Summary:
-
YouTube TV subscribers now have ESPN Unlimited at no extra cost, with a new Peacock deal coming soon.
-
Users can link their ESPN accounts to YouTube TV for easy access, though some are experiencing issues.
-
NBCUniversal’s deal will bring Peacock to YouTube Premium in 2027, expanding sports content availability.
YouTube TV subscribers started getting ESPN Unlimited this week at no extra cost. YouTube also signed a new deal with NBCUniversal on Monday that will bring Peacock into YouTube Premium.
Anyone whose package already includes ESPN can link their YouTube TV and ESPN accounts in the Sports section of settings, then watch through the ESPN app. Neither company made a formal announcement, and some users said they still could not turn it on. Watching everything inside YouTube TV without app-switching is expected by the end of 2026.
That fixes a promise from last fall, when a carriage deal with Disney ended a blackout of ESPN and ABC. Good news for wrestling fans too, since WWE’s U.S. premium live events come with ESPN Unlimited. SummerSlam is Aug. 1 and 2.
The NBCUniversal deal is bigger. Peacock’s ad-supported tier joins a new YouTube Premium bundle in early 2027, with the price still unannounced.
That brings the NFL, the Olympics, the NBA and Premier League into YouTube, plus NBC Sports producing select live events for the platform.
