The NFL has jumped into the streaming industry in recent years, putting 'Thursday Night Football" games on Amazon Prime Video and even broadcasting a playoff game exclusively on Peacock. That infiltration continues in Week 7.
Another "Monday Night Football" doubleheader will feature two impactful games to close out the week, but only one will be available on basic cable. The nightcap between the Chargers and Cardinals will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN+, a first for ESPN.
Chargers vs. Cardinals might take a backseat to Ravens vs. Buccaneers in terms of eyeballs on Monday, but it's a game that could have major consequences in both conferences. A win would actually push the Cardinals within a half-game of the NFC West lead, while the Chargers could move back to two games over .500 with a victory.
Here's what you need to know about whether an ESPN+ free trial is available to fans hoping to watch Chargers vs. Cardinals.
MORE: Watch Chargers vs. Cardinals live with ESPN+
Does ESPN Plus have a free trial?
ESPN+ does not offer a free trial at the moment, so viewers will have to subscribe to stream Chargers vs. Cardinals using the service.
ESPN Plus streaming prices
- Monthly: $11.99/month
- Annual: $119.99/year
- Disney bundle: $14.99/month
- Disney bundle premium: $24.99/month
The basic cost of a monthly ESPN+ subscription is $11.99 per month, a figure that conveniently increased by $1 on Thursday ahead of Monday's exclusive broadcast. An annual subscription is also available for $119.99 per year.
ESPN also has two Disney bundles that allow users to subscribe to Disney+ and Hulu in addition to ESPN+. The basic bundle with ads for Disney+ and Hulu is $14.99 per month, while the premium bundle without ads is $24.99 per month.
Why isn't Chargers vs. Cardinals on TV?
NFL games broadcast exclusively on streaming services aren't especially convenient, but they do pay well for the league. NBC paid $110 million to broadcast one playoff game exclusively on Peacock last season, and the streaming service brought in a tremendous amount of new subscribers for the game.
ESPN+ will hope Chargers vs. Cardinals has a similar effect, though not to the degree that a playoff game would. ESPN notably hasn't taken the step of putting a standalone "Monday Night Football" game on ESPN. This is one of two games on Monday, and it's not the less appealing matchup. It's a way for ESPN to test the waters of exclusive ESPN+ broadcasts without upsetting too many fans.
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Peacock and Amazon Prime Video were trying to reach a new audience when they agreed to broadcast NFL games. ESPN+ is already a streaming service for sports, so ESPN hopes fans who subscribe to watch an NFL game will have reason to stick around.
What channel is ESPN Plus?
ESPN+ isn't on cable TV, so it won't be available on any channel outside of local markets.
Fans in the Los Angeles market can watch the game on KCOP (channel 13), while fans in the Phoenix market can watch on KSAZ (channel 10). Anyone else will have to find the game on ESPN+.
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