How to watch ESPN Plus with Roku

Offering live coverage of a variety of sporting events along with on-demand programming, ESPN+ gives you the perfect way to supplement your sports streaming subscription. As our ESPN Plus review highlighted, this standalone streaming service from ESPN lets you catch up on different types of sports such as college football, golf, hockey, mixed martial arts, and more.

It’s also the only service that gives you access to pay-per-view Ultimate Fighting Champion (UFC) events. And one of the best parts is you can use it with a wide variety of devices — from streaming media players to gaming consoles and even virtual reality (VR) headsets.

If you have a Roku device, you can also stream ESPN+ with it. In this post, we show you how to install and access ESPN+ on Roku. Let’s get started.

How to get ESPN+ on Roku

For Roku ESPN+ streaming, you first need a subscription to the service. You’ll also need a working internet connection and a TV that’s compatible with your Roku player.

If you don’t have an ESPN Plus subscription yet, here’s how to get it:

Step 1: Go to the official ESPN+ website

Step 2: You’ll get an option to bundle ESPN+ with Disney+ and Hulu for $12.99/mo. Click on the “Get all three” button for this bundle. To subscribe to ESPN Plus only, click on the “Subscribe to ESPN+ only” link. This will let you subscribe to ESPN+ for $9.99/mo. or $99.99/yr.

Step 3: On the next screen, log in using your existing ESPN Plus account. If you don’t have one yet, enter your details and then create a password for your new ESPN Plus account.

Step 4: Provide your payment info such as credit card details or PayPal email, and that’s it. You now have an active ESPN Plus subscription.

Once that’s sorted, you have two options for ESPN+ Roku installation. You can either install the app from your web browser or directly on your Roku device:

Step 1: Visit the Roku Channel Store from your web browser or using your Roku player.

Step 2: Search for the ESPN Roku app.

Step 3: Click on the “Add channel” button to begin installation.

Step 4: Once the installation finishes, open the ESPN app and log in using your credentials.

Step 5: Select the “ESPN+” tab to start watching.

When you log in, you may get a prompt to subscribe even though you already have an ESPN Plus subscription. If this happens, follow the steps below to re-link your account with your subscription:

Step 1: Go to the “Settings” tab of your ESPN Roku app.

Step 2: Select “Subscriptions,” then choose “ESPN+.”

Step 3: Log in using your credentials, then copy the activation code on your screen.

Step 4: Using your web browser, go to http://espn.com/activate.

Step 5: Enter the activation code, then click on “Continue.”

Step 6: Log in with your credentials if you have an existing ESPN account. If you don’t, create a new one.

This process links your subscription to your Roku device so you can start streaming ESPN Plus with the player. You can also use your account on any of the other supported devices.

Can you watch ESPN Plus on older Roku models?

ESPN Plus supports many older Roku devices except for the following legacy models:

  • Roku 2 HD – 3000X
  • Roku 2 XD – 3050X
  • Roku 2 XS – 3100X/EU
  • Roku HD – 2500X
  • Roku LT – 2400X/EU
  • Roku LT – 2450X
  • Roku Streaming Stick – 3400X
  • Roku Streaming Stick – 3420X

If you own any of these legacy Roku models and you still want to watch ESPN Plus, you might want to try casting using a supported Chromecast device. And if your older Roku device doesn’t show up on this list of legacy models, just follow the same steps as above to download and watch ESPN Plus.

ESPN Plus supported devices

Even if you have a non-compatible Roku model and the above workaround doesn’t work for you, you still have many options to stream ESPN+. ESPN Plus works with a wide range of devices, including gaming consoles and even VR headsets.

In addition to your web browser, you can use any of the following devices to watch ESPN Plus:

  • Amazon Kindle Fire (1st Generation or newer)
  • Amazon Fire tablets (4th Generation or newer)
  • Amazon Fire TV  and Fire Stick
  • Amazon Fire TV Edition Smart TVs
  • Android phones and tablets (OS 5.0 or greater)
  • Android TV devices (select models)
  • Apple TV devices (3rd Generation or newer)
  • Chromecast
  • iPad (running iOS 11 or greater)
  • iPhone and iPod Touch (running iOS 11 or greater)
  • Oculus Go
  • PlayStation 4
  • Roku players
  • Samsung Smart TVs (select models)
  • Xbox One

How to download ESPN Plus content on Roku

While ESPN+ has an offline viewing feature, this only works with the mobile app. That means you can’t download ESPN Plus content on Roku devices or any other streaming media players. The same holds true for other streaming services that offer offline viewing. They won’t let you download content to watch offline on your streaming media player as the device needs an internet connection to work.

It’s good to note that while ESPN Plus allows offline viewing on mobile and tablet devices, you can only download select content. Not every single ESPN Plus title is available for offline viewing. But you should be able to download its scripted shows and documentaries and watch them offline without an internet connection.

The final cut

With support for a wide range of models, Roku is an excellent option to stream ESPN Plus content. Just make sure your device isn’t among the list of legacy models that don’t support Roku ESPN Plus streaming. But if you’re planning to get a new Roku player, consider investing in one that offers powerful processing capabilities for the best streaming experience.And if you already have a compatible Roku player, consider getting a new ESPN+ subscription to supplement your existing live TV streaming service.

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