If you’re a sports fanatic and you’ve consumed all you can in Kayo Sports' "Other" category or you’re looking for something VERY niche, ESPN on Disney Plus has a goldmine of options to choose from. And these aren't your regular sports.
Some are modern sports completely turned on their head while others are the brainchild of "what if.." meets "utter nonsense". But with over 45 different alternative sports to stream on ESPN, which ones are actually worth your time? Keep reading as we count down our top ten.
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10. Banana Ball
Baseball’s equivalent to Cricket’s BBL tournament but, somehow, with even stranger rules!
If Baseball is just too slow for you, let us introduce you to Banana Ball. Created in 2016, this sport is designed to get the fans more involved in the game. And boy does it keep them engaged, especially with its set of 11 unique rules that truly set it apart from any other ball sport.
Some of the craziest Banana Ball rules include, but are not limited to:
- If a fan catches a foul ball, the batter is out
- Bunting the ball is not allowed. Any batter caught bunting is out of the game
- Each team and its fans get the chance to challenge a ruling made on the field
- A walk (fourth ball) is now a RUN
9. Extreme Archery
Think tag, but with arrows.
Extreme Archery is a team combat sport where players must work together using strategic moves and shields, known as 'bunkers', to evade the opposing team. And no, we know what you're thinking. The arrows are actually foam-tipped, and the players wear masks so there's no gruesome injuries or bloodshed in this arena.
While it sounds a little lamer now, the fast pace of the game really earns it a place on this list. And would you believe Extreme Archery, or Archery Tag as it's also known, dates back as far as 2009? So, for anyone who was a fan of Ultimate Tag, this takes the primary school game of 'tips' to a whole new level.
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8. Major League Paintball
It only matters when it splatters.
Major League Paintball is a next-level sport resembling adrenaline-fuelled warfare. And this isn't just your friendly group of mates getting together to harmlessly shoot one another for fun. Teams take turns eliminating one another over a 10-minute match in an arena setup with inflatables for ducking, weaving and diving behind.
If you have always been too anxious to play paintball, maybe watching could be a less anxiety-inducing way to get involved (but admittedly, only by a small margin).
7. National Dodgeball League
You gotta learn the five D's of dodgeball: Dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge.
Fans of the early-2000s film Dodgeball can now rejoice as ESPN on Disney is streaming this sport straight onto your screen. Plus, the fact that it was actually inspired by the movie is even better!
Sure, the teams aren't captained by Ben Stiller or Vince Vaughn, but the hilarity of watching grown adults take this gym sport seriously makes for solid entertainment. Yet as funny as it is, you can't help admire their agility, speed and accuracy. Like the Beep Test, Dodgeball truly is a fast-paced activity not for the faint-hearted and requires both skill and endurance.
6. Coffin Wars
Exactly (as grim) as it sounds.
If goths liked a sport, this would be it. Picture it: a coffin-shaped arena, just as shallow but slightly longer and wider. Two competitors per coffin. Player one's objective is to escape, player two's is to defend. Two bodies go in, but only one comes out.
It seems easy enough, but there are some grappling MMA-style skills to it. And to make things trickier, there's no lid to this coffin, so anyone could quite literally come out on top.
5. Trick Shots
We've all seen them. Those TikToks and YouTube Shorts of people throwing a disc perfectly into a PlayStation or tossing a basketball blindfolded over their shoulder into a hoop. But what if they had to compete on live TV?
Behind the camera, who knows how many turns they've taken to get it right. So Trick Shots takes accuracy to an impressive new level. Admittedly, this one is kind of a cheat because ESPN have a whole selection of trick shot sports — pool, basketball, etc. — but we felt combining them into their own 'sport' (?) only made sense.
4. Slippery Stairs
Somehow even funnier than you'd think.
The simplicity of Slippery Stairs makes it even more intriguing. Contestants struggle to climb a flight of stairs covered in a slippery substance. Of course, they're decked out in helmets and knee pads for (some) protection, but the tumbles straight to the bottom and the suspense right down to the very last second are what make this a sport worth cheering for.
The only way this could be more entertaining is if they were all quickly spun around ten times first and had to do it blindfolded.
3. Corgi Racing
A sport that would've made Queen Elizabeth II proud.
They're cute, they're floofy, and they're off and racing! It's kind of like greyhound racing, but you'll need a seriously good pair of binoculars from the stands to catch all the action.
Half the fun is watching the pet owners lose it when their pups run the wrong way. The other half is watching the little corgi legs bobble over the soft sand to the finish line. And their adorable names, like Pancake, Percy, Worgi and Kibble, are just the icing on the cake.
2. Carjitsu
Fast and the Furious, eat your heart out.
Now when you think Carjitsu, you wouldn't be blamed for picturing an eSport like Rocket League or car events like Demolition Derby or Nitro Circus. But this is somehow even MORE bizarre!
Two competitors start in a car, strapped in by their seatbelts. They have just three minutes to grapple their opponent into submission using Jiu-Jitsu techniques. Imagine the Deadpool 3 scene between Deadpool and Wolverine in the 2011 Honda Odyssey but with much slower healing and fewer Adamantium claws.
1. Dog Surfing
Be prepared to meet dogs cooler than you'll ever be.
Whatever sports humans can do, if a dog can do it too, it's immediately better. Your jaw will literally drop as you watch these pups balance their boards and weave with the waves. And as if their talents aren't impressive enough, their little life vests and goggles are enough to melt even a cat person's heart.
And Dog Surfing isn't just restricted to water dogs! All breeds can get in on the action: French Bulldogs, Labs, Pit Bulls, mixed breeds — you name it, they're probably competing.
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