Space City Home Network: How to Watch NBA and MLB Without Cable
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Space City Home Network is essential for Astros and Rockets fans in the greater Texas area. I explain your options below.
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In a hurry? If you already know you absolutely must have Space City Home Network, there are only two ways to get it without a cable or satellite contract.
- Fubo: Get Space City Home Network in its 185+-channel plan.
- DIRECTV: Includes 125+ channels in addition to Space City Home Network.
If you are located in or near Texas and want to watch coverage of the Houston Astros, Space City Home Network is a must-have channel for you. This is also true for those in and near the Houston metropolitan area and in many other areas of Texas who want to catch Houston Rockets games as often as possible.
If either of those descriptions fits you and you want to secure online access to this channel, you have two options available: Fubo ($94.98/month) and DIRECTV ($64.99/month).
Stream Space City Home Network
There are currently only two options for streaming Space City Home Network, but they are good ones.
Streaming Features
Both these services provide cloud DVRs with unlimited storage. Each item can be stored up to 9 months.
They also allow you to stream on effectively unlimited simultaneous screens. You are most likely to run out of bandwidth with Fubo before you run out of screens.
Both these services provide apps for the following devices: Amazon Fire TV, Android Mobile, Android TV-base smart TVs, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, Roku, Samsung smart TVs, and web browsers. Fubo provides apps for a few other devices, most notably the Xbox.
What Is Space City Home Network?
Space City Home Network is a regional sports network (RSN) that is headquartered in Houston and focuses on sports teams located in and near that city. Its prime focuses are the Houston Astros and the Houston Rockets although it does also feature plenty of programming related to other regional teams.
This channel was created in 2012 with that double focus, replacing Fox Sports Southwest. At the time of its founding, it was named Comcast SportsNet Houston. That name changed to ROOT Sports Southwest in 2014, then to AT&T SportsNet Southwest in 2017, and finally to Space City Home Network in 2023.
Where Is Space City Home Network Available?
Space City Home Network is available throughout a vast area, including all of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and part of New Mexico. However, note that its coverage of the Houston Rockets is blacked out for part of this region.
Also keep in mind that other RSNs are sometimes available in these areas. It depends on where you are. For example, most who subscribe to DIRECTV will also get Bally Sports Southwest and Bally Sports Oklahoma.
This is an important detail to note if you want to watch Texas Rangers games on Bally Sports Southwest as well as Astros ones on Space City Home Network.
What Sports Teams Does Space City Home Network Cover?
One of the sports teams that Space City Home Network covers is the Houston Astros, showing around 97% of their games to a regional audience. The only exceptions are contests that are either shown nationally or regionally on FOX or that are shown to a nationally exclusive audience on ESPN, such as is the case for all of its Sunday Night Baseball games.
The channel’s coverage of the Houston Rockets is even more extensive, sometimes showing as many as 100% of the team’s games. This may change in the coming years if the team’s fortunes change and national television outlets start wanting exclusive coverage of some of its games.
All the Astros and Rockets games are sandwiched between pregame and postgame shows with news and analysis. And during their seasons, there are weekly TV shows Astros Bases Loaded and Rockets All Access.
Games played by other Houston- and Texas-based sports teams are not regularly shown on this channel although other types of programming related to several of them are.
Examples of the latter include TV shows like Texas Sports Nation In-Depth, Rice Owls Sports Show, Inside Cougar Athletics (related to the Houston Cougars), The Pulse: Texas A&M Football, and TSU Sports Show (related to the Texas Southern Tigers).
Local games that are broadcast on Space City Home Network include some Texas Southern football games. There is also a selection of high school sports played by schools in the Houston area.
Programming unrelated to local teams is also broadcast on Space City Home Network, including shows that feature boxing, mixed martial arts, fishing, hunting, pickleball, and poker.
Space City Home Network Plus
To handle situations in which the Houston Astros and Houston Rockets play at the same time, which is most apt to occur in April, Space City Home Network Plus was created.
Our Choice
For most fans wanting to catch the Astros and Rockets without cable, I’d say Fubo really knocks it out of the park. It’s got Space City Home, so you won’t miss a single pitch or basket, plus a bunch of other sports channels I think you’ll dig – like ESPN, BeIN SPORTS, and MLB Network. I tested Fubo on my phone, laptop, and smart TV, and the picture was always crystal clear, even when my internet was acting up. The DVR worked flawlessly, which is a huge plus for someone like me who’s always juggling a busy schedule. Compared to DIRECTV, Fubo’s interface just felt way more intuitive and easier to navigate. The only thing that might give you pause is that it doesn’t include Root Sports Southwest, so if you’re a die-hard Dallas Mavericks fan, you might need to look elsewhere. But overall, for value, ease of use, and that awesome channel lineup, Fubo is a home run for any Houston sports fan.
FAQs
Are Houston Dynamo FC matches on Space City Home Network?
Houston Dynamo matches are no longer broadcast on local channels. Instead, they are streamed live with MLS Season Pass. It costs $14.99/month and features all the matches over every team in the MLS. Fans may be better off signing up for a year for $99.99.
Update history
This page was revised 8 times between October 2021 and April 2023.
Mentioned channel info. Updated some sub-sections. Updated some section headings. Additional links. Removed section. Cleaned up list.
Added buttons for streaming services. Additional links. Image changes. Reworded some things.
Added VPN info. Cross linking. Various changes.
Added buttons for streaming services. More links. Pricing updates. Misc content updates.
Image changes. Pricing updates. Added useful links.
Added FAQ section. Added sub-section.
Added links to streaming services. Added streaming info. Updated one section. Added a few links. Changes to some sections.
Reworked one section.
A passionate cord-cutter and longtime subscriber to numerous streaming services, Frank has first-hand experience navigating the complexities of sports streaming.
With a PhD in Atmospheric Physics from the Oregon Graduate Institute and a professional background in early streaming technology, Frank combines deep technical insight with practical, real-world knowledge.
His mission at Hotdog.com was straightforward: help sports fans get hassle-free access to the games they love, at the best price, without frustration.
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