Which Live TV Streaming Service Has the Best Sports Add-On? Comparing YouTube TV, Hulu Live TV, Sling TV, fuboTV and DIRECTV STREAM
It’s January, which means some of the biggest sporting events of the year are coming soon. The NFL playoffs are set to begin, and with the NBA, NHL, and college basketball seasons heating up, it’s one of the best times of the entire year for sports fanatics.
With that in mind, customers may be searching around for the best live TV streaming services to watch live sports. Many of the biggest live streamers offer extra add-on packages dedicated to sports channels, so you can watch even more of your favorite teams in action.
So how do these sports add-ons compare?
They’re each very similarly priced. Hulu + Live TV offers a sports add-on for $10 per month, while fuboTV, Sling TV, and YouTube TV all offer packages of additional sports channels for an extra $11 monthly. DIRECTV STREAM has additional sports starting in their $89.99 “Choice Plan” including Bally Sports RSNs, but no official add-on.
All four Sports add-ons from Hulu Live TV, fuboTV, Sling TV (Blue Plan), and YouTube TV include NFL RedZone as part of their main channel in the package. A sports-fan favorite, the whip-around channel switches between the biggest plays across NFL games every Sunday, even to those that aren’t available in your local market.
While YouTube TV includes MLB Network and NBA TV in its base plan, those two channels, along with NHL Network, are included in the fuboTV and Sling TV (Blue Plan) Sports Add-on.
When you add the Sports Add-on to fuboTV and Sling TV, they are the only services that will get you all four major sports league channels with your streaming subscription.
While DIRECTV STREAM doesn’t offer NFL Network, it includes MLB Network and NBA TV in their $89.99 Choice Plan, which also includes regional sports from Bally Sports, YES Network, and others. You can also get NHL Network in their $104.99 Ultimate Plan.
Pro Sports
| DTV STREAM | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free Trial | Free Trial | Get 50% Off | Sign Up | |||
| $79.99 | $91.99 | $76.99 | $25 | $40 | $40 | $72.99 | ||
| MLB Network | + $15 | + $8 | ✓ | - | + $11 | + $11 | - | |
| NBA TV | + $15 | + $8 | - | - | + $11 | + $11 | ✓ | |
| NFL Network | + $15 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| NFL RedZone | + $15 | + $11 | + $10 | - | - | + $11 | + $11 | |
| NHL Network | + $15 | + $8 | - | - | + $11 | + $11 | - | |
Hulu Live TV, fuboTV, and YouTube TV include many college sports channels in their base tiers including ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS Sports Network, and SEC Network. Most of those channels require the DIRECTV STREAM Choice Plan or Sling TV (Orange/Blue) Sports Extra Plan.
Where fuboTV and Sling TV shine is that their Sports Add-ons include the Pac-12 Network, and in Sling’s case the Longhorn Network as well.
College Sports
| DTV STREAM | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free Trial | Free Trial | Get 50% Off | Sign Up | |||
| $79.99 | $91.99 | $76.99 | $25 | $40 | $40 | $72.99 | ||
| ACC Network | + $29 | ✓ | ✓ | - | + $11 | - | ✓ | |
| ACC Network Extra | - | - | ✓ | - | + $11 | - | ✓ | |
| Big Ten Network | + $15 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | + $11 | ✓ | |
| CBS Sports Network | + $15 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| ESPNU | + $15 | + $8 | ✓ | - | + $11 | - | ✓ | |
| Longhorn Network | + $15 | - | - | - | + $11 | - | - | |
| Pac-12 Network | - | + $8 | - | - | + $11 | + $11 | - | |
| SEC Network | + $15 | + $8 | ✓ | - | + $11 | - | ✓ | |
| truTV | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | + $6 | ✓ | ✓ | |
fuboTV and Sling TV are the only services that offer Tennis Channel in their sports add-ons, so fans looking to catch this year’s Grand Slam tournaments should give those services a look. YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV include ESPNews in their base plan, while that requires the add-on from fuboTV and Sling TV.
fuboTV is the only service that includes Next Level Sports (formerly Eleven Sports) in its service. It also includes Fox Soccer Plus in the Sports Add-On, which is also included in the YouTube TV Sports Plus Add-On.
Other Sports
| DTV STREAM | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free Trial | Free Trial | Get 50% Off | Sign Up | |||
| $79.99 | $91.99 | $76.99 | $25 | $40 | $40 | $72.99 | ||
| beIN Sports | - | ✓ | - | - | + $11 | + $11 | + $11 | |
| Next Level Sports | + $15 | + $6 | - | - | - | - | - | |
| ESPNEWS | + $15 | + $8 | ✓ | - | + $11 | - | ✓ | |
| FanDuel TV | + $15 | - | + $10 | - | - | - | + $11 | |
| Fox Soccer Plus | - | + $6 | - | - | - | - | + $11 | |
| Golf Channel | + $15 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | + $11 | ✓ | |
| Tennis Channel | + $15 | + $8 | - | - | + $11 | + $11 | + $11 | |
What Other Channels?
Most of the other channels in the add-ons are niche networks with a focus on outdoor, sports betting, and auto and horse racing. epending on your service, some that will be included are Outdoor Channel, TVG, and VSiN.
| DTV STREAM | Fubo | Hulu | Sling TV | YouTube | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free Trial | Get 50% Off | Sign Up | |||
| $79.99 | $91.99 | $76.99 | $40 | $40 | $72.99 | ||
| Outdoor Channel | + $15 | + $5 | + $10 | + $6 | + $6 | - | |
| Sportsman Channel | + $15 | + $5 | + $10 | + $6 | + $6 | - | |
| MAVTV | - | + $5 | + $10 | - | - | + $11 | |
| VSiN | - | - | - | - | - | + $11 | |
| TVG | - | + $10 | + $10 | - | - | + $11 | |
| TVG2 | - | - | + $10 | - | - | - | |
The Verdict
For the most part, if you want NFL RedZone, you can choose any of the Sports Add-ons, however, your least expensive option is Sling TV. You can get Sling + Sports Extra for $51 per month.
If you want NHL Network, Pac-12 Network, Tennis Channel, and beIn Sports, your best options are Sling TV or fuboTV, which offers a seven-day free trial.
If you don’t need NFL Network or NFL RedZone, and you want regional sports networks like Bally Sports, YES Network, AT&T SportsNet, MASN, Spectrum SportsNet, Altitude, and ROOT Sports Northwest – the DIRECTV STREAM “Choice Plan” is your best options.
If you don’t want fuboTV or Sling TV, your remaining options are Hulu and YouTube TV. If you want Outdoor Channel and Sportsman Channel, you should pick Hulu Live TV, but if you want beIn Sports, you should pick YouTube TV.