ESPN Select costs $12.99 per month or $129.99 per year, giving fans the ESPN+ library under the newer plan name.
ESPN Select is the lower-priced ESPN streaming plan. If you knew it as ESPN+, the name change can feel confusing, but the math is plain: pay monthly for flexibility, or pay yearly to cut the average monthly cost.
The direct price listed by ESPN is $12.99 per month or $129.99 per year. The annual plan works out to $10.83 per month before tax, which saves $25.89 over twelve separate monthly payments. That gap is enough to matter if you already know you’ll watch for a full sports season.
- Monthly plan: $12.99 per month before tax.
- Annual plan: $129.99 per year before tax.
- Annual savings: $25.89 versus paying month by month for one year.
- Main catch: ESPN Select does not include the full ESPN cable channel lineup.
ESPN Select Price With The Real Monthly Math
ESPN Select makes the most sense when your sports habits match the ESPN+ library. ESPN says the plan includes ESPN+ content, and its price page lists Select at $12.99 monthly or $129.99 yearly through ESPN’s own checkout. You can verify the current plan amounts on ESPN plan prices.
The annual plan is the cleaner pick for fans who watch soccer, NHL, college sports, golf, and ESPN Films across much of the year. The monthly plan fits short bursts: one tournament run, one college season, one soccer stretch, or a test month before a larger bundle.
What The Price Gets You
ESPN Select is not a full cable replacement. It is the ESPN+ library under the Select plan name. ESPN says Select includes more than 30,000 events, with LALIGA, Bundesliga, FA Cup, PGA TOUR play, NHL games, college football, men’s and women’s college basketball, PLL, and other sports in the mix through ESPN Select content.
That list is broad, but it still has boundaries. Big national games that air on ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, SEC Network, or ACC Network may require ESPN Unlimited, a TV provider login, or another live TV plan. The right choice depends less on the logo and more on which events you watch each week.
Break-Even Math For Annual Billing
The annual ESPN Select price is close to ten months of monthly billing. If you expect to watch for ten months or more, the yearly plan usually wins. If you expect to watch for nine months or less, monthly billing can cost less, but the per-month rate is higher.
This is where many fans waste money. They buy a year because it looks cheaper, then watch only during one stretch. Match the bill to your sports calendar, not to the label on the plan page.
How ESPN Select Compares With ESPN Unlimited
Many shoppers mix up Select and Unlimited because both live inside the ESPN app. Select is the lower-price plan built around ESPN+ content. Unlimited costs more because it adds ESPN networks and services such as ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SECN, ACCN, ESPN on ABC, ESPN3, SECN+, and ACCNX, according to ESPN Unlimited added networks.
If you only want the ESPN+ side, Select keeps your bill lower. If you want the main ESPN channels without a cable-style plan, Unlimited is the tier to compare.
| Feature | ESPN Select | ESPN Unlimited |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $12.99 | $29.99 |
| Annual price | $129.99 | $299.99 |
| Average monthly cost on annual billing | $10.83 | $24.99 |
| Core content | ESPN+ library | ESPN networks plus ESPN+ |
| Main ESPN channel access | No | Yes |
| Fit for soccer fans | Strong for LALIGA, Bundesliga, FA Cup | Stronger if you also want ESPN channel matches |
| Fit for college sports | Good for many ESPN+ events | Better for SEC, ACC, Big 12, and network games |
| Fit for cord cutters | Works only if ESPN+ content is enough | Closer to a direct ESPN channel package |
Who Should Pay Monthly Instead Of Yearly?
Monthly billing costs more over a full year, but it protects you from paying for months you won’t watch. Sports viewing is seasonal for a lot of people. If you only care about one league, one cup run, or one school, a monthly plan can be the smarter bill.
Choose monthly when you’re not sure you’ll stick around. It also helps if you’re waiting to see which games land on ESPN+ rather than the main ESPN networks. Canceling after one or two months can cost less than locking into a year you barely use.
When The Annual Plan Makes Sense
The yearly plan wins when ESPN Select is part of your normal viewing routine. If you follow European soccer, NHL out-of-market games, college sports, PGA TOUR events, and ESPN originals through the year, the lower average cost is hard to ignore.
There’s also a habit factor. If you already paid for ESPN+ year after year, Select is mostly a label change for that same lane of content. The annual plan keeps the bill simpler and trims the total price across twelve months.
Extra Costs And Billing Details
The sticker price is only part of the bill. Sales tax can raise the final charge in some places. App store billing can also differ from direct ESPN billing because Apple, Google, Roku, and other stores may handle payment, renewals, and cancellation rules in their own account screens.
Bundles can change the math too. ESPN Select may appear inside Disney and Hulu bundles, and those bundles can shift in price or content mix. Before you buy, compare the direct Select plan against any bundle you already have. Paying for the same content twice is the easiest mistake to make.
| Viewer Type | Better Pick | Why It Fits |
|---|---|---|
| You want ESPN+ only | ESPN Select | Lowest direct ESPN tier for that library |
| You want ESPN and ESPN2 | ESPN Unlimited | Select does not include those channels |
| You watch for two months | Monthly Select | Less cash than a year upfront |
| You watch all year | Annual Select | Lower average monthly cost |
| You already have live TV | Check your plan | You may already get some ESPN access |
How To Decide Before You Subscribe
Start with your actual watch list. Write down the teams, leagues, and events you care about, then check where those games air. If most of them sit on ESPN+, Select is the leaner buy. If they sit on ESPN or ESPN2, Select will leave you short.
Next, pick the billing style that matches your season. A soccer fan who watches all year may be better with annual billing. A college fan who only wants a narrow stretch may prefer monthly billing. Don’t pay for months that won’t earn screen time.
A Simple Buying Rule
Get ESPN Select if you want ESPN+ content at the lowest ESPN subscription price. Skip it or upgrade if your must-watch games are on ESPN’s main networks. The price is fair only when the content lines up with your calendar.
For most shoppers, the clean answer is this: ESPN Select is $12.99 monthly, but the $129.99 annual plan is the better deal once you know you’ll keep it for ten months or more.
References & Sources
- ESPN.“ESPN Select Or Unlimited Plans And Prices.”Lists current monthly and annual pricing for ESPN Select and ESPN Unlimited.
- ESPN.“What Is The Available Content On ESPN Select?”Describes the ESPN+ library and sports included with ESPN Select.
- ESPN.“ESPN Unlimited Added Networks.”Lists the ESPN networks and services that come with ESPN Unlimited rather than Select.