How To Watch ESPN+ (And How It Fits Into The New ESPN App)

ESPN+ no longer exists as a standalone service — it was folded into the new ESPN app in August 2025 and replaced by a plan called ESPN Select. To watch it today: 1. Download the ESPN app on your phone, tablet, streaming device, or smart TV (or go to espn.com). 2. Pick a plan — ESPN Select at $12.99 per month is the direct successor to ESPN+, while ESPN Unlimited at $29.99 per month adds ESPN's full linear networks including live NFL and NBA games. 3. Sign in and stream — everything lives inside the one ESPN app now, with your plan controlling which streams actually play. If you had an ESPN+ subscription when the switchover happened, it was migrated to ESPN Select automatically, so your login still works.

ESPN+ Is Gone — Here's What Replaced It

In August 2025, ESPN launched its long-promised direct-to-consumer service and retired the ESPN+ brand. There is no separate ESPN+ app to download anymore; the standalone apps were consolidated into the single ESPN app. What used to be the ESPN+ catalog — out-of-market MLB and NHL games, UFC Fight Nights, college sports, 30 for 30 documentaries, and ESPN originals — became the ESPN Select tier inside that app. If you search your device's app store for ESPN+, the ESPN app is what you want. If the app misbehaves once you're in, our guide to fixing the ESPN app when it's not working covers the common failures.

ESPN Select vs ESPN Unlimited

The new ESPN app sells two standalone plans, and picking the wrong one is the most common source of frustration:

• ESPN Select — $12.99/month or $129.99/year. The ESPN+ replacement. You get the streaming catalog: exclusive UFC and college events, select college football games, college basketball, NHL games, ESPN originals, and the on-demand library. You do not get ESPN's TV channels, so no Monday Night Football and no NBA on ESPN.
• ESPN Unlimited — $29.99/month or $299.99/year. Everything in Select plus ESPN's full linear networks: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, ESPNEWS, and more, streamed live. This is the plan that finally lets cord-cutters watch everything ESPN airs on cable — NFL, NBA, WNBA, college football, SportsCenter, the works.

The rule of thumb: if you mainly watched ESPN+ for UFC, college sports, or hockey, Select covers you. If you want the games that air on ESPN's TV channels, you need Unlimited.

How To Sign Up

1. Go to espn.com/plans or open the ESPN app and tap Subscribe.
2. Choose Select or Unlimited, monthly or annual billing.
3. Create or sign in with your ESPN account (the same login works for Disney bundle accounts).
4. On a TV device, sign in by visiting the activation page on your phone and entering the code shown on screen — the flow works the same way as our espn.com/activate walkthrough.

Devices You Can Watch On

The ESPN app runs on iPhone and Android phones and tablets, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV and Google TV, Samsung and LG smart TVs, PlayStation, Xbox, and in any modern web browser at espn.com. If your streaming device is more than several years old and no longer receives app updates, the current app may not be available for it.

Bundles That Include ESPN

ESPN discounts heavily when you bundle, and for many households a bundle is cheaper than standalone Unlimited:

• Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Select — $19.99/month with ads, $29.99/month ad-free.
• Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Unlimited — $35.99/month with ads, $44.99/month ad-free.
• ESPN Unlimited + Fox One — $39.99/month, pairing ESPN's networks with Fox's sports channels.
• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited, and NFL+ Premium — $44.99/month with ads, $54.99/month ad-free.

ESPN Unlimited is also included with some pay-TV and live-TV subscriptions — Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, DirecTV, Spectrum TV, and Verizon Fios among them — so check whether you already have access through a TV login before paying twice. If you're weighing live-TV routes, our Hulu + Live TV vs YouTube TV comparison breaks down the two biggest options.

What Happened To Existing ESPN+ Subscriptions?

Nothing you needed to act on: ESPN+ subscribers were moved onto ESPN Select at the switchover, keeping their login and billing. If your bill still says ESPN+ from an app store subscription, it now unlocks the Select tier inside the ESPN app. Pricing going forward follows the Select rates above.

FAQ

Is there a free trial?

ESPN does not offer a free trial of Select or Unlimited directly. The workaround is a live-TV service trial that includes ESPN — Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, and DirecTV all periodically offer short free trials.

Do I need Unlimited to watch NFL games?

Yes. NFL games air on ESPN's linear networks, which only stream with Unlimited (or through a TV-provider login). Select does not include them.

Can I still watch out-of-market sports like I did on ESPN+?

Yes — the sports package that defined ESPN+ carried over to Select, including extensive college coverage, NHL games, and UFC events, plus the on-demand originals library. For sport-by-sport streaming options beyond ESPN, see our guide to watching MLB without cable.