The best streaming services for watching sports in 2024

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 SNL, The Bachelor and more live or on-demand the following day. 

Hulu’s live TV tier also includes ad-supported access to Disney+ and ESPN+ (which is a separate service we recommend further down in this list for tuning into NHL games, UFC fights and select F1 races). Hulu + Live TV starts out at a pricey $77/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. 

Fubo TV gives you access to ESPN, NFL Network, Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC and 100+ more live channels, with plenty of niche sports offerings. Starting at $80/month, the live TV streaming service is definitely pricey (but certainly not the most expensive option on this list), but offers nearly every channel you’ll need to watch NFL, NCAA, WNBA, NBA, NHL games and more. Fubo subscribers also get 1000 hours of cloud DVR storage. 

The platform also offers a free trial period, so you can catch some games risk-free. And right now, you can also get $30 off your first month of any Fubo tier after the free trial ends!

YouTube TV gets you nearly every channel you’ll need for the 2024 NFL season, including Fox, NBC, ABC, CBS, ESPN and NFL Network. Plus, YouTube TV is the home of NFL Sunday Ticket this season! The Sunday Ticket package, while pricey on its own ($479.99/season), gets you ALL the Sunday out-of-market games (160+ games per season). 

Another pro to this option, YouTube will throw in four months of Max with the YouTube TV + NFL Sunday Ticket bundle.  

If you bundle Sunday Ticket with YouTube TV, you can get them both for $158.99/month for four months (that’s $586 for the season). Now, you’ll have to keep paying for YouTube TV to keep your access to NFL Sunday Ticket package. 

One thing to note, YouTube TV livestreams have a tendency to run on a slight delay, which isn’t great if you’re trying to keep up with the live game down to the exact second. 

DirecTV Stream’s Choice tier (currently $105.98/month with fees) gets you access to all the usual football suspects: NFL Network, NBC, CBS and Fox. Plus the Choice tier will get you CBSSN, FS1, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, SEC Network and an abundance of local RSNs — ideal for catching college football and plenty of MLB games. 

Right now, DirecTV is offering a free trial on any tier, which means you can try all this out for free. So if you’re interested in trying out a live TV streaming service, but aren’t ready to commit, we recommend starting with DirecTV Stream. 

Some stuff that airs on ESPN (or ABC) will also stream on ESPN+, making it a great way to sample plenty of sports, including NHL, MLB, F1, and a good amount of grand slam coverage (this past year the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open were available on the platform). Plus, UFC Fight nights and prelims stream on ESPN+, and it’s an easy platform to order PPV UFC events through. 

An ESPN+ subscription also grants you access to fantasy sports tools and premium ESPN+ articles. You can stream ESPN+ through an app on your smart TV, phone, tablet, computer and on ESPN.com.

Max had been “the one to watch” for entertainment fans for quite some time when they decided to launch their live sports endeavor. While it’s currently unclear how much longer the B/R Sports add-on will be available for subscribers for free, you may as well enjoy access to live games on TBS, TNT and TruTV while you can. 

Apple TV and MLS Season Pass have partnered to bring subscribers every MLS and Leagues Cup match with no blackouts. Subscribers get English and Spanish broadcasts of hundreds of live MLS NEXT Pro and MLS NEXT matches, plus game replays, highlights, analysis, and more original programming. With or without an Apple TV+ subscription, an MLS season pass subscription through Apple TV costs just $9.99 for the rest of the season, then renews at full cost for 2025 ($14.99/month or $99/season). Note that a subscription to Apple TV+ is a separate $9.99/month. 

In addition to MLS games, Apple TV+ offers award-winning shows like Ted Lasso, Palm Royale and Masters of the Air, plus great original movies and sports documentaries like Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend. Apple TV+ has a 7-day free trial available to new subscribers, OR, if you’ve bought an eligible Apple device recently, you can get up to three months of the streaming service totally free.

Starting at $30 for your first month, Sling TV’s Orange & Blue plan offers TNT, TBS, TruTV, ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 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 $25 off your first month of Sling Orange & Blue (typically $60/month)

Starting at $8/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, and more. Plus access thousands of hours of shows and movies, including beloved sitcoms such as Parks and Recreation and The Office. For $14 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.

Paramount+ offers subscribers access to NFL games on CBS. Plus, the platform is great for fans of Champions League soccer, Star Trek, Survivor, The Challenge and so much more. 

Paramount+ starts at $7.99/month for the ad-supported plan and $12.99/month for the ad-free plan that includes SHOWTIME and access to live CNS 24/7. Unlike a lot of other streaming services these days, Paramount+ still offers a one-week free trial — so new subscribers can sign up to watch this weekend and check out the rest of the Paramount+ library totally free for seven days.