Tech Reference

How to watch ESPN on your Roku through the official app or a Live TV service

Written by William Antonelli
The ESPN logo displayed on a TV.
There are a couple of ways to watch ESPN on Roku. Monticello/Shutterstock
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For years, ESPN has been the most popular sports channel around. So it makes sense that there's a variety of ways to stream ESPN shows to almost any device.

If you've got a Roku device, there are two major ways to watch ESPN. You can either get the official ESPN app and log in using a cable provider or ESPN Plus account, or use a third-party app with live TV features.

Here's how to get ESPN on your Roku with either method.

How to watch ESPN on Roku with the official app

The official ESPN Roku app is free to download. You can get it by searching for ESPN from your Roku's homepage, selecting it when it comes up in the results, and then selecting Add channel.

The information page for Roku's ESPN app.
Search for the ESPN app and then app it.  ESPN; Roku

Once you open the ESPN app, you'll see all sorts of shows and content to watch. But you'll notice that once you select something, you hit a wall.

Anything that has the ESPN Plus logo in the top-right corner requires an ESPN Plus account to watch. ESPN Plus is $6.99 for a month, or $69.99 for a year. You can sign up in the app through your Roku account, or through the website if you just want an independent account.

The signup page for ESPN Plus in the ESPN Roku app.
The signup page for ESPN Plus in the ESPN Roku app.  ESPN

You can also bundle ESPN Plus with Hulu and Disney Plus for more savings. Read more about ESPN+ and the bundle ESPN+ with Hulu and Disney Plus for $14/month in our review of the streaming service. 

Anything else requires a cable provider account. This means that you'll need to already have a cable package that includes ESPN — if you're not sure whether you have this, check with your cable provider.

This is the main way to watch ESPN on your Roku device, but you can also go through a third-party app.

ESPN Plus logo
Disney+ Hulu ESPN+ bundle

 

How to watch ESPN on Roku with a live TV app

More and more people drop their cable packages every year. And once they do, they overwhelmingly turn towards live TV apps like Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV.

Both Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV include ESPN, along with its affiliates like ESPN 2 and ESPN U. These let you watch ESPN live, as well as record shows to watch again later.

The landing page for ESPN on Hulu + Live TV.
ESPN on Hulu + Live TV offers both shows that are currently airing and shows that've already aired.  ESPN; Hulu

For more information on how to get these live TV apps on your Roku, check out our longer articles on YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV. But once you've signed up and got the apps installed, you can just search for ESPN or a specific show and find it right away.

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

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WillAntonelli
William Antonelli
ExperienceWilliam joined Business Insider in 2019 to help found Tech Reference, a vertical dedicated to answering the internet’s most common questions about the gadgets they buy. In that role, he helped grow the vertical into a powerhouse that attracted over 20 million pageviews a month. He also wrote and edited one of Business Insider’s most successful stories: How to take a screenshot on Windows.William later became one of Business Insider's lead consumer tech reporters, writing roundups and reviews about gadgets ranging from smartphones to gaming PCs. He also established key industry contacts at brands like Apple, Google, Nintendo, and more. He’s also cited on the Wikipedia page for Among Us, an honor above all others.William’s work for Business Insider has included reviewing the best gaming laptops, publishing previews of new Nintendo games and consoles, and comparing Apple’s latest releases so readers know what’s worth their money. Across all assignments, he’s been praised for his depth of knowledge and research skills.In addition to his work at Business Insider, William’s writing has appeared in outlets like The Guardian, Polygon, Thomson Reuters’ Context, and more. He's also a regular guest on TV stations like CBS and NBC, where he provides expert analysis on AI, consumer tech, and Silicon Valley moguls.Why you can trust WilliamWilliam believes the goal of journalism should be to tell the truth, not sell products. In his reviews, William never hesitates to call out a product’s flaws, but he also has no issue complimenting features that genuinely add value.When reviewing a product, William doesn’t test it in a vacuum. He tries to incorporate each product into his daily routine to get a better sense of how it’ll work for the everyday user. And when writing, he focuses on reader comprehension. He’s talented at explaining complicated concepts in ways that all readers can understand, without losing depth or nuance — or his distinctively engaging voice.Expertise
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  • Consumer Technology (Laptops, PCs, video games and gaming consoles, smartphones, more)
  • Social Media (TikTok, X, Meta, more)
  • Internet Culture (Memes, influencers, viral trends)
  • Disinformation
EducationWilliam graduated from the State University of New York at Geneseo in 2018. There, he studied English, communications, and adolescent education, alongside reporting news for the university’s radio and TV stations.Outside workWhen he’s not reporting, you can usually find William biking through Central Park, playing video games, or at home listening to music and writing fanfiction. He’s also a co-manager of the New York Mandolin Ensemble, one of NYC’s premier string orchestras.You can contact him at w.antonelli322@gmail.com, visit his official website at williamantonelli.com, or follow him on Twitter @DubsRewatcher and BlueSky @wantonelli.bsky.social.