Local fans wanting to watch most of the Phillies, 76ers, or Flyers regular season games need NBC Sports Philadelphia. I explain all your choices below.
In a hurry? NBC Sports Philadelphia is the only major RSN that DIRECTV STREAM does not offer. But these services do — along with a whole lot more:
- Fubo: Known for its outstanding sports coverage, Fubo’s 150+ live TV channels provide a broad selection that appeals to most people. Fubo allows you to try out its service with a free trial.
- Hulu + Live TV: Get 95+ live TV channels along with the Hulu Bundle with Disney+ and ESPN+! Try the Hulu Live free 3-day trial.
- YouTube TV: Good all around streaming service similar to Hulu Live.
Table Of Contents
NBC Sports owns four American regional sports networks (RSNs) on the west and northeast coasts of the United States. NBC Sports Philadelphia is focused on sports in the City of Brotherly Love. It carries in-market broadcasts for three of the city’s major league sports teams: Philadelphia Phillies (MLB), Philadelphia 76ers (NBA), and Philadelphia Flyers (NHL). It also airs select local college sports events.
Streaming NBC Sports Philadelphia
Cord cutters looking to stream NBC Sports Philadelphia have, unfortunately, seen their options diminish over the years due to contract disputes and for other reasons. But you do still have a couple of options and they will allow you to watch a wide variety of events.
Streaming Features
Each of these streaming services come with a free cloud DVR with unlimited storage. They also allow people in your household to stream on multiple devices.
Most modern streaming devices are also supported. These include Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, and Roku “stick” devices; mobile devices based on Android and iOS; smart TVs from Android TV and Samsung; and Xbox gaming systems. Other smart TVs and gaming consoles have wide support as well.
Other RSNs
The 3 streaming services all offer NBC Sports Philadelphia. But depending on your exact location, you may qualify for other RSNs like Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), MSG Network, SportsNet Pittsburgh, and YES Network. These four are only available from Fubo.
Other Viewing Options Beyond NBC Sports Philadelphia
An alternate option that you can take advantage of is not paying for a cable or satellite service and also not paying for a streaming service. Simply get an antenna.
Fortunately, going this route will offer you more than you may at first realize. For example, some Phillies, 76ers, and Flyers games are shown on network television, including a number of their postseason contests. Also of note, you can watch more than three-quarters of Eagles games with an antenna and television.
In addition, those who are situated outside of these respective teams’ blackout areas can get MLB.TV ($29.99/month), NBA League Pass ($16.99/month), and ESPN+ ($10.99/month) to watch out-of-market Phillies, 76ers, and Flyers broadcasts. (Note: Hulu Live includes ESPN+.)
Sign up for MLB.TV on Fubo for Free
What Is NBC Sports Philadelphia?
NBC Sports Philadelphia is a regional sports network (RSN) that broadcasts professional and college sports teams based in and near Pennsylvania’s largest city. In fact, this is the NBC Sports Regional Networks’ flagship affiliate.
It launched in 1997 as Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia and carried that name until 2017 when it became known under its current moniker.
Where Is NBC Sports Philadelphia Available?
NBC Sports Philadelphia’s broadcast area covers the Philadelphia metropolitan area and stretches out from there. This region includes Pennsylvania except for in and around Pittsburgh — Erie is even included — as well as all of Delaware and southern and central parts of New Jersey, including Princeton.
Which Teams Are Shown on NBC Sports Philadelphia?
NBC Sports Philadelphia is one of the country’s busiest regional sports networks. It broadcasts Philadelphia Phillies games both at home at Citizens Bank Park and away. You will also get to watch a number of Spring Training games.
The same goes for the Philadelphia 76ers and Philadelphia Flyers for their games at Wells Fargo Center and beyond. All of these broadcasts are sandwiched between pregame and postgame shows.
It also airs programming related to the Philadelphia Eagles, such as Eagles Game Plan, Eagles Pre-game Live, and Eagles Post-game Live. But note that it does not air any Eagles games. If you are looking for them, they may be found on Fox, CBS, NBC, ESPN, and NFL Network.
Princeton-Penn rivalry football and men’s basketball games are amongst NBC Sports Philadelphia’s featured college broadcasts.
Finally, NBC Sports Philadelphia also broadcasts NCAA games from the Atlantic 10 and CAA conferences as well as the schools Pennsylvania, Temple, and Villanova.
NBC Sports Philadelphia Plus
With how many sports teams and events that NBC Sports Philadelphia shows, it is not a surprise that it offers a full-time overrun channel, NBC Sports Philadelphia Plus, to take care of situations when it broadcasts multiple games at the same time.
Our Choice
Sports fans looking to gain access to NBC Sports Philadelphia and who are located in its broadcast area have three streaming services to choose from. But given access to other RSNs, I don’t think there is any question but that Fubo is the best choice. Fubo allows you to try out its service with a free trial.
FAQs
How come DIRECTV STREAM does not offer NBC Sports Philadelphia?
DIRECTV STREAM does not offer NBC Sports Philadelphia because the entities have not been able to come to an agreement over carriage fees. This battle dates to Comcast being the only cable/satellite service in the Philadelphia area allowed to carry this channel. This has resulted in DIRECTV saying that this created an unfair competitive advantage. However, despite that monopoly no longer existing, no agreement between the two has occurred.
What happened to Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia?
Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia was the original name of NBC Sports Network. After Comcast acquired NBCUniversal, all of its SportsNet channels became part of NBC Sports and in 2017, the names were all changed. CSN Philadelphia took over most of the broadcasting rights of PRISM and SportsChannel Philadelphia starting in 1997.
Does NBC Sports Philadelphia broadcast Philadelphia Union matches?
Philadelphia Union matches are not aired on NBC Sports Philadelphia. From 2018 through 2022, local channel PHL17 aired their matches. But MLS has gone streaming-only with their MLS Season Pass program on Apple TV+. With it, you can stream any game you like. It’s a great service — if a bit pricy.
What is the cheapest way to stream NBC Sports Philadelphia?
Those looking for the cheapest way to stream NBC Sports Philadelphia should choose either Hulu + Live TV or YouTube TV, which both offer as part of its base plan for $82.99/month. Note however that Fubo alone offers the other RSNs in the area and is probably a better deal for $94.98/month (this includes the RSN fee).
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My expertise in sports coverage, particularly for out-of-market games and regional sports networks, stems from years of hands-on experience as an early adopter of streaming services and my work addressing fans' viewing challenges. As a longtime cord-cutter and subscriber to multiple streaming platforms, I combine my technical knowledge with practical user experience, making me a leading expert in the field of sports streaming and entertainment technology.
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