Don’t miss any of the MLB Playoffs continue with the ALDS and NLDS
Don’t miss any of the MLB Playoffs continue with the ALDS and NLDS
Eight teams remain alive in the quest to claim the World Series title.
After a thrilling Wild Card Round, which saw three of the four series go to a third and deciding game, baseball is back for the second round of this year’s MLB Playoffs. The action will get underway on Saturday, Oct. 4 at 2:08 p.m. ET as the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers will kick off the festivities. Some of the most historic franchises in the sport are still alive in the chase for the World Series title, and many of the best players in the game will be on the field. The ALDS games will air Fox and FS1, and the NLDS games will appear on TBS with a simulcast on truTV. If you are looking for a live TV streaming service to watch all of the action, we suggest going with a five-day free trial to DIRECTV. You can also watch by stacking Fox One and HBO Max.
How to watch 2025 MLB Divisional Round
- When: Starting Saturday, Oct. 4
- TV: Fox, FS1, TBS, truTV
- Stream: Watch with a five-day free trial to DIRECTV, Fox One, or HBO Max.
- From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a VPN.
Everything you need to know about the 2025 MLB Wild Card round
What is the schedule of 2025 MLB Divisional Round games?
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Why do we recommend watching the 2025 MLB Divisional Round on DIRECTV?
When it comes to offering the most channels in streaming, every live TV streaming service is chasing DIRECTV. The platform offers the most of The Streamable’s top 35 cable channels, so if you are looking for a breadth of programming options, DIRECTV is a surefire hit. In addition, the streamer has the industry’s best guaranteed free trial. While others can roll out longer options depending on what time of year it is and what qualifications you meet as a customer, DIRECTV offers a five-day trial to all new users. So, if you are looking to watch one specific game for free, this is the option that makes the most sense.
Related: How to make the most out of your NFL experience with DIRECTV
But what makes this option even more compelling compared to its streaming competitors is that DIRECTV now offers a channel package specifically for sports fans. Earlier this year, DIRECTV launched its Genre Packs that allow people to pick curated channel lineups around central themes and genres, and for sports fans, that means the MySports Pack.
The MySports plan runs $70 a month after the aforementioned five-day free trial, which gives you a way to check out everything that it has to offer before having to pay a penny. You’ll also get a bunch of great sports channels with MySports, including ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, FS1, FS2, Golf Channel, MLB Network, NBA TV, NFL Network, NHL Network, SEC Network, TBS, TNT, and USA Network, and depending on your market, ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC.
These channels bring you an incredible selection of games from across pro and college sports, oh, and MySports also comes with a free ESPN Unlimited subscription. Meaning that while the baseball season is over on ESPN, the worldwide leader in sports’ new standalone streaming service streams every sporting event on an ESPN channel. In addition, you get streaming exclusives like ESPN+ content, alternate broadcasts, the 30 for 30 library, WWE Premium Live Events, and more.
That’s not a bad deal for $70 per month, if you are only really interested in streaming sports.
DIRECTV
DIRECTV is one of The Streamable’s top choices for the best live TV streaming service overall in 2026, especially for users who want the most channels or want to watch the most live sports. With an unbeatable lineup of local, news, sports, and entertainment channels, three main signature packages, an unlimited DVR, and 20 simultaneous streams at home, DIRECTV remains a premier choice for any cord-cutter.
Can you watch 2025 MLB Divisional Round for free?
There are several streamers that offer free trials, which will let you stream the 2025 MLB Wild Card round on ESPN channels.
If you are just looking for a streaming service to watch this specific game and nothing else, there are options available for you. DIRECTV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, and YouTube TV all offer free trials, but they vary in length, so be wary. DIRECTV’s industry-leading trial runs for five days, while Hulu + Live TV’s is a solid three days.
Those are pretty straightforward, but when it comes to the sports-minded streamer Fubo, things can get a little complicated. As The Streamable’s expert David Satin discovered when signing up for the services, figuring out how long Fubo’s trial is — even as you are signing up — can be a bit difficult. Nonetheless, it will be at least one day, with the potential to be as many as seven, depending on a wide range of factors that Fubo does not share publicly.
The YouTube TV trial is said to be “up to two weeks,” but can be as short as two days. So it is difficult to ascertain what you are actually getting before you go through the signup process.
So, if you are up for testing out what Fubo and YouTube TV have on offer for you, go for it, as you could get a nice, long trial. However, if you want to just take the sure thing, DIRECTV would be the best bet.
| DIRECTV | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube TV | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Free Trial | Save with Sling | Free Trial | |||||
| $20.99 | $9.99 | $28.99 | $25 | $19.99 | $29.99 | $45.99 | $45.99 | $64.99 | ||
| Fox | + $19 | + $59 | + $61 | - | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| FS1 | + $24 | + $59 | + $61 | - | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| TBS | + $24 | - | + $61 | - | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| truTV | + $24 | - | + $61 | - | - | - | + $6 | ✓ | ✓ | |
What are all the services you can use to watch the 2025 MLB Divisional Round?
We have already mentioned the likes of DIRECTV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, and YouTube TV. As you know, our recommendation is to go with DIRECTV. However, there are other options.
Depending on where you live in the United States, Sling TV could also be a good option for you. Sling has two base channel packages, Sling Orange and Sling Blue. To watch the MLB Divisional Round, you would want to opt for Sling Blue, as it is the one that carries Fox, FS1, and TBS. But, you need to keep in mind that Sling doesn’t carry Fox in every market across the country.
If you live in one of the 18 markets in which Sling carries Fox, you can sign up and pay just $46 per month, which will carry you through the end of the World Series. But, you will need to make sure that you live in one of the markets listed below.
In what markets does Sling TV carry Fox?
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Chicago
- Dallas/Fort Worth
- Detroit
- Gainesville
- Houston
- Los Angeles
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis/St. Paul
- New York
- Orlando/Daytona/Melbourne
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa/St. Petersburg
- Washington, DC
In addition to the live TV streaming options, two on-demand platforms will provide streams to the MLB Divisional Round. HBO Max will broadcast al of the games airing on TBS and truTV. So that means you can catch all of the National League games on the streamer. You will need to sign up for HBO Max’s premium plans to get access to the Bleacher Report Sports Add-On to watch the games, so it will cost you at least $17 per month.
Then, on the American League side, you have the option of watching on Fox One, which streams all of the Fox-owned broadcast and cable channels. This new platform costs $20 per month. So, between the two, it would run $37. If you only want to watch the baseball games, this would be an interesting stacking option.
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HBO Max
HBO Max is a subscription video streaming service that gives access to the full HBO library and exclusive Max Originals. There are hubs for content from TLC, HGTV, Food Network, Discovery, TCM, Cartoon Network, Travel Channel, ID, and more. Watch hit series like “The Last of Us,” “House of the Dragon,” “Succession,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and more. Within HBO Max, B/R Sports allows users to watch live NBA, MLB, NHL, March Madness, and NASCAR events.
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Fox One
Launched August 21, 2025, Fox One is a direct-to-consumer streaming service from Fox Corporation. Billed as a “major digital initiative,” Fox One brings together the full range of Fox’s leading news, sports, and entertainment brands, offering live and on-demand access in one unified platform.
Watch an MLB Divisional Round preview
How to watch 2025 MLB Divisional Round from anywhere
If you’ll be away from home and can’t watch the 2025 MLB Wild Card round as you normally would, you can still catch all of the action no matter where you are in the world with a VPN. A VPN can be used on your phone, tablet, or computer and make you appear to be back home — even when you’re not — making sure you feel at home no matter where you are. A VPN is a safe and secure way to stay protected online while streaming your favorite sports, movies, and shows on the go. Keep in mind that you will still need a subscription to a live TV streaming service like subscription to Sling TV in order to stream the games with a VPN.
NordVPN is one of the best providers around, at one of the best prices. Currently, you can get two full years of protection for just $3.59 per month — plus you’ll get three extra months FREE. A high-speed VPN with best-in-class security that can be used on up to 10 devices at once — what more could you ask for? Simply sign up, install the software on your device of choice, and start streaming just as you would back home. It couldn’t be easier!
While NordVPN is our recommendation for the best VPN to use while you are traveling, there are a number of other high-quality options available depending on what you are looking for.
- Best Features: ExpressVPN | Starting at $5 per month
- Best Budget Option: Surfshark | Starting at $2.50 per month
- Best Free Option: Proton VPN | Free plan available