ESPN+ review: The streaming service offers a lot for $6 a month, but its real value boils down to your tastes in sports

• ESPN+ is a sports streaming service that offers live events, exclusive on-demand series, UFC matches, "30 for 30" documentary films, and premium-tier written content.
• The streaming service costs $6 per month or $50 for an annual plan. You can also bundle it with Hulu and Disney Plus for $13 per month (a $19 value).
• The service is tied into the ESPN app, streaming in 60 frames per second and available on pretty much every device known to man.

ESPN+, which launched in April 2018, is the sports mega-network's entry into the ever-more-crowded list of paid streaming services. The sports niche may seem a surprising one, given how important live broadcast is in that realm, but ESPN+ found its legs by offering a sizable smorgasbord of original on-demand video content in addition to limited live event streams and premium-tier written analyses.

If you're a sports person, you may be considering signing up for ESPN+.

Our verdict: Do it.

With the notable exceptions of live NBA basketball and live NFL football, most major sports are well represented when their seasons are active, with lots of content focused on baseball, NHL, MMA, UFC, college sports, and soccer (both international and MLS). With that said, live sports seasons are currently in a state of flux due to the coronavirus pandemic, so the service's selection of live content could be impacted by future game cancellations.

With tons of highlights, analysis, and original series, however, ESPN+ is well worth the $6 monthly toll. Read on for a more detailed breakdown.

Updated on 8/12/2020 by Steven Cohen: We've updated this review to include details on the ESPN+ price increase from $5 a month to $6 a month.

What exactly is ESPN+?

ESPN+ is a streaming service, sort of like Hulu or Netflix, but tied into the ESPN ecosystem. Rather than a dedicated app, you access ESPN+ via a tab in the ESPN app or on ESPN.com in your browser. From there, you'll find lots of stuff to watch, including live streams of events and matches, full on-demand match and game replays, original series, and "30 for 30" films.

ESPN+ also includes a bevy of exclusive written content, stuff which previously fell under ESPN's "Insider" membership. This includes draft coverage, advanced statistical analysis, college recruiting news, and more.

The other "big" thing here is UFC: To get pay-per-view (PPV) events, you'll now need to be an ESPN+ subscriber. There are no exceptions here — you'll need to pay to play, so to speak (although in this case, it's paying to… pay again). PPV events cost $65, up from the previous $60 price the service originally asked for. Head here for more details on how to watch UFC on ESPN+.

Crucially, ESPN+ is not a replacement for a cable or satellite (or cord-cutting) subscription, which would include the regular ESPN channels. This means live events airing on ESPN and ESPN2 (which include any and all live NBA and NFL games) will not be available with just an ESPN+ subscription — you'll have to sign in with your pay-TV provider to get access to those. Some of the stuff you'll see on the ESPN channels' schedules might be available on ESPN+ as well — like "30 for 30" films — but mostly, there's no crossover.

How much does ESPN+ cost?

We've got a dedicated article breaking this down, but in short, ESPN+ costs $6 per month, or $50 for a year (saving you $22 over the month-to-month model). If you find yourself interested in Hulu and Disney Plus, you can bundle all three for $13 per month, a $6 monthly savings off the combined cost of the three.

It should be noted, however, that ESPN+ originally cost $5 a month when it launched. The price increased to $6 a month on August 12, 2020. Though not ideal for new members, this slight increase doesn't really impact the service's overall value, and annual plans and bundles still cost the same. Existing members who signed up for the $5 plan can continue to pay that price for at least one year.

How can I watch ESPN+?

As previously mentioned, ESPN+ is conveniently wrapped into the ESPN app, keeping things simple for mobile users. The ESPN app is available for virtually every device that has apps, so you should have no problem accessing ESPN+.

You can also, of course, access the service in your web browser, and every popular browser is supported. Smart TVs that use the Roku OS, Samsung Tizen, or the Android TV platform are also supported, along with Apple TV (Generation 3 and 4 models), Chromecast, Fire TV, Xbox One, and Playstation 4.

All ESPN+ content is streamed in 720p and runs at 60 frames per second, a must for viewing sports. In my experience, playback is smooth and consistent on all devices, with no dropouts, very little time buffering, and no random bouts of resolution drops in live event streams. Everything looks crisp on mobile devices and desktop, while things are understandably a bit less pretty when stretched across my 55-inch television display. (Still, I never have issues making out a player's name on their jersey or following the ball.)

You can watch ESPN+ on three separate devices simultaneously from the same account, a nice feature at the fairly low price point. Another neat addition is a picture-in-picture feature that allows you to minimize the screen while you browse the app, but you can't watch two things at once, and on a smartphone, the small screen is pretty much pointless for live sports, as you can barely see anything.

What is the app like?

App interfaces are always a key component of streaming services. Even if you've got a huge library of content, it needs to be easily and simply accessible. ESPN+ has a great mobile interface, with content thumbnails laid out against a black background.

To get to ESPN+, you'll tap on the "+" icon at the bottom of the screen. From there, you can choose between two main sections for streaming video or written content. The written content section is arranged in chronological order, with the newest and most popular articles appearing at the top. The streaming video section has a featured video at the top, with scrollable sections below, including a selection of popular on-demand videos, a list of upcoming events, replays of live events, and recent episodes of original shows.

Everything is fairly easy to navigate and read, and there's a search bar to speed things along if you know what you're looking for. If you're just looking to see live events, the calendar in the upper right corner has a full list which you can filter by sport or network (if you've linked up an account with access to the main ESPN channels).

If you're going on a vacation (or you just don't want to waste precious data), you can tap the download button in the upper left corner to see a selection of content available for download. It's limited to "30 for 30" films and select ESPN+ original series, though.

How is the selection of content?

Overall, ESPN+ has a lot to offer, especially if you're a fan of soccer, baseball, or UFC. You'll get live-streamed events; full replays of fights, games, and matches; a few talk shows with industry analysts; and highlights. Best of all, you can watch more than 60 of ESPN's acclaimed "30 for 30" documentary films and dozens of their shorts, and exclusive ESPN+ series, like "Detail," where legendary athletes like Peyton Manning break down game footage with VFX overlays.

In terms of written content, the offerings are a bit more sparse, though you will get more NBA stuff here than you will on the video side. Some of the rumor-centric articles are nice for fans who can't get enough coverage, but overall I wasn't particularly impressed with the "Insider" content. Still, given how much value you get out of the video stuff alone, the articles simply feel like a nice bonus.

Overall, ESPN+ offers a lot for $6, but its real value boils down to your tastes in sports. If you like watching sports documentaries, the "30 for 30" section alone could keep you occupied for months. Similarly, fans of soccer, boxing, NHL, MLB, college sports, and UFC should appreciate the breadth of content. If all you care about is the NFL or the NBA, though, you may want to pass on ESPN+, as you won't be getting live streams of Monday Night Football or NBA games.