How to Watch ESPN Without Cable

You can watch ESPN without cable through the ESPN app with an ESPN plan, or through a live TV streaming service that includes it: YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, Sling TV and DirecTV Stream all carry ESPN. The same options cover ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network and ACC Network. ABC, which airs many ESPN games, is free with an HD antenna.

Every way to stream ESPN

"ESPN networks" here means ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network and ACC Network. ESPN+ is a separate streaming tier that lives inside the ESPN app.

The ESPN app

The ESPN app is the direct option. You stream ESPN's channels on a phone, tablet, smart TV, Roku or game console without signing up for a full TV package.

What you can watch depends on your ESPN plan. Some games are on the ESPN networks, others are on ESPN+, and plans differ in which of those they include. Check which networks your plan covers and current pricing on ESPN's site before you sign up.

The ESPN app is the best fit if ESPN is the main channel you want. It does not include CBS, FOX, NBC or any non-ESPN cable channel, so most people pair it with an antenna or another app.

Live TV services that include ESPN

If you want ESPN alongside other sports channels, a live TV streaming service puts them in one place:

• YouTube TV carries ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network and ABC, plus CBS, FOX, NBC and the other big sports channels.
• DirecTV Stream carries the ESPN networks and ABC, plus many regional sports networks.
• Fubo carries the ESPN networks and ABC, with a sports-heavy lineup.
• Hulu + Live TV carries the ESPN networks and ABC.
• Sling TV carries the ESPN networks on the right package but not ABC. Add an antenna for ABC games.

Local channels like ABC depend on your ZIP code. Enter yours on the service's site to confirm your lineup and check current pricing.

ESPN's other channels

ESPN is a family of channels, and games move between them every week:

• ESPN2 takes overflow games and doubleheaders.
• ESPNU focuses on college sports.
• SEC Network and ACC Network carry those conferences' games, which makes them essential for fans of SEC and ACC teams.
• ABC simulcasts many ESPN games and is the network's free over-the-air home.
• ESPN+ streams games that are not on any TV channel.

Any service in the table that carries ESPN also carries ESPN2, ESPNU and the two conference networks, so you rarely need to think about them separately. ESPN+ is the exception: it only comes through the ESPN app.

What you can watch on ESPN

ESPN carries a big share of the major US sports calendar:

• NFL: Monday Night Football airs on ESPN, with many games also on ABC or ESPN2.
• NBA: national games on ESPN and ABC. See how to watch the NBA without cable for the rest of the league's channels.
• College football: games across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ABC, the conference networks and ESPN+. Our college football guide covers every channel you need.
• College basketball: a heavy slate across the same family of channels from November through March.

Find out which games are on ESPN this week

Every game page on WatchWhere lists the channel, start time and streaming options, so you can tell at a glance whether a game is on ESPN, ESPN2, ABC or ESPN+. Start from a league schedule:

• NFL TV schedule
• NBA TV schedule
• College football TV schedule
• College basketball TV schedule

Pages update on their own when a game moves to a different ESPN channel, which happens often with late flex changes and doubleheaders.

The cheapest way to get ESPN

• Only ESPN: the ESPN app with the plan that covers the networks you watch.
• ESPN plus your local channels: the ESPN app and an HD antenna for ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC.
• ESPN on a budget with other cable channels: Sling TV on a package with ESPN, plus an antenna.
• Everything in one app: YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream or Fubo.

For a full NFL setup built around these options, see how to watch the NFL without cable, or browse all streaming guides.