As a sports enthusiast, I’ve always looked for the best streaming platform to watch my favorite sports on Vizio TV. While surfing through streaming platforms, I found ESPN app to be one of the best services to use on my Vizio Smart TV. After subscribing to ESPN+, I can watch professional sports from various events, including UFC, MLB, NHL hockey, XFL, and more. Fortunately, the ESPN app is officially available on Vizio Smart TVs running on the SmartCast operating system.
In this article, I’ve explained the algorithm to install the ESPN app on your Vizio Smart TV and its activation. Moreover, I also covered the possible ways to get the ESPN app using streaming services and the casting feature.
How to Install ESPN on Vizio SmartCast TV
The ESPN app is free to install on your Vizio Smar TV but requires a premium subscription to access the sports content online. So, before installing the app, subscribe to the monthly plan of ESPN+ at $10.99 from its official website. If you’re an existing subscriber, skip the signup steps and proceed with the app installation.
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1. Switch on your Vizio Smart TV and pair it with a standard WiFi network.
2. Navigate to the Vizio’s home screen.
3. After that, press the Left navigation button on your Vizio remote to locate the TV Menu.
4. From the menu, scroll down and select the Apps section.
5. Now, look for the ESPN app under the Discover tab and select the app.
6. If the app is not available under the Discover tab, select App Search and enter ESPN using the virtual on-screen keyboard.
7. Pick the ESPN app from search results and click +Home Screen to download it on your Vizio SmartCast TV.
After a successful installation, you can open and activate the ESPN app to get access to your favorite sports content.
How to Activate ESPN on Vizio SmartCast TV
Once installed, you should activate the ESPN app on your Vizio SmartCast TV using an activation code.
1. Open the ESPN application on your Vizio SmartCast TV.
2. From the home screen, scroll through right and select Settings (cog icon).
3. Under the Settings menu, tap on Account Information.
4. From there, you can log in to ESPN using a TV Provider account or an ESPN account.
5. If you have an active TV provider subscription, click Provider Account and enter the TV provider account credentials to start watching the content.
6. Else, you can click the ESPN Account option to sign in with your ESPN+ account.
7. Now, you’ll get an activation code for ESPN displayed on the TV screen. Make a note of it.
8. After that, visit the activation website of ESPN from your PC or smartphone.
9. Enter ESPN’s activation code in the required field and click on Continue.
10. After the successful activation, click the Finish button on your Vizio screen and start watching your favorite sports on ESPN.
How to Watch ESPN on Vizio TV Without Cable
Besides subscribing to ESPN+, you can also watch ESPN if you have an active subscription to streaming services like Hulu, fuboTV, and DirecTV Stream. After downloading any of the streaming services
Hulu
Hulu is one of my favorite streaming services that offers an extensive collection of on-demand and Live TV shows. You can get Hulu on Vizio TV to watch ESPN. If you have an active Hulu + Live TV plan, you can get access to sports channels, including ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNU, ESPN News, and more.
fuboTV
fuboTV on Vizio TV offers more sports channels in its lineup than other streaming services, including the ESPN channel. With a fuboTV subscription, you can access 220+ live TV channels under various categories like sports, entertainment, news, and others.
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream is a platform where you can watch the ESPN channel even on the base plan (Entertainment – $74.99). Also, this service offers a 5-day trial period to access all the channels on DirecTV Stream for free. Moreover, you can also get unlimited cloud DVR storage to record ESPN’s live TV shows for offline viewing.
How to Cast ESPN on Vizio TV
Unfortunately, the ESPN app is unavailable on old-model Vizio TVs. In that case, you can use the Casting feature to display the ESPN content from your Android smartphones to Vizio TV. Luckily, all the Vizio TV models support the casting feature.
Note: Before casting the content, connect your smartphone and Vizio TV to the same WiFi network.
1. Unlock your Android smartphone and download the ESPN app from the Play Store.
2. After downloading the application, launch and sign in with account credentials.
3. After that, start playing your favorite sports content on the ESPN app.
4. Tap the Cast icon from the playback screen.
5. Choose your Vizio Smart TV from the available devices and pair it up.
6. Now, the specific content on your Android smartphone will display on your Vizio Smart TV.
Can I AirPlay ESPN on Vizio TV?
No, the ESPN app doesn’t support the AirPlay feature to display the ESPN content from Apple devices. Still, you can use the Screen Mirroring feature to display the entire screen from your iPhone/iPad to your Vizio Smart TV.
1. Install the ESPN app on your iPhone or iPad from the App Store.
2. Connect your Vizio TV and iPhone/iPad to the same WiFi network.
3. Sign in to the ESPN app and open the Control Center.
4. Tap the Screen Mirroring option and choose your Vizio Smart TV from the list.
5. After that, the entire iPhone/iPad screen will be mirrored to your Vizio TV along with the ESPN content.
How to Fix ESPN Not Working on Vizio TV
Due to some technical issues, the ESPN app might stop working on your Vizio TV. Know the root cause of the issue and the respective troubleshooting techniques to rectify it.
- First, check the internet connection received from the WiFi router. If the network is unstable, restart the WiFi router to get a standard internet.
- Inspect the premium subscription for ESPN+ and other streaming platforms with the ESPN channel and make sure it’s active. If not, re-subscribe to the plan to access the content hassle-free.
- If the ESPN app is outdated, you will face issues in accessing the app. So, update the app on your Vizio TV to fix those issues.
- Too much of cache files can interrupt the performance of the device. Clear the cache data on your Vizio Smart TV to eradicate the error.
- At last, you can update the Vizio TV firmware to the latest version to fix the app-related issues.
FAQ
No. As Vizio Watch Free+ offers more than 260 channels, it doesn’t have ESPN in its lineup.
The ESPN app is not available on old-model Vizio TVs. It may not be available due to geo-restrictions as well.
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