Sports Streaming · Tool Face-Off

NBC Sports App vs ESPN+

Quick answer

ESPN+ wins for sheer volume of live sports and original content, but NBC Sports App is the go-to if you already pay for cable and want free access to NBC's crown jewel events.

NBC Sports App

Your cable login's best friend — free NBC sports on demand

3.6★

Our pick

ESPN+

The sports streaming workhorse with an absurd amount of live events

4.4★

Monthly Price

Free (requires cable/TV provider login for most content)

~$10.99/month or $109.99/year

Standalone Subscription

No — tied to a TV provider login

Yes — fully standalone

NFL Coverage

Sunday Night Football (NBC)

Limited NFL; no marquee package

Premier League Soccer

Yes — exclusive US broadcast home

No Premier League rights

MMA / UFC

No UFC content

Yes — exclusive home of UFC events

NHL Coverage

Some NBC-rights NHL games

Out-of-market NHL games via ESPN+

Simulcast Streams

Live simulcast of NBC broadcast games

25,000+ live events per year

Original Shows

Minimal originals

ESPN+ originals, 30 for 30, documentaries

Simultaneous Streams

Up to 3 streams (varies by provider)

Up to 3 streams

Offline Downloads

Yes (select content)

Bundle Options

None

Disney Bundle (Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+) from ~$14.99/mo

4K Streaming

Limited 4K availability

Select events in 4K

NBC Sports App

Ease of Use★★★½☆

Pricing Value★★★★☆

Device Support★★★½☆

Content Library★★★½☆

Streaming Quality★★★½☆

Live Sports Coverage★★★½☆

ESPN+

Ease of Use★★★★½

Pricing Value★★★★☆

Device Support★★★★½

Content Library★★★★½

Streaming Quality★★★★☆

Live Sports Coverage★★★★★

Worth knowing

NBC Sports App is essentially a cable TV companion — without a TV provider login, content access drops dramatically.
ESPN+ streams over 25,000 live events annually, including UFC, LaLiga, cricket, and college sports.
NBC holds exclusive US streaming rights to the English Premier League, making it irreplaceable for soccer fans.
ESPN+ does NOT include ESPN's main channel — you still need cable or a live-TV streaming service for that.
The Disney Bundle makes ESPN+ dramatically better value, essentially making Hulu ad-supported 'free' by comparison.

ESPN+ launched in 2018 and now has over 25 million subscribers — yet it still doesn't include the actual ESPN channel. It's a streaming service named after a channel you can't stream on it.

If you want

You're a die-hard Premier League fan

NBC holds exclusive US rights to the EPL — there's no substitute if you want top-flight English soccer.

→ Pick NBC Sports App

If you want

You want the most live sports without a cable subscription

ESPN+ is fully standalone, covers UFC, MLB, NHL, LaLiga, and college sports with 25,000+ events a year.

→ Pick ESPN+

If you want

You already pay for Disney+ or Hulu

The Disney Bundle adds ESPN+ for minimal extra cost, making it the obvious choice for existing Disney subscribers.

→ Pick ESPN+