ESPN Dominates PYMNTS App Provider Streaming Rankings

It’s football season. It’s new streaming show season. And it’s new movie season. No better time to check in on streaming apps in the PYMNTS app provider rankings where we found that ESPN’s move from cable channel to streaming app has worked better than a quarterback having a hot game.

The PYMNTS.com Streaming Apps page offers a monthly ranking of smartphone Streaming Apps, assessing them based on publicly available information and exclusive app usage data, helping users identify the top performers in the market. The ranking aims to provide precise insights into app performance, aiding stakeholders in making informed decisions. For September it shows that ESPN posted a stunning 12 point gain for a total score of 66.

The spike was driven by its new status as a full-stack sports streaming and content hub, offering live access to all 12 of ESPN’s linear networks, on-demand replays, highlights, news, fantasy integration and interactive features via a revamped direct-to-consumer (DTC) model. Its dramatic rise in usage in September likely stems from the roll-out of that new app (launched in August 2025) with aggressive marketing, plus the alignment with high-stakes live sports (e.g. the WNBA’s record viewership in September) drawing heavy engagement.

“We recognize the complexity of this. We recognize that we need to simplify it for all of our fans,” said ESPN EVP of creative studio and marketing Tina Thornton told Front Office Sports. “It’s teaching not just what we’re doing but how you get to it.”

Satellite TV service DIRECTV posted a five-point gain for a title score of 49. This is most likely the result of a major distribution play from DIRECTV announced in early September. DIRECTV announced that it has signed agreements with 132 local broadcast groups — including nearly all of the top 20 — to bring their ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX stations into its new “MySports” genre pack. The service now includes roughly 650 local affiliates covering more than 90% of U.S. homes, giving football and college sports fans access to hometown games via local channels alongside national networks like ESPN, TNT, and TBS. MySports is designed to be an all-in-one sports streaming bundle, offering major league networks such as NFL Network, MLB Network, and NBA TV at no extra cost, plus access to ad-supported sports channels ranging from Golf Pass to the Women’s Sports Network.

Chief Content Officer Rob Thun said the move underscores DIRECTV’s focus on consumer choice and flexibility, while strengthening its position as a go-to destination for local and national sports coverage. The initiative also coincides with the addition of ESPN’s new streaming service, ESPN Unlimited, which MySports subscribers can access for free, which is a likely driver of DIRECTV’s recent jump in PYMNTS’ streaming app rankings.

The third spot went to went to Fubo, with a three-point gain. The Fubo app serves as a live-TV and sports streaming platform that bundles more than 200 → 350+ channels including major sports networks, local broadcast affiliates, entertainment, news, and movie programming. It also offers features like unlimited cloud DVR and multi-view (watching multiple streams simultaneously). Its jump in usage in September likely stemmed from its launch of a new “Fubo Sports” skinny-bundle product on September 2, 2025, giving sports fans a lower-priced, sports-first option (with 20+ sports and broadcast networks) and aligning closely with high engagement on live events. That offering may have attracted both new and existing users seeking more focused value around live sports content during a month dense with high-stakes games.