Is ESPN on Peacock?
ESPN, the venerable cable sports network is owned by both The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). Having been founded in 1979, ESPN is one of the most popular and sought after cable channels in the United States.
However, with the recent influx of streaming services cropping out in recent years, from Netflix, to HBO Max, to Disney+, to NBC Universal’s Peacock, it can be difficult to identify which channels are on which streaming service.
Below, we are going to take a look at whether or not ESPN is on Peacock and, if not, where you can watch ESPN and ESPN+, via a streaming service.
What is ESPN?
While ESPN is one of the most famous cable sports networks, the history of the channel may be unknown to many. And while ESPN, and the ESPN Inc. corporation, may fall under the purview of both the Walt Disney Company and Hearst Communications, ESPN has been given a wide-range of freedom and flexibility in producing original and unique programming content.
ESPN was founded in 1979 by Bill Rasmussen along with his son Scott Rasmussen and Ed Eagan. The original idea came to Bill after he was laid off from his job with the World Hockey Association’s New England Whalers.
Headquartered in Bristol, Connecticut, the newfound company received multiple initial lifelines which would help them survive. This includes a significant investment from Getty Oil to purchase the land where the company was headquartered and an advertising agreement with Anheuser-Busch in the spring of 1979; with the company investing $1 million to be the “exclusive beer advertised on the network.”
ESPN launched on September 7, 1979, beginning with the first telecast of what would become the channel’s flagship program, SportsCenter. Taped in front of a live audience inside the Bristol studios, it was broadcast to 1.4 million cable subscribers throughout the United States.
Throughout the late 1970’s and 1980’s, ESPN continued to grow at an exponential rate, acquiring the rights to broadcast the NFL Draft and the early rounds of the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament.
However, in 1984, ESPN was fully acquired by the American Broadcast Company, or ABC. With the backing of ABC, ESPN was fully able to compete on sports broadcast rights with major sporting leagues, including the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL.
With The Walt Disney Company purchasing ownership of ABC in 1985, ESPN, in effect, fell under the purview of Disney.
What is ESPN+?
With the recent influx of streaming services, ESPN, under the purview of The Disney Company, launched their own streaming service, aptly named ESPN+. Available for both iOS and Android devices, ESPN+ can be accessed via the ESPN app and on all major web browsers.
ESPN+ is marketed as an add-on to ESPN’s core linear networks, with some of ESPN+’s content previously offered exclusively to cable subscribers via ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app.
However, ESPN+ does not include access to these services, as they continue to only be available through television providers. Thus, some of ESPN’s sports rights are not carried on ESPN+.
Rather, ESPN+ showcases major UFC fights, college sports, hockey, rugby, and soccer games. In addition, ESPN+ has recently begun dabbling in sports documentaries, including The Last Dance, an intimate expose of Michael Jordan’s time in the NBA, and the Man in the Arena, which follows Tom Brady’s time in the NFL.
What is Peacock?
In a similar vein as other major cable networks, NBC Universal, a subsidiary of Comcast, entered the streaming wars with their launch of Peacock. Named after the NBC logo, Peacock launched on July 15, 2020.
Peacock primarily features series and film content from NBCUniversal studios and other third-party content providers. Peacock offers both a free ad-supported version with limited content and premium tiers with larger library content and a monthly fee.
As of January 2022, NBCUniversal’s Peacock had reached 24.5 million monthly active users and over 9 million paid subscribers.
What Content is on Peacock?
As Peacock is owned by NBCUniversal, the content library mainly consists of television and movie shows from Universal Pictures and Universal Television. With over 15,000 hours of content on the free plan and an additional 5,000 hours of content on the paid version, Peacock has a wealth of content to keep even the most voracious television watcher satisfied.
However, in addition to the above and unlike other streaming services, Peacock offers a lineup of 25 curated digital channels within the app. These channels include NBC News channels, the NFL Channel, Golf Pass, and SNL Vault.
These curated channels are meant to provide subscribers with additional, long-form content and feature some of the best new and classic content produced by NBCUniversal.
So, is ESPN on Peacock?
Unfortunately, ESPN is not on Peacock. As ESPN is owned by The Walt Disney Company and Hearst Communications, they have withheld ESPN from appearing on Peacock’s streaming service, hoping to continue to offer its content via their own streaming services.
In addition, no ESPN+ content can be found on Peacock, again with that content being locked behind a paid subscription.
How to Watch ESPN and ESPN+
While neither ESPN nor ESPN+ are on Peacock, there are a plethora of ways to watch ESPN and ESPN+ content. For starters, ESPN is currently available on most major cable broadcasts such as Comcast and DirecTV.
In addition, ESPN content and the ESPN family of channels can be found on television streaming services, including YouTube TV, Sling, Philo, and FuboTV.
However, if you are looking to watch ESPN+ content exclusively, you will need to purchase a subscription to ESPN+.
Currently, ESPN+ is $6.99 per month. Alternatively, you can opt to pay for a year’s subscription, which costs $69.99 a year. By subscribing to a year’s subscription, you can save $13.89.
Alternatively, if you enjoy more intense television shows and enjoy the content produced by Disney, you may consider purchasing and subscribing to the Disney bundle.
Featuring a subscription to Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ for one low monthly fee, you can enjoy all the The Disney Company has to offer. Currently, the Disney bundle costs $7.99 per month or can be purchased as a yearly subscription for $79.99, saving you $15.89 in the year.