ESPN3 Live Sports Streaming Service Review

ESPN3 is an online streaming service that provides 24/7 coverage of sports and sports-related programming, including live game streams and replays of international sports. Fans can watch a multitude of global events, including:

  • Soccer – Premier League, Bundesliga

ESPN3 broadcasts mainly those events that are not aired on ESPN, ESPN2, or ESPNU. Some of the streams are exclusive broadcasts; alternate camera angles of programs being aired in simulcast on any one of the linear networks; simulcasts from ABC, regional or foreign broadcasts; and local radio broadcasts that are synchronized with the arena’s internal feed. This online streaming service is available to sports fan in the US, Europe – with the exception of Italy, Australia, Chile, Brazil, New Zealand, and the Middle East.

How to stream ESPN3

Basically, anyone with access to other ESPN channels can also access ESPN on WatchESPN, via PC, tablet, smartphone, Xbox 360, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Google Chromecast.

ESPN.GO.com

This is among the most reliable places where you can watch thousands of live events from around the globe each year. Fans can access the ESPN3 live stream from a desktop or laptop within the comfort of your home or in the office. This network is available on WatchESPN at no extra cost to sports fans whose TV subscription plan already includes ESPN via the participating TV providers. As such, you can access the ESPN3 channel at no additional costs besides your subscription to participating high-speed internet service providers.

On this site, you can stream a host of international sports including UEFA Champions League, NBA, RBS 6 Nations rugby, and much, much more. Simply go to ESPN.Go.com, find the ESPN3 section, and click the “Watch Live” icon when you find the sport that you want to stream from the list of available events. If the event you are looking for is not there, check the “Live Now” tab, and the selected event will start to play in a new window. You may be prompted to install a flash player.

Watch ESPN3 on DirecTV Now

DirecTV has, for many years, been a major player in cable/satellite business for many years. Their services have matured into one of the best offerings in the pay tv market. Customers, however, have become disillusioned with being locked into expensive packages full of channels that aren’t highly desired.

This has led to the online streaming tv market which offers customers more control of their tv service at affordable packages. To serve this burgeoning market, companies such as Sling TV, Playstation Vue, and Hulu with live tv have risen. Not willing to ignore this growing market, DirecTV has developed its DirecTV Now service to compete in the marketplace.

DirecTV Now is an online streaming service that provides customers with many of the same services at those who get their tv through the satellite division. Unlike the main DirecTV service, DirecTV Now can be had without going through a credit check or being locked into a contract. It can also be cancelled at any time.

Though late to the online streaming tv market, DirecTV Now has some advantages that others in the market do not. For one, they currently are the streaming service that offers the most channels. These are available in 4 packages. The packages come in 60, 80, 100, and 120 channel offerings. These cost $35, $50, $60, and $70 respectively.

In addition to these 4 packages, add ons from HBO, Starz, and Cinemax are also available at additional costs. Showtime will be available in the future. In an interesting aside, the HBO add on from DirecTV Now is available $10 cheaper than any other streaming service.

Though not available in every market, DirecTV Now has deals with all the broadcast networks which means that they can provide access to local stations to some of their customers. For those markets that local live broadcasts aren’t available, DirecTV Now offers on demand streaming on a 24 hour delay. When this is taken into consideration, DirecTV now provides the most cable like experience to their customers. This familiarity is a big bonus when trying to attract customers looking to cut the cord.

To provide a better experience to customers, DirecTV Now is available on a number of devices. Presently, the service is available on Apple TV, newer Roku devices, Android and IOS phones and tablets, Chromecast for Android, and Amazon Fire TV. It is available on computers through the Chrome or Safari browser only. Functionality on Xbox One and Chromecast for IOS is currently in development and should be available soon.

Another benefit that DiercTV Now has are the perks that those who have AT&T enjoy. For one, streaming DirecTV Now over the mobile network will not count towards their data usage. Also, if the total of the customer’s AT&T phone bill is $90 or more, customers will enjoy a $25 discount on their DirecTV Now bill, as well as, having HBO included in their service for free.

Everything is perfect with the DirecTV Now service however. Unlike most of its competitors, it does not have a DVR function as of yet. Also, it allows you to pause live tv, but rewinding and fast forwarding are not supported. For those who enjoy football, they will be unhappy to know that there is no NFL Network, Redzone, or Sunday Ticket available even though these are offered on the DirecTV satellite service.

Two other things can be seen as a negative to the service as well. Firstly, only two consecutive streams are available right now. This makes the service a hard sell for a family trying to replace their regular tv service with the online offering. When compared to the amount of consecutive streams offered by their competition, DirecTV is at the bottom of the list. The second negative stems from the stability of the service. It has experience more technical difficulties than any of the other streaming TV services. These have lesson over time, but these issues have had an adverse impact on consumer confidence in the service.

The DirecTV Now service is available with a 7 day free trial. Some offers extend the free trial to 30 days.