How to watch ESPN amid Spectrum blackout

Emily Barnes, New York State Team
Updated ·2 min read
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WROC-TV (Channel 8) is no longer available to DirecTV customers.

A dispute between Charter Communications and Disney blacked out ESPN channels for Spectrum cable subscribers, forcing New Yorkers to miss out on college football, U.S. Open tennis and Disney content.

And unfortunately, there's no clear end in sight.

A permanent drop of ESPN and other Disney-owned channels is possible, representatives for Spectrum said Friday after a dispute between the cable company and Disney caused blackouts for customers.

Here's how to watch ESPN games if you're affected by the Spectrum blackout:

Sling TV

Sling TV's Orange plan has 32 channels, including ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN3. Right now, get your first month of Sling Orange for $20. The subscription charge is $40 per month after that.

YouTube TV

You can stream major broadcasts and cable networks, including ESPN, with YouTube TV. You can also record broadcasts and add up to six accounts per household.

The subscription fee for YouTube TV is $72.99 per month, but you can start with a free trial.

ESPN+

ESPN+ is the streaming service owned by ESPN and The Walt Disney Co. ESPN+ does not provide access to ESPN's traditional TV content, but it does air other shows and sporting events.

An ESPN+ subscription costs $9.99 per month, or $99.99 per year.

Fubo

Fubo offers ESPN and other channels, plus the ability to record your favorite shows to the Cloud DVR. The subscription service is $74.99 per month. You can try the service with a free trial first.

Hulu + Live TV

Hulu + Live TV offers over 90 channels, including ESPN, plus access to ESPN+ and Disney+. Get a subscription for $69.99 per month.

DirecTV Stream

DirecTV Stream offers four streaming packages ‒ Entertainment, Choice, Ultimate and Premier ‒ and ESPN is offered on all of them. Right now, you can subscribe to the Entertainment package for $74.99 per month.

Cincinnati Enquirer reporters Victoria Moorwood and Annasofia Scheve contributed to this report.

Emily Barnes is the New York State Team Consumer Advocate Reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Contact Barnes at ebarnes@gannett.com or on Twitter @byemilybarnes. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: How to watch ESPN amid Spectrum blackout