ESPN Plus on DIRECTV: Included With ESPN Unlimited

Yes, you can get ESPN Plus on DIRECTV at no extra cost on many plans. DIRECTV now includes ESPN Unlimited with qualifying plans, and ESPN Unlimited has all the content that used to be sold as ESPN+. There is no single ESPN+ channel number. You watch it in the ESPN app, and some events also run on satellite channels 210-1 to 210-7.

Last checked: 14 October 2026, against DIRECTV’s support article ESPN Unlimited through DIRECTV, DIRECTV’s Sports Add-Ons page and ESPN’s own plan page.

Which DIRECTV Plans Include ESPN Plus?

DIRECTV gives ESPN Unlimited to accounts in good standing on the plans below. Older versions of this guide said you had to buy ESPN+ on your own. That is no longer true for these plans.

How you watch DIRECTV	Plan	ESPN Unlimited (with ESPN+)
Streaming	Any Signature package, except ÓPTIMO MÁS	Included, no extra cost
Streaming	MySports Genre Pack	Included, no extra cost
Streaming	MySports & MyNews Duo Genre Pack	Included, no extra cost
Satellite	Any base package that has ESPN (channel 206)	Included, no extra cost
Streaming	ÓPTIMO MÁS	Not included
Streaming	Other Genre Packs	Not on DIRECTV’s list

Not sure if your satellite plan has ESPN? Tune to channel 206. If ESPN plays, your plan qualifies. You can also check each package in our DIRECTV channel lineup.

ESPN+, ESPN Select and ESPN Unlimited: What Changed

ESPN launched its new streaming plans in August 2025. ESPN+ did not go away. It became the ESPN Select plan, and it is also part of the bigger ESPN Unlimited plan. ESPN says certain TV packages still give ESPN+ content through these new plans.

Here is what each plan costs if you buy it from ESPN yourself. DIRECTV customers on a qualifying plan pay none of this.

ESPN plan	What you get	Monthly	Yearly
ESPN Select (formerly ESPN+)	ESPN+ streaming events and originals only	$13.99	$139.99
ESPN Unlimited	ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN+ and more	$31.99	$319.99
Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited Bundle	ESPN Unlimited plus Disney+ and Hulu	From $35.99	Not listed

The real saving is easy to see. If you pay for ESPN Unlimited on your own while your DIRECTV plan already includes it, you spend $31.99 a month for nothing extra. That is about $384 a year.

How to Turn On ESPN Unlimited Through DIRECTV

You only need to do this once, and only if you want to use the ESPN app. These steps follow DIRECTV’s own support article.

1. Make sure you are on a plan from the table above. To change plans, sign in at directv.com and open My TV package.
2. Look for DIRECTV’s activation email. Satellite customers get it after their install is done.
3. Select Activate Now in the email. It opens ESPN’s site, where you create an ESPN login. It does not have to match your DIRECTV login.
4. Open the ESPN app and sign in with that ESPN login.

Lost the email? Sign in to your DIRECTV account, open My TV package and look for the Activate ESPN Unlimited link.

One mistake trips up a lot of people. If you sign in to the ESPN app with your DIRECTV login, you only get the ESPN channels in your package. The ESPN+ extras need the ESPN login you made during activation.

Can You Watch ESPN+ Events on Your TV Without the App?

Yes, for some events. DIRECTV puts select ESPN Unlimited events right in its own guide, with no activation needed.

Your setup	Where the events show up	Good to know
DIRECTV satellite	Channels 210-1 to 210-7	Select events only. You can record them as normal.
DIRECTV streaming with Gemini	Carousels on the Home page and in Sports Central	Only on Gemini 4GB models
Phone, tablet or streaming player	The ESPN app	Sign in with your ESPN login for full access

To check your Gemini model, go to Settings, then System, then Device Preferences, then Storage. For ESPN, ESPN2 and the other regular ESPN channels, see what channel ESPN is on for every major provider.

Already Paying ESPN? Cancel It After You Activate

Turning on ESPN Unlimited through DIRECTV does not cancel a plan you already pay ESPN for. You have to cancel that one yourself, or you will be billed twice.

Activate first, and sign in with your existing ESPN login when asked. Then cancel the paid plan in your ESPN account. ESPN says you keep access to the end of the billing period, and it does not refund part months.

What ESPN+ Content Do You Get?

ESPN says ESPN+ has more than 30,000 live events. That includes college sports, international soccer, golf, tennis and the full ESPN Originals library. ESPN’s plan page also lists LALIGA, NWSL, NHL and WWE Premium Live Events.

ESPN Unlimited adds the full set of ESPN TV networks on top of that, so you can stream them anywhere you have internet. ESPN allows up to three streams at once on most content.

If Your DIRECTV Plan Does Not Qualify

You have two choices. You can move to a Signature package or the MySports Genre Pack, or you can buy ESPN Select or ESPN Unlimited from ESPN at the prices above. Compare the price gap before you decide, since a plan change may cost less than a second bill.

If you mainly want more sports channels, DIRECTV also sells the DIRECTV Sports Pack. DIRECTV says it adds 35+ regional and specialty sports networks, including NFL Network, NFL RedZone, MLB Network, NBA TV and NHL Network. Its page did not list a price when we checked. For channel numbers, see our guide to NFL Network on DIRECTV.

Not on DIRECTV? ESPN says Spectrum and several other TV providers also include ESPN Unlimited with some plans. Our guide to ESPN+ on Spectrum explains its plans. To look up any channel number on your own provider, try the TVProz channel number finder.