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3.1

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Staff rating

3.0

ESPN+ has extra sports at an extra cost

We loved how much extra sports content ESPN+ served up, but we couldn’t get around pay-per-view fees or regional blackouts. ESPN+ won’t replace our other live streaming services or help us cut the cord, but it makes for a great add-on for fans.

What we like

National and international sports
Live game stats
Sports content variety

What we dislike

Bad for cord-cutters
Frequent price hikes
No free trial/version

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Staff rating

3.8

International football fans rejoice, with a strong sports lineup overall

The Fubo live streaming service is a solid option for sports enthusiasts. In our tests, we loved the international soccer (football) coverage. We also liked the interface and overall sports lineup, but were a little disappointed to miss out on TNT and CNN. We were also bummed by hidden regional sports fees, but highly recommend the seven-day trial.

What we like

Stellar international soccer coverage
Certain events and games in 4K
Good customer service and help documentation

What we don't like

Missing TNT, TBS, and CNN
Hidden regional sports fees
No parental control options

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Staff rating

3.1

Easy cord-cutting, limited DVR

WOW! (short for Wide Open West) offers a compelling case for switching to internet-based TV. You get a solid channel lineup at a great rate, all using top-notch Wi-Fi gear from eero—provided you’re willing to have a chillier relationship with your DVR and you don’t mind beta-testing the WOW! tv+ app.

What we like

Low prices
Top-notch Wi-Fi gear
Good sports lineup

What we dislike

Meager DVR features
Low-rated streaming apps
Limited availability

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Content

4.0

Something for every sports fan—but it won’t solve your blackout woes

ESPN+ has tons of live (and replay) sports to stream, including NFL, UFC, multiple international soccer leagues, the US Open, PGA, X games, NHL, and a multitude of college sports, to name just a few. Some games even come with live stats and analysis when you watch them with the ESPN app. This service even helped us discover the rising Indian sport kabaddi, which is like watching adults on the playground at recess. It’s just delightful.

You’ll also get a metric ton of documentaries like the 30 for 30 and E60 series, which cover everything from Payton Manning’s life story to the history of boxing. There’s even an entire series following the Savannah Bananas, a team putting an entertaining spin on baseball (seriously, check out Banana Ball). An ESPN+ subscription also gives you access to multiple daily articles so you can read about last night’s game even if you missed it.

Unfortunately, if you’re hoping to get around regional sports fees or blackouts to watch your favorite local teams, ESPN+ won’t help you there. You have to share your location to watch certain games. And depending on the rules in your area, there’s a good chance you’ll still need to add your login credentials from a cable TV provider or another live TV streaming service like Fubo or Sling to catch the big game.

Local news, sports, and entertainment channels vary based on your location. Check out

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in your area.

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Content

3.5

Sports galore, but you may have trouble finding your team

Fubo is a decent all-around replacement for cable TV, but it really shines when it comes to regional sports. This handy channel guide from Fubo is an easy way to see whether your shows and games are available.

Local: 3.5/5
Fubo offers more local channels than most of its competitors in the streaming space, and that means home games, primetime hits, and local news. There’s no PBS or C-SPAN though, and some markets don’t have NBC or ABC. You’ll also miss out on CNN, The CW, A&E, and HBO.

Sports: 3.5/5
Fubo is a great choice for regional sports networks in addition to popular favorites including FS1, Golf, ESPN and ESPN2, and NFL Network, all of which are available on the first-tier. You also get TUDN channels, beIN SPORTS channels, and BIG NETWORK channels, but no TNT. For NBA TV, NHL Network, MLB Network, and PAC 12 coverage (among others), you’ll need the Fubo Extra add-on for about $8 per month. Other add-ons for sports include MLB.TV ($25 per month), NBA League Pass ($15 per month), Adventure Plus ($5 per month), and more.

Family and education: 2.5/5
Fubo is adequate (but not great) when it comes to programming for kids. You get Disney, Disney Jr., Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. plus Animal Planet and Universal Kids at the first tier. There’s even a channel that’s all Bob Ross, all the time. You can’t get PBS or The CW, though.

News and politics: 3.5/5
Fubo does a little better when it comes to news. You can get local coverage from your ABC, NBC, FOX, Telemundo, Univision, or CBS affiliate station plus Fox News, MSNBC, Bloomberg, NEWSMAX, and Scripps News (a channel not widely available elsewhere). There’s no way to get HLN or CNN with Fubo, though, and you’ll have to pay an extra $3 per month for the News Plus add-on if you want coverage from smaller outlets including ROI, Cheddar News, TYT, and i24 News.

Entertainment and lifestyle: 3/5
From true crime documentaries to love stories and blockbuster hits, Fubo has a lot to offer. We like that Paramount and Bravo are included at the base package price. You can also get TLC, Grit, USA, and three Hallmark channels at that price. There’s no way to get Lifetime channels, though, and there’s also no TBS, History, A&E, AMC, IFC, or Sundance.

Local news, sports, and entertainment channels vary based on your location. Check out

fuboTV channel offerings

in your area.

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Content

3.0

Mediocre channel lineups get the job done

WOW! doesn't have an incredible channel lineup, but it has a decent amount of content for just about everyone. That is, unless you want to watch in Spanish.

Local: 2.5/5
WOW! tv+ give you only about half the local channels you might expect. You get the big ones like NBC, ABC, FOX, CBA, and PBS, but you won’t get Ion, Cozi, or Comet. You won’t get a single Spanish-language local channel either. So if you want Telemundo, UniMas, Estrella, or Univision, you’re out of luck.

Sports: 3/5
When it comes to sports channels, you win some and lose some. You get the Tennis Channel in a Medium plan, whereas some providers only include it in their top-tier plans or as an add-on. NFL Network and NFL RedZone are both included in the Large plan, which is hit or miss among competitors. However, WOW! tv+ strikes out completely when it comes to the MLB channel, and there’s no way to get NFL SUNDAY TICKET.

Family and education: 3/5
With WOW!, you’ll get a decent amount of family-friendly content, but we’d like to see more channels for toddlers and young kids. You’ll get Cartoon Network, Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, and the History Channel. But you’ll get only one Disney, Nickelodeon, and National Geographic channel. Disney Junior, Nick Junior, and Nat Geo Wild are all missing, leaving less content aimed at the youngest kids.

News and politics: 3.5/5
WOW! has enough news and political coverage for most English-speaking viewers. You can keep up with Congress on C-SPAN and world events with BBC America. You’ll also get the biggest news channels like CNN, CNBC, Fox News, and MSNBC, along with Newsmax, HLN, and The Weather Channel. The biggest hole in coverage is Spanish-language news, but you’ll also miss CNN International, Bloomberg, CBS News, and Fox Business News.

Entertainment and lifestyle: 3/5
WOW! tv+ gives you a wide variety of entertainment and lifestyle, with at least one channel in some of our favorite categories: comedy, westerns, feel-good movies, food, and travel. But you might find only one channel that delivers your favorite genres. You’ll get Grit but not INSP (westerns) and Food Network but not the Cooking channel. But you’ll get all the best music channels—CMT, VH1, and MTV—and the top DIY channels HGTV and TLC. WOW! tv+ doesn’t include premium channels in any of its plans. You can add them to a Medium or Large plan, but they’ll cost more than other providers charge.

Local news, sports, and entertainment channels vary based on your location. Check out

WOW! channel offerings

in your area.

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Value

2.5

ESPN’s monopoly on tons of sports content gives it free rein for hidden costs

ESPN+ is one of the cheapest streaming apps we reviewed at just $10 per month or $100 per year. You can even bundle it with Hulu and Disney+, which helps you save more than $10 per month—making ESPN+ a sort of free add-on. You could spend just $13 for all three ($20 for commercial-free Hulu), then add an inexpensive live streaming service like fubo or YouTubeTV to cover all your bases.

Unfortunately, ESPN has a history of making it expensive to be a sports fan, and ESPN+ carries on the tradition. Since its launch in 2018, the monthly price has doubled from $5 to $10, and it comes with a ton of hidden costs that many fans don’t see coming. For starters, you won’t get any actual ESPN channels, so you’ll be disappointed if you sign up hoping to get ESPN1, 2, or 3, or other channels like ESPN U, Longhorn, SEC, or ACC. Technically, you can watch these channels from ESPN+, but you’ll still have to log in with credentials from a cable TV or other streaming provider that has these channels. Cord cutters take note: you’ll still have to pay for live TV if you want that.

Speaking of needing more credentials, you won’t get around regional sports fees or blackouts—nor will you get a discount on pay-per-view events, like numbered UFC matches. Although the ESPN+ website touts “unrivaled UFC access,” you’ll still have to cough up a whopping $75 for each pay-per-view Fight Night game on top of your ESPN+ subscription. That’s a jab to the faces of MMA fans if we ever saw one.

If you’re hoping ESPN+ will save you money on sports entertainment, you’re in for a rude awakening—especially since ESPN+ doesn’t have a free trial.

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Value

3.0

A great sports lineup meets high monthly prices

Monthly costs for Fubo are about average compared to competitors we tested, at least for the first tier. For about $75 per month, you get access to more than 140 channels, including a very strong soccer lineup. We also found golf, NASCAR, and NFL options pretty easily. A lot of content is limited to 720p resolution, but that’s standard for a lot of live TV. To access games in 4K, you’ll need to pay for the third- or fourth-tier plan for between $10 and $30 more per month. It’s not cheap, but it may be worth it if you’re a serious international soccer fan. We also liked the add-on lineup, which includes options for soccer in French, Portuguese, and Spanish, plus most of the standard entertainment extras like SHOWTIME and MGM+.

There’s a big drawback, though. The Fubo streaming service doesn’t carry any Turner Network channels, so you can’t get CNN or TNT. Depending on where you live, you may also miss out on local stations, which could mean missing home games. We highly recommend the seven-day free trial, but set yourself a reminder to cancel in case you can’t find your games and teams.

After the trial ends, you’ll be charged the regular monthly price plus local taxes and a regional sports fee, which is either $10.99 per month (if you have one RSN in your area) or $13.99 (if you have more than one RSN or signed up through Roku). Most streaming providers have dropped hidden fees at this point, and we wish Fubo would do the same.

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Value

4.0

Decent lineups at great prices

WOW! Has some great introductory prices, but we’ve seen longer channel lineups from other companies. Channel quality is decent, but nothing to write home about. The real bargain comes when you realize your plan price already includes regional sports and broadcast fees, which can add $20–$40 in monthly fees with other providers.

You’ll have to get a WOW! internet plan, since this TV service is internet-based, but that comes at an excellent price too. All things said, WOW! provides a ton of value, but if you want all the channels and premiums to boot, it’s probably not the company for you.

Get the best value by speaking directly with a sales rep at 1-844-727-4910 or check your address at

WOW!'s website.

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Usability and features

3.0

Some cool sports features, but not enough streaming features

In addition to adding exclusive content to the regular ESPN app and browser experience, ESPN+ adds some extra features like joining a fantasy league and live stats and scores for some events. But beyond that, ESPN+ doesn’t have as many features as other live streaming services—and that made it hard to use at times.

Ability to watch: Great
ESPN+ builds on the features of the regular (free) ESPN experience. So if you’ve already had the ESPN app, ESPN+ simply adds another tab for its exclusive content. The browser experience is a similar tacking-on of ESPN+ content. That meant we got all the regular ESPN features we were used to, but it was also frustrating to use compared to dedicated streaming apps.

In some formats (like our Chromecast and Samsung smart TVs), getting properly logged into the ESPN+ experience was confusing, because it wasn’t obvious which experience we were logging into: ESPN+ or regular ol’ ESPN. But after a few false starts, we got it working.

On the app, we liked that some events provided game stats and other graphics before the video when our devices were in portrait mode. It helped longtime fans get a fast glimpse of the game while multitasking, and helped the non-fans among us learn about a new sport.

Ability to record: Bad
ESPN+ lets you download some content to watch offline, but there’s no DVR capability. We were able to download some of the documentary content to watch offline, but no actual events. It was useful for calming our sports cravings on the go, but it wouldn’t satisfy us on an hours-long road trip or flight. But if we missed a live game and ESPN removed the replay, it was just gone.

Ability to find: Fine
Finding shows on ESPN+ is easier in a browser than with the app, but neither is stellar. We logged in to see the familiar ESPN website with an added ESPN+ bar at the top with all our premium content. The tabs helped us find featured content, documentaries, and live and replay events, or we could hit the Browse tab to choose a specific sport or league.

However, the Tools tab left us confused. It took us to an ad for fantasy leagues, then prompted us to sign up for ESPN+... which we clearly already had. It tried to push us into an annual subscription, and when we selected “Skip and get started,” it just took us back to the ESPN+ home screen. We were able to get onto a fantasy league using the Fantasy tab in the top (regular ESPN) navigation bar, which made the Tools tab seem completely pointless.

On the app, it got tough to find the events and shows we wanted. There’s no Live/Replay section to find currently or recently playing events. To find the kabaddi game we were looking for (a sport which is rarely in the Featured section), we had to dig around in the Browse tab for the correct league (Pro Vivo Kabaddi) to find it. There’s also no “Continue watching” section (though the browser version has it), so we had a hard time picking up where we left off. And switching between the app and the browser was annoying because ESPN+ didn’t remember our progress across platforms. It started up back at the beginning, and we’d spend several minutes trying to find our place again. Ugh.

Finally, there are no parental controls with ESPN+. While this streaming service was specific enough to quiet some of our concerns—we knew we wouldn’t log our kids in to watch cartoons and come back to find them watching a horror flick—we wanted more control over screen time and the kinds of sports content they watch. The lack of parental controls made us wary of sharing login credentials, which meant more active monitoring on our part.

Ability to share: Fine
ESPN+ doesn’t seem to be designed for sharing. It doesn’t have multiple user profiles and many events prompt you to input your location before they’ll play. The good news? ESPN+ says you get up to three simultaneous streams—but we were able to get five going at once without anyone getting kicked off. Looks like ESPN accidentally left some hidden value on the table, and we’ll take what we can get.

Features and usability

4.5

One of the best viewing experiences in the streaming space

No matter how you watch Fubo, we think you’ll enjoy the experience. The app is highly rated, the DVR works well, and it's easy to watch simultaneous streams both at home and on the go.

Ability to watch: Great
The day-to-day viewing experience with Fubo is very good. Shows load faster than with DIRECTV STREAM, and there are a lot of games available in 4K. We tested the service on a large Samsung TV, multiple browsers, and mobile devices. We also tested the mobile app, which is rated pretty highly by both Android and Apple users.

Ability to record: Excellent
Fubo offers a cloud DVR that lets you save up to 1,000 hours worth of shows, and we love that it doesn’t expire. You can also watch recent games you forgot to record, and you can pause and rewind most of your live shows and games (depending on the channel). We also liked that the cloud DVR saved a complete episode or game even if we forgot to start recording until the middle. There’s a minor caveat around DVR, though. You get only 250 hours of cloud DVR space with the Latino plan. That seems like a lot, but we don’t recommend it if you support multiple teams or have a household with diverse TV tastes. The other Fubo plans offer 1,000 hours of storage, but many top competitors offer truly unlimited DVR these days. The Fubo app felt faster and more modern than the DIRECTV STREAM options we tested and sleeker than bargain TV streaming services like Philo. Fubo feels a lot like traditional TV, but with a better interface and easier access to free options like Crackle and TYT.

Ability to find: Great
The channel guide from Fubo is fast and modern, and we like that you can see both channel numbers and logos from the home screen. You can see previews and details for a given program without having to click through to it, which is nice. You can also find your stuff using a few other views, and the recommendation engine works well. There were a few things we didn’t like, but we can’t really single out Fubo because we found the same issues elsewhere. First, it was tricky to find the on-demand library or see which shows are available on demand (compared to streaming live or recorded in your cloud DVR). DIRECTV STREAM was much better in that regard, but it only really matters if you’re watching a show that lets you skip commercials.

Ability to share: Excellent
Fubo lets you watch on up to 10 screens at a time, and you can create up to six different user profiles. It was nice to get a six-digit passcode when logging onto a new device rather than having to type in a password, but we didn’t love that we had to share our location every time we opened the mobile app. In today’s privacy-centric world, it felt borderline invasive, but the experience watching on the go was still better than with Hulu + Live TV. In all our tests, Fubo was one of the best services out there for sharing with a big household.

There’s just one minor downside when it comes to parental controls. It was easy to create profiles and get custom recommendations, but there are no parental controls or any way to request only kid-friendly shows on a given profile. We created a profile to watch the Disney Channel, Nick Jr., and Animal Planet, for example, and the first recommendation was South Park. Mmmkay.

Equipment and features

2.5

Meager cloud storage and low-rated (beta) apps

Because WOW! is internet-based TV, its equipment is makes it feel more like a streaming service than traditional TV. However, its features fall short of many streaming services when it comes to catching your shows where and when you want.

Ability to watch: Good
Since WOW! tv+ uses WOW! Internet, you need Wi-Fi gear. WOW!’s modem is free for your first year ($14/month after that), and its eero Wi-Fi system ($9.99 per month) is reasonably priced to rent. It’s also some of the best, most reliable Wi-Fi gear we’ve seen. WOW!’s TV boxes can get pricey if you want more than one ($10 per month), but since you can use WOW! tv+ with Amazon Firesticks, you shouldn’t need more than one box to get your shows on multiple TVs. You just need multiple Firesticks ($29.99 and up), but these will be one-time purchases instead of a monthly rental rate.

While you can use your phone to watch WOW! TV, its Android and iOS apps are in beta, which means they’re still working out some of the kinks. The apps have a pretty low rating on both Android and iOS (1, 2), which is a bummer. If you end up throwing your phone across the room in frustration, you can circumvent the app altogether by going to an individual channel’s website and logging in with your WOW! credentials. But you might still end up frustrated—and watching your shows through a cracked phone screen.

Ability to record: Fine
The WOW! tv+ box and remote are pretty standard, and you can find content and set up DVR recordings using voice commands or navigating through a guide. The downside is that all three of WOW!’s plans come with 50 hours of DVR cloud storage, which is pretty low. You can jump up to 100 (for about $20 per month) or 200 (for about $30 per month) hours, but that’s a steep charge when some competitors include 1,000 hours in their top-tier plans.

Ability to find: Good
WOW! doesn't have its own voice remote, but it's compatible with Google Voice. Without voice, it's still pretty easy to find channels in the guide, and parental controls make it easy to block the content you don't want your kids to see—or restrict TV time altogether. However, finding recorded shows can be challenging without sorting and filtering capabilities, even if you only get 50 hours of storage. That's still a lot of scrolling.

Features and equipment may vary based on package. Visit

WOW!'s website

or call 1-844-727-4910 for more information.

Customer experience

2.5

Lack of transparency and cancelation challenges, but mostly helpful service representatives

The ESPN+ website is overall very usable, but we’d like to see clearer pricing right away. You have to click the tiny print for terms or scroll down to the bottom and open an accordion to find out how much a subscription costs. If you miss these clues, you’ll have to give ESPN+ your email address before you know how much the service even costs.

Getting help is easy—at least, after you scroll to the bottom of the ESPN+ website homepage again. There, you’ll find step-by-step instructions and troubleshooting tips, videos, and contact options—including a live chat option. There’s even an entire section for troubleshooting UFC PPV events—though our biggest takeaway here was to purchase an event on the app at least 30 minutes before the event, or it may not go through the Apple Store or Google Play before the event starts.

Generally, people seem to like ESPN+ customer service representatives. However, many users seem to have trouble canceling their subscriptions, especially if they purchased it through a third party like Apple or Verizon. Some went as far as freezing or canceling a credit card to make the monthly fees stop, but most customers were able to cancel in a few minutes if they used live chat to talk to a representative. As for us, we purchased our subscription through a browser directly on the ESPN+ website and could easily cancel the same way.

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Customer experience

4.5

A nice overall experience

Fubo treats its customers well, for the most part. The website and app are easy to use and navigate, and you can pretty easily see what you’ll be getting before you sign up. There’s extensive help documentation on the main site, or you can reach customer service by phone or even social media. We also really like the seven-day free trial and the 24-hour email notification that the trial would be ending soon. However, we wish the RSN fee were rolled into the base package price.

If you don’t like what you’re getting with Fubo, it’s easy to cancel your subscription, but your favorites and DVR won’t be saved. You can also pause your subscription for up to three months, which is a nice perk.

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Customer experience

3.0

No contracts and good customer service, but a lack of transparency

WOW! is a decent experience, and most customers feel good about this provider. We love that you don't have to sign a contract. And although you have to get WOW! internet to get WOW!'s TV service, we like WOW! internet even more.

Self-installation is free and fairly easy, but you can hire a pro to come by and get you set up for $75. The website has plenty of self-help content if you run into trouble, or you can use its chat service to talk with a specialist.

What we don't like is WOW!'s lack of transparency. Prices aren't listed on its website, and you can't order TV without talking to a sales representative on the phone. That's not a great start.

Visit WOW!'s website

or call 1-844-727-4910 for more information on contracts and money-back guarantees.

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fuboTV

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WOW!

4.0

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5 Star

4 Star

100%

3 Star

2 Star

1 Star

Jimmyfrom Columbus, GA.

WOW! Customer for 4+ years

Reviewed on: 8/27/2022

They show ever thing that I want to see and they could lower the payment

Rexfrom Roseville, MI

WOW! Customer for 8+ years

Reviewed on: 7/19/2022

They are ok but need to ofter more for the price

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Endnotes and sources

1. "Watch WOW!," Google Play. Accessed 7 December 2022.2. "Watch WOW!," App Store. Accessed 7 December 2022.As an Amazon Associate, Switchful.com may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.