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While the ESPN+ video is playing, select the CC button on the player bar to turn captions off. ESPN says the precise controls vary by device, so if captions remain visible, check that device’s caption settings too. Some text— including certain Spanish-language subtitles—may be part of the video itself and cannot be switched off.
Turn captions off in the ESPN+ player first
- Start the ESPN+ video so the playback controls appear.
- Look for the CC button on the player bar.
- Select CC to toggle captions off. ESPN’s guidance is to use the player-bar control on most devices; the exact steps vary by device. ESPN’s caption guidance was updated August 20, 2025.
If the CC control is missing or has no effect, the device may have a separate caption setting. The in-player option is the best first check because streaming apps may manage captions separately from the device.
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On Roku, check both caption controls
Roku has an app playback menu as well as a device-level caption setting. During playback, press the remote’s Star button to open the app menu, then look for its captions option. You can also open Roku’s Settings > Accessibility > Captions mode.
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Changing Roku’s device setting may not affect captions controlled by the ESPN app. Roku notes that some apps use their own captions and bypass the system setting; its guidance was last updated July 23, 2026. Roku’s streaming-app troubleshooting guidance describes these control layers, but does not guarantee that every ESPN app version has identical menu options.
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When captions stay on or text remains
- Try another video. If the issue occurs on only one title, its text may be embedded in the picture, or caption availability may differ for that program.
- Distinguish captions from text in the video. ESPN says some Spanish-language subtitles are burned into the video and cannot be toggled off using the CC control. ESPN’s caption and language options page also explains that controls vary by device.
- Remember that availability varies. ESPN says captions are available on most content, not every title. Its live-caption information lists captioning for live networks while qualifying ESPN3, SEC Network+, and ACC Network Extra as having captions on select programming. See ESPN’s live-stream caption information, updated June 5, 2026.
- For a persistent ESPN-specific issue, contact support. ESPN directs mobile users to Contact Support in the ESPN app’s Settings. Its caption support page also lists [email protected] and 1-860-766-2000.
Why there is no single device path
ESPN supports streaming through browsers, phones and tablets, Fire TV, Apple TV (4th generation and later), Chromecast, Roku, PlayStation, Xbox, Android TV, and several smart-TV platforms. Support for a platform does not mean its menus match another device’s menus. ESPN’s current supported-device overview was updated October 5, 2026: ESPN streaming devices.
For iPhone and iPad, an older ESPN help page gives an iOS 8-or-newer route—Settings > General > Accessibility > Subtitles & Captioning > Closed Captioning + SDH—but that instruction is for enabling captions, not a verified current disable procedure. Start with the ESPN player’s CC control for the video you are watching, then inspect current device accessibility settings if needed. See ESPN’s live-caption information.
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