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The finals of the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee air live on Thursday, July 8 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ESPN2.
If you don’t have cable, here are some different ways you can watch a live stream of the National Spelling Bee finals online:
Note: Heavy may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up via a link on this page
FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN2 and 100-plus other live TV channels on FuboTV, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch the National Spelling Bee finals live on the FuboTV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the FuboTV website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You need to log-in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your Fubo credentials to do that.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV also comes with 250 hours of cloud DVR space.
Sling TV
ESPN2 included in Sling TV’s “Sling Orange” bundle. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but it’s the cheapest long-term streaming service with the ESPN channels, and you can get your first month for just $10:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch the National Spelling Bee finals live on the Sling TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Android TV, airTV Mini, Oculus, Portal, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Sling TV website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You need to log-in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your Sling credentials to do that.
If you can’t watch live, Sling TV comes included with 50 hours of cloud DVR.
Vidgo
You can watch a live stream of ESPN2 and 65+ other TV channels on Vidgo. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but you can get your first month for just $10:
Once signed up for Vidgo, you can watch the National Spelling Bee finals live on the Vidgo app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Vidgo website.
AT&T TV
AT&T TV has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” ESPN2 is included in every one, but you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free 14-day trial.
Note that the free trial isn’t advertised as such, but your “due today” amount will be $0 when signing up. If you watch on your computer, phone or tablet, you won’t be charged for 14 days. If you watch on a streaming device on your TV (Roku, Fire Stick, Apple TV, etc.), you will be charged for the first month, but you can get still get a full refund if you cancel before 14 days:
Once signed up for AT&T TV, you can watch the National Spelling Bee finals live on the AT&T TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung Smart TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the AT&T TV website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You need to log-in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your AT&T TV credentials to do that.
If you can’t watch live, AT&T TV also comes with 20 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to unlimited hours).
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN2 and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch the National Spelling Bee finals live on the Hulu app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You need to log-in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your Hulu credentials to do that.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu with Live TV also comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
National Spelling Bee Finals 2021 Preview
This is the 27th consecutive Scripps National Spelling Bee broadcast by ESPN (2020 had no spelling bee). The early rounds were held virtually, then a dozen finalists traveled to Orlando, FL, to compete in the finals. Kevin Negandhi, a “SportsCenter” co-anchor, returns as the host for the first time since 2017. Paul Loeffler, who was a spelling bee finalist in 1990, also returns as an analyst, and sideline reporter Jen Lada will be part of the team as an interviewer and reporter.
“I’m thrilled to be returning as host of the Scripps National Spelling Bee,” Negandhi said in a press release. “Due to my schedule in 2018 and 2019, I missed out on the fun, but it’s great to be back to share the stories about the competitors and what drives them at a young age to be the best in the world. I’m looking forward to teaming up again with the best in the business in Paul Loeffler, Jen Lada, and producers Bryan Jaroch and Steve Ackels and the rest of our dedicated crew who love the Bee and what it stands for.”
The bee began June 12 with 209 spellers from around the world. They were eventually whittled down to 30 spellers for the semi-finals, and now there are only 11 spellers left. They are:
- Roy Saligman, 12, the Bahamas
- Bhavana Madini, 12, New York
- Sreethan Gajula, 14, North Carolina
- Ashrita Gandhari, 14, Virginia
- Avani Joshi, 13, Illinois
- Zaila Avant-garde, 14, Louisiana
- Vivinsha Veduru, 10, Texas
- Dhroov Bharatia, 12, Texas
- Vihaan Sibal, 12, Texas
- Akshainie Kamma, 13, Texas
- Chaitra Thummala, 11, California
At the last bee, in 2019, eight participants went the distance through 20 rounds. Having an eight-way tie was unprecedented and as such, the bee will now go “as many rounds needed until a champion is declared.”
For a bit of fun for at-home viewers, there is a multiple-choice Play Along channel on ESPNU for its seventh year. This version of the broadcast offers fans “a one-in-four chance to pick the correct spelling of the given word, allowing fans to compete along with the spellers. The Play Along version also features informational boxes highlighting the word’s etymology, definition, clear pronunciation and part of speech, as well as live tweets, the speller’s bio and more. Back for a third year at www.spellingbee.com/playalong is an online interactive Play Along, a fun way for viewers to test their spelling prowess on their computer, tablet or phone.”