ESPN is the spine of US sports broadcasting. The cable channel (and its streaming sibling ESPN+) touches every major league at some level, from Monday Night Football to La Liga to the College Football Playoff. The bar regular’s first cable subscription, the default tab on any sportsbook night, the Sunday afternoon background noise that’s been on the corner-of-the-bar TV since 1979. ESPN’s national footprint is wider than any single rights deal, and the streaming arm has filled in the gaps the cable channel can’t carry.
The headline ESPN packages: Monday Night Football, the NBA Wednesday/Friday national doubleheader (continuing through 2024-25), MLB Sunday Night Baseball, the College Football Playoff and the New Year’s Six bowls, the College GameDay basketball and football studio shows, and the X Games. ESPN+ runs La Liga, Bundesliga, the FA Cup (now lost to Peacock), select MLS matches, and the entire UFC PPV slate. The Disney+/Hulu/ESPN+ bundle at $14.99 a month is the cheap way in.
What ESPN broadcasts in the US
Monday Night Football — ESPN cable, with select-week ABC simulcasts. The Manning-cast (Peyton and Eli’s alternate broadcast) airs on ESPN2 and ESPN+ for the games that get the Manning treatment. Cable or streaming-cable subscription required.
NBA on ESPN — Wednesday and Friday national doubleheaders through 2024-25. From 2025-26 onward, ESPN/ABC retains a reduced NBA package alongside NBC Peacock and Amazon Prime Video. The playoffs and the Finals stay on ESPN/ABC.
MLB Sunday Night Baseball — ESPN cable, weekly through the regular season. ESPN’s MLB studio show, Baseball Tonight, runs the pre-game and post-game.
College Football Playoff — ESPN holds the full CFP package through 2031, including the new 12-team format and the New Year’s Six bowls (Rose, Sugar, Orange, Cotton, Fiesta, Peach). The semi-finals and the Championship Game land on ESPN cable.
College basketball — ESPN’s biggest cable footprint. The ACC, Big 12, and SEC Network packages plus the headline non-conference matchups. March Madness early rounds simulcast on TBS/TNT/CBS, with the Final Four split across CBS and TBS.
La Liga (ESPN+) — Every match through 2028-29 under the most recent deal. $11.99 a month standalone, included in the bundle.
Bundesliga (ESPN+) — Through 2025-26. The German top flight’s exclusive US streamer.
MLS (select matches) — ESPN simulcasts a handful of MLS matches as part of the league’s pre-Apple TV linear deal, which ends 2025-26 fully.
UFC PPV — Every numbered UFC PPV streams on ESPN+ at $79.99 per event for new subscribers. The Fight Night cards stream as part of the $11.99 monthly subscription.
What ESPN doesn’t carry
Premier League — Peacock exclusive. Champions League and Europa League (Paramount+. Serie A) mostly Paramount+. Eredivisie (ESPN+ briefly, lost to a smaller streamer in the 2024 cycle. Ligue 1) beIN Sports plus a TUDN cable carriage. NHL — split between ESPN+ and TNT, with ESPN+ holding a chunk through 2031. NFL Sunday Ticket (YouTube TV. Thursday Night Football) Amazon Prime. NBA from 2025-26 onward partially shifts to NBC and Amazon.
What it costs
ESPN cable via a streaming-cable bundle (YouTube TV at $82.99, Hulu + Live TV at $76.99, fuboTV at $79.99, Sling Orange at $40) runs $40-83 a month. ESPN+ standalone is $11.99 a month or $119.99 a year. The Disney+/Hulu/ESPN+ bundle (with Hulu basic, not Hulu + Live TV) is $14.99 a month for ad-supported or $26.99 for ad-free. The bundle is the cheapest way to get ESPN+ alongside Disney’s content library.
ESPN’s standalone direct-to-consumer streamer launched in 2025 at $29.99 a month. That’s the cable channel’s full live programming (MNF, NBA, College Football Playoff) without the cable bundle. Useful for cord-cutters who want ESPN without the YouTube TV package.
Frequently asked questions
Is ESPN+ the same as ESPN cable? No. ESPN+ is a streaming-only service with different content. Some content overlaps (UFC Fight Nights, college sports), but Monday Night Football, NBA, and the College Football Playoff are ESPN cable, not ESPN+.
How do I watch the College Football Playoff? ESPN cable for the semi-finals and the Championship Game. The New Year’s Six bowls also air on ESPN. Cable subscription or streaming-cable bundle required.
Does ESPN still carry Premier League? No. Peacock has exclusive US Premier League rights through 2027-28. ESPN+ briefly held a Premier League sub-package in the early 2010s but lost it permanently to NBC in 2013.
What’s the standalone ESPN streamer? Launched 2025, $29.99 a month. Carries the full ESPN cable channel’s live programming without the cable bundle.
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