8 Best Services to Get an ESPN Free Trial

cord-cutting › espn free trial • December 13, 2024 • The Staff

You can watch ESPN with a free trial on DirecTV Stream, Fubo TV, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream Ultimate, Fubo TV Elite with Sports Plus, Spectrum TV Choice, or DirecTV Stream Premier.

The longest trial to ESPN is 7 days, which you can get with Fubo.

Sports enthusiasts get their daily dose of the NFL, NBA, Tennis Open, Formula 1, and even college league games from ESPN. ESPN+ does not offer a free trial, but you can stream ESPN live with a free trial from one of the services below.

Our recommended three best services to get an ESPN free trial:

DirecTV Stream 80 channels included	5 days trial	Watch

Fubo 108 channels included	7 days trial	Watch

Hulu with Live TV 97 channels included	3 days trial	Watch

5-day ESPN Free Trial on DirecTV Stream

If you want the feel of cable with the ease of cord-cutting, your best bet is DirecTV Stream. The live TV streaming service has hundreds of channels (including RSNs and local networks), unlimited cloud DVR, and simultaneous streams, and it's all formatted in a way that makes it look almost exactly like traditional TV. The prices of its plans range, but if you want to give a subscription a think, then you can try any of its plans free for 5 days. Simply go to their website, pick a plan you’re interested in, and input your payment details. You’ll have to do the last step because if you don’t cancel before the trial period ends, you’ll automatically be charged the full price of the monthly plan. The free trial lets you test all features of the plan, including the simultaneous screams and DVR, so make sure you test the platform thoroughly before the trial is up.

Go to DirecTV Stream

Price: $86.99/month

Free Trial: 5 days

If you start today, trial ends on: Wednesday, January 1st, 2025

Upon cancellation, free trial ends: immediately when you cancel

How to cancel: You can cancel DirecTV Stream directly online: go to your account, then "manage my TV subscription", "cancel my subscription". Up until recently, you had to call or chat with DirecTV to cancel the service. Now you can do it easily and quickly online.

Channel lineup: ABC, ACC Digital Network, AccuWeather, Alien Nation, AMC, Anger Management, Animal Planet, Are We There Yet?, Ax Men, AXS TV, Baby First, BabyTV, BBC America, BET, Big 12, Bloomberg TV, Bob Ross, Boomerang, Bravo, C-SPAN, C-SPAN2, Cartoon Network, CBS, CBS local channels, Cheddar News, Cleo TV, CMT, C NBC, CNN, CNN en Espanol, CNN International, Comedy Central, Comedy Dynamics, Court TV, Crime 360, CW, Daystar HD, Declassified, Discovery Channel, Duck Dynasty, E! Entertainment, EarthxTV, Ebony TV, El Rey Rebel, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, FMC, Food Network, FOX, Fox Business Network, Fox News Channel, FOX SOUL, Fox Sports 1, Fox Weather, Freeform, FUEL TV, Fuse Music, FX, FXX, Galavision, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Mystery, HerSphere, HGTV, HLN, Home Shopping Network, HSN, IFC, Investigation Discovery, ION, ion Television, Jewelry Television, MeatEater TV, MotorTrend, MovieSphere, MSNBC, MTV Classic, MTV2, NBA TV, NBC, NBC local channels, News Nation, Nick Jr., One America News, Ovation, Oxygen True Crime, Paramount Network, PBS, PBS Kids, PBS local channels, Poker GO, Pursuit Channel, QVC, QVC2, QVC3, Racing America, REELZ, REVOLT, RFD-TV, RSNs, Scientology Network, Scripps News, Shop LC, Somos Novelas, SportsGrid, Start TV, SundanceTV, SYFY, Tastemade Home, Tastemade Travel, TBS, TCM, TeenNick, Telemundo local channels, The First, theGrio, TLC, TNT, truTV, TV Land, TV One, Univision, Up TV, USA Network, VH1, WE tv, Women’s Sports Network

There are more and more options to cut the cord and keep your live TV channels w...

7-day ESPN Free Trial on Fubo

Though largely known as the sports-centered service, Fubo has a lot of other things going for it. The live TV streaming platform has local channels, live events, unlimited DVR, and unlimited screens it offers through plans that range from $80 to $100 per month. It also has a Latino package it offers at nearly half the price of its other plans. The only downside to Fubo is that it recently dropped Warner Bros. and Turner channels because of a dispute. Another possible disadvantage is the ambiguity of its free trial periods. To be sure, Fubo does have a free trial, which is already more than what competing streaming services offer, but it can last two to seven days, depending on when you claim it. The standard should be seven, so you can file a complaint if it ends before then, but Fubo has noticeably erased nearly all mentions of the 7-day-free trial, so be wary of that. Otherwise, Fubo is an enjoyable cable alternative that you can cancel anytime.

Go to Fubo

Price: ~~$79.99~~ $49.99

Free Trial: 7 days

If you start today, trial ends on: Friday, January 3rd, 2025

Upon cancellation, free trial ends: at the end of the trial period. You can keep watching until the trial ends.

How to cancel: Fubo lets you keep your remaining free trial period when you cancel, unlike Hulu and Youtube TV. To cancel, go to "my account", "subscripiton and billing", and finally "cancel subscription".

Channel lineup: A&E, ABC, ABC News Live, ACC Network, AccuWeather, Bein Sports, Big Ten Network, Bravo, CBS, CBS local channels, CBS Sports Network, CBSN, Cheddar, CMT, C NBC, Comedy Central, Comet, Court TV, Cozi TV, CW, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, E!, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, Estrella TV, FETV, FMC, FOX, Fox Business Network, Fox News Channel, FOX SOUL, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, Freeform, fubo Sports Network, FX, FXX, FYI, Galavision, GetTV, Golf Channel, GRIT, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Drama, Hallmark Mystery, History, IFC, Intravel, Local Now, MASN, MSNBC, MTV, National Geographic, NBC, NBC local channels, NBCLX, NBCSN, Newsmax, NFL Network, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, Olympic Channel, Oxygen, Paramount Network, Pop, RSNs, SEC Network, Smithsonian Channel, SYFY, Tastemade, Telemundo, Telemundo local channels, The Weather Channel, Travel Channel, TUDN, TUDNxtra, TV Land, TVG, Unimas, Unimas local channels, Universal Kids, Universo, Univision, Univision local channels, USA Network, VH1, Vice, WGN America, Willow, YES Network

Live sports coverage, game highlights, and in-depth commentaries on NFL, NBA, an...

3-day ESPN Free Trial on Hulu with Live TV

Hulu with Live TV offers 95 live channels, as well as countless on-demand content from Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+, from $83/month. It does have a free trial, but it might be the shortest offer yet with a duration of just 3 days. It’s shorter than YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream, but it might be enough for you to decide whether the channel lineup, which includes local, sports, and entertainment networks like Bravo, TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network, Discovery, FS1, NFL Network, and ABC News are to your liking. To be eligible for the free trial, you have to either be new to Hulu or a returning customer who canceled a Hulu subscription over a year ago. You can test all of the streaming service’s features, like cloud DVR and device compatibility, during the free trial. Just remember to cancel before the period ends, otherwise, you’ll be charged the regular monthly fee.

Go to Hulu with Live TV

Price: $82.99/month

Free Trial: 3 days

If you start today, trial ends on: Monday, December 30th, 2024

Upon cancellation, free trial ends: immediately when you cancel

How to cancel: You can cancel Hulu with Live TV from your online "account" page. Just go there and look for "cancel". When you cancel Hulu with Live TV during the free trial, you lose access right away, and you don't get to keep your remaining trial days. Also keep in mind that Hulu with Live TV does not send a notice that your trial will end, so you have to keep track of that yourself.

Channel lineup: A&E, ABC, ABC News Live, ACC Network, Adult Swim, Animal Planet, BET, Big Ten Network, Bloomberg TV+, Bravo, Cartoon Network, CBS, CBS local channels, CBS News, CBS Sports Network, Cheddar News, CMT, C NBC, CNN, CNN International, Comedy Central, Comedy TV, Cozi TV, CW, Dabl, Discovery Channel, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, E!, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN College Extra, ESPNews, ESPNU, Food Network, FOX, Fox Business, Fox News Channel, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, Freeform, FX, FXM, FXX, FYI, Get TV, Golf Channel, Hallmark, Hallmark Mystery, HGTV, History, HLN, ID, Justice Central TV, Lifetime, Lifetime Movies, Localish, Military History Channel, Motor Trend, MSNBC, MTV, Nat Geo Wild, National Geographic, NBC, NBC local channels, NBC News Now, NBCLX, NBCSN, News Nation, NFL Network, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, OWN, Oxygen, Paramount Network, Pop, QVC, SEC Network, Smithsonian Channel, Start TV, SYFY, TBS, Telemundo, The Grio, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, truTV, Turner Classic Movies, TVLand, Universal Kids, USA Network, VH1, Vice, Weather Channel

7-day ESPN Free Trial on YouTube TV

YouTube TV is one of the few comprehensive, all-in-one live TV packages that still offers a weeklong free trial. In the past, it’s even offered a 60-day free trial during special occasions. The streaming service has everything you could want: local channels, live sports (including the coveted NFL Sunday Ticket), and cable networks, though you’d still have to pay extra for premium channels like HBO and Starz. It has other add-ons, too, if you’re more into Spanish-language channels for instance or even more sports coverage. Additionally, it has unlimited DVR storage. The only potential downside is picture quality, a common problem among users more used to satellite-grade crispness. You can discover for yourself whether the picture quality, channel lineup, and DVR storage, among others, are worth its $73/month price tag when you sign up for the 7-da7 free trial.

Go to YouTube TV

Price: $82.99/month

Free Trial: 7 days

If you start today, trial ends on: Friday, January 3rd, 2025

Upon cancellation, free trial ends: at the end of the trial period. You can keep watching until the trial ends.

How to cancel: Youtube TV is one of those services that end your trial the moment you cancel. For example if you sign up for a 7-day free trial but cancel after one day, you will lose the remaining 6 days and not be able to watch the service until you pay.

Channel lineup: ABC, ABC News, ACCN, Adult Swim, AMC, Animal Planet, BBC America, BBC World News, BET, BET Her, Big Ten Network, Bounce, Bravo, Cartoon Network, CBS, CBS local channels, CBS Sports Network, Charge!, Cheddar, Cheddar News, CMT, C NBC, C NBC World, CNN, Comedy Central, Comedy TV, Comet, Court TV, Cozi TV, Dabl, Discovery Channel, Disney, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Docurama, Dove Channel, E!, ESPN, ESPN U, ESPN2, ESPNews, Food Network, FOX, Fox Business, Fox News, FOX SOUL, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, Fox Weather, Freeform, FX, FXM, FXX, Galavision, Game Show Network, Get TV, Golf Channel, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Drama, Hallmark Mystery, HGTV, HLN, HSN, IFC, Investigation Discovery, ION, Justice Central TV, LAFC Channel, Law & Crime, Live Now, Local Now, Localish, MotorTrend, MSNBC, MTV, MTV 2, MTV Classic, My TV, Nat Geo Wild, National Geographic, NBA TV, NBC, NBC local channels, NBC News Now, NBC Universo, NBCLX, NBCSN, NECN, Neon, News Nation, Newsmax, NFL Network, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, Nicktoons, Orlando City Channel, OWN, Oxygen, Oxygen True Crime, Paramount, PBS, PBS Kids, PBS local channels, PC Mag, Pop, QVC, Recipe.TV, Scripps News, SEC Network, Smithsonian Channel, SNY, Start TV, Sundance TV, SYFY, Tastemade, TBD, TBS, Teen Nick, TeleHit, Telemundo local channels, Tennis 2, The CW, The Great Courses, The Walking Dead Universe, The Weather Channel, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, Tru TV, Turner Classic Movies, TV Land, TYT, Unimas, Unimas local channels, Universal Kids, Univision, Univision local channels, USA Network, VH1, WE tv, YouTube Originals, Zen channel

7-day ESPN Free Trial on Fubo Elite with Sports Plus

Fubo Elite costs $10 more than Fubo’s basic $75/month plan, but this additional charge gives you access to 245 channels (that’s 77 more than the basic plan) and 4K viewing. Like all of Fubo’s plans, you can try Fubo Elite for up to seven days free. In those standard (and quite reasonable) seven days, you can try all of the plan’s features, including its 1,000-hour DVR storage, 10 simultaneous streams, and of course the aforementioned 4K viewing. If you don’t cancel the trial after seven days, Fubo will assume you’ll want to push through with the subscription and charge you $85/month.

Go to Fubo Elite with Sports Plus

Price: ~~$89.99~~ $59.99

Free Trial: 7 days

If you start today, trial ends on: Friday, January 3rd, 2025

Upon cancellation, free trial ends: at the end of the trial period. You can keep watching until the trial ends.

How to cancel: Fubo lets you keep your remaining free trial period when you cancel, unlik Hulu and Youtube TV. To cancel, go to "my account", "subscripiton and billing", and finally "cancel subscription".

Channel lineup: A&E, ABC, ABC News Live, AccuWeather, American Heroes Channel, Animal Planet, Bein Sports, BET, Big Ten Network, Bravo, CBS, CBS local channels, CBS Sports Network, CBSN, Cheddar, CMT, C NBC, Comedy Central, Comet, Cooking Channel, Cozi TV, Curiosity Channel, CW, Destination America, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, DUST, E!, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNews, ESPNU, Estrella TV, FETV, FMC, FOX, Fox Business Network, Fox News Channel, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, Freeform, fubo Sports Network, Fuse, FX, FXM, FXX, FYI, Galavision, Game Show Network, GetTV, GINX Esports TV, Golf Channel, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Drama, Hallmark Mystery, History, IFC, Intravel, Local Now, Logo, Magnolia Network, MLB Network, MotorTrend, MSNBC, MTV, MTV Classic, MTV Live, MTV2, MTVU, Nat Geo Wild, National Geographic, NBATV, NBC, NBC local channels, NBCSN, Newsmax, Newsy, NFL Network, NHL Network, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, NickMusic, Nicktoons, Olympic Channel, Oxygen, Pac-12 Network, Paramount Network, People TV, Pop, REVOLT, Revry, RSNs, Science Channel, Smithsonian Channel, Sony Movie Channel, Stadium, SYFY, Tastemade, TeenNick, Telemundo, Telemundo local channels, Tennis Channel, The Weather Channel, Travel Channel, TV Land, TVG, Unimas, Unimas local channels, Universal Kids, Universo, Univision, Univision local channels, USA Network, VH1, Vice, WGN America, YES Network, Zona Futbol

5-day ESPN Free Trial on DirecTV Stream Ultimate

DirecTV Stream Ultimate is one of the meatier live TV packages offered by DirecTV Stream. It includes unlimited streams, cloud DVR, and over 140 channels, many of which are entertainment and regional sports networks, making it quite the bundle for families with a variety of needs. Its $109.99/month subscription is no joke, however, so it’s great that the platform offers a handy 5-day free trial. You can see for yourself if the features all work, if the package is worth the price, and if it’s an overall good fit for your household. Just remember to cancel the trial before it ends if you don’t want DirecTV to automatically charge your card and renew the subscription monthly.

Go to DirecTV Stream Ultimate

Price: $129.99/month

Free Trial: 5 days

If you start today, trial ends on: Wednesday, January 1st, 2025

Upon cancellation, free trial ends: immediately when you cancel

Channel lineup: A&E, ABC, ABC News Live, ACC Network, AccuWeather, AHC, American Heroes Channel, Animal Planet, Aspire, BBC News, Bein Sports, Bein Sports 4, Bein sports 5, Bein Sports 6, Bein Sports 7, Bein Sports 8, BET Her, BET Jams, BET Soul, BIG Network, Big Ten Network, Big Ten Network, Bounce, Bravo, CBS, CBS local channels, CBS Sports Network, CBSN, Cheddar, Cheddar News, CMT, C NBC, C NBC World, Comedy Central, Comet, Cooking Channel, Cozi TV, Curiosity Channel, CW, Destination America, Discovery Channel, Discovery Family, Discovery Life, DUST, E!, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, Estrella TV, Fanduel TV, FMC, Food Network, FOX, Fox Business Network, Fox News Channel, FOX SOUL, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, Fox Sports 2, Freeform, Fuse, FX, FYI, Galavision, Game Show Network, Get TV, GetTV, GINX Esports TV, Golf Channel, GRIT, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Drama, Hallmark Mystery, Heroes & Icons, HGTV, History, IFC, Investigation Discovery, Lifetime Movie Network, Local Now, Logo, Magnolia Network, MeTV, MLB Network, MotorTrend, MSNBC, MTV, MTV Classic, MTV Live, MTV2, MTVU, Nat Geo Wild, National Geographic, NBA TV, NBATV, NBC, NBC local channels, NBCLX, NBCSN, Newsmax, Newsy, NFL Network, NHL Network, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, NickMusic, Nicktoons, Olympic Channel, OWN, Oxygen, Oxygen True Crime, Pac-12 Network, Paramount Network, PBS local channels, People TV, Pop, Pop TV, Pursuit Channel, REVOLT, Revry, RSNs, Science Channel, SEC Network, Showtime FamilyZone, Smithsonian Channel, Sony Movie Channel, Sportsman Channel, Stadium, Start TV, SYFY, Tastemade, TeenNick, Telemundo, Telemundo local channels, Tennis Channel, The Weather Channel, TLC, Travel Channel, TV Land, TVG, Unimas, Universal Kids, Universo, Univision, UPtv, USA, VH1, Vice, WE tv, WGN America, Zona Futbol

7-day ESPN Free Trial on Spectrum TV Choice

Spectrum TV Choice is a live tv streaming service only available to Spectrum customers in serviceable areas. Its advertised price is $30/month, but you also have to pay an unavoidable broadcast fee for local channels, which makes the total cost about $53/month. If you think that’s steep, the good news is that Spectrum TV choice does offer a free trial so you can try out its channels (15 of which, you get to pick yourself from a wide array that includes ESPN and TNT) and different features. As for the length of that trial, the standard is 7 days, but that could change depending on your account history and area.

Price: Varies depending on your location and account history.

5-day ESPN Free Trial on DirecTV Stream Premier

The most cable-like live TV package to date, DirecTV Stream Premier carries every possible channel you can think of. The sports department has ESPN and Fox Sports, to name a few, plus all the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB specialty channels. Meanwhile, the entertainment department has premium networks like HBO, Starz, Cinemax, and Showtime. It even has RSNs and local channels, all of which total more than 150 channels, so if you want your subscription to cover multiple bases, this is as comprehensive as it gets. All this comes to a hefty $160/month, which seems like a lot for a cord-cutting service, but with features like unlimited screens and DVR, it's worth considering if you have the budget to spare.

Go to DirecTV Stream Premier

Price: $169.99/month

Free Trial: 5 days

If you start today, trial ends on: Wednesday, January 1st, 2025

Upon cancellation, free trial ends: at the end of the trial period. You can keep watching until the trial ends.

Channel lineup: A&E, ABC, ACC Network, AMC, American Heroes Channel HD, Animal Planet, Aspire, AXS TV, Baby First TV, BBC America, BBC News, BET, BET Her, Big Ten Network, Bloomberg TV+, Boomerang, Bounce, Bravo, C-SPAN, C-SPAN2, Cartoon Network, CBS local channels, CBS Sports Network, Cheddar News, CMT, C NBC, C NBC World, CNN, CNN en Espanol, Comedy Central, Comedy TV, Cooking Channel, Cozi TV, Destination America, Discovery Channel, Discovery Family, Discovery Life, Disney Channel, Disney Jr, Disney XD, E! Entertainment, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNews, ESPNU, Fanduel TV, FMC, Food Network, FOX, Fox Business Network, Fox News Channel, FOX SOUL, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports FS2, Freeform, Fuse, Fuse Music, FX, FXM, FXX, FYI, Galavision, Game Show Network, Gem Shopping Network, GetTV, Golf Channel, Great American Family, GRIT, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Mystery, Heroes & Icons, HGTV, History, HLN, Home Shopping Network, Investigation Discovery, Lifetime, LMN, Logo, Magnolia Network, MeTV, MLB Network, MotorTrend, MSNBC, MTV, MTV Classic, MTV2, National Geographic Wild, NBA TV, NBC, NBC local channels, NFL Network, NHL Network, Nick Jr., Nicktoons, One America News, Ovation, OWN, Oxygen, Paramount Network, PBS local channels, Pop TV, Pursuit Channel, QVC, QVC2, ReelzChannel, REVOLT, RFD-TV, RSNs, Showtime BET, Sportsman Channel, Start TV, SundanceTV, SYFY, TBS, TCM, TeenNick, Telemundo local channels, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, truTV, TV Land, Universal Kids, Univision East, Up TV, USA Network, VH1, Vice, WE tv