ESPN Plus not Working? Try These Fixes

ESPN+ is a subscription-based video streaming service in the United States, a separate entity from ESPN (a live TV channel) and due to this factor, a user may fail to watch ESPN with ESPN+ if he only has subscribed to ESPN+.

But both of these services are available to their subscribers through the ESPN website or ESPN app. ESPN+ is available as a standalone subscription or in bundled form from Disney+, Hulu, Xfinity, etc. So, the main issue occurs when a user fails to watch ESPN Plus content through the ESPN website or app (nearly all platforms, mobiles, TVs, desktops, laptops, etc.), and the issue is not limited to a particular ISP.

The following can be categorized as the main factors due to which ESPN Plus might not work:

Force Close the ESPN App and Relaunch it

A temporary glitch of the ESPN app may not let a user watch the ESPN+ content as certain app components may fail to execute properly. Here, relaunching the ESPN app after force closing the app may clear the issue.

1. Launch the Android phone Settings and open the Application Manager.

   

2. Now select the ESPN app and tap on Force Stop.

   

3. Then confirm to Force Stop the ESPN app and afterward, launch the ESPN app to check if it is working fine.

   

If that did not work and your subscription is not direct (i.e., through a 3^rd party service like Hulu), then check if using ESPN Plus through that service clears out the issue. If not, check if using the same credentials for ESPN Plus in a 3^rd party service like Hulu solves the problem.

Perform a Cold Restart of the Device and Networking Equipment

A temporary communication glitch between the device (like a TV) and the ESPN+ servers can lead to the ESPN+ working problem at hand as the website or app fails to load properly. Here, you may get ESPN Plus to work by performing a cold restart of the device along with the networking equipment.

1. Power off the device (like a TV) and unplug its power cord from the power source.
2. Now power off the router (or any other networking equipment in use as a Wi-Fi extender) and unplug its power cable from the power source.

   

3. Then wait for 5 minutes and afterward, plug back the router’s power cord.
4. Now power on the router and wait till it is properly powered on.
5. Then power on the device (like a TV) and once it is properly powered on, check if the ESPN+ is working fine.

If the issue persists, make sure the device model (like a Sony TV 75X940D) is supported by the ESPN app.

Update the ESPN App to the Latest Build

If the ESPN app is missing the latest patches, then that may cause incompatibility between the ESPN app and its servers. Due to this incompatibility, the essential app modules may not respond properly and that may result in the non-working of ESPN+. Here, updating the ESPN app to the latest build may clear the issue. For illustration, we will discuss the process of updating the Android version of the ESPN+ app.

1. Launch Google Play Store and open its Menu.
2. Now open My Apps & Games and head to the Installed tab.

   

3. Then, in the Updates Available section, locate the ESPN app and tap on it.

   

4. Now tap on Update (if an ESPN app update is available), and once updated, launch it to check if it is working fine.

   

Re-login to the ESPN Website or App

A temporary glitch between the ESPN app (or loaded website on a user’s machine) and its servers might stop the ESPN Plus from working as the essential code is not allowed to execute fully. Here, re-logging into the ESPN website or app may solve the problem. For illustration, we will discuss the process of logging out of the Android version of the ESPN app.

1. Launch the ESPN app and tap on Settings.
2. Now tap on Logout of the ESPN Account and relaunch the ESPN app.

   

3. Then log in to the ESPN app (make sure to use the ESPN+ login, not the TV provider) and check if it is working normally.

   

Clear the Cache and Data of the ESPN App

If the cache and data of the ESPN app are corrupt, then it can cause a working issue for ESPN+ as the related app modules will be accessing corrupt data. In this case, clearing the cache and data of the ESPN app may solve the problem. For illustration, we will discuss the process of clearing the cache and data of the Android version of the ESPN app.

1. Launch the Android phone Settings and open Apps.
2. Now open the ESPN app and tap on Force Stop.
3. Then confirm to force stop the ESPN app and tap on Storage.

   

4. Now tap on Clear Cache and then press the Clear Data (or Clear Storage) button.

   

5. Afterward, confirm to clear the data of the ESPN app and then launch the ESPN app to check if the ESPN+ is working fine.

Clear ESPN Cookies in the Browser Settings

Browser cookies play an essential role in server-client communication. If the ESPN cookies in a browser are corrupt, then that may cause ESPN+ not to work as the communication modules fail to properly query the ESPN servers. Here, clearing the ESPN cookies in the browser settings may solve the problem.

1. Launch the web browser (like Chrome) and head to the ESPN website.
2. Now, in the address bar of the browser, click on the Lock icon and select Cookies.

   

3. Then select an ESPN cookie and click on Remove.

   

4. Now repeat the same to remove all the ESPN cookies.
5. Then relaunch the browser and check if ESPN+ is working fine.

Allow Pop-Ups from the ESPN Website

If the ESPN website is failing to show the pop-up on a user’s browser, then that may not let a user watch ESPN Plus as these pop-ups are essential for the operation of the ESPN website. Here, allowing pop-ups from the ESPN website may clear the ESPN Plus issue. For illustration, we will discuss the process of allowing ESPN pop-ups for the Chrome browser.

1. Launch the Chrome browser and head to the ESPN website.
2. Now, in the address bar, click on the Lock icon and open Site Settings.

   

3. Then, set the dropdown of Pop-ups and Redirects to Allow.

   

4. Now relaunch the Chrome browser and check if the ESPN Plus working problem is cleared.

Reinstall the ESPN App

ESPN+ might fail to work if the installation of the ESPN app itself is corrupt as the app modules may not work in a timely fashion. Here, reinstalling the ESPN app may solve the problem. For elucidation, we will discuss the process of reinstalling the Android version of the ESPN app.

1. Launch the Android phone Settings and open Applications.
2. Now select the ESPN app and force stop the app (discussed earlier).
3. Then clear the ESPN app’s cache and data (discussed earlier).
4. Now hit the back button and tap on Uninstall.

   

5. Then confirm to uninstall the ESPN app and afterward, restart your Android device.
6. Upon restart, reinstall the ESPN app and then check if it is operating fine.

If that fails, check if removing and re-adding the ESPN tile/channel from the Home screen of a device like Roku (you may have to cancel the ESPN Plus subscription and re-subscribe to it) clears the error.

Reset Browser Settings to the Factory Defaults

If a misconfiguration of a browser (like Chrome) is breaking the operation of the ESPN website as some of the website components fail to load, then that can cause the ESPN issue under discussion. In this case, resetting the browser settings to the factory defaults may solve the problem. For elucidation, we will discuss the process of resetting Chrome’s browser settings to its factory defaults.

1. Launch the Chrome browser and open its Menu.
2. Now select Settings and in the left pane, expand Advanced.

   

3. Then head to the Reset and Clean Up tab.
4. Now, in the right pane, click on Reset Settings to Their Original Defaults, and afterward, confirm to reset the Chrome’s settings.

   

5. Then relaunch Chrome and check if ESPN+ is operating normally.

   

Try Another Browser

Incompatibility between a particular browser (like Chrome) and the ESPN website may lead to the ESPN Plus issue at hand as certain website modules may fail to load. In this context, trying another browser may clear the ESPN Plus issue.

1. Download and install another browser on your system (if already not present).
2. Now launch the other browser (like Edge, Firefox, etc.) and navigate to the ESPN website.
3. Then log in using your ESPN credentials and afterward, check if ESPN Plus is working.

If not, check if the ESPN Plus is working fine on another device (on the same network).

Try Another Network or Use a VPN

If the ISP is not properly passing the web traffic between the ESPN website (or app) and ESPN servers, then that stops it from working as certain ESPN modules may fail to parse properly. In this context, trying another network or a VPN may solve the ESPN working problem.

1. Firstly, force close the ESPN app (as discussed earlier) and disconnect from the VPN (if connected).
2. Now disconnect the device or system from the current network in use and connect to another network (like a mobile phone’s hotspot).

   

3. Now launch the ESPN app and check if the ESPN Plus is operating fine.
4. If not, force close the ESPN app (as discussed earlier) and clear the cache/data of the ESPN app.
5. Now connect the device with a VPN (e.g., Nord) and open the Nord Settings.
6. Then select Protocol and select an OpenVPN option.
7. Now hit the back button and under Specialty Servers, select Obfuscated.

   

8. Then wait till the VPN connects and afterward, launch the ESPN app to check if it is working fine.
9. If not, check if connected to a different VPN location solves the problem.

If none of the above worked, then you may contact ESPN support to refresh your ESPN account or check any issue with it. Till then, you may cast the screen from a working device (like a phone) to your non-working device (like a TV).