ESPN Unlimited: What's Included, What's Different, & How Much Does It Cost?

The worldwide leader in sports has pushed all its chips into direct-to-consumer content, upgrading its viewer experience to become one of the best streaming services for live sports. Although ESPN has been in the streaming game for years, ESPN Unlimited is a significant upgrade over its ESPN+ subscription, adding over 15,000 more live events and expanding its coffers of original content. Launched on August 21, 2025, ESPN Unlimited covers everything from the Big 4 U.S. sports leagues to golf, WWE, and college sports, giving unprecedented access to ESPN's linear channels and premium content. The announcement comes in conjunction with an improved ESPN app. Already a phone app no sports fan should go without, the ESPN App will enhance the fan experience with several new features and live streaming capabilities.

For most consumers, however, the utility of an ESPN streaming service may be perplexing, especially if they already receive ESPN content through their ESPN+, Disney+, or Hulu+Live TV subscriptions. But with two tiers — ESPN Unlimited and ESPN Select — Disney promises that the new platform will give fans a wider range of choice and flexibility when watching their favorite teams. While the service's $29.99-a-month price tag isn't cheap, it is important to note that many TV providers that already offered ESPN+ now include ESPN Unlimited, meaning you may be able to take full advantage of ESPN Unlimited without having to add yet another expensive service to the docket. That said, some fans will probably hear of a new Disney platform and ask the same thing: Is it worth it?

ESPN's two-tier system illustrates the advantages of the new streaming platform. ESPN Unlimited, for instance, provides live access to all ESPN-owned channels, from mainstays like ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN Deportes to specialized content like NFL RedZone, Wrestlemania, and the SEC and ACC Networks. In totality, fans can watch 47,000 live events a year, with access to on-demand replays, studio shows, and other premium content. This is a measurable upgrade over ESPN Select, which is merely ESPN+. With Select, viewers can still enjoy 32,000 live events but lack access to ESPN's NFL, NBA, and MLB content, instead focusing on hockey, soccer, tennis, lacrosse, UFC, and select college sports.

ESPN Unlimited and ESPN Select cost $29.99 and $11.99/month, respectively. Currently, subscribers can bundle ESPN Unlimited with Disney+ and Hulu at no extra cost for the first 12 months.  But before racing to sign up, keep in mind that you may already have access to ESPN Unlimited. For instance, Hulu+Live TV, DIRECTV, Fubo TV, and Spectrum subscribers can already get ESPN Unlimited, depending on their individual TV package. Providers currently lacking such an agreement include Comcast, YouTube TV, and Dish. Customers already subscribed to the Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ bundle will automatically receive ESPN Select. As it stands, ESPN's full lineup will be available in the Disney+ application as the entertainment conglomerate's "all-in-one destination." In addition to Disney-related programming, subscribers can also package ESPN Unlimited with Fox One for $39.99/month beginning October 2, 2025. As part of ESPN's massive equity swap deal with the NFL, Unlimited subscribers can bundle their new streaming platform with NFL+ Premium for $39.99 starting September 3, 2025. 

Customers can begin their subscription by signing up at ESPN.com. Once subscribed, users can access their ESPN Unlimited content through the new ESPN App. In addition to the company's direct content, the application will include a variety of functionalities. ESPN StreamCenter, for instance, connects subscribers' mobile and TV apps, synchronizing statistics, fantasy, and ESPN BET information while enabling double-screen experiences and the ability to control their ESPN TV app from their phone. The application allows fans to view up to four games simultaneously, expanding ESPN's Multiview system to all connected platforms. One feature sure to get many chronically late sports fans buzzing is Catch Up To Live, where viewers can see all the major highlights they've missed when joining a game midstream. Another interesting addition is the ESPN Verts tab, which adds a TikTok-like vertical scrolling video feed of highlights and commentary.

Some features in the new application are more head-scratching. For instance, ESPN's SC For You delivers a daily highlight reel of your favorite teams voiced over by AI-generated play-by-play commentary imitating SportsCenter anchors. This AI-ification of Disney's most beloved sports program is the next step in ESPN's foray into AI commentary, a move that has drawn harsh criticism since the company debuted its AI-written game recaps in September 2024. For its part, ESPN has argued that AI content will "augment existing coverage — not replace it," by recapping sports that otherwise wouldn't receive coverage. Yet some fans lament that ESPN's AI recaps lack insight, while others say that Disney should invest in more talent to expand its coverage instead. In another move, ESPN's partnership with Fanatics will enable viewers to shop mid-game — just in case you need a new hat mid-touchdown pass.