How to Watch Pittsburgh Pirates Games Live Without Cable

Baseball season is in full swing! Watch the entire MLB schedule for less on Sling TV.

It’s a bit complicated for Pittsburgh Pirates fans to gain access to all the regular season games on TV. But it isn’t hard to do. We explain everything below.

In a hurry? Pirates fans outside the local area can watch almost all the games with MLB.TV. Local fans need to gain access to AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh. It is available to stream from two sources:

• FuboTV: Get 110+ channels with a large focus on sports. Fubo allows you to try out its service free for 7 days.
• DIRECTV STREAM: This is a great overall streaming service. A 5-day free trial is now available for DIRECTV STREAM.

The Pittsburgh Pirates franchise was founded in 1882 and was originally known as the Allegheny. Today, the team plays its home games at PNC Park and is managed by Derek Shelton.

Let’s take a closer look at the history of this franchise, how the team did in 2021, and how you can watch Pirates games in 2022 without the need for cable.

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All About the Pirates

In 1882, the Pittsburgh Allegheny began play in the American Association (AA), which was the primary alternative to the National League (NL). However, the Pirates moved to the NL in 1887 and have remained there ever since.

Between 1903 and 1973, the Pirates won a total of five World Series championships. They have also won nine NL titles and the NL East division title nine times. Pittsburgh moved from the NL East to the NL Central in 1993.

Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonilla are two of the most famous players to have spent a portion of their careers in Pittsburgh. Bonds is perhaps best known for setting the record for most home runs in a season when he hit 73 in 2001. He also holds the record for most home runs in a career with 762.

In 2021, the Pirates finished 61-101, which was good for last in their division. The team’s most successful pitcher was reliever Chris Stratton who led the team in wins with seven and also had eight saves. Outfielder Brian Reynolds led the Pirates in most offensive categories including triples, runs batted in (RBIs), and stolen bases.

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Pittsburgh Pirates TV Channels

Although some games will appear only on streaming services, almost all Pirates games will appear on national broadcasts our through their regional sports network (RSN).

National Channels

The majority of Major League Baseball (MLB) games that are broadcast to a national audience are shown on Fox, Fox Sports 1 (FS1), ESPN, TBS, and MLB Network. Some games will also appear on ABC and NBC.

All playoff games are broadcast nationwide. They will appear on the same channels, which are available on most major streaming services.

AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh

AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh is a regional sports network (RSN). Its primary focus is airing Pirates and Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL) games.

It is available throughout Pennsylvania with the exception of Philadelphia. Subscribers in portions of West Virginia, Ohio, New York, and Maryland are also eligible.

Watching the Pirates

There are various ways to watch Pirates games. Interestingly, this is the first season in which you cannot watch every game with cable. Some games can only be streamed.

Antenna

Fox (with possible games on ABC and NBC) is the only channel that broadcasts games over the air. This means that it is the only channel that is available to those using an antenna. But it does mean that you will be able to watch at least one Pirates game for free this season.

See our HD antenna guide for all the information on setting up and using an antenna.

Live TV Streaming Services

Many live TV streaming services will allow you to watch some Pirates games. But only two provide almost all of the games via AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh.

FuboTV

FuboTV ($74.99/mo) is another, more affordable, option for receiving access to AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh. It also includes ESPN, FS1, MLB Network, and all the network affiliates. And it includes a ton of other sports channels. It does not, however, offer TBS at this point.

The base plan comes with 1000 hours of cloud DVR storage and streaming on up to 10 devices at home and 2 when away. For more information, see our FuboTV review.

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DIRECTV STREAM

DIRECTV STREAM (formerly AT&T TV) offers AT&T Sportsnet Pittsburgh with its Choice plan for $99.99/mo. This plan also includes ESPN, FS1, MLB Network, TBS, and all the affiliate networks (eg, Fox).

All plans come with unlimited cloud DVR if you sign-up online. And they allow you to stream on unlimited devices at once. Check out our DIRECTV STREAM review for more information.

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Others

If you are okay with seeing only a handful of games each season these services will allow you to do that plus much more.

• Sling TV: The Orange & Blue plan gives you Fox, NBC, FS1, ESPN, and TBS for $55.00/mo.
• Hulu + Live TV: Offers 85+ live TV channels plus ESPN+ and Disney+ for $69.99/mo.
• Vidgo: Offers Fox, FS1, ESPN, and MLB Network for $69.99/mo.
• YouTube TV: Offers all the national channels that feature MLB for $64.99/mo.

Don’t miss David Bednar pitching for Team USA at the World Baseball Classic all March for just $20 on Sling TV!

Specialty Streaming Services

Starting this year, a number of MLB games will only appear on Apple TV+ and Peacock. ESPN+ will also stream games but they will generally be available elsewhere.

• Apple TV+: If you’re looking to watch baseball on Friday nights, you can do so on Apple TV+. As of April 2022, you don’t need a subscription to this service to watch Pirates games that may appear on this platform. However, that may change at some point during the 2022 season. A subscription costs $4.99/mo.
• Peacock: NBC has partnered with MLB to show 18 regular-season games during the 2022 season. These games will typically air on Sunday afternoon, and they are only available with a Premium membership, which costs $4.99/mo. (Peacock review)
• ESPN+: This service provides a broad selection of live sports in all areas. It shows a fair number of MLB games as well. Note, however, that blackout restrictions apply. So Pirates fans in the Pittsburgh area will be out of luck. ESPN+ costs $9.99/mo on its own or $13.99/mo as part of the Hulu bundle. It also comes standard with Hulu Live. (ESPN+ review)

MLB.TV

MLB.TV allows you to watch every regular season for $24.99/mo or $139.99/yr. If you just want to watch Pittsburgh Pirates games, you can purchase single team package for $119.99/yr. But there is a major limitation to MLB.TV.

It is only available for out-of-market games. If you are a Pirates fan in Miami, it’s great! (Although you will miss out on the 7 games against the Marlins during the 2022 season.) But if you are a fan in Pennsylvania, you are out of luck and will need to get AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh.

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TVs and Devices to Live Stream Pittsburgh Pirates

FuboTV, DIRECTV STREAM, and MLB.TV all support these devices:

DIRECTV STREAM also has its own device, which you can purchase directly.

Fubo and MLB support Android TV and Xbox One devices.

FuboTV also supports these:

• Hisense smart TVs
• LG smart TVs
• Vizio SmartCast TVs.

MLB.TV supports some PlayStation units.

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Wrapping Up

The Pittsburgh Pirates have a proud history. And even though they’ve struggled recently, there is hope for the future.

To watch the 2022 version of this team, you have two main options. If you live in and around Pennsylvania, you should sign up with DIRECTV STREAM or FuboTV since they will provide you with AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh.

For fans outside the broadcast area, MLB.TV is the right choice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I watch tonight’s Pirates game?

The majority of Pirates games will be shown on AT&T Sportsnet Pittsburgh. However, if a game is on national television, it will likely be shown on ESPN, Fox, FS1, TBS, or MLB Network. There is also a possibility that a given game will appear on Peacock (Sundays) or Apple+ TV (Fridays).

Where can I find the Pirates on the radio?

Most Pittsburgh Pirates games are available on Sportsradio 93.7 FM, which is the team’s flagship station. It may also be possible to listen to games on KDKA 1020 AM, which is a regional affiliate of CBS Sports Radio. If you are outside of either station’s broadcast area, it may be possible to listen to Pirates games by going directly to their websites or signing up for MLB Audio for $2.99/mo.

Can I watch Pirates broadcasts for free?

Pirates games that are broadcast on Fox may be available for free if you have an antenna. Games that are shown on Apple+ TV may also be shown for free during the 2022 season. However, games that are broadcast on national networks are only available on streaming services that charge a monthly fee.

Is it possible to stream Pirates games on my phone?

Most streaming services have dedicated apps that allow you to watch games on your phone. Alternatively, you can use a web browser to access a streaming account and watch games on your Android or iOS device with them. Additionally, AT&T SportsNet has its own app if you have access to the service.

Sign Up for a Free 7-Day Fubo Trial

What is the Pittsburgh Pirates 2023 schedule?

Here is the complete Pirates regular-season schedule in EDT. Most games will air on AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh with a small number on MLB Network, Apple TV+, Peacock, Fox, and similar channels.

How do I watch other MLB teams?

You can find complete information in these guides:

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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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