What Streaming Service Do You Need to Watch Sports?
Before you sign up for a sports streaming service, take time to decide which channels you need. NFL fans have the easiest job. All NFL games air on local broadcast affiliates (CBS, FOX, or NBC), ESPN, or NFL Network. That means you don't have to deal with regional sports networks (RSNs) to watch games. However, the games that air on your local broadcast affiliates will almost always feature local teams; if you are a fan of an out-of-market team, NFL+ and YouTube's Sunday Ticket are your best options. Other sports programming, such as PGA Tour events (CBS, Golf Channel, or NBC) and NASCAR races (FOX, FS1, NBC, or NBC Sports Network), also air on national channels.
Some MLB, NBA, and NHL games air on national channels, too; for example, you can watch NBA games on ABC, ESPN, TBS, or TNT. That said, many of the games from these leagues air on RSNs owned by Sinclair (Bally Sports, previously known as FOX Sports), Comcast (NBC Sports), or SportsNet (formerly AT&T). The RSNs vary by location. Check out each RSN's listing page to see which teams they cover, and check which RSNs these services support. Note that Warner Bros. Discovery is selling off the former AT&T SportsNet RSNs.
Baseball, basketball, and hockey fans should respectively check out our roundups of the best MLB streaming services, the best NBA streaming services, and the best NHL streaming services for all the details on streaming these sports without cable. We have streaming explainers for March Madness, World Baseball Classic, and World Cup, fans too.
How to Stream League-Specific and International Sports
Many individual sports leagues offer dedicated streaming services. NBA League Pass, NFL+, NFL Sunday Ticket, NHL.TV, and MLB.TV are the best-known examples. Even poker has its own streaming service with PokerGO. If you only care about watching a specific team or sport, you don't need to pay for an entire cable replacement service. Many of these services restrict viewing until after they air in their entirety on regular channels, so most aren't ideal for sports fans who want to watch their local team's drama unfold live.
Many services offer major sports channels for international markets, such as BEIN, ESPN Deportes, Fox Deportes, and Univision Deportes, but some require you to subscribe to extra packages for more regional and international sports content.
Dazn, on the other hand, is better for users in international markets (such as Germany, Switzerland, Japan, and Italy) who want to watch mainstream US sports. However, for US subscribers, it offers a mix of Boxing, MLB, and MMA content.
Which Streaming Service Is Best for Live Sports?
Presumably, you want to watch live sports and sports-related programs. However, we restricted this roundup to those services that regularly stream live sports events. After all, there's no point in cutting the cord if you can't watch your favorite teams live. That means there's a lot of overlap with our top picks for overall live TV streaming, including Fubo, Hulu, and YouTube TV. Sports commentary and shows about sports certainly add value on other general streaming services, but they don't alone qualify a service as a sports streaming service. Just as with cable broadcasts, streaming services are subject to coverage blackouts, so it's a good idea to find a service with both RSNs and local broadcast affiliates, in case one outbids the other for broadcast rights.
The Best Streaming Service With More Than Sports
There's a good chance that not everyone in your household wants to exclusively watch sports. Many options cost upwards of $60 per month, depending on the package. Add-ons can easily push that monthly price even higher.
Therefore, you should consider whether the service offers value for anyone else in your household. Most of the best sports streaming services are also great for general audiences, with good news and entertainment programming.
That said, some video streaming services, such as ESPN+ and Dazn, primarily focus on sports content. Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+, and Peaco*ck, which are primarily on-demand services, offer large libraries of shows and movies to stream in addition to their live sports content. Hulu + Live TV also gives users access to a vast library of TV series and films.
You won't find esports on any of these services, but many game companies broadcast major events for free online. Twitch is your best bet for video game live streaming.
Streaming Sports: DVR, Simultaneous Streams, and Resolution
Sometimes sports coverage, like international sports coverage or Olympics highlights, doesn't air at a convenient time. If you can't watch the game for whatever reason, finding a service with good DVR functionality is worthwhile. Many video streaming services offer a specified number of hours you can record (some offer unlimited recording), which you can keep in storage for a set amount of time or until you stop paying for your subscription. However, no service we reviewed lets you watch those recordings offline, as some on-demand video streaming services allow.
What if two programs are airing at the same time? Make sure that the video streaming service you pick supports simultaneous streaming. Most services support at least two simultaneous streams, but many offer add-ons that increase that limit for an extra monthly fee.
However, a streaming service's picture quality may not always match cable's. The upper streaming resolution is dependent on the broadcast itself, so you may occasionally find games or channels that are limited to 720p. To enjoy smooth 1080p streaming, make sure that your internet connection reaches a service's minimum bandwidth requirement. Hulu + Live TV, Paramount+, and YouTube TV are among the services we tested that support 1080p/60fps streams on select platforms. Streaming at 4K resolution requires even more bandwidth (as well as a compatible screen) and few services even support that resolution. Fubo and YouTube TV are exceptions: Both broadcast some live events in 4K, though the latter requires you to pay an extra monthly fee for that capability.
How Can I Stream Live Sports for Free?
Not all sports events require a subscription to watch them online. Major sports events, such as the Super Bowl or The Masters, are typically free to stream online. You can also purchase a TV antenna to get free over-the-air local channels, though the number and quality of said channels may vary wildly based on your location. NFL+ has replaced previous free apps with a paid, albeit affordable, tier. Peaco*ck includes select sports in its free tier. In general, though, sports viewers should be prepared to pay.
Yes, there are illegal options too. For example, there's likely a sketchy subreddit (if it hasn't already been shut down) or sports streaming site with several dozen hosted links for whatever sport and event you want to watch. We do not condone the use of these sites.
Ben Moore contributed to this story.
