Media & Entertainment · head to head
ESPN+ vs Showtime
ESPN+
Media & Entertainment
Stream live sports, original shows, and exclusive content
- From
- $10.99/month
- Rated
- -
S
Showtime
Media & Entertainment
Signature entertainment and sports
- From
- $10.99/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: ESPN+ the App Store listing states the ESPN app offers two paid tiers, ESPN Select which includes ESPN+ only, and ESPN Unlimited which includes all ESPN networks and services including ESPN+, without stating the price of either in the visible description.; Showtime showtime is now offered only as part of Paramount+'s Premium plan, per the App Store listing (Paramount+ by CBS Mobile)
- They diverge on capability: ESPN+ covers Live sports, Showtime covers Streaming.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which ESPN+ and Showtime actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price ($10.99/month), pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Media & Entertainment).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in ESPN+
- Live sports
- Original shows
- Exclusive content
- Replays
- Analysis
- Parental controls
- Roku support
- Fire-tv support
Only in Showtime
- Streaming
- Original series
- Movies
- Sports
- Live events
- Content filtering
Both cover
- Smart TVs
- Streaming devices
- Account security
- Web support
- Ios support
- Android support
- Smart-tv support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
ESPN+
- Sports streamingnot Showtime
- Live event watchingnot Showtime
Showtime
- Premium streamingnot ESPN+
- Sports watchingnot ESPN+
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
ESPN+
- The App Store listing states the ESPN app offers two paid tiers, ESPN Select which includes ESPN+ only, and ESPN Unlimited which includes all ESPN networks and services including ESPN+, without stating the price of either in the visible description.
Showtime
- Showtime is now offered only as part of Paramount+'s Premium plan, per the App Store listing (Paramount+ by CBS Mobile)
- Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current subscription period rather than immediately, with continued access through the paid period, per the App Store listing
Pricing, plan by plan
ESPN+
$10.99/month- ESPN+$10.99/month
- Live sports
- Exclusive content
- Original shows
- Bundle$13.99/month
- ESPN+
- Disney+
- Hulu
Showtime
$10.99/month- Showtime Standalone$10.99/month
- Original content
- Ad-free
Which should you pick?
Choose ESPN+ if
- You need live sports.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv.
- You also want original shows.
Choose Showtime if
- You need streaming.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv.
- You also want original series.
Questions people ask
- Is ESPN+ or Showtime better?
- Neither clearly leads. ESPN+ starts at $10.99/month and Showtime at $10.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, ESPN+ or Showtime?
- ESPN+ starts at $10.99/month and Showtime at $10.99/month.
- Does ESPN+ or Showtime run on more platforms?
- ESPN+ runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv. Showtime runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv.
- What is ESPN+ best used for?
- ESPN+ is most often used for sports streaming, live event watching. Of those, sports streaming and live event watching are not what Showtime is typically brought in for.
- What can ESPN+ do that Showtime cannot?
- ESPN+ covers Live sports, Original shows, Exclusive content, Replays. Showtime covers Streaming, Original series, Movies, Sports. Both handle Smart TVs, Streaming devices, Account security, Web support.