Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

ESPN vs NFL

ESPN 4.6★ · Free + IAP 75
Winner ESPN
NFL 4.5★ · Free to download 45

ESPN is the better choice for comprehensive sports coverage, offering a wider range of sports and generally more reliable performance, despite some issues with streaming and notifications, while the NFL app struggles with consistent technical problems and subscription management.

Full reviews: ESPN · NFL

ESPN provides a broad sports experience with timely updates and good streaming quality, though some users report buffering and notification issues. The NFL app, while a go-to for dedicated NFL fans, is plagued by frequent technical glitches, blackouts, and significant problems with subscription cancellations and customer support.

Head to head

Features & Content edge: ESPNR3R5R14R29
ESPN ESPN offers extensive sports coverage, including live scores, breaking news, and personalized feeds for favorite teams and leagues R5R14R29. Users appreciate the breadth of information and stats . However, some users complain about a lack of coverage for specific leagues R3 or an inability to filter out unwanted sports content .
NFL The NFL app is praised for providing everything needed for NFL fans, including scores and news . Some users wish for more throwback content or playoff information . A significant drawback is content blackouts R61 and the inability to cast live games .
Ease of Use & Interface edge: ESPNR5R8R9R12
ESPN ESPN is generally described as having a clean, intuitive interface and being easy to use R5R9. Some users suggest improvements like a table of contents at the beginning R8 or better calendar views for fixtures . There are complaints about excessive or irrelevant notifications R12.
NFL The NFL app has a decent interface for following live scores but is criticized for being difficult and inefficient, especially with login processes . Users find the app's navigation poor, with articles disappearing and the back button not working as expected . There are also issues with notification preferences not saving and clickbait notifications .
Reliability & Performance edge: ESPNR5R9R10R13
ESPN ESPN is often praised for reliable coverage and consistent streaming quality R5. However, many recent reviews report significant issues with the app crashing R9R10, slow loading times R46, buffering R34, and blank screens when trying to read articles R13.
NFL The NFL app suffers from widespread reliability issues, including freezing and lagging during games R95. Users report the app not loading on iPads , news feeds not working , and scores disappearing . Many describe the app as buggy and outdated .
Price & Value edge: ESPNR19R33R34R52
ESPN ESPN is a free app with in-app purchases and subscriptions. Paid subscribers express frustration with still seeing ads R19R33R52 and experiencing buffering despite paying R34. Some feel there are too many required subscriptions to access all content .
NFL The NFL app is free to download but requires subscriptions for most content, with users complaining about blackouts even after paying R61R95. Many users report being continuously billed even after canceling their subscriptions R66R85R91R107. The RedZone feature is considered overpriced R95.
Support & Account Management edge: ESPNR1R4R19R37
ESPN Reviews for ESPN do not frequently mention direct customer support interactions. However, issues with subscription content availability R19R37 and persistent technical problems R1R4 suggest a lack of effective resolution for some paying users.
NFL The NFL app has severe issues with account management. Users report difficulty signing in and an inability to cancel subscriptions, leading to ongoing charges R66R85R91R107. Customer service is described as a joke, non-existent, or leading to AI chat loops that don't resolve issues .
Pick ESPN if

you want comprehensive sports coverage beyond just NFL, including live scores, news, and streaming for various sports, and are willing to tolerate occasional buffering or notification issues R5.

Pick NFL if

you are a dedicated NFL fan primarily interested in following the league, scores, and news, and are prepared to contend with frequent technical glitches, blackouts, and potential difficulties with subscription management R61.

Evidence note: The NFL app has a disproportionately high number of recent negative reviews focusing on critical issues like billing after cancellation and app instability, which heavily influenced its score. ESPN's negative reviews, while present, are more varied and less consistently critical of core functionality or billing practices.

Frequently asked

Does ESPN's app have ads for paid subscribers?
Yes, ESPN's app still includes a lot of advertising even for users who have purchased subscriptions like ESPN Unlimited, with ads appearing during matches and when fast-forwarding videos R19R33R52.
Can I cancel my NFL app subscription easily?
No, many users report significant difficulty canceling their NFL app subscriptions, with some stating they were continuously billed for months after attempting to cancel and experienced zero response from support R66R85R91R107.
Are there streaming issues with the ESPN app?
Yes, some ESPN users report that streaming stops working frequently, experiences buffering, and has slow load times, even for paid subscribers R1R34R46.
Does the NFL app have content blackouts?
Yes, many users of the NFL app complain that most of the content they want to watch is blacked out, even when they have paid for a subscription R61R95.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R3] ESPN 3/5 · US No AUSL coverage?: Recent update still doesn’t show professional softball league scores or as an option to add as a favorite. It’s been a league for at least 2 years and you haven’t added it?!
  2. [R5] ESPN 5/5 · US The greatness of ESPN: Dear ESPN, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The ESPN app delivers an outstanding sports experience with a clean, intuitive interface and exceptionally reliable coverage. Live scores update seamlessly, breaking news is timely and comprehensive, and the personalized features make it effortless to follow my favorite teams and leagues. The streaming quality is consistently excellent, and the app strikes
  3. [R14] ESPN 5/5 · US The Best: The information is great
  4. [R29] ESPN 5/5 · US Great: This is great for all your sports needs
  5. [R8] ESPN 4/5 · US Table of contents: Put the table of contents at the beginning.
  6. [R9] ESPN 3/5 · US App Crashing: I like the app, and it’s easy to use. The issue with it though is that it will randomly crash while I’m reading an article. Happens too often and I don’t experience this with my other apps. If it weren’t for this I’d give it 5 stars.
  7. [R12] ESPN 3/5 · US Just one little tweak: All espn has to do is stop notifying people about the sports they didn’t pick I’m a Christian American why do I care about soccer when the nba and nfl offseason are going on
  8. [R10] ESPN 1/5 · US Broken app: Every time I try and read article, or anything else, I get about five sentences in and the app tries to break itself. It will either send me to the home page, switch to some random article, or gray screen. The app has been completely unusable for the last month. I’ve had the app for multiple years and just uninstalled it.
  9. [R13] ESPN 1/5 · US Can’t read stories: Over past few weeks I am not able to read stories details, get a blank screen- my iPhone and iPad.
  10. [R19] ESPN 1/5 · US Do not waste your money on subscriptions: I subscribed to ESPN specifically to watch the Wimbledon 2026 men’s and women’s singles matches in the US. Because of the time difference, the matches are played while I’m at work, so I expected to watch the replays in the evening. Instead, I paid for a subscription that still includes a lot of advertising, and by the time I get home, many of the matches
  11. [R33] ESPN 3/5 · US 29.99 for adds: Purchased the app to watch Wimbledon matches. I think for 29.99$ I don’t have to watch 2 min ads every time I want to fast forward the video. Those ads are so annoying!
  12. [R34] ESPN 1/5 · US The buffering and ads: The buffering, awful, the load time for the app, awful. The ads will work perfectly though, dumb. This app and in its entirety, AWFUL.
  13. [R52] ESPN 1/5 · US Commercials: I pay for espn unlimited I should get no commercials. They throw in commercials in the middle of matches when the announcers are explaining something important. Just let me watch without a damn commercial, I’m not gonna buy whatever is on there because I saw a commercial on here.
  14. [R1] ESPN 1/5 · US Worst App: I bought the subscription for a month to see Wimbledon. The streaming stopped working so many times. I reset everything and I still have the same problem. I wish I could rated 0 star. Let me mention that the other apps on my Samsung TV work fine.
  15. [R4] ESPN 1/5 · US Paid for mlb doesn’t work: Will NEVER buy again
  16. [R37] ESPN 1/5 · US Horrendous User Experience: I'm an ESPN Unlimited subscriber and your coverage in the app of Wimbledon, especially Men's singles replays is awful. You lump every single match in the On Demand section (who actually cares about wading through Girls and Boys matches in a main feed? Ridiculous) but leave out the matches I actually want to watch. You really should study how HBO handled Roland Garros. T
  17. [R66] NFL 3/5 · US Steady billing: I liked the app. But after I cancelled it, it is still billing me for it 3 months later.
  18. [R85] NFL 1/5 · US Keep Charging Even After Cancellation: I canceled the subscription service over seven months ago, I am still receiving charges every single month. I have to dispute them with my card company every single month to get it reversed. I have reached out to the support team, I’ve tried to call, I’ve tried to email to get whatever card they have taken off the file, but get zero response. Absolutely ridi
  19. [R91] NFL 1/5 · US Impossible to cancel: I hit pause the subscription Now on April 7th they plan on reinstating it I can’t cancel Now I am not going to ever reinstate and contacting the Better business Bureau
  20. [R107] NFL 1/5 · US 0/5 ⭐️Won’t let you cancel from the app 😡: As it says. Predatory app that will allow you to sign up but won’t let you cancel without a huge hassle. 0/5
  21. [R46] ESPN 1/5 · US Slowest app ever made: App doesn’t even load half the time and is buggy. Don’t download it or pay for any espn services. You’ll waste your time and money.
  22. [R61] NFL 1/5 · US Waste: Most of what you want will be blacked out.,
  23. [R95] NFL 4/5 · US Redone/blackzone: Pay extra to be able to watch red zone and all season it kept blacking out, spend a lot of time watching a black screen or just buffering. Maybe developers could spend more time on making sure they can handle all the traffic that comes thru the app, last season it worked fine. Overpriced! Not worth the $$!

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store