Is ESPN Unlimited the Same as ESPN+?

This table shows exactly what each plan includes, so you can see at a glance what changed and what the upgrade actually adds.

The rebrand created real confusion among longtime ESPN+ subscribers — people found themselves on a plan they didn’t recognize, paying for something they couldn’t explain. Below are the most-searched questions answered plainly.

• 1
  Are ESPN Plus and ESPN Unlimited the same plan? No — ESPN+ became ESPN Select (same content, new name) · ESPN Unlimited is a new, separate higher-tier plan with live cable ESPN channels · They cost different amounts and offer very different access levels

  This is the question at the heart of all the confusion. ESPN+ and ESPN Unlimited are not the same. When Disney restructured its streaming products in August 2025, it kept all the ESPN+ content alive — it just moved it into a new product called ESPN Select at a similar price. ESPN Unlimited is something different entirely: a brand-new subscription that adds the live ESPN television channel, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, the SEC Network, and the ACC Network on top of everything ESPN Select offers. If you had ESPN+ before the change, you now have ESPN Select and nothing changed about what you can watch. If you want Monday Night Football, live NBA games, or SportsCenter — all things that require the live ESPN cable channel — you have to actively upgrade to ESPN Unlimited or subscribe to a live TV service that includes it. The two plans have completely different content libraries and a $17/month price difference.
• 2
  Does ESPN Unlimited include ESPN — the actual live channel? Yes — live ESPN is the main thing ESPN Unlimited adds that ESPN Select doesn’t have · Also includes ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, SEC Network, ACC Network, and ESPN on ABC · All streamed live through the ESPN app on any device

  This is what ESPN Unlimited was actually built for. For the first time, Disney created a way to subscribe to the live ESPN cable channel directly — without a cable company, without a satellite dish, and without a cable box. For $29.99 a month, you get all of ESPN’s cable channels streaming live on your smart TV, phone, tablet, Roku, Fire TV, or Apple TV, any time of day. That includes the main ESPN channel running 24 hours a day exactly as it does on cable, ESPN2 for overflow games and talk shows, ESPNU for college sports coverage, ESPNEWS for round-the-clock scores and headlines, the SEC Network and ACC Network for college football and basketball from those conferences, and ESPN on ABC coverage when major events simulcast on both channels. The one thing it doesn’t include: FOX, FS1, or any local broadcast channels. For those, you need the ESPN + FOX One bundle ($39.99/month) or a broader live TV service.
• 3
  How do I switch from ESPN+ to ESPN Unlimited — what do I have to do? If you were an ESPN+ subscriber, you’re already on ESPN Select — no action needed there · To upgrade to Unlimited: open the ESPN app or go to espn.com, sign in, go to Account or Subscription settings, and select Upgrade to ESPN Unlimited · The upgrade takes effect immediately with a prorated charge

  The path from old ESPN+ to ESPN Unlimited requires one deliberate step: you have to choose to upgrade and pay the higher price. Disney moved all ESPN+ subscribers to ESPN Select automatically, which preserved your access to the same content you had before without charging you more. To get ESPN Unlimited, log in at espn.com or in the ESPN app on your device, navigate to your Account settings (usually by tapping your profile photo or the icon in the upper corner), find your current subscription, and look for the option to change or upgrade your plan. Selecting ESPN Unlimited upgrades you immediately — you start seeing the live ESPN channels within minutes of the upgrade processing. Your billing will show a prorated charge for the remainder of the current billing cycle at the new Unlimited price, then charge the full $29.99 beginning with the next billing cycle. If you later decide Unlimited isn’t worth it, you can downgrade back to Select through the same account settings, though that change typically takes effect at the start of your next billing period rather than immediately.
• 4
  Is ESPN Unlimited included with DirecTV — do DirecTV subscribers already have it? Yes — DirecTV streaming customers on eligible plans already have ESPN Unlimited included at no extra cost · You need to activate it by linking your DirecTV and Disney accounts · DIRECTV satellite and U-verse customers also gained access in fall 2025

  DirecTV was one of the first pay TV providers to include ESPN Unlimited at no additional charge for customers on qualifying plans. If you subscribe to DirecTV’s streaming service (formerly DirecTV Stream) or have a satellite or U-verse plan that includes ESPN, you likely already have ESPN Unlimited — but it requires a one-time activation to unlock the app features. Here’s how to activate it: go to directv.com, sign in to your account, look for the ESPN Unlimited option under your streaming apps or subscription add-ons, and click to activate. You’ll be directed to ESPN’s website to link your DirecTV account to a Disney account (or create a free Disney account if you don’t have one). After linking, open the ESPN app, sign in with your Disney account credentials, and the full ESPN Unlimited channel lineup unlocks. The entire activation process takes about five minutes. If you’re a DirecTV subscriber who hasn’t done this yet, there’s a real chance you’ve been entitled to ESPN Unlimited for months without knowing it.
• 5
  Is ESPN Unlimited free with Xfinity — I heard Xfinity customers got it? Yes — effective February 26, 2026, all Xfinity TV subscribers with ESPN included in their cable package gained free ESPN Unlimited app access · You must activate it through your Xfinity account · This was a major change — Xfinity was previously one of the providers that did NOT have Unlimited included

  This is one of the most significant things that happened in the ESPN streaming world recently, and many Xfinity customers still don’t know about it. Starting February 26, 2026, Comcast extended ESPN Unlimited access to all Xfinity TV subscribers who have ESPN as part of their cable plan — at no extra monthly charge. That means if you pay for Xfinity cable TV and ESPN is in your channel lineup, you can now use the full ESPN Unlimited streaming app on your phone, tablet, smart TV, and streaming devices for free. To activate: log in to your Xfinity account at xfinity.com or in the Xfinity app, navigate to your Subscription Hub, find the ESPN logo, and click Activate. A popup will send you to ESPN’s website where you click “Agree & Activate” and create or link a Disney account. After that, open the ESPN app, log in with your Disney account, and all ESPN Unlimited features unlock. If you’re an Xfinity cable customer who hasn’t done this yet, it’s worth doing — you’ve been entitled to it since late February and it adds significant value to a subscription you’re already paying for.
• 6
  Where can I watch ESPN Unlimited — what devices and platforms support it? ESPN app on smart TVs (Samsung, LG, Sony, Vizio), Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad, PlayStation, Xbox, and any web browser · Through TV providers: DirecTV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, Spectrum, Xfinity, Verizon FiOS, Cox, U-verse, and more

  ESPN Unlimited is accessed through the ESPN app, which is available on virtually every device sold in the United States. If you subscribe to ESPN Unlimited directly through Disney (at espn.com), download the free ESPN app, sign in with your Disney/ESPN account, and the full channel lineup appears. If you get ESPN Unlimited through a cable or streaming TV provider (DirecTV, Fubo, Xfinity, Spectrum, Hulu + Live TV, Verizon FiOS, Cox, or others), open the ESPN app and use the “Log In With TV Provider” option to authenticate with your provider’s credentials instead. Either path gives you the same content on the same app — the difference is just where the monthly charge appears. Up to three devices can stream simultaneously on one account, which covers a typical household. The one device category to check: some older smart TVs from 2015 and earlier may not support the current ESPN app. If you try to install the ESPN app and can’t find it in your TV’s app store, a $35–$50 Roku stick or Fire TV stick plugged into any HDMI port solves this immediately.
• 7
  What is on ESPN Unlimited — what sports does it actually include? NFL (Monday Night Football + select preseason) · NBA (regular season + Finals) · NHL · MLB (30 exclusive games + MLB.tv integration) · College football and basketball on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network · WWE (WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, SummerSlam) · Tennis majors · Golf majors and PGA Tour · WNBA · Women’s soccer · 47,000 live events per year total

  ESPN Unlimited is the most sports-dense streaming subscription available from a single provider in the U.S. market. For football fans, it covers Monday Night Football every week plus select preseason games; college football spans Saturday programming across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, and the conference networks. For basketball fans, it carries NBA regular season games on ESPN and ESPN2, the full NBA Finals, and a massive volume of college basketball including conference championship weeks and postseason coverage. For hockey fans, nationally televised NHL games stream live, with the full NHL playoffs included. Baseball gets 30 exclusive regular season games plus integrated MLB.tv access starting in 2026 — a meaningful new addition for fans who want to follow specific teams beyond what national broadcasts cover. The WWE addition is new and significant: WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, SummerSlam, and other premium events moved from Peacock to ESPN Unlimited in 2026, included in the standard subscription at no pay-per-view charge. Tennis majors (Australian Open, Wimbledon, US Open) and The Masters and PGA Tour golf round out the major events calendar. The total comes to over 47,000 live events per year across all channels.
• 8
  Is ESPN Unlimited worth it — should I upgrade from ESPN Select? Worth it if: you watch NFL, NBA, SportsCenter, or top-tier college sports · Not worth it if: your sports are mostly soccer, golf, and college sports on smaller conferences · The upgrade costs $17/month more · Do a 30-second test: if your favorite games show as locked in the Select tier of the ESPN app, upgrade is worth it

  The honest answer depends entirely on which games you actually try to watch. The clearest way to figure this out: open the ESPN app with your current ESPN Select subscription and click on the specific events you’d normally want to watch. If a significant number of them show a “Requires ESPN Unlimited” lock screen, the upgrade is worth $17 more a month. If most of your preferred content plays without that screen, Select is sufficient and you’d be paying an extra $204 a year for nothing you’d use. For NFL fans who watch Monday Night Football every week, the math is simple — Select doesn’t include it at all. For NBA fans who regularly follow ESPN’s games, same conclusion. For a viewer whose sports calendar is mostly LaLiga soccer, PGA Tour golf, and some college games from smaller FCS conferences, every one of those is available on ESPN Select and the upgrade adds nothing of practical value. One financial note: if you find yourself wanting both ESPN Unlimited and FOX Sports coverage (FS1, FOX), the ESPN + FOX One bundle at $39.99/month gives you both services for $10 more than ESPN Unlimited alone — which is often the better move than paying for them separately.

Use the buttons below to find electronics stores for streaming devices, tech help for setting up your ESPN app, or local libraries and senior centers with free tech assistance. Always verify ESPN plan pricing directly at espn.com.