Baseball, America’s pastime, has a history almost as rich as the country itself. But don’t mistake that old-fashioned charm for irrelevance. Even with competition from newer, popular sports, baseball is an institution, powered by gumption, grit, and calculated sabermetrics. Nothing can replace going to the ballpark and hoping to catch a ball in the stands, but with convenient technology, fans can now view as much baseball as they want without leaving the comfort of their homes.
Don’t want to miss a single baseball inning? Our guide covers what you should consider before choosing a video streaming service for watching the MLB season. Read on for our top picks, followed by everything you need to know about streaming baseball.
Hulu
Best for Live Games and On-Demand Library
Why We Picked It
Hulu + Live TV’s lineup includes BTN, FOX (home of Major League Baseball on FOX), Golf Channel, and TNT among the other sports channels on the service. The Español add-on ($4.99 per month) gets you international sports coverage via ESPN Deportes.
Who It’s For
Hulu + Live TV is an excellent choice for general audiences who want sports alongside most popular news and entertainment channels. The Enhanced Cloud DVR (increases DVR storage from 50 hours to 200 hours) and the Unlimited Screens package (increases concurrent stream limit from two to unlimited on your home network and three mobile streams when away from it) improve the experience. You can get both add-ons for a combined $14.98 per month, or purchase them separately for $9.99 per month. The service supports 1080p/60fps live streaming on select platforms, while on-demand content is mostly available in 1080p.
PROS
- Excellent selection of TV series
- Extensive live TV channel lineup
- Robust cloud DVR option
- Available on nearly every media streaming device
CONS
- Base on-demand plan includes ads
- Offline downloads feature requires premium account
- Fewer high-quality originals than competitors
- Missing most SportsNet and all Bally Sports RSNs
Peacock
Best for Sunday Games
Why We Picked It
MLB and NBC teamed up to produce an exclusive Sunday morning baseball package that airs on live TV, as well as NBC’s Peacock streaming service. Along with these Sunday games, you can also watch classic MLB games and historical MLB documentaries. The multi-year partnership even grants Peacock exclusive rights to the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game that features top minor league prospects.
Who It’s For
Along with this exclusive baseball content, Peacock is our top pick for anyone looking for a free streaming service overall. Baseball is locked to the premium and live TV sections, but other select sports can be enjoyed without paying. Peacock is also home to a substantial library of popular on-demand shows and movies, including some original titles. You won’t get any additional sports coverage by paying for the $9.99-per-month Premium Plus tier, but you will gain the ability to download titles for offline viewing on mobile platforms and to watch most on-demand content without ads.
PROS
- Free tier has no major limitations
- Popular movies and network shows
- Flexible pricing tiers
- Live sports for paid users
- Supports multiple account profiles
CONS
- Premium tier still has ads and does not support offline downloads
- Few high-quality originals series and lineup is missing Friends and Seinfeld
- Constantly changing movie library
YouTube TV
Best for Recording MLB Games
Why We Picked It
YouTube TV has one of the best selections of TV networks for baseball fans, including FOX. YouTube TV’s sports lineup also features ESPN, Golf Channel, NFL Network, and Olympic Channel. The optional Sports Plus package ($15 per month) adds NFL RedZone and FOX Soccer Plus.
Who It’s For
YouTube TV is for people who want to record baseball action for later. With YouTube TV, you get unlimited cloud DVR storage (recordings are kept for up to nine months), up to three simultaneous device streams, and support for six user accounts. All those features are useful for when family members want to watch different programs that are set to air at the same time. YouTube TV is notably one of the few services that streams live channels in 1080p. A new 4K Plus add-on lets you stream select live channels in 4K, watch DVR recordings offline, and stream from an unlimited number of devices on your home network.
PROS
- Excellent lineup of sports, news, and entertainment channels
- Robust and easy-to-use DVR features
- Intuitive interface
- Supports three simultaneous streams per account by default
- Excellent add-ons
CONS
- Lacks most SportsNet and all Bally Sports RSNs
- Only basic parental control options
fuboTV
Best for Sports Packages
Why We Picked It
FuboTV is known for having one of the best sports packages available. Its sports lineup includes FOX, Golf Channel, NFL Network, and the Olympic Channel, plus international channels, such as beIN Sports and TUDN. With the fubo Extra package ($7.99 per month), you can get the MLB Network, along with sports fan favorites like NBA TV, NHL Network, and Tennis Channel. The Sports Plus with NFL RedZone package ($10.99 per month) includes MLB Strike Zone, a channel that lets you see highlights, live look-ins, and updates from regular-season games without commercials.
Who It’s For
FuboTV is for all sports fans. All of fuboTV’s plans let you record up to 250 hours of DVR content, which it keeps forever. The Cloud DVR 1000 add-on ($16.99 per month) increases that limit to 1,000 hours. All plans also let you stream on three screens at once, but the Unlimited Screens add-on ($9.99 per month) increases that limit to 10 devices on your home network and two off of it. Other cool features of fuboTV are Lookback, which lets you watch select sports programs up to 72 hours after they aired, and Startover, which enables you to restart certain live events from the beginning.
PROS
- Tons of live sports and on-demand entertainment content
- Reliable streaming
- Excellent web interface
- Capable DVR functionality
- Some 4K content
CONS
- Costly add-ons and packages
- No A&E, Bally Sports, or Turner channels
- Most live streams limited to 720p
Sling TV
Best for Channel Add-Ons
Why We Picked It
To watch many MLB season games, you need to opt for Sling’s Orange + Blue plan ($50 per month) that includes FOX (in select markets). The Sports Extra package ($15 per month) gets you beIN Sports, ESPN U, Golf Channel, MLB Network, NBA TV, NFL Network, and NHL Network.
Who It’s For
Sling TV empowers viewers who want to customize their streaming packages. Sling TV includes 50 hours of DVR storage with a subscription, but you can increase that limit to 200 hours for an extra $5 per month. Currently, you can’t stream any live content above 720p. Sling TV is available on mobile phones, streaming devices, Xbox consoles, and the web.
PROS
- Good selection of channels
- Flexible subscription options
- Free tier
- Reliable streaming performance
- Movie rentals available
CONS
- Prices continue to increase
- Limited offering of local channels and regional sports networks
- Confusing distribution of channels
Apple TV+
Best for Friday Games
Why We Picked It
Apple TV+ is the exclusive home for the new Friday Night Baseball, a weekly doubleheader show that runs for 12 weeks. Alongside the games themselves, the package includes pre- and post-game shows, and is available in eight countries. Most exciting? You don’t need to be a paid Apple TV+ subscriber to enjoy these games. You just need a device that runs the Apple TV app, such as an iPhone or Mac.
Who It’s For
Baseball coverage is just yet another example of how Apple TV+ is a rising star in the video streaming world. Subscribers can also enjoy a growing, ad-free library of high-quality original shows and movies, from the moody Severance to the beloved Ted Lasso to the Academy Award-winning Coda. Like so many Apple products, though, Apple TV+ is really best enjoyed by customers willing to immerse themselves in the entire Apple ecosystem.
PROS
- Inexpensive
- No ads
- Offline downloads on iOS
- Good accessibility options
- Support for 4K and HDR streams, Dolby Atmos
CONS
- Growing content library still can’t compete with established rivals
- No apps for Android or game consoles
- Web interface is bare-bones
DirecTV Stream
Best for RSN Coverage
Why We Picked It
DirecTV Stream’s Entertainment plan covers the channels you need to watch the MLB postseason, including FOX. The service has two innovative playback features: Lookback and Rewind. On select channels and programs, this functionality let you watch previously aired content (up to 72 hours in the past) and restart live streams from the beginning of the broadcast.
Who It’s For
With its local and national channels, DirecTV Stream is for baseball fans who need help tracking the tricky world of regional sports networks. It also now offers unlimited DVR storage and keeps recordings for up to nine months. Not only is this a massive improvement that brings it closer in line with competing services, it’s perfect and convenient for sports viewers, too.
PROS
- Reliable streaming performance in testing
- Supports 20 simultaneous streams on home network
- Lineup includes RSNs from AT&T, Comcast, and Sinclair
- Includes parental control options
CONS
- Expensive
- Some interface quirks
Buying Guide: The Best MLB Streaming Services for 2023
How to Watch Baseball Without Cable
If you’ve gotten rid of cable, fear not: You can still watch all the baseball you want with a live TV streaming service. To watch every game during the season and postseason, you need to make sure your streaming service offers FOX. The FOX network is the only channel you need to watch every MLB game. You can watch select nationally televised games on ESPN and TBS, too. You’ll also most likely need to navigate regional sports networks, especially if you’re a fan of out-of-market teams.
Aside from channel coverage, you should consider other factors when choosing a live TV service, including its price, streaming resolution, DVR capabilities, and support for simultaneous streams. Serious baseball fans may benefit from add-ons like MLB.TV (which we discuss in a later section).
Cable and Over-the-Air Options for Baseball
One way to make sure you catch as many games as possible is to sign up for a cable plan. Cable plans are usually more expensive than streaming subscriptions, but some packages might have some channels in your area that you can’t get with a video streaming service. If you have a cable subscription, you can watch games from any device by signing in to the dedicated FOX Sports app with your cable credentials.
FOX is available over the air, but you will need to set up an indoor antenna and receiver to watch the channel on your TV.
How to Stream MLB Games for Free
As with most other major sports, if you want to watch most MLB games you’ll need to pay for a subscription. The services tested here either have no free option or the free option has a catch. Peacock has a free tier, but that free tier doesn’t include live baseball. Apple TV+ has free games, but only on Fridays, and as a way to entice you to buy Apple hardware that runs the Apple TV+ app.
Alternatively, you can also purchase a TV antenna to get free, over-the-air local channels. That’s great for major baseball events like the All-Star Game or World Series, but the number and quality of said channels may wildly vary based on your location.
Other Ways to Stream Major League Baseball
Another way to watch MLB games is with an MLB.TV subscription. For the 2022 season, you have a few subscription options. The Monthly Package ($24.99 per month) streams every team live from now through October. For $140, the Yearly Package adds the offseason. And for $120, you can just follow your team of choice for the entire season and offseason. These packages let you stream select games live on supported devices (once you authenticate via a supported cable provider(Opens in a new window)), and watch every game on-demand. Right now, you can check out select spring training games for free.
T-Mobile subscribers once again get free access to MLB.TV. Apple and MLB are letting anyone watch the first 12 weeks of Friday Night Baseball for free through Apple TV+. NBC is producing an exclusive Sunday morning MLB package for Peacock. MLB app subscriptions focus on out-of-market games, so consider using a streaming-friendly VPN to watch your own team’s games.
Recommended by Our Editors
MLB.TV on-demand content for baseball fans includes documentaries and vintage This Week In Baseball episodes from the 1970s and 1980s, too. You can download the MLB.TV app on mobile platforms (Android and iOS), media streaming devices (Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, and Roku), and game consoles (PlayStation and Xbox). A catch-up feature (only available on the fourth-generation Apple TV) offers a 90-second rundown of key plays when you tune into a game already in progress.
Video Streaming Services: What You Should Know
Want to watch sports other than baseball? Check out our roundup of the best sports streaming services, as well as our top picks for NBA streaming services, NFL streaming services, and NHL streaming services.
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