How to Fix ESPN Not Working on Firestick / Fire TV

Experiencing problems with ESPN on your Firestick? It can be frustrating when ESPN is not working on your Firestick, but you’re not alone. Many users have encountered various errors and difficulties while trying to stream ESPN content through their Firestick devices. These issues can include black screens, playback errors, no sound, or videos not being available in your region.

The reasons behind ESPN not working on Firestick can vary and may include network issues, compatibility issues, outdated software, or restrictions imposed by ESPN itself. These issues can disrupt your streaming experience and prevent you from enjoying your favorite ESPN shows and movies seamlessly on your Firestick.

Fortunately, there are solutions available to resolve these problems and get ESPN working smoothly on your Firestick once again.

Fixes For ESPN Not Working on Firestick

If you have any issues mentioned above, you can easily fix them all by yourself. Try the troubleshooting tips mentioned here one by one to solve the ESPN app on your Firestick.

Login Issues

You can access the ESPN app on up to three devices based on your subscription. If you exceed that limit, your account will be removed from all the devices.

Make sure that you are entering the credentials without any mistakes. And don’t exceed the specified device count to fix the login issues. If there are no login issues, try the next fix.

Check ESPN Server

Being a popular platform, ESPN servers had to deal with a lot of users. Sometimes, the servers on ESPN may not work properly. You can check the status of ESPN servers on the ESPN Help Center or Downdector website.

If the issue is with the server, you have to wait until it is resolved. You can check the latest updates on ESPN’s official social media handles. If there is no server issue, go to the next fix.

Check Subscription

Make sure that your ESPN+ subscription is valid and active. If your subscription is expired, you can’t access the video content in the ESPN app. Renew the subscription from the ESPN website

If you recently bought an ESPN+ subscription, make sure that it is activated. When you have no issues with your subscription, you can try the next fix.

Watch Different Title

The on-demand and trending titles on ESPN will have a lot of users. In some cases, your Firestick can’t load those video titles properly. To fix this issue, you have to watch a different movie or a TV show for a while. After an hour or two, stream the on-demand title. It will load without any issues.

If you are experiencing the same issue for all the video titles, you need to restart the app to fix the issue.

Restart ESPN

If the ESPN app has stopped working on your Fire TV Stick, you need to close or force-close the app.

Press the Back button on the remote to close the ESPN app. If it is not closing, press the Back button three or four times to close the app on Firestick. Then, open the app again. If you have the same issue, you need to force close the app.

On your Firestick, go to the Settings menu and open the Applications tile. Click the Manage Installed Applications and choose the ESPN app. Select the Force Stop option to close the app from the background. Then, open the ESPN app after a few minutes. If the issue persists, go to the next fix.

Restart Firestick

You can fix most of the software issues when you reboot Firestick. If the ESPN app is not loading on your Firestick, you can restart the device to fix the issue.

On your Fire TV Stick, open the Settings menu and choose the My Fire TV option. Tap the Restart option and confirm it in the pop-up to reboot your Firestick. After the restart, open the ESPN app and check if it is loading the video content or not. If not, check whether your internet connection is stable or not.

Check Internet Connection

To stream ESPN video content without buffering on Firestick, you need at least 3 Mbps internet to stream 720p content. For 1080p and 4K content, you need 8 Mbps internet.

Make sure that your Firestick is receiving stable internet from the router. If not, you need to restart the router. You can also connect your Fire Stick to WIFI using an ethernet cable to get a stable connection. If the internet connection is stable and the ESPN app is not loading on your Firestick, you have to clear the cache files.

Clear Data & Cache on Firestick

If you are using your Firestick or Fire TV for a longer period of time, it will have a lot of cache files and temporary data. These temporary data will affect your device’s performance. To fix this issue, you need to clear the cache files for the ESPN app on your Firestick every once a week.

Go to the Settings menu and choose Applications. Click the Manage Installed Applications and choose the ESPN app. Tap the Clear Cache button. This will clear the cache files on Amazon Firestick. Then, click the Clear Data button to remove all the temporary files stored in the ESPN app. Now, check if the issue with ESPN not working on Firestick is resolved. If not, try the next fix.

Use Trustworthy VPN

If you are using any VPN network on your Firestick, it will affect your ESPN streaming experience. Sometimes, the ESPN app will detect the VPN connection and won’t allow you to stream video titles. VPNs like Surfshark VPN and IPVanish VPN won’t bypass ESPN’s geo-restrictions.

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Update ESPN

If you are using the older version of the ESPN app on your Amazon Fire TV Stick, some of the new features won’t work. Sometimes, ESPN’s 4K content won’t be playing on your Firestick. To fix the issue, you need to update the app on your Firestick.

Go to the Apps menu and choose the ESPN app. Click the Options button on the remote and choose the More Info button. On the next screen, tap the Update button to update the ESPN app on your Firestick. After the update, the ESPN app will work without any issues. If ESPN is not working fine even after the update, try updating your Firestick device.

Update Firestick

You will have a lot of restrictions and limitations in the older version of Fire OS. The ESPN app won’t play a lot of video content on the older version of Fire OS. The latest version of Fire OS is Fire OS 7 (as of May 2023). If you are using the older version, upgrade your Fire TV Stick.

Open the Settings menu and choose the My Fire TV option. Tap the About option and click the Check for System Update option. If a new update is available, it will be installed automatically. After the update, open the ESPN app and check if the video is playing or not. If the app is having the same issue, you need to uninstall and install the app again.

Uninstall and Reinstall ESPN

Sometimes, the ESPN app may be corrupted with unnecessary files. To fix this issue, you need to uninstall the app from your Firestick and install it again.

Open the Settings menu and click the Applications tile. Tap the Manage Installed Applications button and choose the ESPN app. Now, click the Uninstall button to uninstall the app from your Firestick. On the confirmation pop-up, click the Uninstall button. Then, restart your Firestick. After that, install the app again from the Amazon App Store. The app will work without any issues. If the same issue is repeated, you need to reset your Firestick.

Reset Firestick

You can reset Amazon Fire TV Stick as a last fix to resolve issues with the ESPN app. Remember, resetting the device will remove all the user-defined settings and delete all the apps & games installed on your Fire TV.

Go to the Settings menu and choose the My Fire TV tile. Scroll to the bottom and tap the Reset to Factory Defaults option. On the confirmation pop-up, click the Reset button to reset the Firestick. After the reset, set up the device and install the ESPN app. If you have the same issue, you need to contact ESPN support.

Customer Support

If resetting the device is not fixing your issue, you need to get assistance from the ESPN support center. ESPN offers both phone call and chat options to enquire about queries. You can contact them from the official website or from the app and fix your issue.

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