Breaking: Hulu + Live TV Adds MLB Network on Opening Day; YouTube TV Still Lacking Channel
With its robust channel lineup and ESPN+ integration, Hulu + Live TV is quietly becoming a force in sports streaming.
With the start of a new Major League Baseball season comes a host of new live-streaming options for fans to keep up with America’s pastime from now until October. On Thursday, just a few hours before the first pitch of Opening Day was thrown, Hulu + Live TV quietly added the MLB Network to its increasingly impressive channel lineup. The channel is now available to subscribers on the base subscription tier, meaning that YouTube TV is the only major live TV streaming service that doesn’t carry the channel after dropping it in January 2023.
- Hulu + Live TV has added the MLB Network to its base subscription plan ahead of Opening Day.
- YouTube TV is now the only major live streamer that doesn’t carry the channel.
- With its growing channel lineup and ESPN+ integration, Hulu + Live TV is becoming a top sports platform.
What Live TV Streaming Services Carry MLB Network?
With the addition of the MLB Network, Hulu + Live TV has moved into contention for the title of top streaming service for baseball fans. The streamer carries all of the national networks that broadcast games throughout the season, as the MLB Network joins ESPN, Fox, FS1, and TBS. And while Hulu + Live TV doesn’t offer nearly as many regional sports networks (RSNs) as DIRECTV STREAM or Fubo, the fact that a Hulu + Live TV subscription comes with the complete Disney Bundle means that fans also have access to all of the games broadcast on ESPN+; not to mention the great on-demand entertainment on Hulu and Disney+.
The MLB Network is available on Hulu’s base plan which runs $76.99 monthly. The only cheaper option to stream the channel is to subscribe to one of Sling TV’s base packages for $40 per month and then to get the Sports Extra add-on for $11. However, the only way to get all of the nationally available baseball games on Sling is to opt for both the Sling Orange and Blue plans for $55 monthly, plus the sports Extra pack. Unfortunately, however, Sling does not carry any RSNs and Fox is only available in 18 markets around the country.
The other live streaming options for MLB Network are DIRECTV STREAM and Fubo, both of which require a substantively higher financial commitment to get the channel. DIRECTV STREAM Is $3 more expensive per month than Hulu, but the MLB Network is only available on the Sports Pack for an extra $15 per month. While Fubo is at least $91.99 per month when its RSN fees are factored in and then an extra $9.99 monthly for the Sports Lite add-on that includes the MLB Network.
| DTV STREAM | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Free Trial | Get $10 Off | Sign Up | |||
| $79.99 | $91.99 | $76.99 | $25 | $40 | $40 | $72.99 | ||
| MLB Network | + $15 | + $8 | ✓ | - | + $11 | + $11 | - | |
Is Hulu + Live TV Good for Sports Fans?
Between regularly added channels and the Disney Bundle integration of ESPN+ content, Hulu + Live TV is quickly becoming a top streaming destination for sports fans. ESPN+ airs exclusive coverage of PGA and tennis tournaments and is the home of the NHL’s out-of-market package NHL Power Play. That exclusive sports content is automatically included in your Hulu browser as part of your live TV subscription. So when combined with over 95 top channels from across broadcast and cable, there is very little you will miss from across the sporting world.
Hulu + Live TV carries sports-focused networks including ESPN, ESPN2, FS1, Fox Sports 2, NFL Network, ACC Network, SEC Network, Big Ten Network, TNT, and TBS in every single plan, and every major local broadcast channel in nearly every market across the country. This means that it is a perfect option for NFL, NBA, college football, college basketball, NHL, fans, and much more.
Hulu Live TV
Hulu Live TV is a live TV streaming service with more than 70 channels for $76.99/month. Hulu + Live TV base plan includes local channels, 33 of the top 35 cable channels, and regional sports networks (RSNs). Subscribers get free access to Disney+ and ESPN+ at no extra charge.