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If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission. No matter your sport, ESPN is essential to keep up. From basketball to college football, some of the year’s biggest sporting events are exclusively shown on the stalwart sports channel. However, if you’ve cut the cord on cable, figuring out how to watch ESPN online can be tricky (especially with Disney’s increasingly-frequent disputes with distributors). At a Glance: How to Watch ESPN Without Cable But there’s hope. Ahead is a quick guide on how to watch ESPN online without cable, including the best live TV streaming services that carry ESPN. Many also offer free trials, meaning you can get free ESPN livestreams online. How to Watch ESPN Online Without Cable Cord-cutters can watch cable two ways: Using a live TV streaming service that carries the channel, or with ESPN’s new app, ESPN Unlimited. Here’s a breakdown of all the best options: Our favorite way to watch ESPN without cable is DirecTV. The channel is included in several DirecTV packages, and all of them include other major sports channels and local networks as well. The most affordable DirecTV package that carries ESPN is the MySports Genre Pack, which costs $69.99 a month. However, right now you can get a five-day free trial and $10 off each of your first two months. Fubo offers a huge channels lineup, and ESPN is included in every package. Plans start at $55.99 a month, but right now you can get up to $30 off your first month ($10 off that base-tier plan). Plus, Fubo offers a five-day free trial. ESPN recently launched a standalone app, ESPN Unlimited, that gets you access to livestreams of all ESPN channels. It costs $29.99 a month, but does not come with a free trial. A more affordable live TV streaming service that carries ESPN channels is Sling. ESPN and ESPN2 are included in Sling’s Orange package, which starts at $45.99 a month. However, Sling also offers short term passes: a day pass for $4.99, a weekend pass for $9.99, or a week pass for $14.99. Sling does not offer a free trial, however. Another live TV streaming service that carries ESPN is Hulu + Live TV. This one is more expensive, starting at $89.99 a month, but you get 95+ channels and Disney+, ESPN select, and Hulu on-demand included. Get a three-day free trial to start. Stream ESPN for Free Online Want to get a free ESPN livestream? Use a free trial from DirecTV, Fubo, or Hulu + Live TV It’s just a short-term solution, of course, but great for individual games or short tournaments. How to Watch ESPN2 Online Without Cable If you’re looking to watch ESPN2 online without cable. All the above options, including DirecTV, Fubo, and ESPN Unlimited, will let you stream ESPN2, in addition to the main ESPN channel.
