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ESPN+ Soccer & Sports Guide — Leagues, Schedule and Cost 2026

ESPN+ is the cheapest US sports streaming entry point at $11.99/month — strong on UFC and European soccer mid-tier, light on NFL/NBA/MLB national rights.

ESPN+ is the longest-running and cheapest dedicated US sports streaming service. At $11.99/month it carries a deep mid-tier sports lineup — La Liga, FA Cup, UFC Fight Night, NHL out-of-market, all of college football’s Group of 5 conferences, and the 30-for-30 documentary archive. It does not carry the linear ESPN cable channel; Monday Night Football, top-tier NBA and the ESPN/ABC NFL playoff windows remain behind a separate ticket (linear ESPN via vMVPD, the DTC ESPN service, or the Disney bundle).

Where to watch with ESPN+ ($11.99/mo)

SportWhat ESPN+ carriesWhat it doesn’t
Soccer — EuropeLa Liga, FA Cup, EFL Cup, Bundesliga 2, EredivisiePremier League, UCL, Serie A, top Bundesliga
Soccer — AmericasMLS (non-Apple), USL Championship, select Liga MXNWSL (Paramount+ + ESPN+ shared), Brasileirão
UFCEvery Fight Night (Saturday undercard)PPV cards (separate $79.99/event)
NHLOut-of-market regular season (NHL.tv replacement)National TNT/ESPN games (linear)
College footballGroup of 5 conferences, ACC Network Extra, SEC Network+Top SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 marquee on ESPN/ABC linear
College basketballACC, Big East, Sun Belt, MACTop SEC, Big Ten marquee on ESPN linear
BoxingTop Rank cardsDAZN cards, PBC cards
OtherNWSL (shared rights), F1 30-for-30, e-sports, cricketNFL games (no ESPN+ exclusive NFL games as of 2026)

2025/26 ESPN+ schedule snapshot

DateEventWindow (ET)ESPN+ access
Aug 15, 2025La Liga 2025/26 season opensAll weekendESPN+
Sep 13, 2025FA Cup early-round weekendAll dayESPN+
Oct 4, 2025UFC Fight Night marquee card7:00pmESPN+
Nov 8, 2025Top Rank boxing weekly10:00pmESPN+
Jan 17, 2026NHL Stadium Series8:00pmESPN+ (national)
Apr 25, 2026El Clásico (Real Madrid vs Barcelona)3:00pmESPN+
May 16, 2026FA Cup Final11:00amESPN+
Jun 1, 2026La Liga final matchday (10 simul.)1:00pmESPN+

How to subscribe

  1. Decide if you need ESPN+ alone or the bundle. Standalone is $11.99/month or $119.99/year. The Disney Bundle (Disney+ Premium + Hulu + ESPN+) at $26.99/month is dramatically better value if you want any Disney+ or Hulu content.
  2. Sign up at espn.com/espnplus or in the ESPN app. The Hulu + Live TV bundle ($82.99/mo) automatically includes ESPN+ and Disney+ — useful if you also want linear ESPN.
  3. Install the ESPN app on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox, PlayStation, Samsung/LG/Vizio smart TVs, iOS, Android. The same app handles ESPN+, linear ESPN (if subscribed), and DTC ESPN.
  4. Tune in. The “Live” tab in the ESPN app surfaces every active ESPN+ event. La Liga and FA Cup matches schedule into the regular soccer calendar; UFC Fight Night cards air Saturday evenings at 7-10pm ET.
  5. For UFC PPV: the $79.99 add-on unlocks within the ESPN app on PPV nights — purchase at espn.com/ufc within 24 hours of the event.

Connection to soccer streaming

For US soccer viewers, ESPN+ is the second-cheapest essential subscription behind Peacock. The combination of Peacock ($7.99) + Paramount+ ($7.99) + ESPN+ ($11.99) = $27.97/month covers Premier League, UEFA Champions League, La Liga and FA Cup — all four of the highest-rated European competitions in US TV markets. Add Apple TV MLS Season Pass at $14.99 for the full North American soccer picture.

See the homepage broadcaster matrix for the full sport-by-sport US rights map. For ESPN’s premium tiers see the ESPN streaming service guide.

Frequently asked questions

What soccer leagues does ESPN+ stream in the US?
ESPN+ carries La Liga (Spain), FA Cup, EFL Carabao Cup, Bundesliga 2 / 3. Liga (Germany lower tiers), Eredivisie (Netherlands) and select federation friendlies. It does not carry the Premier League (Peacock), Champions League (Paramount+), Serie A (Paramount+), top-tier Bundesliga (Fox + ESPN+ shared) or MLS (Apple TV).
Does ESPN+ include the linear ESPN channel?
No. ESPN+ is a separate DTC streaming service from the linear ESPN cable channel. For linear ESPN (Monday Night Football, NBA Finals, college football top tier) you need a vMVPD like YouTube TV or the standalone DTC ESPN service launched in 2025. The Disney bundle (Disney+ + Hulu + ESPN+) at $26.99/month is the best-value entry.
Is UFC PPV included in ESPN+?
No. ESPN+ includes UFC Fight Night cards (the Saturday undercard events) but UFC PPV events require an additional $79.99 per-event PPV add-on on top of the regular $11.99 ESPN+ subscription. Bundles occasionally appear (ESPN+ annual + 3 PPVs for ~$174.99) during fight weeks.

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