The regular ESPN service that you get with cable or something like YouTubeTV is totally separate from ESPN+. To get ESPN+, all you need is a login to ESPN+ is either a standalone account with ESPN or get the Disney bundle that includes ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu.
https://www.reddit.com/r/cordcutters/comments/z7wtoz/need_advice_on_least_expensive_way_to_get_espn/

