How to watch San Diego Padres vs. Detroit Tigers 2026 Opening Day Game
The Padres and Tigers will get their seasons underway on the MLB Network on Thursday afternoon.
The 2026 Major League Baseball season will get underway for the San Diego Padres and Detroit Tigers on Thursday, March 26. The squads will open their springs in San Diego at 4:10 p.m. ET in a game airing on the MLB Network. If you are looking for a live TV streaming plan to watch the game — and the rest of the season — we recommend the DIRECTV MySports package. It’s the cheapest way to get the game with the longest available free trial.
How to Watch San Diego Padres vs. Detroit Tigers Opening Day
- When: Thursday, March 26, 2026 at 4:10 p.m. ET
- TV: MLB Network
- Stream: Watch with a subscription to DIRECTV MySports.
- From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a VPN.
Everything you need to know to stream Padres vs. Tigers:
Why do we recommend DIRECTV to watch Padres vs. Tigers
DIRECTV is not only going to give you the best price to stream MLB Network via the DIRECTV MySports option, but it is also going to have the longest reliable free trial of any live TV streaming service carrying the channel as well.
The MySports genre pack includes MLB Network as well as all of the broadcast and cable channels that carry nationally broadcast Major League Baseball games in nearly every market. The package runs $65 per month, and if you want to get the regional sports network (RSN) in your market, you can add the MyHome Team Mini-Pack for an extra $20 per month to make sure that you are covered for every non-streaming exclusive all season long.
Additionally, DIRECTV offers a five-day free trial, so not only can you watch Opening Day (and a few more games) before you have to pay, but you will also have the opportunity to test out the platform to see if you want to keep it for the long haul.
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 Padres vs. Tigers for free?
You can, and DIRECTV isn’t the only option available. Hulu + Live TV and Fubo also carry MLB Network and offer a free trial. Hulu’s runs for three days, and Fubo’s is anywhere from one to seven days, depending on user-specific criteria.
| 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 | ||
| MLB Network | + $15 | + $11 | + $61 | - | - | - | + $11 | + $11 | - | |
Can you stream Padres vs. Tigers on MLB.TV?
Generally, fans who don’t live in the home market of their favorite team can watch the games via Major League Baseball’s first-of-its-kind out-of-market streaming service MLB.TV. However, the service only carries games that otherwise appear on local channels or streamers. Therefore, since the Padres vs. Tigers Opening Day game is on MLB Network, it will not be available on MLB.TV.
But, during the MLB regular season, you are able to watch every non-nationally televised out-of-market game with a subscription to MLB.TV, which you can get for as little as $30 per month or $130 for the season.
MLB.TV
MLB.TV is the official streaming service of Major League Baseball. You can see every out-of-market game live or on-demand and choose home or away TV and radio feeds. The app allows fans to watch up to four games simultaneously on the same screen through its Multi-view feature. MLB.TV can be added to your Sling TV or Prime Video subscription.
Watch a preview of the 2026 MLB Season
How to watch Padres vs. Tigers from anywhere
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 a live TV streaming like DIRECTV in order to stream the Padres vs. Tigers game 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