Going to Sporting Events Is Expensive; Here Are the Best Streamers for Live Sports

When was the last time you went to a sporting event? The cost of tickets is bad enough, but once you add on the price of parking, concessions, and all the other little extras that make the experience complete, attending a game can quickly become prohibitive. A new study from Civic Science finds that fans are increasingly willing to stay home and watch games via traditional TV or streaming, so, if you find yourself in that boat, I’m here to break down the best streaming services for watching the top sports this fall.

Key Details:

• The number of fans who say they’re “extremely” interested in sports is now back to pre-pandemic levels.
• ESPN+ is the most preferred streaming service by fans who say they stream live sports.
• DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo, and Hulu + Live TV are some of the best services available for watching major sports.

The study from Civic Science shows that fan interest in sports hasn’t declined at all; in fact, it’s rising. The number of Americans who are “extremely” interested in sports has risen to 20%, the highest number since September 2019. Thanks to the return of NFL football, the number of viewers who say they watch 5+ hours of sports every week has risen to 26%, outpacing last September’s mark of 24%.

Despite the popularity of sports in general, the cost of attending games has become prohibitive for most fans. Sixty-two percent of respondents to Civic Science said they avoided buying tickets to a sports game in the past six months because of the expense. Almost one-third of participants said the cost of concessions has “a lot” of impact on whether they buy a ticket or not.

That’s leading to more fans staying home and watching top sports on TV — or increasingly, via streaming. According to Civic Science, 32% of viewers say they’re at least “somewhat” likely to subscribe to a new streamer for fall or winter sports, and ESPN+ is the most preferred service for fans to watch games on, followed closely by Prime Video.

Which Streaming Service is Best for Watching Live Sports?

There are so many live and on-demand streaming services providing sports coverage these days, that it can be hard to know which services are best for watching which sport. We’ll walk you through your best option for watching major league sports like the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and college football here.

NFL

Since the majority of NFL games are mostly played on nationally-available, over-the-air broadcast channels, a live TV streaming service is the best choice to see them. Channels like CBS, ESPN, Fox and NBC are essential for NFL viewing, and fans can also catch some “Monday Night Football” games simulcast on ABC.

Hulu + Live TV is the best choice for streaming NFL games, because it includes all these channels plus NFL Network in its base channel package, so viewers won’t miss any international games that are exclusive to that channel. Customers also get no-cost access to ESPN+ as part of the Disney Bundle with Hulu + Live TV, so they can watch “Monday Night Football” on that service when offered.

DIRECTV STREAM and Fubo also carry the needed channels, and Sling TV offers some locals in large markets, though most of the country does not get these networks with a Sling subscription. YouTube TV is a fine choice for watching the NFL, as well.

NBA and NHL

Though hockey and basketball are very different sports, the way they distribute their games is highly similar. A large number of teams from each of the two leagues make use of regional sports networks (RSN) like Bally Sports channels to make their games available in-market, and usually only a small handful are played on national channels. Many teams have also turned to over-the-air (OTA) broadcast channels to distribute their games, as the RSN model continues to crumble.

A live TV streaming service is still the best way to go to watch the NBA and NHL, since some carry local channels as well as a wide range of RSNs. DIRECTV STREAM is the best choice to watch here; viewers will have to opt for the CHOICE package to get RSNs, but this service comes with a five-day free trial, local channels in the vast majority of markets, and ESPN and TNT, which carry national NBA and NHL games.

Fubo is the only other distributor that carries a large selection of RSNs, but it does not offer TNT or TBS in any market, so viewers will miss a selection of NBA and NHL games.

MLB

Like the NBA and NHL, many MLB teams make use of RSNs to distribute the majority of their games. ESPN, TBS, and Fox-branded channels distribute MLB regular season games on a national level during the regular season, so these channels are must-haves for any baseball fan.

The MLB playoffs are just getting underway, and games are played on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, Fox, FS1, MLB Network, TBS, and trutv.

Hulu + Live TV gets the edge once again here, since MLB Network is included in its base package. ESPN+ access also grants viewers one out-of-market MLB game almost every day of the regular season, so there’s a ton of baseball to watch on the streamer.

DIRECTV STREAM is a good second choice, since it carries RSNs, though MLB Network is only available in the Sports add-on pack. Fubo also carries RSNs, but once again it doesn’t have Turner channels, so TBS will not be available.

College Football

College football spreads its games across a huge number of broadcasters, since there are so many teams around the country to cover. On the local channel front, fans will need ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, and The CW to watch all the college games on TV in their area.

On the cable sports front, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, FS1, FS2, and truTV are essentials, as are conference-specific channels like ACC Network, Big Ten Network and SEC Network. Viewers who only want to see games from a particular team or conference can ignore some of these channels, but most will still be must-haves.

Hulu + Live TV is the best choice once again here, and ESPN+ carries a great selection of live college football for completist fans to enjoy. Fubo comes in second, even with its $95 starting price (including RSN fees). It carries most of the necessary channels in its base Pro plan, whereas DIRECTV STREAM necessitates the purchase of the CHOICE package and the Sports add-on to get all the channels listed below.