The best streaming services for watching sports in 2026

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The best streaming services for watching sports in 2026

Over the past year, the streaming landscape has shifted a lot, which means that there are a of of new and different ways to watch live sports on TV and through streaming services. One of the biggest changes in sports TV in the past year has been the introduction of ESPN's newest streaming plan, ESPN Unlimited, the streaming service that combines every ESPN linear network — as well as content on ESPN+ — into one streamlined platform.

Another pretty huge change this year is Fubo's stalemate with NBC Universal, which has locked Fubo subscribers out of all NBC programming, including the 2026 Olympics and more. On the bright side, Apple TV has added MLS and Formula 1 as free inclusions to its standard subscription, and previously pricey UFC matches are now included on Paramount+.

With so many changes across so many platforms, we've put together a guide to help you understand which platforms offer the best viewing experience for certain sports, whether you're looking to catch MLS, MLB, NFL, or NHL games.

If you’re one of those hopeful viewers looking for answers to the deceptively simple question: What is the best streaming service for sports? We’ve got you covered. Here’s what we recommend for live TV streaming services to watch football, baseball, soccer, UFC, boxing, motorsports, rugby and more.

DirecTV

Best overall streamer for sports

DirecTV

DirecTV's Choice tier (currently $79.98 for your first month after fees, $104.98 for months two and three) gets you access to nearly every channel you need to watch sports throughout the year: NFL Network, MLB Network, NBA TV, NBC, CBS, and Fox, SEC Network, TBS, TNT and truTV, and an abundance of local RSNs. DirecTV Choice (and most other DirecTV plans) also come with free ESPN Unlimited, which gets you access to every ESPN channel, an amazing value and a must for watching tons of college and pro sports all year round.

DirecTV offers a free trial on any tier, so you can try it all out for free. After your free trial and new subscriber month deal on DirecTV's Choice tier, the monthly price goes up to $115/month after fees.

If you're interested in trying a live TV streaming service but aren't ready to commit, we recommend starting with DirecTV.

Pros

• Great for NCAA games
• NFL games
• MLB games
• WNBA games
• The most local RSNs included of any service
• NHL games
• Full package free trial available
• Unlimited Cloud DVR
• Free ESPN Unlimited

Cons

• Cost
• Some cable-like hidden fees
• No original content
• Past issues with channel retention

Try free at DirecTV

ESPN

Best for College Sports

ESPN

ESPN's streaming platform offers thousands of exclusive live events, original studio shows, and acclaimed series that air across ESPN's suite of 7 linear channels, as well as on ESPN+, ABC on ESPN, SEC+, ACCNX, and more. With access to so many college-focused networks, plus comprehensive coverage of the women's March Madness tournament and more, it's an incredible one-stop shop for college sports fans. ESPN Unlimited costs $29.99/month or $299.99/year.

ESPN Select allows subscribers to access exclusive content available only on the app and an extensive archive of on-demand content (including the entire 30 For 30 library, select ESPN Films, game replays, and more).

Whether you purchase a standalone plan, add-on or Disney bundle plan, the service provides access to thousands of sports events for $12.99/month or $129.99/year.

Pros

• Access to ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews, ESPN on ABC, ACCN, SECN, and more
• Included in many cable and live TV streaming plans
• Can be bundled with Disney+ and Hulu for savings
• Interactive features during live sports

Cons

• Price
• Regional blackouts still apply

Starting at $29.99/month at ESPN

Fubo

Best Variety of Sports Channels

Fubo TV

Fubo TV is known for being a great sports destination, with access to ESPN Unlimited, MLB Network, NFL Network, NHL Network, NBA TV, FS1, Fox, ABC, CBS, and 100+ more live channels. Starting at $74/month, Fubo TV Pro is definitely pricey (though certainly not the most expensive option on this list), but it offers nearly every channel you'll need to watch NFL, NCAA, WNBA, NBA, NHL games, and more.

Fubo subscribers also get unlimited cloud DVR storage. The elephant in the room with Fubo is that they currently don't offer any NBCUniversal channels, and they don't carry TBS, TNT, or truTV either. That means you'll need to look elsewhere to watch major sporting events like the Super Bowl and the men's NCAA basketball final. So while we love Fubo's broad swath of offerings, they've got a couple of pretty big blind spots for sports fans.

The platform also offers a free trial period, so you can catch some games risk-free. And right now, you can also get up to $30 off your first month, depending on which subscription tier you choose.

Pros

• NFL games
• NCAA games
• WNBA and NBA games
• MLB games
• NHL games
• Unlimited cloud DVR storage

Cons

• Cost
• No original content
• No NBCU Channels
• No TBS, TNT or truTV

Try free at Fubo

YouTube TV

Best service for the football super fan who wants to watch every game

YouTube TV

YouTube TV gets you nearly every channel you need to watch the NFL, including Fox, NBC, ABC, CBS, ESPN, and NFL Network. Plus, YouTube TV is the home of NFL Sunday Ticket. The Sunday Ticket package, while pricey on its own, gets you ALL the Sunday out-of-market games (160+ games per season).

Current pricing for 2026 Sunday Ticket plans isn't available yet, but in past years, a Sunday Ticket with a YouTube TV bundle cost $158.99/month for four months (that's $586 for the season). Without the Sunday Ticket, you can get a deal on YouTube TV right now: $68/month for your first three months, then $83/month thereafter.

One thing to note: YouTube TV livestreams tend to run a slight delay, which isn't ideal if you're trying to keep up with the live game down to the exact second.

Pros

• Offers NFL Sunday Ticket bundle
• Offers almost every channel you need for NFL games
• Also good for NCAA, NHL, MLB, NBA
• Unlimited DVR

Cons

• Cost
• Locked in for the entire season if you bundle Sunday Ticket
• No original content

$67.99/month for 3 months at YouTube TV

Hulu

Best general streaming service WITH sports

Hulu + Live TV

While Hulu's Live TV tier may not be our top recommendation for watching one particular sport, it's a great overall option if you want access to NFL, MLB, NBA, WNBA, NHL games and more, but also want to watch Hulu Originals, and the option to catch episodes of your favorite shows live on TV or on-demand the following day.

The biggest downside for a sports fan is that Hulu's live TV tier doesn't offer many Regional Sports Networks (RSNs).

Hulu's live TV tier also includes ad-supported access to Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited. Hulu + Live TV starts out at a pricey $90/month after a three-day free trial, but when you account for everything you're getting, it's not a bad deal for a sports AND entertainment fan that's looking to only commit to one subscription.

Pros

• NFL games
• NBA and WNBA games
• MLB games
• NHL games
• Access to ESPN Unlimited and Disney+
• Unlimited DVR storage

Cons

• Cost
• Limited RSNs

Try free for 3 days at Hulu

Sling

Cheapest service for casual sports viewers

Sling TV Passes

Sling TV's Day Pass gives consumers the freedom to watch what they want, when they want, without committing to a monthly streaming subscription. So if you love watching certain teams or just want to tune into the occasional playoff game, it's the ideal, cost-effective plan.

Sign up for a single day ($4.99), a weekend ($9.99), or a full week ($14.99) and watch every channel available through Sling Orange, which includes ESPN and ESPN2, and over 30 more channels. No strings attached.

Want to catch a specific sporting event on channels Sling Orange doesn't typically carry? You can customize your channel lineup with a Sports Extra add-on to get additional coverage of SEC, ACC, ESPNU, and more for just a dollar more.

Pros

• Flexible
• Budget-friendly

Cons

• Limited time frame
• No local channels available
• Smaller channel selection overall

$4.99/day at Sling

HBO Max

Best streaming service for sports and prestige TV

HBO Max

HBO Max has long been the destination for prestige TV like The Sopranos and Game of Thrones, but once they got into the live sports game, they committed hard.

With an HBO Max Standard plan ($18.49/month), not only can you livestream sports content that's also on TBS, TNT, and truTV (including NCAA basketball, MLB, and NHL games), but AEW wrestling matches, international cycling competitions, USWNT soccer matches, and more.

And as they continue to expand their sports offerings, you can also check out their vast library of great shows and movies, including The Comeback, Euphoria, and more. A basic HBO Max subscription starts at $10.99/month, but for access to many of the live sports they offer, you'll need either an ad-free Standard or Premium plan, which run $18.49/month or $22.99/month, respectively.

Pros

• Free access to TBS, TNT and TruTV
• Plenty of original content
• AEW Wrestling
• NBA, NHL, MLB and more

Cons

• Frequent price increases
• Limited live TV options

$18.49/month at HBO Max

Apple TV

Best way to stream MLS games and Formula One

Apple TV+

Apple TV and MLS Season Pass have partnered to bring subscribers every MLS match of the season with no blackouts, and as of 2026, it's all included as part of your Apple TV subscription.

Also included with your Apple TV subscription is access to every Formula 1 race this season – you can find practices, qualifying races, and every major race in one place on Apple TV.

And if that wasn't enough, you can also watch Friday night MLB games weekly on Apple TV.

Apple TV offers award-winning shows like Ted Lasso, Shrinking, Severance, and more. Apple TV offers a 7-day free trial for new subscribers, or if you've recently bought an eligible Apple device, you can get up to 3 months of the streaming service for free. After that, a regular subscription costs $12.99/month.

Pros

• Every MLS game
• F1 races now included
• Free 7-day trial available
• Select MLB games available

Cons

• No additional channels or live TV streaming

Try free for 7 days at Apple TV

More ways to stream sports without cable:

While these services aren't the sports-centric packages we've recommended above, they're all lower-cost options that offer sports, along with TV shows, movies, news and more.

Peacock

Stream NFL on NBC, Premier League, NBA, MLB and more

Peacock

Starting at $11/month, a Peacock subscription will get you access to some exclusive NFL games, any NFL game on NBC, select college football games, Premier League matches, select MLB and NBA games and more. Peacock's price seems to rise nearly every year, but they also continue to expand their sports offerings and for access to special programming like the Olympics, they've outdone themselves, providing comprehensive coverage and interesting and interactive viewing experiences.

Plus, Peacock also provides access thousands of hours of shows and movies, including beloved sitcoms such as Parks and Recreation and The Office. For $17 monthly you can upgrade to an ad-free subscription which includes live access to your local NBC affiliate (not just during designated sports and events) and the ability to download select titles to watch offline.

Pros

• Ever-expanding offerings, including Olympics, Super Bowl, and more
• Includes thousands of NBCU shows and movies

Cons

• Prices increase frequently

$11/month at Peacock

Paramount+

Stream NFL on CBS, Champions League, UFC, and select NCAA games.

Paramount+

Paramount+ increased its prices recently, but that price bump now includes access to every UFC fight (previously only available via PPV), in addition to NFL games on CBS, Champions League soccer, NCAA basketball, and more.

Paramount+ starts at $8.99/month for the ad-supported plan and $13.99/month for the ad-free plan that includes SHOWTIME and access to live CNS 24/7.

Pros

• Weekly NFL coverage
• UFC fights now included
• Champions League soccer
• Vast library of CBS/Paramount shows and movies

Cons

• No free trial

$9.99/month at Paramount+

Sling

Low-cost overall sports streamer

Sling TV Orange & Blue

Starting at $61/month, Sling TV's Orange & Blue plan offers TNT, TBS, TruTV, ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, NFL Network and USA. That'll get you access to a wide variety of sports including NFL games, NCAA football, select soccer matches, WWE coverage and more.

The biggest downsides of Sling? You don't get CBS, DVR storage is limited to just 50 hours, and there's a lot of channels mixed in that aren't relevant to sports... or anything else really. The platform also doesn't currently offer a free trial period to test it out, but you can get $33 off your first month of Sling Orange & Blue (typically $66/month)

Pros

• Watch a wide variety of channels
• Low(ish) cost
• Sports Scores feature allows you to track live football games

Cons

• No CBS
• No free trial
• Limited DVR

$61/month at Sling