Key Points
- Google’s YouTube TV and Disney are at odds over how much the streaming platform should pay for ESPN, ABC and other Disney-owned channels.
- During the ESPN and ABC blackout on YouTube TV, many sports fans are looking for economical ways to watch live ESPN programming without going back to cable.
- A number of streaming services still offer live ESPN — and some have the channel for less than the price of a fully-loaded burrito from a popular restaurant. (You know the one.) This guide will tell you where to go.
Here we go again: A major dispute between two big companies has left fans of college sports and professional sports unable to watch the channels they pay for.
The situation has left subscribers of Google’s $83 per month streaming service unable to watch college football, “Monday Night Football,” NBA on ESPN and other live sports until the situation is resolved.
In this instance, subscribers of Google-owned YouTube TV have lost access to channels owned by the Walt Disney Company, including ABC, ESPN, Freeform, FX, National Geographic, Freeform and ABC News Live, among others.
As typical, the dispute centers largely around the fees that YouTube TV must pay Disney for the right to redistribute their channels. Disney wants more money — or what it calls a “fair price” — and YouTube TV wants to keep the monthly cost of its service relatively affordable. Google is also holding out hope that Disney will offer more-favorable terms, including an option to distribute ESPN and other sports channels in a lower-cost, sports-inclusive tier, similar to what is offered on other platforms.
Given the complexity of the situation, it isn’t clear when — or even if — YouTube TV will bring ESPN, ABC and other Disney-owned channels back to its service. For this reason, a lot of people are now looking for the cheapest way to watch ESPN right now. Thankfully, there are a number of streaming platforms offering live access to ESPN without cable or satellite — and some cost less than the price of a burrito.
Here are the cheapest ways to stream ESPN and its live sports while the YouTube TV situation plays out:
Sling TV
What does Sling TV have?
- ESPN, ESPN 2: Yes
- ABC: Yes (in some major markets)
- ESPN 3: Yes (all ABC sports on ESPN 3)
- College sports: Yes
- Monday Night Football: Yes
- Cost: $46 per month for Sling Orange, or $5 per day for Sling TV Day Pass
- Deal: Get Sling TV Day Pass for $5 by clicking or tapping here
For viewers who do not want to sign up for a whole month, Sling TV’s short-term passes are currently the most direct “just get me the game tonight” option — and you can watch ESPN tonight for just $5 by clicking or tapping this link.
Sling Orange includes ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ACC Network, SEC Network and access to ABC sports events via ESPN 3 simulcasts. A Day Pass is typically around five dollars, and weekend or week-length passes are available at slightly higher prices.
Sling does not carry local ABC stations everywhere; however, for sports that ABC carries nationally — including NBA, college football “ABC on ESPN” windows, and certain NFL games — the ESPN 3 feed carries games from the broadcast network.
Sling’s value proposition is extremely simple: if the blackout is temporary, there is no reason for customers to lock into a replacement monthly bundle. Sling is the emergency-use solution: one day, one slot, one kickoff — no long-term commitment. Sign up for Sling TV’s Day Pass and start streaming ESPN tonight for just $5.
DIRECTV (streaming)
What does DIRECTV have?
- ESPN, ESPN 2: Yes
- ABC: Yes
- ESPN 3: Yes
- College sports: Yes
- Monday Night Football: Yes
- Cost: $50 for DIRECTV Entertainment (includes ESPN, Disney Plus and Hulu) when accessed via this link.
DIRECTV’s streaming lineup also carries the full Disney suite, and its Entertainment package is the closest structural match to YouTube TV’s channel map. Entertainment includes ABC local stations and all national ESPN networks in most markets, plus included access to ESPN Unlimited, Disney Plus and Hulu at no extra cost.
DIRECTV’s differentiator: it offers optional genre add-on packs that isolate specific categories — for example, a sports tier that includes ESPN, SEC Network and ACC Network, or a kids tier that includes Disney Channel and Disney Junior — without requiring purchase of every general entertainment network.
For viewers who want the closest analog to YouTube TV’s interface philosophy — big base bundle, plus optional thematic additions — DIRECTV’s streaming product is the least disruptive transition.
ESPN Unlimited
What does ESPN Unlimited have?
- ESPN, ESPN 2: Yes
- ABC: Yes (sports only)
- College sports: Yes
- Monday Night Football: Yes
- Cost: $30 on its own, $40 with Fox One, or $30 as a bundle with Disney Plus and Hulu.
ESPN now sells its own streaming plan called ESPN Unlimited, which costs $30 per month and offesr the entire ESPN cable multiplex over streaming — that means every live college football game, every live NBA game, all “Monday Night Football” broadcasts and studio shows like “SportsCenter,” available to stream without the onerous cable or satellite TV plan.
ESPN Unlimited unlocks full linear ESPN and the college conference networks without a cable subscription, including ESPN, ESPN2, ACC Network, SEC Network and ABC-branded sports telecasts.
For viewers who do not watch FX, National Geographic or Disney Channel — and who have no use for general news or lifestyle networks — this is the cleanest and most minimalistic replacement.
ESPN Unlimited also offers a bundle that includes access to Hulu and Disney Plus, priced at $30 per month for customers who sign up via this link. Another bundle pairs ESPN Unlimited with Fox One for $40 per month, unlocking access to football and baseball games from Fox, plus Fox News, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2 and Fox Weather, among other channels.
Fubo
What does Fubo have?
- ESPN, ESPN 2: Yes
- ABC: Yes
- College sports: Yes
- Monday Night Football: Yes
- Regional sports networks: Yes (with separate fees)
- Cost: $46 per month plus fees after a one-day free trial — click or tap here to get it.
Fubo also carries ABC and ESPN nationally, but its added advantage is broader coverage of regional sports networks — a category where YouTube TV has historically been lean.
For NHL and NBA viewers in markets where RSN carriage is indispensable, Fubo is the most comprehensive full-bundle replacement. Fubo also has smaller news-and-sports-only tiers that include the Disney sports portfolio without general entertainment overhead.
Put plainly: if the viewer’s household watches a large amount of RSN content in addition to ESPN/ABC, Fubo is the most complete like-for-better replacement rather than like-for-similar.
Right now, Fubo is offering new customers a 24-hour free trial when they sign up via this link — and those who do will also receive a special discount on the Fubo Sports + News package that drops the price of that plan down to $46 per month. Or, get Fubo Pro for around $55 per month by signing up. at this link.
Hulu + Live TV
What does Hulu + Live TV have?
- ESPN, ESPN 2: Yes
- ABC: Yes
- College sports: Yes
- Monday Night Football: Yes
- Regional sports networks: Yes (in limited areas)
- Cost: $65 per month for two months when new customers activate via this link.
Hulu + Live TV is the cleanest like-for-like portfolio replacement because Disney owns the majority of Hulu. In practical terms, Hulu + Live TV is not in danger of losing ABC or ESPN during this dispute, because the company distributing the channels is the same company operating the platform.
Its base live-TV tier carries the same linear brands impacted on YouTube TV — including ABC, ESPN, FX, National Geographic and Disney Channel. A premium variant also folds in on-demand versions of ESPN’s direct-to-consumer sports catalog, Disney+ and Hulu’s streaming library.
Hulu + Live TV is closest to a “move everything here and resume normal life” approach. It is the most stable replacement for viewers who plan to stay away from YouTube TV longer than a week.
Use an antenna
How to use an antenna
- Buy an antenna — we recommend this one.
- Plug the antenna into the back of your TV.
- Using your TV’s menu, look for the Channel Scan or Auto Program option.
- After a few minutes, you’re ready to receive free, over-the-air TV channels.
A TV antenna is one of the simplest, most reliable ways to receive live broadcast television — It does not use the internet, and doesn’t require any logins or subscription fees. It simply receives freely-transmitted, over-the-air broadcast signals from local TV stations — the same stations that have been broadcasting for decades.
Major broadcast networks like ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC are available for free on most TVs simply by using an antenna — and almost all of them transmit with surround sound and remarkably-clear, high-definition video.
There are hundreds of antennas on the market, but the best we’ve tried is the Mohu Leaf. There are many flat-style antennas that try to imitate the look of the Leaf, but one area where the Leaf excels above all else is its ability to pull in a strong, stable TV signal — meaning the picture won’t go out when you’re watching a football, basketball or baseball game.
Mohu Leaf antennas are available on Amazon for around $50.
