Streaming Services Houston Astro Fans Need to Watch Live Games Without Cable

MLB Opening Day 2023 is just days away on March 30, and all 30 teams are playing! World Series champs the Astros will be playing the Chicago White Sox at Minute Maid Park at 7:08 pm — watch it on ESPN on Sling TV.

It’s a bit complicated for Houston Astros fans to watch all regular season games on TV. But it isn’t hard. We explain all below.

In a hurry? Astros fans outside the southwest can watch most games with MLB.TV. Local fans need to get AT&T SportsNet Southwest. It is available from two sources:

Back in 1962, the Houston Astros entered the scene as an NL expansion team. Of course, back then they were known as the Colt .45s. Three years later, the team took on the name the Astros, as a reflection of Houston’s history with the space program.

In 2017, the team won its first World Series, and has had great success since. Many fans have kept cable over the years to keep up with the Astros, but you no longer need cable to watch sports.

FuboTV (free for 7 days) is a good option. Of course, this is just one of available services, and by the end of this guide, you’ll know all the ways you can watch the Houston Astros online without cable!

Sign Up for a Free 7-Day Fubo Trial

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Houston Astros Without Cable

The vast majority of the Houston Astros regular season games air on AT&T SportsNet Southwest for fans in the Astros broadcast area. Those outside can watch games with MLB.TV.

Many games also air on national channels and streaming service — sometimes exclusively and other times simulcast. These include

• Apple TV+
• ESPN, ESPN2, and other ESPN Networks
• ESPN+
• Fox (also airs World Series)
• FS1
• MLB Network
• Peacock
• TBS

In most cases, the hardest part of streaming is choosing the right streaming service for you. Luckily, you have several options and all of them offer something positive.

Once you choose the service, you can be signed up and watching TV within minutes. Since you only need the internet, you’ll be free to watch from just about anywhere!

FuboTV

FuboTV makes a great choice for sports streaming. In particular, FuboTV is one of only two services that offer AT&T SportsNet Southwest, the only way local fans can watch most games.

Sports have always been the focus of FuboTV. Of course, these days FuboTV offers more than just sports. The whole family will find something to watch in this package with over 110 channels!

Features of FuboTV include:

• $74.99/mo
• Over 110 channels
• ESPN, FS1, and other key channels are included
• MLB Network as an add-on option
• A variety of add-on channels are available
• 1,000 hour cloud DVR is included
• Streaming on up to 10 devices at once
• Our FuboTV review has all the details you need

FuboTV allows you to try out its service free for 7 days. It’s also your chance to figure out if this is the right streaming service for you. Remember, there are no contracts, so you’re free to cancel whenever you want!

Sign Up for a Free 7-Day Fubo Trial

DIRECTV STREAM

DIRECTV STREAM is also a great choice for Astros fans. Not only does it offer AT&T SportsNet Southwest but also Bally Sports Southwest, home of the Texas Rangers.

To get these channels, you need the Choice Package for $99.99/mo. But it offers over 100 other channels including every one you need including everything for the playoffs.

Features of DIRECTV STREAM include:

• $99.99/mo
• Over 100 channels
• ESPN, FS1, MLB Network, TBS, and others
• Many add-ons available
• Unlimited cloud DVR
• Unlimited simultaneous streaming devices
• See our DIRECTV STREAM review for more.

New customers get 5-day free trial with DIRECTV STREAM. Although it is a bit more expensive than other services, it is probably the best one for Astros fans.

Get DIRECTV STREAM Free for 5 Days

Sling TV

Sling TV is affordable, easy to use, and doesn’t require any contracts. Local channels are limited and there are no RSNs, but you’ll have access to ESPN, ESPN2, TBS, and much more with the Sling Orange package.

At $40.00/mo, this is one of the cheapest streaming packages available. You can also add MLB Network to watch even more baseball, for a small fee.

Sling TV Details:

• Sling Orange is $40.00/mo
• 30+ channels
• ESPN, ESPN2, and TBS are available
• Fox, FS1, and MLB Network available with Sling Orange + Blue
• 50 hours of cloud DVR storage
• Our Sling TV review has even more details

You won’t really know if this is the right service for you until you try it. Save 50% With Sling TV.

Save 50% With Sling TV

Other Options

If you’re looking for other services that will help you stream the Astros without cable, you’re in the right spot. Here are the remaining services you can use to watch the Astros and other MLB teams this season!

• Hulu with Live TV – $69.99/mo gets you 85+ channels. You can watch local channels in most areas. Nationwide options include FS1, ESPN, TBS, and much more. A cloud-DVR is included. Our Hulu Live review is here with more details.
• YouTube TV – 85+ channels are available from $72.99/mo. Stream on multiple devices at once. Make user profiles for the entire family. Our YouTube TV review has more details.
• ESPN+ – Stream extra Houston Astros games live for $9.99/mo or $99.99/yr. ESPN+ also has other popular leagues and sports events like the NFL and UFC.
• MLB.tv – Watch the Houston Astros’ out of market games all season for $24.99. Or, you can pay an annual or monthly subscription to see all out of market MLB games.

Now you know how to watch sports online without cable. If you’re still uncertain about something make sure to ask your questions about Houston Astros streaming in the comments!

Superpower Your Streaming With a VPN

For the sake of privacy, security, and access, you should be using a VPN. They are low-cost and easy to use. We’ve been using them for years and our top pick is ExpressVPN. Be sure to check out our deals page on ExpressVPN, NordVPN, SurfShark and PureVPN.

Devices to Watch Houston Astros

FuboTV and DIRECTV STREAM support all the most popular streaming devices currently in use. These include:

DIRECTV STREAM offers its own device, which you can get for $120 or $5/mo.

FuboTV supports a number of devices that DIRECTV STREAM does not:

• Android TV/Google TV devices
• Hisense smart TVs
• LG TVs
• Vizio SmartCast TVs
• Xbox One consoles.

All About the Houston Astros

The Houston Astros have been playing in Major League Baseball since 1962, initially as a National League club before moving to the American League in 2013, becoming the second of two MLB teams to have played in both leagues. (Milwaukee is the other.)

In the 60 years since that inaugural season, the Astros have claimed one World Series title, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2017 World Series. That seven-game series followed another one in the AL Championship Series, an Astros defeat of the New York Yankees.

The Texas-based team first made the playoffs in 1980, falling just shy of the Philadelphia Phillies, 3-2, in the NLCS. Another NLCS defeat followed in 1986 to the New York Mets, 4-2.

Later, six playoff appearances occurred in the nine-year span from 1997 to 2005. This culminated in the franchise’s first World Series appearance, a four-game sweep for the Chicago White Sox in 2005.

More recently, Houston has not only made the playoffs every season from 2017 to 21 but has also played in the ALCS in each of those seasons, winning it three times. The Astros came close to claiming their second World Series title in 2021 but fell short of the Atlanta Braves in that year’s Fall Classic, 4-2.

2022 Houston Astros Playoff Schedule

The Astros swept the Seattle Mariners in the Divisional Series with an amazing 18-inning finale in Seattle. Now they go on to the American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees.

• Tue Oct 11 3:37 pm: Seattle Mariners (7) at Houston Astros (8) (TBS)
• Thu Oct 13 3:37 pm: Seattle Mariners (2) at Houston Astros (4) (TBS)
• Sat Oct 15 4:07 pm: Houston Astros (1) at Seattle Mariners (0) (TBS)
• Sun Oct 16 3:07 pm: Houston Astros at Seattle Mariners (TBS)
• Mon Oct 17 5:07 pm: Seattle Mariners at Houston Astros (TBS)
• Wed Oct 19 7:37 pm: New York Yankees (2) at Houston Astros (4) (TBS)
• Thu Oct 20 7:37 pm: New York Yankees (2) at Houston Astros (3) (TBS)
• Sat Oct 22 5:07 pm: Houston Astros (5) at New York Yankees (0) (TBS)
• Sun Oct 23 7:07 pm: Houston Astros (6) at New York Yankees (5)(TBS)
• Mon Oct 24 4:07 pm: Houston Astros at New York Yankees (TBS)
• Tue Oct 25 6:07 pm: New York Yankees at Houston Astros (TBS)
• Wed Oct 26 7:37 pm: New York Yankees at Houston Astros (TBS)
• Fri Oct 28 8:03 pm: Philadelphia Phillies (6) at Houston Astros (5) (Fox)
• Sat Oct 29 8:03 pm: Philadelphia Phillies (2) at Houston Astros (5) (Fox)
• Tue Nov 1 8:03 pm: Houston Astros (0) at Philadelphia Phillies (7) (Fox)
• Wed Nov 2 8:03 pm: Houston Astros (5) at Philadelphia Phillies (0) (Fox)
• Thu Nov 3 8:03 pm: Houston Astros (3) at Philadelphia Phillies (2) (Fox)
• Sat Nov 5 8:03 pm: Philadelphia Phillies (1) at Houston Astros (4) (Fox)
• Sun Nov 6 8:03 pm: Philadelphia Phillies at Houston Astros (Fox)

Wrapping Up

No team has been as consistently good the last five years as the Houston Astros. To make sure you catch every game, we recommend FuboTV. FuboTV allows you to try out its service free for 7 days.

FAQs

What channel is tonight’s Houston Astros game being broadcast on?

Around 97% of Houston Astros games are being broadcast on AT&T SportsNet Southwest, so that is the likely answer to this question. The network’s coverage area touches Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. For the remaining 3% of contests plus any postseason action that the Houston Astros participate in, you should instead head to FS1, Fox, ESPN, ABC, TBS, or MLB Network.

Which radio station is today’s Houston Astros game being aired on?

If you are located in the Houston metropolitan area, you will want to tune into Sportstalk 790 AM. Meanwhile, if you are situated elsewhere in Texas or in Louisiana, you will likely be able to listen to the game on a different station. The eastern half of Texas is especially covered by stations on the Astros Broadcast Network. If you are looking for online access to the team’s radio broadcasts, subscribe to MLB Audio.

How many World Series have the Houston Astros won?

The Houston Astros have won one World Series title. That was a seven-game victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2017 Fall Classic. The Astros then attempted to make it two titles in a three-year span but fell just short of the Washington Nationals in another seven-game affair in 2019. Houston made its first World Series appearance in 2005, getting swept by the Chicago White Sox in that edition.

How can I watch the Houston Astros play on my phone?

If you are located within AT&T SportsNet Southwest’s coverage area, you can watch Houston Astros games on your phone after subscribing to FuboTV or DIRECTV STREAM. As long as you are not blacked out from local broadcasts of the club’s games, you can subscribe to MLB.TV and watch the team’s contests on the MLB app. That blackout area includes all of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana — and the eastern portion of New Mexico.

Sign Up for a Free 7-Day Fubo Trial

Can I stream Houston Astros games for free?

Generally, you cannot stream Houston Astros games for free. However, when the team is featured on the roughly weekly MLB games that are streamed on YouTube, you can watch those contests from anywhere in the world. Meanwhile, out-of-market fans can watch Houston Astros appearances on the MLB.TV Free Game of the Day. Or you can take advantage of FuboTV’s free trial to watch some locally produced games at no cost.

What is the Houston Astros 2023 Schedule?

Here is the Astros regular-season schedule (EDT) with the games airing on channels other than AT&T SportsNet Southwest noted. The games on Fox, Apple TV+, and Peacock are exclusive to them.

Do you have guides for watching games other than the Astros?

We have created viewing guides for every MLB team:

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Frank Moraes

Frank Moraes is Content Editor at HotDog.com. He specializes in technology, business, and film/television. You can see his writing on low-budget and weird film at Psychotronic Review — and many other places.

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