How to watch Houston Astros vs. Chicago White Sox 2026 Wild Card Game 1
Both the Astros and the White Sox will open their Wild Card Series with a bullpen game after having to exhaust their starters in the fit to make the playoffs.
Throw out the records for the American League Wild Card Series that gets underway on Tuesday, Sept. 29. Despite having a worse regular-season record, the Houston Astros will host the Chicago White Sox in Game 1 of their best-of-three series. Houston won the AL West despite finishing just 81-81, while Chicago went 84-78 to complete an incredible turnaround just two years after losing a modern-record 121 games. But since they finished a game behind the Guardians in the AL Central, they have to hit the road. Game 1 will begin at 5 p.m. ET, and you can watch with one of Peacock’s two Premium subscription options. Universo will provide the Spanish-language broadcast.
How to watch Houston Astros vs. Chicago White Sox
- When: Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026 at 5 p.m. ET
- TV: Peacock, Universo
- Stream: Watch with one of Peacock’s two Premium subscription options.
- From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a VPN.
Everything you need to know to stream Astros vs. White Sox
What is the Astros vs. White Sox Wild Card Series schedule?
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Outlet(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, Sept. 29 | 5 p.m. | White Sox at Astros | Peacock, NBC Sports Network |
| Wednesday, Sept. 30 | 5 p.m. | White Sox at Astros | Peacock, NBC Sports Network |
| Thursday, Oct. 1 | 5 p.m.^ | White Sox at Astros | Peacock, NBC Sports Network |
^=if necessary
Why we recommend Peacock to watch Astros vs. White Sox
Quite simply, the Astros vs. White Sox game is a Peacock exclusive, so the only way to watch the game is with a subscription to one of Peacock’s two Premium tiers. Peacock Premium runs $11 per month, while Premium Plus comes with additional features for $17 monthly.
Can you watch Astros vs. White Sox for free?
Unfortunately, Peacock is not currently offering a free trial, so in order to watch the game, you will need to pay at least $11 and sign up for a full month. Fortunately, the NBCUniversal streaming service has a ton of sports coverage in addition to its on-demand library of iconic shows and movies.
It is the streaming home for all of NBC’s Notre Dame and Big Ten college football and college basketball, the NFL’s “Sunday Night Football,” the NBA on NBC, MLB “Sunday Night Baseball,: the English Premier League, both the winter and summer Olympics, and much more.
However, there are options if you want to go the live TV streaming route. We’ve got more details on that below.
Peacock
Peacock is a subscription video streaming service from NBCUniversal that includes original shows, blockbuster movies, and classic television series. Peacock is home to “Yellowstone,” “The Office,” and original hits like “Poker Face” and “Bel-Air.” You can also watch live sports and NBC programming, including the NFL, MLB, WWE, the Olympics, the Premier League, NASCAR, the French Open, college football and basketball, and the PGA Tour. Premium Plus subscribers can stream their local NBC feed in all 210 markets.
Watch a preview of Astros vs. White Sox
What streamers will cover Astros vs. White Sox?
Here’s where things get a bit confusing. This game is considered a Peacock exclusive, but in reality, it’s not. In November 2025, NBCUniversal decided to resurrect its formerly defunct cable channel, the NBC Sports Network. While there is other content on the channel, its primary purpose is to provide cable, satellite, and live TV streaming customers a way to watch sporting events on Peacock without having to sign up for the service.
Currently, only YouTube TV and Fubo carry the channel, but both do offer varying levels of free trials. So, if you just want to watch this game for free, you do have options.
| DIRECTV | Fubo | Hulu | Sling TV | YouTube TV | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Save with Sling | Free Trial | |||||
| $20.99 | $9.99 | $28.99 | $19.99 | $29.99 | $45.99 | $45.99 | $64.99 | ||
| NBC Sports Network | - | + $59 | - | - | - | - | - | ✓ | |
How to watch Astros vs. White Sox with a VPN
If you’ll be away from home and can’t watch the game 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 to be subscribed to Peacock in order to stream the game with a VPN.
ExpressVPN is one of the best providers around, at one of the best prices. Currently, you can get a month of service for as little as $5. ExpressVPN is the most-trusted VPN on the market and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. ExpressVPN has servers in 105 countries, best-in-class encryption, 24-hour live support, and the best speeds available.
While ExpressVPN 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.
- Most Secure: NordVPN | Starting at $3.09 per month
- Best Budget Option: Surfshark | Starting at $2.50 per month
- Best Free Option: Proton VPN | Free plan available
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