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If you’re a sports fan, you may want to know if ESPN Plus has a free trial and if there’s a way to watch MLB, NHL, MLS and more games live for free. While ESPN Plus doesn’t have a free trial, there’s still a way to sign up for free—if you meet one condition.
In August 2018, ESPN announced that it had merged ESPN Insider, a service that offered subscribers exclusive written articles for $4.99 per month, into a new service called EPSN Plus that would include the same features as ESPN Insider, as well as streaming access to live sports events and thousands of hours of original TV shows and movies.
How much does ESPN Plus cost?
ESPN Plus costs $11.99 per month for a monthly plan or $119.99 per year for a yearly plan, which saves customers about 17 percent or $20 from the monthly rate. ESPN Plus also offers exclusive UFC pay-per-view matches for $70 for existing subscribers. New subscribers can also get a special discounted bundle that includes a one-year membership to ESPN Plus, as well as one pay-per-view match for $89.98.
ESPN Plus is also included in The Disney Bundle, which offers three plans: Duo Basic for $11.99 per month (which includes ad-supported plans of Hulu and Disney Plus; Trio Basic for $17.99 per month (which includes ad-supported plans of Hulu, Disney Plus and ESPN Plus).
ESPN Plus also comes for free with Hulu+ With live TV costs $69.99 per month for its ad-supported plan and $82.99 per month for its no-ads plan. Hulu+ With Live TV’s ad-supported plan comes with free ad-supported plans of Hulu, Disney Plus and ESPN Plus, while Hulu+ With Live TV’s no-ads plan comes with free no-ads plans of Hulu and Disney Plus and an ad-supported plan of ESPN Plus. Hulu+ With Live TV’s ad-supported plan saves users $25.97 per month from subscribing to Hulu, Disney Plus and ESPN Plus individually, while Hulu+ With Live TV’s no-ads plan saves users $35.97 per month.
Does ESPN Plus have a free trial?
The answer is no. Though ESPN Plus had a seven-day free trial when it launched in 2018, the service has since ended the option. However, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a way to watch ESPN Plus for free. Read on for an even better alternative to ESPN Plus’ free trial.
If you’re a Verizon customer (or know someone who is), you can receive free ESPN Plus, Disney Plus and Hulu subscriptions with the service’s Disney Bundle offer. According to Verizon, customers with at least one Get More Unlimited or Play More Unlimited plan are eligible for offer, which includes free subscriptions to ESPN Plus, Disney Plus and Hulu (which saves users a cost of $13.99 per month) for as long as their plans are active. Click here for Verizon’s FAQ on how to sign up for Verizon’s free Disney Bundle.
- Visit ESPN Plus’ website
- Click “Get the Disney Bundle” or “Subscribe to ESPN+ only”
- Create an account
- Select your plan and insert your payment information
- Log into your account and start watching ESPN Plus
How to watch ESPN live for free
While ESPN Plus has thousands of hours of on-demand content, users will need ESPN for most live games. ESPN is available to stream on services like DirecTV Stream, Fubo, Sling Orange, and Hulu+ With Live TV. DirecTV Stream offers a five-day free trial, starts at $74.99 per month after the trial ends (with $10 off your first three months), and includes ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, and ESPNU. Fubo offers a seven-day free trial, starts at $74.99 per month after the trial ends, and includes ESPN.
Sling Orange and Hulu+ With Live TV don’t have free trials, however, they are cheaper per month than the other options. Sling Orange costs $20 for your first month, starts at $40 per month after the first month ends, and includes ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3.
Best Overall Pick to Watch ESPN: Direct TV Stream
Direct TV is our best overall pick to watch ESPN live for free for its free trial, price (including its current deal), and channel selection. Direct TV Stream offers a five-day free trial and has a current deal where new subscribers can receive $10 off their first three months. Direct TV offers four plans: Entertainment, which costs $74.99 per month with the first three months at $64.99 per month; Choice, which costs $99.99 per month with the first three months at $89.99 per month; Ultimate, which costs $109.99 per month with the first three months at $99.99 per month; and Premiere, which costs $154.99 per month with the first three months at $144.99 per month. ESPN and ESPN 2 are available on all four plans, while ESPN NEws and ESPN U are available on Choice, Ultimate, and Premiere only.
As for other differences between the plans, Entertainment includes more than 75 channels, the ability to stream on unlimited devices in your home, unlimited cloud DVR storage, and a special offer on premium channels. Choice, which is the most popular plan, includes more than 105 channels, regional sports networks, and everything included in Entertainment. Ultimate includes more than 140 channels and everything included in Entertainment and Choice. Premiere includes more than 150 channels including premium channels like HBO and starz and everything included in Entertainment, Choice, and Premiere. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch ESPN with DirecTV Stream’s free trial.
- Visit streamtv.directv.com
- Click “Shop Packages”
- Click “Try It Free” for the plan of your choice
- Enter your information and payment method
- Search for ESPN and start watching
Best Free Trial Pick to Watch ESPN: Fubo
Fubo is our best free trial pick to watch ESPN live for free. Fubo offers a seven-day free trial (two days longer than DirecTV Stream) and offers three plans: Pro, which costs $74.99 per month; Elite, which costs $84.99 per month; and Ultimate, which costs $99.99 per month. ESPN is available on all four plans.
As for the difference between the plans, Pro includes 180 channels, 1,000 hours of Cloud DVR, and the ability to watch on up to 10 screens at once. Elite includes everything in Pro, as well as a total of 256 channels and 4K resolution. Ultimate includes everything in Pro and Elite, as well as a total of 299 channels, Showtime, and Red Zone NFL Network. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch ESPN with Fubo’s free trial.
- Visit Fubo.TV
- Click “Start Free Trial”
- Enter your information and payment method
- Search for ESPN and start watching
Best Budget Pick to Watch ESPN: Sling
Sling is our best budget pick to watch ESPN based on its price and current deals. Sling offers two plans with ESPN: Sling Orange and Sling Orange + Blue. Sling Orange costs $24.99 for your first month and $40 per month after the first month ends. Sling Orange + Blue costs $30 for your first month and $60 after the first month ends. ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3 are available on both plans.
As for the difference between the plans, Sling Orange includes 32 channels and the ability to stream on one device at a time, while Sling Orange + Blue includes 46 channels and the ability to stream on three devices at the same time. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how watch ESPN with Sling.
- Visit Sling.com
- Click “Try Us Today”
- Create an account
- Choose your plan
- Enter your information and payment method
- Search for ESPN and start watching
What’s on ESPN Plus?
ESPN Plus includes access to live events, such as Major League Baseball, National Hockey League and Major League Soccer games when their seasons are active. Subscribers can also watch other sports like, such as college football, international soccer, tennis, Professional Golfer’s Association games and Ultimate Fighting Championship matches.
Along with live events, ESPN Plus also includes original shows, such as Peyton’s Places, a docuseries hosted by NFL quarterback Peyton Manning; Detail, a recap show that includes in-depth analysis from the perspective of players; Stephen A’s World, a sports news show hosted by ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith; Why Not Us, a docuseries on a men’s basketball team at a historic Black university; and the award-winning 30 For 30, a docuseries that highlights notable sports moments and people through the decades. ESPN Plus also includes select films, game replays and is available to stream in HD on ESPN.com and through the ESPN App on various phones, tablets, computers and smart TVs. Along with streamable content, ESPN Plus also includes fantasy sports tools and premium articles from respected voices in the sports industry.
Sign up for ESPN Plus at Plus.ESPN.com.
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