ESPN Not Working On YouTube TV? (Instant Fix Guide!)

Finn Wheatley Updated on
espn not working on youtube tv

Is ESPN not working on YouTube TV? We have all the methods to fix it!

YouTube TV offers a lot of channels within the base plan, including ESPN. If it doesn’t work, there might be something wrong with the app, system, or account.

To fix ESPN not working on YouTube TV, check network connection, app details, and channel availability in your area/account.

We will help you investigate all of those!

ESPN Not Working On Youtube TV – All 9 Solutions

solution to espn not working on youtube tv

1. Check The Network

Whenever an app doesn’t work the way it should on your TV, phone, or PC, you need to check the network configurations on the device.

The first thing you will do is the following:

  1. Whether on the PC, phone, or TV, open the Wi-Fi settings;
  2. Check the network your device is connected to;
  3. Usually, you should connect to the 5GHz network whenever possible because 5GHz is faster;

TVs and PCs all can connect to 5GHz. Some older smartphones do not support it. In that case, it is okay to connect to 2.4GHz.

Restart Everything

Moreover, the network may be jammed. In that case, do the following:

  1. Deactivate the Wi-Fi on the device you are trying to watch YouTube TV;
  2. Turn the router off;
  3. Wait a minute;
  4. Turn the router on again;
  5. Activate Wi-Fi on your device.

2. Manage The App

manage your app

Why is ESPN not working on youtube tv? If you are using the app on your TV or mobile device, one good way to try and solve the issue is to check for updates on the YouTube TV app.

It is highly possible that the app skipped newer updates for some reason.

On your mobile device:

  1. Access the app store;
  2. Locate YouTube TV;
  3. Check for updates;
  4. If available, install them.

The same steps apply to the TV app. You also need to go to the app store.

Reinstall The App

Suppose that there are no updates available for the YouTube TV app. In that case, trying and reinstalling the app is a better bet.

reinstall youtube tv app

Simply do the following:

  1. Locate the app on your TV;
  2. Access its options;
  3. Choose to uninstall it;
  4. Go to the app store;
  5. Find the app again and install it.

Reinstalling the app will eliminate potentially corrupted files causing the app to misbehave.

3. Check For VPN 

So here we have to think of two possible situations. If you have VPN on, it might be blocking the location data, so YouTube TV is not allowing you to access ESPN.

On the other hand, you might live somewhere ESPN is not available, and a VPN would help you access the channel.

Check Your Settings

check the vpn settings

If you are 100% sure your area has access to ESPN, and you have an active VPN, do the following:

  1. Open your VPN app or VPN website;
  2. Access the settings;
  3. Choose which sites or apps can get access to your location data;
  4. Allow YouTube TV;

If you want to hide your exact location, you still want to ensure your virtual location is set within the USA.

On the other hand, the same tip goes for someone within an area out of coverage. VPN will help you get access to everything YouTube TV can offer.

4. Clear The Cache

Perhaps you are trying to watch the ESPN channel, but it loads indefinitely without launching. That can happen due to cache data issues.

The cache is helpful most of the time, but its overload will start dragging the processing down. So let’s clear it.

On The Browser

clear cache on browser

Are you accessing YouTube TV on your PC’s browser? Then do this:

  1. Open the web browser where you watch YTTV
  2. Find “Menu” or “Settings”
  3. Find an option that allows you to manage data
  4. Choose to clear browsing data

On The Mobile App

If you are using the YouTube TV app on any mobile device, clearing the cache goes like this:

  1. Open the app
  2. Click on your profile picture
  3. Choose “Settings”
  4. Click on “Clear app data.”
  5. Confirm

On The TV

Depending on your TV model, it might be possible to delete only a single app’s cache, or you need to clear the TV’s cache entirely.

First, check the app’s options (similar to Solution #2).

If you can’t clear only YouTube TV’s cache, do this:

  1. Open the TV’s settings;
  2. Find data and system options;
  3. Locate anything similar to “cache data”;
  4. Erase the cache data.

Clearing the cache might also get you unlogged from the app. That’s fine, though.

5. Assess Your Account Details

access the account details

Is ESPN on YouTube TV not working? You might want to check if ESPN is correctly configured on your account settings.

Although the channel is included in the basic plan, it might have been deactivated/removed for some reason.

So here is what you will do:

  1. Open the YouTube TV app;
  2. Click on the store icon;
  3. Select the channel you wish to add or reactivate;
  4. If ESPN is there, then the issue is solved.

If the above doesn’t solve the problem, you might want to investigate other settings within your YouTube TV account details.

Look for settings that allow you to remove channels and see if the ESPN channel has been removed.

6. Verify Your Location Info

Another cause of the issue could be the lack of correct location data on your Google/YouTube TV account details.

Without it, YouTube TV won’t allow you to access many premium channels.

So here is what you need to do:

  1. Access the YouTube TV site;
  2. Go to your profile picture;
  3. Select “Location”;
  4. Locate “Home area” and select “Update”;

Update The Info On The App

update the info on app

If you have the app on the TV or mobile device, you can change the info too:

  1. Open the app;
  2. Click on the profile picture;
  3. Tap on “Location”;
  4. Click on “Current Playback Area” and update the info.

Solution #7: HDMI Ultra HD Color (For Roku)

Perhaps you have a TV with a Roku system, or you are using a Roku device connected to it. In that case, YouTube TV may display an “HDCP error.”

In that case, do the following:

  1. Open the TV’s settings (not the Roku settings if you are using a Roku device);
  2. Go to the picture/image/color settings;
  3. Select “HDMI Ultra HD Color” and activate it.

Fix Choppy Playback

Are the YouTube TV channels (including ESPN) presenting choppy playback on Roku?

Then you need to do this:

  1. Go to the Settings;
  2. Locate “Display type”;
  3. Choose between “4K 30 Hz TV”, “4K 60 Hz TV”, or “4K HDR 60 Hz”.

8. Power Cycle The TV

power cycle your tv

A powerful yet overlooked solution is power cycling your TV. That can allow the system to refresh, discharging accumulated electricity.

In software terms, it allows the TV to run freshly.

So do this:

  1. Unplug the TV from the wall;
  2. Wait a minute;
  3. Plug the TV back in.

Some TVs require you to press the power button for 10-15 seconds while unplugged. That discharges any residual electricity.

9. Update The TV

We could also assume that the YouTube TV app is not working correctly due to the lack of important updates on the TV’s firmware.

Of course, it might seem odd that only ESPN is not working, but it is worth checking for updates.

How To Update?

how update the tv

There are many brands of TVs and many operating systems on them.

However, most of them follow the same path to update manually:

  1. Open the TV’s settings;
  2. Go to “System,” “Software,” “Firmware” or something similar;
  3. Locate any option related to “Update”;
  4. Check for updates manually;
  5. Install if available.

If updates are available, wait for them to install. After that, check if the app/channel is working as intended.

Quick Recap

Is ESPN not working on YouTube TV? In that case, you must do plenty of things to ensure a connection to the channel.

Above we have laid down all the solutions, and by now, your app should work normally.

Curious about how to solve other YouTube TV issues? We have articles for those!

Read Next: Youtube TV Sound Not Synced? – Learn How to Fix

Finn Wheatley
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