ESPN
Depends
Confidence: Medium
The free app is fine for scores and news; only pay if you specifically need ESPN's exclusive live rights at $12-$30/month.
Comparison
ESPN vs Newsweek
ESPN and Newsweek both land on Depends.
Newsweek
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Fine as a free, secondary headline source or as a rankings/PR channel for brands; not for readers wanting strictly neutral, wire-style hard news.
| Compare | ESPN | Newsweek |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Depends | Depends |
| Best for | US sports fans wanting free scores and news | Casual free headline skimming |
| Who it's not for | Budget cord-cutters . Unlimited hits $30/mo | Readers wanting neutral wire-style hard news |
| Privacy | No public CVEs for the iOS app; Zscaler previously flagged ScoreCenter; this Uptodown mirror has no security page.⁶ | 2015 website hack probed by FBI; no current vulnerabilities or breaches found in reviewed sources. |
| Support quality | Billing disputes and finger-pointing reported | PissedConsumer complaint pages for subscriptions |
| Public sentiment | Opinions are polarized: app-store reviewers like the app, while Reddit and PissedConsumer users slam ESPN+ value, billing, and service quality.¹ | Reddit sentiment skews negative, citing clickbait headlines, a weak opinion section, and removal from trusted-source lists.14 |
| Biggest gotcha | Price increase effective September 17, 2026 . lock in or budget for it⁴ | PissedConsumer hosts subscription and customer-service complaints; verify cancellation terms before paying.16 |
Pick ESPN when
- US sports fans wanting free scores and news
- Die-hards needing ESPN's exclusive live rights
- Cable subscribers who already get ESPN access
When ESPN is not a fit
- Budget cord-cutters . Unlimited hits $30/mo
- Anyone allergic to subscription billing hassles
- Casual users who only need scores . the free app covers it
- Non-US viewers . blackout and rights limits apply (guess)
Pick Newsweek when
- Casual free headline skimming
- Politics and world-news roundups
- Brands seeking ranking badges
- Op-ed and essay pitching
When Newsweek is not a fit
- Readers wanting neutral wire-style hard news
- Anyone avoiding clickbait-heavy feeds
- Buyers expecting a software product . it's a magazine
- People wary of subscription renewal complaints
Sources
- ESPN: Live Sports & Scores . App Store reviewsapps.apple.comreview
- ESPN reviews on PissedConsumerespn.pissedconsumer.comreview
- How Much Is ESPN Streaming? . NerdWalletnerdwallet.comofficial
- ESPN streaming price increase . Varietyvariety.comnews
- ESPN Unlimited finger pointing . DIRECTV forumsforums.directv.comreview
security
- ESPN iOS app CVE scanscout.appaloosa.iosecurity
- Hacking group goes after ESPN . Awful Announcingawfulannouncing.comsecurity
- ESPN+ is Terrible . Redditreddit.comreview
- ESPN Uptodown security pageespn.en.uptodown.comsecurity
- Stream live sports with ESPN . officialplus.espn.comofficial
news
- Newsweek Media Bias . AllSidesallsides.comreview
review
- Newsweek Reviews . PissedConsumernewsweek.pissedconsumer.comreview