Getty The winners of the 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee
It is time once again for the Scripps National Spelling Bee, with the virtual semifinals taking place on Sunday, June 27, and the in-person finals on Thursday, July 8.
If you don’t have cable, here are some different ways you can watch a live stream of both the semifinals (Sunday, 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2) and the finals (July 8, 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2) 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 2021 National Spelling Bee 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 2021 National Spelling Bee 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 2021 National Spelling Bee 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 2021 National Spelling Bee 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 2021 National Spelling Bee 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).
2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee Preview
For four hours on Sunday, June 27, ESPN 2 will air live coverage of the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee semifinals.
“It will be an excitement-building sequence for the spellers and the audiences watching at home as the action and suspense of ‘speller versus the dictionary’ plays out over several weeks of competition this year,” said Dr. J. Michael Durnil, executive director of the spelling bee, in a statement. “Last year was challenging for so many as we learned to cope with the pandemic. Now, as pandemic guidelines across the country continue to evolve, we’ve charted a path for the 2021 competition and national finals activities by taking enhanced health and safety measures for the spellers, their families and the team of people who support and produce the Bee.”
He added, “I’m proud of the program and our safety teams that have worked so diligently to give spellers an opportunity to show off their skills this year while promoting a fun and safe experience for all involved.”
The purpose of the Scripps National Spelling Bee is to “help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabularies, learn concepts and develop correct English usage that will help them all their lives,” according to the press release. It is the nation’s “largest and longest-running educational program.”
The 30 semifinalists are as follows:
Roy Saligman, 12, the Bahamas
Chaitra Thummala, 11, California
Vayun Krishna, 14, California
Vikram Raju, 11, Colorado
Charles Fennell, 13, Connecticut
Erik Williams, 13, Florida,
Ananya Augustine, 13, Georgia
Ishan Ramrakhiani, 13, Indiana
Ananya Gautam, 14, Maryland
Bhavana Madini, 12, New York
Emma Sroka, 12, New York
Sreethan Gajula, 14, North Carolina
Sophia Lopez, 13, Ohio
Rajshekhar Basu, 12, Ohio
Isabella Fletcher, 12, Ohio
Seoyon Kim, 14, Rhode Island
Akshita Balaji, 14, Virginia
Ashrita Gandhari, 14, Virginia
Avani Joshi, 13, Illinois
Sahasrad Sathish, 12, Illinois
Kathleen Keesey, 13, Illinois
Ishya Bhavsar, 14, Kansas
Zaila Avant-garde, 14, Louisiana
Colette Giezentanner, 14, Missouri
Vivinsha Veduru, 10, Texas
Dhroov Bharatia, 12, Texas
Vihaan Sibal, 12, Texas
Akshainie Kamma, 13, Texas
Tarini Nandakumar, 10, Texas
Maya Jadhav, 12, Wisconsin
The winner of the 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee was actually eight participants who all lasted 20 rounds — Rishik Gandhasri, Erin Howard, Saketh Sundar, Shruthika Padhy, Sohum Sukhatankar, Abhijay Kodali, Christopher Serrao, and Rohan Raja. This eight-way tie was unprecedented; prior to 2019, only two participants had ever tied for the win before.
The semifinals air Sunday, June 27 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET on ESPN 2. The finals will air on Thursday, July 8 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET on ESPN 2.