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The Best MLB Streaming Services for 2026
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- The Best MLB Streaming Services for 2026
Baseball, America's pastime, has a history almost as rich as the country itself. But don't mistake that old-fashioned charm for irrelevance. Even with competition from the NBA, NFL, and other sports, baseball is an institution that's powered by gumption, grit, and calculated sabermetrics. Nothing can replace going to the ballpark and hoping to catch a ball in the stands, but with today's tech, you can view as much baseball as you want without leaving the comfort of your home. Our guide covers what you should consider before choosing a video streaming service for watching the MLB season, starting on March 25, based on a decade of streaming video expertise. Read on for our top picks, including Hulu and Peacock, followed by everything you need to know about streaming baseball.
Credit: PCMag
Best for Special MLB Games
Netflix
Score: 4.5
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Pros & Cons
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+ High-quality original programming
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+ Excellent apps and features
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+ Offline downloads on mobile
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+ Free mobile games
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- High-quality original programming
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- Excellent apps and features
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- Offline downloads on mobile
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- Free mobile games
Why We Picked It
2026 marks the start of a partnership between Major League Baseball and Netflix, bringing select matchups to the popular streaming service. In fact, Netflix is the place to kick back and watch the MLB Opening Night contest between the New York Yankees and the San Francisco Giants on March 25.
Who It's For
Fans of special MLB events: Besides Opening Night, Netflix will stream the T-Mobile Home Run Derby (July 13) and the Field of Dreams Game (August 13).
Specs & Configurations
Starting Price: $7.99 per month
Supported Platforms: Media Streaming Devices (Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, and Roku), Microsoft Store, Mobile (Android and iOS), Game Consoles (PlayStation and Xbox), Smart TVs, and Web
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Ads: True
Concurrent Streams: 2 or 4
Offline Downloads on Mobile: True
4K Streaming: Requires Premium Plan
Parental Control Tools: Profile-based or Kids Mode
Audio Descriptions: True
On-Demand Movies and TV Shows: True
Live TV: False
Rentals and Purchases: DVD.com (Separate Plan)
Top Original Shows: Black Mirror, Bojack Horseman, Dead to Me, Locke and Key, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Never Have I Ever, Orange Is the New Black, Ozark, Russian Doll, Stranger Things, The Crown, The Queen's Gambit, The Stranger, The Umbrella Academy, and The Witcher
Top Original Movies: Beasts of No Nation, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, Extraction, I Care A Lot, Roma, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, The Irishman, The Trial of the Chicago 7, and The Two Popes
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Anime: True
Sports Coverage: None
Original Programming: True
Web Store: False
Credit: PCMag
Best for Live MLB Games
Hulu
Score: 4.0
Pros & Cons
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+ Excellent TV series selection
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+ Extensive live TV channel lineup
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+ Robust unlimited cloud DVR option
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+ Available on nearly every media streaming device
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+ Appealing bundle deals
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- Excellent TV series selection
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- Extensive live TV channel lineup
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- Robust unlimited cloud DVR option
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- Available on nearly every media streaming device
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- Appealing bundle deals
Why We Picked It
Hulu + Live TV's lineup includes FOX (home of Major League Baseball on FOX ), Golf Channel, and TNT, among other sports channels. This makes Hulu a strong option not just for baseball, but for sports as a whole. The Español add-on ($4.99 per month) delivers international sports coverage via ESPN Deportes.
Who It's For
Baseball superfans: If you're a baseball lover in general, not just MLB, Hulu offers an ESPN+ add-on ($29.99 per month) that lets you stream college baseball and Little League games.
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General audiences:By carrying FOX, Hulu + Live TV is an excellent choice for mainstream viewers who want heated baseball competition alongside popular news and entertainment channels like CNBC, The Disney Channel, and ESPN.
Specs & Configurations
Starting Price: $11.99 per month; $88.99 per month
Regular Season National NHL Coverage: ABC, ESPN, TBS, and TNT
RSN Coverage: NBC Sports
DVR Storage & Retention: Unlimited; 9 Months
Concurrent Streams: 2 or Unlimited (at home) and 3 (mobile devices)
4K Live Streams: False
MLB Playoffs Coverage: FOX, FS1, and TBS
World Series Coverage: FOX
Regular Season National NBA Coverage: ABC, ESPN, and TNT
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NBA Finals: ABC
Thursday Night Football: FOX and NFL Network
Sunday Football: CBS and FOX; NFL RedZone (via Add-On)
Sunday Night Football: NBC
Monday Night Football: ESPN
Anime: True
Original Programming: True
Ads: True
Web Store: False
Sports Coverage: International*, National, & Regional
On-Demand Movies and TV Shows: True
Live TV: True
Offline Downloads on Mobile: True
Credit: PCMag
Best for Sunday Night Baseball
Peacock
Score: 4.0
Pros & Cons
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+ Many popular movies and network shows
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+ Live sports
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+ Flexible plan pricing
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+ Supports multiple account profiles
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- Many popular movies and network shows
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- Live sports
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- Flexible plan pricing
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- Supports multiple account profiles
Why We Picked It
MLB and NBC teamed up to produce Sunday Night Baseball , which airs on live TV and on NBC's Peacock streaming service. The multi-year partnership grants Peacock exclusive rights to the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game that features top minor league prospects.
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Who It's For
Classic baseball fans: Along with Sunday Night Baseball , Peacock offers retro MLB games and historical MLB documentaries.
Baseball fans who want to save money:You don't need to spend big bucks to enjoy streaming baseball. Peacock's ad-supported live sports tier costs just $10.99 per month (or $109.99 per year), making it a good alternative to far pricier services that try to cover everything.
Specs & Configurations
Starting Price: $7.99 per month
RSN Coverage: None
MLB Playoffs Coverage: None
World Series Coverage: None
DVR Storage & Retention: None
Concurrent Streams: 3
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Thursday Night Football: None
Sunday Football: None
Sunday Night Football: NBC
Monday Night Football: None
Sports Coverage: International & National
On-Demand Movies and TV Shows: True
4K Live Streams: False
Live TV: True
Original Programming: True
Anime: False
Ads: True
Offline Downloads on Mobile: True
Best for Recording MLB Games
YouTube TV
Score: 4.0
Pros & Cons
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+ Excellent lineup of sports, news, and entertainment channels
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+ Impressive viewing features for sports fans
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+ Robust and easy-to-use DVR features
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+ Intuitive interface
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+ Supports three simultaneous streams per account by default
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+ Excellent add-ons
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- Excellent lineup of sports, news, and entertainment channels
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- Impressive viewing features for sports fans
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- Robust and easy-to-use DVR features
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- Intuitive interface
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- Supports three simultaneous streams per account by default
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- Excellent add-ons
Why We Picked It
YouTube TV may have lost the MLB Network, but it still offers a good selection of TV networks for baseball fans, including ESPN and FOX. The streamer is also slowly rolling out a $64.99-per-month sports-only live TV option, which is roughly $20 less than the standard YouTube TV plan.
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Who It's For
Sports junkies:YouTube TV's multiview feature lets you watch up to four streams at once, so you won't miss an inning.
People who want to record baseball games for later:With YouTube TV, you get unlimited cloud DVR storage (recordings are kept for up to nine months), up to three simultaneous device streams, and support for six user accounts. All those features are useful when family members want to watch different programs that air at the same time as your game.
Specs & Configurations
Starting Price: $82.99 per month
Regular Season National NHL Coverage: ABC, ESPN, TBS, and TNT
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RSN Coverage: NBC Sports
DVR Storage & Retention: Unlimited; 9 Months
Concurrent Streams: 3 or Unlimited (at home)
4K Live Streams: True
MLB Playoffs Coverage: FOX, FS1, and TBS
World Series Coverage: FOX
Regular Season National NBA Coverage: ABC, ESPN, NBA TV, and TNT
NBA Finals: ABC
Thursday Night Football: FOX and NFL Network
Sunday Football: CBS and FOX; NFL RedZone (via Add-On)
Sunday Night Football: NBC
Monday Night Football: ESPN
Sports Coverage: National & Regional
On-Demand Movies and TV Shows: True
Live TV: True
Original Programming: False
Anime: False
Ads: True
Offline Downloads on Mobile: False
Credit: PCMag
Best for Busy Sports Fans
Fubo
Score: 4.0
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Pros & Cons
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+ Many live sports and on-demand entertainment options
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+ Reliable streaming in testing
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+ Excellent web interface
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+ Capable DVR functionality
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+ Some 4K content
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- Many live sports and on-demand entertainment options
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- Reliable streaming in testing
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- Excellent web interface
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- Capable DVR functionality
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- Some 4K content
Why We Picked It
Fubo is known for offering one of the best sports packages, spanning many categories. However, with the Fubo Extra package ($7.99 per month), you get the MLB Network. Additionally, the Sports Plus with NFL RedZone package ($10.99 per month) includes MLB Strike Zone, a channel that shows highlights, live look-ins, and updates from regular-season games, all commercial-free.
Who It's For
Busy baseball fans:With MLB Strike Zone, you don't need to watch full matchups throughout the entire 162-game season. It lets you focus solely on MLB's biggest and coolest moments.
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Specs & Configurations
Starting Price: $84.99 per month
Regular Season National NHL Coverage: ABC and ESPN; NHL Network (via Add-On)
RSN Coverage: AT&T SportsNet and some NBC Sports
DVR Storage & Retention: Unlimited
Concurrent Streams: 2 or 10
4K Live Streams: True
MLB Playoffs Coverage: FOX and FS1
World Series Coverage: FOX
Regular Season National NBA Coverage: ABC and ESPN; NBA TV (via Add-On)
NBA Finals: ABC
Thursday Night Football: FOX and NFL Network
Sunday Football: CBS and FOX; NFL RedZone (via Add-On)
Sunday Night Football: NBC
Monday Night Football: ESPN
Sports Coverage: International, National, & Regional
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On-Demand Movies and TV Shows: True
Live TV: True
Original Programming: False
Anime: False
Ads: True
Offline Downloads on Mobile: False
Credit: PCMag
Best for MLB Games on Turner Networks
HBO Max
Score: 4.0
Pros & Cons
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+ Huge catalog of popular shows and movies from many sources
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+ Attractive apps
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+ User profiles and parental control tools
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+ Ad-free tier lets you download content for offline viewing
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+ Live sports
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+ Ultimate tier includes far more 4K content than the other plans
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- Huge catalog of popular shows and movies from many sources
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- Attractive apps
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- User profiles and parental control tools
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- Ad-free tier lets you download content for offline viewing
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- Live sports
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- Ultimate tier includes far more 4K content than the other plans
Why We Picked It
HBO Max's sports offerings include live MLB games courtesy of TBS, TNT, and truTV. Not all competing services offer these channels, which makes this a compelling pitch for baseball die-hards.
Who It's For
Baseball fans who want a side of entertainment:If you want to check out baseball on the various Turner channels, HBO Max is one of the best, easiest, and most affordable streaming options. It's also a top streaming service overall, thanks to its modern features and a huge library that includes incredible HBO Max originals, live news, excellent animation, and the world's most irresistible reality TV garbage . Note that HBO Max is slated to merge with Paramount+ .
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Specs & Configurations
Starting Price: $10.99 per month
Regular Season National NBA Coverage: TNT
RSN Coverage: None
NBA Finals: TNT
DVR Storage & Retention: None
Concurrent Streams: 4
Sports Coverage: NBA, NHL, US Soccer, MLB, NCAA
On-Demand Movies and TV Shows: True
4K Live Streams: True
Live TV: False
Original Programming: True
Anime: True
Ads: True
Offline Downloads on Mobile: True
Credit: PCMag
Best for RSN Coverage
DirecTV
Score: 3.5
Pros & Cons
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+ Reliable streaming performance
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+ Supports 20 simultaneous streams
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+ Lineup includes RSNs from Comcast, Sinclair, and Spectrum
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+ Parental control options
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+ No longer has a two-year subscription requirement
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+ More affordable Genre Pack options
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- Reliable streaming performance
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- Supports 20 simultaneous streams
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- Lineup includes RSNs from Comcast, Sinclair, and Spectrum
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- Parental control options
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- No longer has a two-year subscription requirement
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- More affordable Genre Pack options
Why We Picked It
DirecTV's Entertainment plan covers the channels you need to watch the MLB postseason, including FOX. The service has two innovative playback features, Lookback and Rewind, that let you catch big moments. On select channels and programs, this functionality lets you watch previously aired content (up to 72 hours ago) and restart live streams from the beginning of the broadcast. Want to save money? You can now subscribe to the cheaper MySports package ($69.99 per month) if you don't want other channels.
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Who It's For
Regional sports fans:By offering local and national channels, DirecTV is a good option for baseball fans who need help navigating the tricky, infuriating world of regional sports networks.
Specs & Configurations
Starting Price: $101.98 per month
Regular Season National NHL Coverage: ABC, ESPN, NHL Network, TBS, and TNT
RSN Coverage: AT&T SportsNet, Bally Sports, and some NBC Sports
DVR Storage & Retention: 20 hours or Unlimited, nine months
Concurrent Streams: 20 (at home) and 3 (away from home)
4K Live Streams: False
MLB Playoffs Coverage: FOX, FS1, and TBS
World Series Coverage: FOX
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Regular Season National NBA Coverage: ABC, ESPN, and TNT
NBA Finals: ABC
Thursday Night Football: FOX
Sunday Football: CBS and FOX
Sunday Night Football: NBC
Monday Night Football: ESPN
Sports Coverage: International*, National, & Regional
On-Demand Movies and TV Shows: True
Live TV: True
Original Programming: None
Anime: True
Ads: True
Offline Downloads on Mobile: False
Credit: PCMag
Best for Friday Night Baseball
Apple TV
Score: 3.0
Pros & Cons
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+ Support for 4K, HDR, and Dolby Atmos
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+ Lacks ads
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+ Offline downloads
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+ Strong accessibility options
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- Support for 4K, HDR, and Dolby Atmos
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- Lacks ads
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- Offline downloads
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- Strong accessibility options
Why We Picked It
Apple TV is the exclusive home for the new Friday Night Baseball , a weekly doubleheader show that runs for 12 weeks. Besides those baseball games, the package includes pre- and post-game shows. Most exciting? You don't need to be a paid Apple TV subscriber to enjoy these games. You just need a device running the Apple TV app, such as an iPhone or a Mac .
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Who It's For
Sports-loving Apple fans:Baseball coverage is just yet another example of how Apple TV is a rising star in the video streaming world. With it, you can enjoy plenty of other sports-related content, including F1 races, Major League Soccer matches, and the beloved Ted Lasso .
Specs & Configurations
Starting Price: $12.99 per month
RSN Coverage: None
MLB Playoffs Coverage: None
World Series Coverage: None
DVR Storage & Retention: None
Concurrent Streams: 6
Live TV: False
On-Demand Movies and TV Shows: True
Original Programming: True
Anime: False
Ads: False
Offline Downloads on Mobile: True
Credit: PCMag
Best for Customizable Sports Packages
Sling TV
Score: 3.5
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Pros & Cons
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+ Good channel selection
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+ Flexible subscription options
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+ Free tier
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+ Reliable streaming performance
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- Good channel selection
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- Flexible subscription options
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- Free tier
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- Reliable streaming performance
Why We Picked It
Want to watch a bunch of MLB games? You need Sling TV's Orange + Blue plan ($60.99 per month) that includes FOX (in select markets) and MLB Network. Sling TV's live streams are mostly capped at 1080p, though a few support 4K streams.
Who It's For
Baseball fans who want streaming options:Sling TV empowers viewers to customize their sports packages. For example, you can tailor your plan to your specific viewing habits, such as emphasizing baseball channels over football channels.
Specs & Configurations
Starting Price: $46 per month; $66 per month
Regular Season National NHL Coverage: ESPN, TBS, and TNT; NHL Network (via Add-On); ABC (via Antenna)
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RSN Coverage: None
DVR Storage & Retention: 50 hours or unlimited; Indefinitely
Concurrent Streams: 1 (for Sling Orange channels), 3 (for Sling Blue channels)
4K Live Streams: True
MLB Playoffs Coverage: FOX (in select markets), FS1, and TBS
World Series Coverage: FOX (in select markets)
Regular Season National NBA Coverage: ESPN and TNT; NBA TV (via Add-On); ABC (via Antenna)
NBA Finals: ESPN3 (simulcasts of ABC)
Thursday Night Football: FOX and NFL Network
Sunday Football: FOX; NFL RedZone (via Add-On)
Sunday Night Football: NBC
Monday Night Football: ESPN
Sports Coverage: International*, National, & Regional
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On-Demand Movies and TV Shows: True
Live TV: True
Original Programming: False
Anime: True
Ads: True
Offline Downloads on Mobile: False
baseball streaming - unknown
How to Watch Baseball Without Cable
If you've gotten rid of cable, fear not: You can still watch all the baseball you want with a live TV streaming service . You can watch select nationally televised games on ESPN, Fox, and TBS. You'll also most likely need to navigate regional sports networks, especially if you're a fan of out-of-market teams.
Aside from channel coverage, you should consider other factors when choosing a live TV service, including its price, streaming resolution, DVR capabilities, and support for simultaneous streams. Serious baseball fans may benefit from add-ons like MLB.TV (which we discuss in a later section).
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Cable and Over-the-Air Options for Baseball
One way to ensure you catch as many games as possible is to sign up for a cable plan. Cable plans are usually more expensive than streaming subscriptions, but some packages might have channels in your area that you can't get with a video streaming service. If you have a cable subscription, you can watch games from any device by signing in to the dedicated Fox Sports app with your cable credentials.
Fox is available over the air, but you must set up an indoor antenna and receiver to watch the channel on your TV.
How to Stream MLB Games for Free
As with most other major sports, you must pay for a subscription to watch most MLB games. The services tested here either offer no free option or the free option comes with a catch. Peacock has a free tier, but it doesn't include live baseball. Apple TV offers free games only on Fridays to entice you to buy Apple hardware that runs the Apple TV app.
Alternatively, you can purchase a TV antenna for over-the-air local channels. That's great for major baseball events like the All-Star Game or the World Series, but the number and quality of those channels vary widely by location.
Other Ways to Stream Major League Baseball
Another way to watch MLB games is with an MLB.TV subscription. For the 2026 season, you have a few subscription options. The Monthly Package ($29.99 per month) streams every team live from now through October. For $150, the Yearly Package adds the offseason. And for $130, you can just follow your team of choice for the entire season and offseason. These packages let you stream select games live on supported devices (once you authenticate via a supported cable provider), and watch every game on-demand. Right now, you can check out select spring training games for free.
T-Mobile subscribers once again get free access to MLB.TV. Apple and MLB are letting anyone watch the first 12 weeks of Friday Night Baseball for free through Apple TV. NBC is producing an exclusive Sunday morning MLB package for Peacock. MLB app subscriptions focus on out-of-market games, so consider using a streaming-friendly VPN to watch your own team's games.
MLB.TV on-demand content for baseball fans includes documentaries and vintage This Week In Baseball episodes from the 1970s and 1980s, too. You can download the MLB.TV app on mobile platforms ( Android and iOS ), media streaming devices (Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, and Roku), and game consoles ( PlayStation and Xbox ). A catch-up feature (only available on the fourth-generation Apple TV) offers a 90-second rundown of key plays when you tune into a game already in progress.
Want to watch sports other than baseball? Check out our roundup of the best sports streaming services , as well as our top picks for NBA streaming services , NFL streaming services , and NHL streaming services .
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