With the increasing number of streaming services available today, you can now watch live sports, even if you don’t have a cable subscription. All you need is an internet connection, a streaming device, and a subscription to a service like FuboTV, Hulu, Sling, or YouTube TV. Here are the best streaming services to watch live NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL games without a cable subscription.
Best Streaming Service to Watch NFL Games Without Cable: FuboTV
FuboTV is the best streaming service to watch live NFL games without cable because it offers every NFL broadcast on CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN, and the NFL Network. Plus, you can get NFL RedZone for an extra fee.
With FuboTV, you can watch any NFL game from any team on Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football, and Thursday Night Football. This streaming service lets you watch all live and old games from any team. Plus, you can schedule recordings for upcoming games.
FuboTV gives you 30 hours of cloud DVR recording, which you can save indefinitely.There are three FuboTV subscription plans, including a Family Plan for $64.99, an Elite Plan for $79.99, and the Fubo Español Plan for $29.99 a month. You can also add NFL Red Zone for an extra $11.99 a month. You can try FuboTV for free for seven days, and the streaming service will even send you a reminder email one day before your trial is over.
FuboTV works with almost every streaming device, including Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung SmartThings TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, and iOS and Android devices. Plus, you can log into your account to watch live games using the Safari, Chrome, Firefox, and Edge web browsers on any Mac or Windows PC.
You can also watch every live NFL game with YouTube TV, but the subscription service is currently a little more expensive and a little more difficult to use. Or you can also use AT&T NOW or Hulu to watch NFL games live, but they do not offer Thursday Night Football or the NFL Network.
Best Streaming Service to Watch MLB Games Without Cable: AT&T TV NOW
AT&T NOW is the best streaming service to watch live MLB games without cable because it offers every MLB broadcast on ESPN, TBS, Fox, and Fox Sports 1. That means you’ll get all national and local channels. However, it does not offer the MLB Network.
While AT&T TV is not the most intuitive platform, it is the only streaming service that offers Spectrum SportsNet LA (Dodgers), MASN (Orioles & Nationals), AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh (Pirates), AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Rockies), and ROOT Sports Northwest (Mariners).
However, AT&T TV Now does not offer NBC Sports Chicago (White Sox), SportsNet New York (Mets), and NBC Sports Philadelphia (Phillies). Also, AT&T TV does not offer live Toronto Blue Jays games, but no other streaming service does either.
With AT&T TV Now, you can keep 500 hours of DVR recordings for up to 90 days. You can try AT&T TV for seven days for free. After that, you will need to get an AT&T TV Now Max subscription plan for $80 a month to access all MLB games.
AT&T TV Now works with most streaming devices, including Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Samsung SmartThings TV, Chromecast, and iOS and Android devices. Plus, you can log into your account to watch live games using the Safari and Chrome web browsers on any Mac or Windows PC.
If you are looking for a cheaper option, Hulu and YouTube TV both offer ESPN, TBS, Fox, and Fox Sports 1. YouTube TV also offers the MLB network for an additional fee. However, YouTube TV and Hulu do not offer nearly as many local MLB channels as A&T TV.
If all you care about is baseball, and you want to catch every live game, then MLB.TV is your best bet. This streaming service lets you subscribe to every game for $24.99 a year. Or you can stream every game for your favorite team for only $19.99 a year.
Best Streaming Service to Watch NBA Games Without Cable: YouTube TV
YouTube TV is the best streaming service to watch live NBA games without cable because it offers every nationally televised broadcast on ABC, ESPN, and TNT. Plus, it is the only streaming service that offers NBA TV without an additional fee. With YouTube TV, you get an intuitive platform that has a lot of additional features not offered by any other streaming service. For example, you can pick your favorite teams to follow, and you’ll get short video highlights, stats, and current standings for each team in real-time.
YouTube TV is also the only streaming service that gives you unlimited DVR storage for up to nine months. A YouTube TV subscription plan currently costs $65 a month. You can also try YouTube TV for free for seven days for free.
However, if you want to catch live games on another Regional Sports Network, AT&T Now and Hulu offer more access to these channels. However, FuboTV does not offer TNT, which means you’ll miss out on a lot of the national games with the streaming service.
The NBA League Pass is also a good option for catching live basketball games without cable. This streaming service gives you access to every game, the latest NBA draft, and NBA TV with game analysis and breakdowns. You can also download the games for offline viewing if you have the NBA League Pass. However, this streaming service might include blackouts in certain areas. To get around these, you would need to install a virtual private network (VPN) on your TV and change your location.
If you want to know more about what a VPN is and what it does, check out our article here.
Best Streaming Services to Watch NHL Games Without Cable: Sling TV
Sling TV is the best streaming service for watching live NHL games without cable because it is the cheapest network that offers NBC and NBC Sports Network. It also offers the cheapest way to get the NHL Network for an additional fee.
In order to get NBC channels and the NHL Network, you will need to get the Sling Blue + Sports Extra package. This streaming service also includes the MBL Network, NBA TV, ESPNEWS, and other sports channels.
With Sling, you’ll get 10 hours of DVR storage for free, or you can upgrade to get 50 hours of DVR storage for an additional $5 a month. A Sling Blue subscription plan with the Sports Extra package currently costs $40 a month. You can also try Sling TV for free for three days.
Sling TV works with Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Chromecast, and iOS and Android devices. Plus, you can log into your account to watch live games using web browsers on any Mac or Windows PC.
You can also watch NHL games without cable if you sign up for an AT&T Now, FuboTV, or YouTube TV. These services carry all RSN games, where you can watch the nationally televised games and the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, AT&T Now is the only other streaming service that offers the NHL Network, and it has a much more expensive plan.
If you don’t live in the state of your favorite team, you can also sign up for an NHL.TV pass. This streaming service offers plans that will give you access to every game or just a single team’s games.
Now that you know how to watch live NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL games without cable, take our short test to find out which streaming device is best for you.
