Top Sports to Watch on TV

Sport TV Without Cable: Top Ways to Watch All Your Teams Live and Cheaper Online

Sports is one of the few things we still want to watch live on TV. Netflix and Hulu on-demand work great for some cord-cutters — but not sports fans. The good news is that live TV streaming services have thought about sports fans — you can choose from several online providers to watch sports on TV without cable.

Read on to find out how you can stream your favorite sport online without cable.

In a hurry? Check out these popular streaming services where you can stream sports without cable on dozens of sports channels online.

  • Fubo: The best streaming service for international sports also provides 150+ well-selected channels. Fubo allows you to try out its service with a free trial.
  • DIRECTV STREAM: Get a great channel lineup with the best selection of RSNs in the industry. A 5-day free trial is now available for DIRECTV STREAM.
  • Sling TV: This low-cost service allows you to select just the channel lineup you want. Save 50% on Sling TV now.

If you can’t watch your favorite sports because of your location, get ExpressVPN to access the content you deserve.

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You’ll have access to local platforms as if you were in the country, meaning you can watch BBC iPlayer as if you were in the UK, CBC Gem as if you were in Canada, plus hundreds more worldwide.

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IMPORTANT: Once you’ve installed your VPN and connected to a US server, you’ll still need to subscribe separately to access premium streaming services.

Top Sports Streaming Services

Here are the best sports streaming services based on our assessment of what channels are available to stream your favorite sports live.

You can also jump to the sports streaming guide and find out what channels you need.

Best ForPrice
fubotv logoFootball, Basketball, Baseball,
Hockey, Soccer, Golf, Tennis,
Olympics
$79.99/month
directv stream logoBasketball, Hockey, Soccer, Golf,
College Sports
$79.99/month
hulu logoSoccer, Golf, Tennis, Olympics, Motorsports$76.99/month
sling logoBasketball, Baseball, Hockey,
Olympics, Combat Sport
$40.00/month

Ways to Get Sports Without Cable

There are two main ways to watch live sport without cable. You can either stream sports online or use an over-the-air antenna to access local channels.

Streaming Sports Online

If you choose to go with the option to stream sports online, you’ll be hunting for the following types of channels:

  • Local Channels
  • Regional Sports Networks (RSNs)
  • National Channels
  • League Channels

Local Channels

The main local channels that broadcast major sports events are NBC, Fox, ABC, and CBS. Such channels have local affiliates, meaning each locality has a different version of the local channel with slightly varying programs.

When it comes to sports, local channels may show different games, based on where you tune in. Local channels like NBC have separate sports channels. For instance, NBC Sports is a set of regional networks (explained below), while CBS Sports is an entirely separate national TV channel.

What’s important is that you can stream NBC, Fox, ABC, CBS, and other local channels online to watch sports. Services like DIRECTV STREAM, Hulu + Live TV, and Fubo offer all four, and more.

Regional Sports Networks

Like local channels, RSNs also present live content to specific localities. For example, Balley Sports has over a dozen separate channels. One such, Balley Sports Florida, serves the regions of Florida, southern Alabama, and southern Georgia. The other Balley Sports channels work this same way and serve one or more local regions.

Another popular RSNs is NBC Sports with 8 channels and 35+ localities. Regional sports networks normally focus on particular teams but can broadcast other events that will appeal to their local audiences.

You can stream select RSNs with the large streaming providers online, without cable. DIRECTV STREAM is the best streaming service for RSNs — providing access to over 35 location-specific channels with many additional subchannels. In many areas, DIRECTV STREAM is your only option. Fubo offers substantial RSN access and Hulu + Live TV offers a bit.

See this list of RSNs to learn more.

National Channels

These include some of your favorite sports channels like FS1 and ESPN. National sports channels are available nationwide and are the easiest to stream online.

However, streaming services have various contracts with network providers, so national channel availability varies across the range of streaming services. Typically, you need to pay extra for a higher plan to access more in-demand national channels.

For example, DIRECTV STREAM offers 75+ channels with their base plan in comparison to 140+ channels with their premier plan. Most of those are, in fact, national channels. Services like DIRECTV STREAM pay for their right to give you access to these channels, so you pay them via subscribing monthly.

League-Specific Channels

Finally, there are league-specific channels and subscriptions. For example, baseball fans can watch live games and exclusive content on the MLB Network. There are many more league-specific channels like NBA TV and NHL Network.

There are also league passes like MLB.tv and NFL+ Premium. These normally function the opposite of RSNs — providing you with access to all games but only those that do not involve local teams (out of market games).

Some of these channels are available through standard streaming services and others are standalone. Read on to find out how and where to watch your favorite sport without cable.

Antenna

If you want to remain offline, you can also access a handful of channels that show some sport via an over-the-air (OTA) antenna.

When you connect an antenna to your TV, you can access local channels to watch sports. Here’s a summary of what sports you can expect to see on your local networks via antenna:

  • ABC: At one time, ABC was the iconic sports channel (“The thrill of victory! The agony of defeat!”). But in 2006, ABC Sports became ESPN on ABC, providing local channel viewers access to part of the cable channel’s coverage, including NFL, NBA on ABC, NHL (including the Stanley Cup playoffs and finals), international soccer, college football, and more.
  • NBC: Sports programs are shown on NBC during weekend afternoons. The majority of sports is broadcast by NBC Sports’ regional channels, though you can watch sports like golf, NASCAR, and the summer and winter Olympic Games via antenna. Note that OTA sister channel Telemundo also airs sports.
  • CBS: During football season CBS normally airs two games every Sunday. They also air basketball. March Madness is broadcast by CBS, as well as the occasional college basketball bout. CBS Sports, the network’s national sports channel covers far more live sports.
  • Fox: Aside from the better-known FOX Sports channels (FS1, FS2), Fox’s local channels broadcast sports like soccer, volleyball, bowling, and exclusive shows like the NASCAR Race Hub.

The truth is that the big four local networks limit their sports coverage primarily to weekends and big sporting events. They all have alternative sports channels, regional sports networks, or sister networks:

How to Stream Your Favorite Sports

Read on to find out which channels you need to stream your favorite sport and which streaming services are best for the job.

You can also find additional resources on the sports, their major leagues, and competitions.

Football

fubotvhulu tv
NBC✔️✔️
Fox✔️✔️
CBS✔️✔️
NFL Network✔️ ✔️
NFL RedZone 💲 💲
ESPN✔️✔️
Try FuboTry Hulu
💲 = Channel available with a higher-tier plan or add-on

CBS and Fox air most Sunday NFL games. CBS holds the rights to AFC and Fox owns the rights to NFC games. NBC has exclusive rights to air Sunday Night Football, the most sought-after event of the week.

ESPN is necessary if you want to watch Monday Night Football live (ABC sometimes airs it as well). Amazon Prime Video is a must for Thursday Night Football.

NFL RedZone is only important if you value highlights — they show every touchdown of the week on Sundays. And NFL Network is pretty much just preseason games these days.

Fubo is your best option to watch football without cable.

See also:

Sling TV Basketball
Sling TV provides great coverage of college basketball and the NBA.

Basketball

fubotvsling logodirectv stream logo
ESPN✔️ ✔️ ✔️
ESPN2✔️ ✔️ ✔️
ESPN3 ❌* ✔️ ❌*
TNT ✔️ ✔️
NBA TV 💲 💲 💲
Try Fubo Try Sling Try DIRECTV
💲 = Channel available with a higher-tier plan or add-on. * Fubo and DIRECTV STREAM provide access to ESPN3, but only through the ESPN app.

Sling TV is a great choice for basketball fans — the only channel missing is NBA TV, and it can be added for $11/mo extra as part of the Sports Extra add-on. This is a great deal for just $51/mo.

If your favorite team is also the local team, you will want to check out Fubo or DIRECTV STREAM. Fubo provides access to many RSNs and DIRECTV STREAM provides access to pretty much all of them.

If Fubo provides the RSNs you need, it’s the way to go for only $79.99/month (or $77.98 with NBA TV), which includes all their normal great selection of sports channels. If not, you can get DIRECTV STREAM’s Choice plan for $108.99/month.

If you are a fan of a non-local team, you can get Sling TV with the NBA League Pass. It gives you access to all out-market games. Remember, however: there is a blackout of games involving your local teams.

See also:

Baseball

  • Channels Needed: ESPN, Fox, Fox Sports 1 (FS1), MLB Network, TBS, and RSNs: Bally Sports, NBC Sports, AT&T SportsNet, MASN, NESN, Marquee, Spectrum, SportsNet New York, YES, ROOT
  • Best Streaming Services: Fubo, Sling TV, DIRECTV STREAM
fubotvsling logodirectv stream logo
ESPN✔️ ✔️ ✔️
Fox✔️ ✔️ ✔️
FS1✔️ ✔️ ✔️
MLB Network💲 💲 💲
TBS ✔️ ✔️
Try Fubo Try Sling Try DIRECTV
💲 = Channel available with a higher-tier plan or add-on

If the absence of MLB Network isn’t a bother, Sling TV’s Blue plan is a good choice to watch baseball without cable. Even with it, you will pay only $46/mo and get a good selection of other channels too.

Most MLB games play on RSNs. So if you are a fan of one of the hometown teams, you will want to go with Fubo or DIRECTV STREAM. In many areas, only DIRECTV STREAM offers the RSN you need, so you will have to go with them and their Choice plan for $108.99/month. But this does include MLB Network.

Fubo also provides access to RSNs, but not as many. It is, however, cheaper at just $79.99/month. If you add the Fubo Extra add-on with 47 channels including NBA TV, it will cost you $77.98/mo.

Another option is MLB.tv, which provides you access to all the games not involving your local team.

See also:

Cricket

  • Channels Needed: Willow TV
  • Best Streaming Services: Sling TV, ESPN+

For US-based fans, watching cricket is pretty simple given that it isn’t widely televised here. Most events appear on Willow TV and its subchannel Willow Xtra. But ESPN+ also provides decent cricket coverage.

See also:

Horse Racing

  • Channels Needed: NBC, FanDuel
  • Best Streaming Services: Fubo, DIRECTV STREAM, Sling TV, Hulu Live

The biggest horse races appear on NBC. But for the day-to-day sport, FanDuel is essential.

See also:

Hockey

  • Channels Needed: NHL Network, ESPN, TNT, and RSNs: Bally Sports, NBC Sports, AT&T SportsNet, NESN, Altitude, MSG
  • Best Streaming Services: Fubo, Sling TV, DIRECTV STREAM
fubotvsling logodirectv stream logo
NHL Network💲💲 💲
ESPN✔️✔️✔️
TNT✔️✔️
Try Fubo Try Sling Try DIRECTV
💲 = Channel available with a higher-tier plan or add-on

Fubo and DIRECTV STREAM are hands down the top choices for cord-cutters to watch NHL games. The only channel that you need to pay extra for is NHL Network.

If you’re on a tighter budget, Sling TV has two key channels to watch hockey online and even if you want all the channels, Sling TV still costs less, even with the add-ons.

If you are a fan of the local team, you will probably want to go with Fubo or DIRECTV STREAM. They both support pretty much all RSNs including AT&T SportNet, NBC Sports, and Bally Sports channels. There are a couple on the coasts that are only provided by DIRECTV STREAM.

NHL.tv used to be an option for general fans, but it has shut down. All out-of-market games are now available on ESPN+.

See also:

FuboTV Soccer
Fubo provides unmatched soccer coverage.

Soccer

  • Channels Needed: NBC, CNBC, TNT, BeIN Sports, Fox Sports 1 (FS1), FS2, Telemundo, and RSNs: Bally Sports, NBC Sports, Spectrum, YES, ROOT
  • Best Streaming Services (Cable Replacement): Fubo, DIRECTV STREAM, Hulu + Live TV
  • Additional Stream Services Needed: ESPN+, Fanatiz, Paramount+, Peacock
fubotvdirectv stream logohulu logo
NBC✔️ ✔️ ✔️
CNBC✔️✔️✔️
BeIN Sports✔️
FS1✔️✔️✔️
FS2✔️💲✔️
Telemundo✔️ ✔️ ✔️
Try Fubo Try DIRECTVTry Hulu
💲 = Channel available with a higher-tier plan or add-on

Fubo offers all of the main soccer channels, and they all come with the base plan for $79.99/month.

Fanatiz is a great stand-alone way to watch beIN Sports if you don’t want to spring for Fubo. beIN Sports, by itself, has Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, Ligue1, Africa Cup of Nations (Sling Guide), CAF, and the Turkish Süper Lig.

The biggest recent change is MLS is now on Apple TV. You don’t need Apple’s streaming service (Apple TV+), though Apple TV+ subscribers do get a discount (and some of the best original programming on TV).

Networks have increasingly been moving their international soccer to their streaming services. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the more popular leagues:

See also:

Golf

  • Channels Needed: Golf Channel, NBC, CBS, CBS Sports, ESPN
  • Best Streaming Services: Fubo, DIRECTV STREAM, Hulu + Live TV
fubotvdirectv stream logohulu logo
Golf Channel✔️💲✔️
NBC✔️ ✔️ ✔️
CBS✔️ ✔️✔️
CBS Sports✔️✔️✔️
ESPN✔️✔️✔️
Try Fubo Try DIRECTVTry Hulu
💲 = Channel available with a higher-tier plan or add-on

Both Hulu + Live TV and Fubo offer channel line-ups that have all you need to watch golf without cable.

DIRECTV STREAM is more expensive for golf fans, though if you want to stream other sports and access dozens of regional sports networks, it’s worth considering.

See also:

Tennis

  • Channels Needed: ESPN, ESPN2, NBC, ABC, CBS, FS1, FS2, Tennis Channel
  • Best Streaming Services: Fubo, Hulu + Live TV
fubotvhulu logo
ESPN✔️✔️
ESPN2✔️ ✔️
NBC✔️✔️
ABC ✔️ ✔️
CBS✔️ ✔️
FS1✔️✔️
FS2✔️✔️
Tennis💲
Try FuboTry Hulu
💲 = Channel available with a higher-tier plan or add-on

Hulu and Fubo offer ESPN and ESPN2 as part of their base plans, meaning you can watch tournaments like the Australian Open. ESPN also shows replays and on-demand content from tournaments like Wimbledon.

But Fubo really is the best bet for tennis fans. A lot is aired on NBC. And the Tennis Channel is increasingly essential, which only Fubo provides as the primary channel for the French Open and the only channel for the US Open.

See also:

Olympics

  • Channels Needed: NBC, Golf Channel, USA
  • Best Streaming Services: Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV
fubotvhulu logosling logo
NBC✔️✔️ ✔️
Golf Channel ✔️ ✔️ 💲
USA✔️✔️ ✔️
Try FuboTry HuluTry Sling TV
💲 = Channel available with a higher-tier plan or add-on

There are four key channels you need to watch the Tokyo Olympics. Both Fubo and Hulu + Live TV offer all five channels with their base plans for $69.99 per month.

Sling TV’s Blue plan with the Sports Extra add-on gets you Golf Channel for a total of $51 per month — that’s a bargain compared to Hulu and Fubo.

Sling TV Gymnastics
Gymnastics coverage on Sling TV running on an Android phone.

See also:

College Sports

College sports are also in demand for cable cutters — especially college football and basketball. Here’s a summary of the channels and services you need to stream college sports without cable.

College Football

There are a number of channels that provide substantial coverage of college football:

The most important of these channels are ESPN3, ESPN, ACCN, CBSSN, SEC, and BTN. There isn’t one perfect streaming service for college football. All the services have their advantages and disadvantages.

Hulu + Live TV also offers a good deal with all of the channels except for the Pac-12 channels. And you cannot get them with an add-on.

Fubo’s base plan has a lot of holes in it when it comes to college football. However, you can get all the channels if you get the Sports Plus and Fubo Extra add-ons.

That makes the total cost $88.97/mo. But this does represent an impressive plan with 160+ total channels including 60+ dedicated to sports.

More information:

College Basketball

Here’s the list of channels that air college basketball games during the regular season are pretty much the same as those that air football. The main difference is that CBS affiliates show more basketball and should be added to the list.

Various RSNs air college basketball. Hulu + Live TV offers a few of these. Fubo offers substantially more. But DIRECTV STREAM offers almost all of them. So if you are interested in your local college teams — especially the smaller ones — you should check this out.

The college basketball championships are different from the regular season. They are all aired by CBS and the Turner channels TBS, TNT, and truTV. If these games are important to you, you should avoid Fubo since it doesn’t offer any of the Turner channels.

Your best bet to watch college basketball online is DIRECTV STREAM with the Choice plan ($108.99/month). But if the RSNs aren’t important to you, Hulu offers a great deal for $76.99/month. If your focus is on the regular season, Fubo is also a good deal.

Read more:

Other College Sports

There is a wide range of sports that top college athletes engage in. These include baseball, cycling, gymnastics, softball, tennis, and volleyball.

Read more:

Other Sports

Here’s a summary of how you can watch a selection of other sports without cable.

Auto Racing

NASCAR and Formula 1 are two of the most popular auto racing leagues in the world. The latter is less popular in the US, so let’s start with NASCAR.

The majority of NASCAR races air on FS1. They also air on Fox itself as well as various NBCUniversal channels including NBC and CNBC.

This means that your best bet to watch NASCAR online is with Fubo, Hulu, or Sling TV.

Formula 1 is mainly broadcast on ESPN networks as well as ABC. As a result, the best services for F1 are Fubo, Sling TV, and Hulu.

See also:

Combat Sports

Combat sports are dominated by mixed martial arts (MMA) and boxing. Here are the channels and services you need to watch two top MMA leagues and professional boxing without paying a cable bill:

  • UFC: ESPN and ESPN2 are the most important channels you need to watch UFC. Pay-per-view fights will cost you extra via ESPN+. Most streaming services offer the ESPN networks, so your cheapest choice is Sling TV.
  • Bellator MMA: These fights are shown exclusively on DAZN, a sports-focused streaming service. You can sign up for a free 30-day trial — otherwise, the plan costs $19.99 per month or the greatly reduced yearly price of $99.99.
  • Professional Boxing: As for TV channels, boxing airs on ESPN networks, though many fights air exclusively on services like DAZN and FITE TV. If you want the most fight action, you can try DAZN for free alongside the Orange plan from Sling TV. FITE TV is just $4.99/mo or $49.99/yr (after a 7-day free trial).

See more at:

Rugby

Most high-profile rugby in the US is on NBC, or one of NBC’s sister-stations, or Peacock (NBC’s streaming service). This includes the Rugby World Cup, Rugby Sevens World Cup, and Premiership Rugby. Major League Rugby is on Fox/FS1/FS2 (local games) or The Rugby Network (free).

If you’re looking for more than that, checkout FloRugby. It’s got Autumn Nations Series, Six Nations 20s, Women’s Six Nations, Rugby Europe Championships, Super Rugby, Currie Cup, Bledisloe Cup, Rugby Championship, US college matches, and World Cup qualifiers.

You have lots of options to get the networks that show rugby:

  • Fubo ($79.99/month): Get 130+ channels including all the above.
  • DIRECTV STREAM ($79.99/month): Get ~80 channels but you will need to upgrade to get FS2.
  • Sling TV ($40.00/month): Get 40+ channels but you need to upgrade to get FS2.
  • Hulu + Live TV ($76.99/month): Get 85+ channels, ESPN+, and all the channels above.
  • YouTube TV ($72.99/month): Get 85+ channels including all of the above.

We’ve got more details on how to watch rugby without cable at:

Pro Wrestling

WWE Network no longer functions in the US as an independent channel. Instead, it has moved to Peacock TV. With it, you get access to all their shows and every PPV event. But you must sign up with Peacock Premium for $7.99/month.

If you don’t want to do this, you can see the WWE shows on Fox, TNT, and USA. You can get these channels on either of these services:

You can read more about how to watch specific pro wrestling events online at:

Regional Sports Networks

Regional sports networks (RSNs) allow you to watch live and pre-recorded sports on TV in particular areas around the US.

There are dozens of RSNs — some of them are operated by major network providers like NBC, while others are run by telecommunications giant, AT&T. Bally Sports is the largest RSN provider having taken over Fox Sports’ channels.

As you can see in the list of RSNs below, DIRECTV STREAM is the streaming service with the widest coverage, followed by Fubo. YouTube TV has the same RSNs as Hulu + Live TV, minus SportsNet New York.

RSNDIRECTVFuboHulu Live
Altitude Sports
AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain
Bally Sports Arizona
Bally Sports Detroit
Bally Sports Florida
Bally Sports Great Lakes
Bally Sports Kansas City
Bally Sports Midwest
Bally Sports North
Bally Sports Ohio
Bally Sports San Diego
Bally Sports SoCal
Bally Sports South
Bally Sports Southeast
Bally Sports Southwest
Bally Sports Sun
Bally Sports West
Bally Sports Wisconsin
Marquee Sports Network
MASN
MSG
NBC Sports Bay Area
NBC Sports Boston
NBC Sports California
NBC Sports Chicago
NBC Sports Philadelphia
Monumental Sports Network
NESN
Root Sports Northwest
Space City Home Network
Spectrum SportsNet
Spectrum SportsNet LA
SportsNet New York
SportsNet Pittsburgh
YES Network

Other Ways to Watch Sports Without Cable

There are other ways to watch sports without cable. We’ve touched on some of these above.

  • ESPN+: Although not a replacement for the regular ESPN channels, ESPN+ provides access to a lot of games across the spectrum of sports.
  • ESPN3: Only Sling TV includes ESPN3 with its channel guide. But you can watch ESPN3 through the ESPN app using your streaming service to log in.
  • League Passes: Many sports league provide access to all of their names. These include NBA League Pass, NFL+ Premium, and MLB.tv. The problem with these for most fans is that they only allow you to watch out-market games. So if you want to wach the home team, you’re out of luck.
  • YouTube TV: An excellent overall streaming service very similar to Hulu + Live TV.

TVs and Other Streaming Devices

MSG on FuboTV on Android
Watch MSG on Fubo with all your mobile devices.

The dominant streaming services tend to support a similar set of streaming devices. The main variation in which device you can use a streaming service on depends on the model or version, which is typically determined by the age of your device.

Here are the types of supported devices with some examples of accepted models — versions vary from service-to-service:

  • Mobile Phones and Tablets: Most recent models of iOS (Apple) and Android devices, no older than a few years
  • Smart TVs: Samsung, LG, Android TV, and Roku TV
  • Streaming Devices: Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast
  • Streaming Boxes: Air TV, Chromecast, Nexus
  • Gaming Consoles: Xbox One, Playstation 4 and 5

Before you buy a device or choose a streaming service, it’s important to check whether they’re compatible. For example, even streaming services that support Playstation do not support version 3.

Streaming devices and boxes are the safest choices. But do your research with each provider before you commit. For example, DIRECTV STREAM lets you check the supported devices by model or category, while Sling TV lists all that’s supported.

When using streaming services via a web browser on a computer or portable device, old versions of Google Chrome and Safari may not be supported. However, this is easy to fix with an update, so you can watch sports via a web browser-accessible streaming service.

Wrapping Up

Now you can check which channels you need to watch your favorite sport, you can also see which streaming service you need.

If you’re interested in watching more than one sport, you can see which channels are the ones that show most of the action you’re after — then it’s easier to pick a streaming provider.

FAQs

Which streaming service is the best for live sports?

Fubo is a great overall streaming service and our choice for the best when it comes to sports. You get access to over 35 sports channels and have the opportunity to purchase sports add-ons to get even more channels. With Fubo, you can watch live anything from football, basketball, baseball, or hockey, to college sports, Olympic events, and soccer.

Learn more about Fubo in this review.

How can I watch live sports for free?

One way to watch live sports for free is via local channels, that’s if you have an over-the-air antenna (OTA). This is a great option. Don’t let old stereotypes get in your way. Now you can watch digital TV in HD. Another way to watch free sports is with free live TV trial.

Can I watch sports with Locast?

At one time, you could watch local channels for free with Locast. Although even it was really free since it bumped you off every 20 minutes unless you paid $5 per month. But that service was shut down by the government for IP violations. And there is no indication that it will come back.

Does Amazon Prime have live sports?

Amazon Prime shows some live sporting events. This year, they will feature some Thursday Night Football games. Starting next year, they will hold exclusive rights to these games. You can get more live sports with individual channel subscriptions like MLB.tv, NBA League Pass, Paramount+, and PGA Tour Live.

How can I watch ESPN without a cable TV provider?

ESPN is a popular supported channel with online streaming services, so you no longer need a cable TV provider to watch it live. The majority of popular streaming services have ESPN network channels, namely, Hulu, Fubo, Sling TV, and DIRECTV STREAM. All of them also provide ESPN2 and access (via the ESPN app) to ESPN3.

Why does ESPN+ ask for a TV provider?

ESPN+ is a standalone service and is not designed to give you access to ESPN channels by itself. ESPN+ content is accessible if you pay a separate subscription, but you’ll need to prove that you’re a subscriber with a supported TV provider or streaming service to access the standard ESPN content.

Can I record live sporting events?

All the major streaming services come with a cloud DVR. Sling TV offers 50 hours of cloud DVR. Fubo offers 1,000 hours. Hulu + Live TV and DIRECTV STREAM offer unlimited could DVR with up to 9 months of storage.

How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect sports fans?

The COVID-19 pandemic was terrible for sports fans who were paying for live sports broadcasting when there was little or none. We did an analysis two months without any live sporting events from any of the major leagues (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL). We found that pay-tv subscribers had paid almost $3.5 Billion in cable fees for live sports that haven’t happened.

Here’s how we crunched the numbers:

According to Statista at that time, there were around 86.5 pay-TV households in the United States. On average, each of these households paid around $20 per month in fees for sports programming. That meant pay-TV subscribing households in the US pay about $1.73 billion per month in fees for sports programming. And with two months of no live sports, that meant pay-TV companies like Comcast and AT&T had received nearly $3.5 billion in fees for sports programming that features no live sports.

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