Short answer: ESPN now sells itself directly in two tiers. ESPN Unlimited ($31.99 a month from 17 September 2026) carries the full ESPN cable networks, ESPN on ABC and NFL Network; ESPN Select ($13.99) is essentially the old ESPN+ library. The catch: the standalone price is the worst deal on the table. The Disney+, Hulu and ESPN Unlimited bundle has held its price, so for many households it costs little more than ESPN alone.
At a glance
ESPN streaming in 2026
| ESPN Unlimited | $31.99/month or $319.99/year |
| ESPN Select | $13.99/month or $139.99/year |
| Price rise | 17 September 2026, the first since launch |
| Best value | Bundles with Disney+/Hulu or Fox One |
| Streams | Up to three at once, same household |
| Already on cable? | Sign in with your provider at no extra cost |
The two tiers, explained
ESPN launched its direct-to-consumer service in August 2025 and folded the old ESPN+ brand into it. There are now two ways to subscribe inside the same ESPN app.
ESPN Select is the cheaper tier. It contains the streaming-only library that ESPN+ used to offer: a large volume of college sport, LaLiga, tennis, some NHL, golf, and ESPN's documentary archive. It does not include the ESPN cable channels themselves.
ESPN Unlimited adds the linear networks: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPNews and ESPN Deportes, plus ESPN on ABC. It also now carries NFL Network, a result of the ESPN and NFL media deal, and CW Sports.
| ESPN Select | ESPN Unlimited | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly (from 17 Sep 2026) | $13.99 | $31.99 |
| Annual | $139.99 | $319.99 |
| ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU | No | Yes |
| SEC Network, ACC Network | No | Yes |
| ESPN on ABC | No | Yes |
| NFL Network | No | Yes |
| Former ESPN+ library | Yes | Yes |
If you mainly want Monday Night Football, the NBA or big SEC and ACC games, only Unlimited will do. If you follow LaLiga, lower-profile college sport or tennis on the streaming side, Select may be enough.
The September 2026 price rise
ESPN announced its first increase in August 2026, effective 17 September. It is modest compared with what live-TV services have done, but it compounds with everything else.
| Plan | Before | From 17 Sep 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| ESPN Select monthly | $12.99 | $13.99 |
| ESPN Select annual | $129.99 | $139.99 |
| ESPN Unlimited monthly | $29.99 | $31.99 |
| ESPN Unlimited annual | $299.99 | $319.99 |
Existing subscribers move to the new rate at their next renewal after the change, so an annual subscriber who renewed shortly before 17 September keeps the old price until next year.
Annual billing saves roughly two months on either tier. It makes sense only if you watch year-round; if you follow one season, monthly billing and cancelling is often cheaper.
Bundles are where the value is
According to reporting on the price rise, around four in five ESPN Unlimited subscribers take it as part of a bundle, and the pricing explains why.
Disney+, Hulu and ESPN Unlimited stayed at about $35.99 a month with ads when the standalone price went up. That is only a few dollars more than ESPN Unlimited alone, for two entertainment services on top.
Disney+, Hulu and ESPN Select went up by around $2, to roughly $22 with ads or $33 without.
ESPN Unlimited and Fox One together cost $39.99 a month. That pairs ESPN's networks with Fox, FS1, FS2 and Big Ten Network, which between them cover most national NFL and college football windows. Our Fox One guide goes through what that half contains.
ESPN Unlimited and NFL+ Premium is also sold as a bundle, adding NFL RedZone and game replays.
Bundle prices change more often than standalone ones, and promotional rates appear around the start of the NFL season. Check the exact figure on the checkout page before committing.
If you already pay for TV
If ESPN is part of your cable, satellite or live-streaming package, you do not need to buy it again. Signing in to the ESPN app with that provider unlocks the Unlimited content your package includes.
That applies to the major streaming TV services as well as traditional cable. Several have gone further and include ESPN Unlimited app access as part of the package itself, after their carriage renewals with Disney.
The practical point: check before you subscribe. Many people pay for ESPN twice without realising.
What sport is actually on ESPN
ESPN's rights portfolio is broad, but it is not everything. A rough map of what the Unlimited tier covers in the 2026-27 season:
NFL: Monday Night Football, some playoff games, and NFL Network's games and programming. Sunday afternoon games remain with CBS and Fox, and Sunday Night Football with NBC.
NBA and WNBA: a large national package, including the NBA Finals on ABC.
College football and basketball: the SEC and ACC in depth, the College Football Playoff, and many other conferences.
Other: NHL games (the national package is shared with TNT), a selection of MLB, WWE's premium live events, which moved to ESPN under a deal announced in 2025, plus golf, tennis majors and a wide range of soccer. UFC, long associated with ESPN+, has moved to Paramount from 2026, so it is no longer part of the ESPN offer.
What ESPN does not have: Sunday afternoon NFL on CBS and Fox, Sunday Night Football, Thursday Night Football on Prime Video, and most Premier League football, which sits with NBC and Peacock in the US. Anyone expecting one app to cover everything will be disappointed.
Rights change season by season, so treat a specific fixture as something to confirm in the ESPN app's schedule rather than an assumption. For the wider NFL picture, see our NFL streaming guide.
Devices, streams and quality
The ESPN app runs on the mainstream platforms: Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Google TV and Android TV, Samsung and LG smart TVs, games consoles, phones, tablets and web browsers.
Three simultaneous streams are allowed, limited to one household. ESPN, like most services, has tightened account sharing outside the home.
Picture quality is typically 1080p or 720p depending on the event; select events are offered in 4K on supported devices.
No full cloud DVR in the ESPN app itself. Replays and highlights are available on demand, but if you want to record the linear channels, a live-TV service with DVR is still the tool for that.
Licensed services versus the rest
Searches for "ESPN streaming" also turn up unofficial IPTV subscriptions promising ESPN and hundreds of other channels for a small monthly fee. Those services do not hold rights to the channels they resell.
The risks are practical as well as legal: services disappear mid-season, payment details go to unknown operators, and devices such as Fire TV now block apps identified as offering unlicensed content. The licensed options above cost more, but they come with support, refunds and the certainty that the stream will still be there in the fourth quarter.
Which option should you pick?
| If you want | Best route | Approx. monthly |
|---|---|---|
| ESPN's streaming library only | ESPN Select | $13.99 |
| All ESPN networks, nothing else | ESPN Unlimited | $31.99 |
| ESPN plus entertainment | Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited | $35.99 |
| ESPN plus Fox for football | ESPN Unlimited and Fox One | $39.99 |
| Full live TV with local channels | A live-TV streaming service | $80+ |
For most people who just want ESPN's sport, the Disney bundle is the rational buy: the price gap to standalone Unlimited is small. If you are chasing NFL coverage across networks, the Fox One pairing covers more games than ESPN alone.
Quick answers
How much is the ESPN streaming service in 2026? ESPN Unlimited costs $31.99 a month or $319.99 a year, and ESPN Select costs $13.99 a month or $139.99 a year, following the price rise on 17 September 2026.
What is the difference between ESPN Select and ESPN Unlimited? Select is the former ESPN+ streaming library. Unlimited adds the linear networks, including ESPN, ESPN2, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN on ABC and NFL Network.
Is ESPN+ still available? Not under that name. ESPN+ became ESPN Select when ESPN launched its direct-to-consumer service in 2025, and existing ESPN+ subscribers were moved across.
Does ESPN Unlimited include Monday Night Football? Yes. Monday Night Football airs on ESPN and sometimes ABC, both of which are included in ESPN Unlimited.
Can I get ESPN Unlimited free with cable? If your TV package includes ESPN, you can sign in to the ESPN app with your provider and watch the included content without paying ESPN separately.
What is the cheapest way to get ESPN Unlimited? The Disney+, Hulu and ESPN Unlimited bundle costs only slightly more than ESPN Unlimited alone, so it usually offers the most for the money. Promotional bundle prices also appear around the start of the NFL season.
How many devices can stream ESPN at once? Up to three simultaneous streams are allowed, within a single household.
ESPN's prices, bundle rates and sports rights change during the year, and promotional offers come and go. Check the ESPN app or checkout page for the current figures. Checked September 2026.