.
- Smart TVs and Blu-ray players: Samsung televisions as well as devices based on Amazon Fire TV and Roku.
- Mobile devices and tablets: Android and iOS.
- Game consoles: None.
- Desktop browsers: Chrome and Safari.
You can learn more about AT&T TV Now’s device support here.
AT&T TV Now Simultaneous Streams
There’s a three-device limit on simultaneous streaming.
Learn more about simultaneous streaming on AT&T TV Now here.
AT&T TV Now DVR
The cloud DVR comes with a five-hundred-hour recording capacity.
Learn more about AT&T TV Now’s DVR feature here.
AT&T TV Now On-Demand Library
Content providers populate AT&T’s on-demand library with recently-aired content.
Learn more about AT&T TV Now’s on-demand library here.
Watch ESPN on YouTube TV
YouTube TV recently raised its prices as well. It’s still the best service for getting local TV stations and offers a comprehensive channel lineup.
YouTube TV Pricing and Packages
The $65-per-month subscription plan includes more than eighty-five local and basic cable channels. YouTube TV also has a roster of a dozen premium content providers that you can add on an à-la-carte basis.
Learn more about YouTube TV’s pricing here.
YouTube TV Channels
In addition to watching ESPN, YouTube TV lets you watch ESPN’s three sister channels. You also get sports from CBS, Fox and NBC plus dedicated channels for golf, Major League Baseball, the NBA, the Olympics and more.
The rest of the lineup offers a similarly comprehensive range of lifestyle, entertainment, kids and news channels.
Learn more about YouTube TV’s channel lineup here.
YouTube TV Local Channels & Regional Sports Networks
No matter where you live, you’ll get your local ABC, CBS, CW, Fox, PBS, NBC and Telemundo stations.
Learn more about YouTube TV’s local channels here.
YouTube TV Supported Devices
The YouTube TV app is widely available.
- Living room devices: Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast and Roku.
- Smart TVs and Blu-ray players: Certain models from HiSense, LG, Samsung and Vizio as well as televisions based on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Roku.
- Mobile devices and tablets: Amazon Fire Tablets, Android and iOS.
- Game consoles: Microsoft Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S and Sony PlayStation 4.
- Desktop browsers: Chrome.
Learn more about YouTube TV’s device support here.
YouTube TV Simultaneous Streams
Although YouTube TV’s three-device limit is acceptable, there’s no upgrade option.
Learn more about simultaneous streaming on YouTube TV here.
YouTube TV DVR
The cloud DVR has an unlimited capacity and recording won’t expire for nine months. You can create up to six profiles for family members so they get their own DVR library.
Learn more about YouTube TV’s cloud DVR features here.
YouTube TV On-Demand Library
In addition to content from the channels, you can watch select on-demand content from YouTube.
Learn more about YouTube TV’s on-demand library here.
How to Watch ESPN on fuboTV on Amazon Fire TV
You can watch the CNBC live stream on Amazon Fire TV with one of these streaming services: fuboTV, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, ESPN+, AT&T TV Now, YouTube TV and the ESPN app.
How to Watch ESPN on fuboTV on Roku
You can watch the CNBC live stream on Roku with one of these streaming services: fuboTV, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, ESPN+, AT&T TV Now, YouTube TV and the ESPN app.
How to Watch ESPN on fuboTV on Apple TV
You can watch the CNBC live stream on Apple TV with one of these streaming services: fuboTV, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, ESPN+, AT&T TV Now, YouTube TV and the ESPN app.
Watch ESPN on the ESPN App
Except for ESPN+, all of the streaming services covered in this review qualify as pay-TV providers in ESPN’s eyes. That means you can sign in to the ESPN app and get all of its live and on-demand content. Check the ESPN+ section above for platform availability.
Chris Casper is a former tech industry product manager who escaped from California for New Mexico. Now he writes about science and tech while searching for the perfect green chile sauce.
