One of the biggest benefits of cord-cutting is its money-saving aspect. By choosing the TV channels that you want to watch over the Web (as per your needs and priorities), you can create a TV watching experience tailored just for you. Of course, this especially applies to sports fans, as today we have plenty of niche options, providing types of content you won’t find on cable TV. So, what are the best sports streaming services in 2020? We’re here to answer that question, so make sure to keep on reading.
First, let’s go over a few interesting bits of information. Today, you can choose from several types of popular streaming services. In this article, you’ll find both smaller(niche) and bigger streaming networks, capable of replacing just about any cable TV package (at a reasonable price as well). We recommend taking a deep look at each of the following recommendations and make sure to pick while thinking about your needs. Do you only want to stream sports, or do you need a more comprehensive TV watching experience (for your entire household)? Which platforms do you plan on using for media streaming? Do you have a fast enough Web connection? You’ll find the answers in our overview of the best sports streaming platforms, as follows. So, let’s get to what you really want to know.
AVOID BLACKOUTS & IMPROVE YOUR WEB CONNECTION: When using any sports streaming service, we also recommend using a VPN application. Aside from improving the quality of your Web connection, allowing you to open up new TV channels, and protecting your digital privacy, VPNs are also useful for bypassing blackout restrictions. Make sure to use the provided links in this paragraph to learn more.
And now, we present to you the 10 best sports streaming services in 2020.
1. FuboTV - Best All-Around Sports Streaming Platform
Type: Live TV channels & on-demand content.Â
Supported Platforms & Devices: Web, Mac & PC, Android, iOS, Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Android TV, Samsung smart TVs.Â
Maximum Streams Available: 2 simultaneous streams (base plan).Â
Where You Can Stream: Available in the USA only (please note that local TV channels are subject to availability).
Included Sports Channels (Base Plan): NBA TV, Fox Sports, NFL Network, MSG, CBS Sports, NBC Golf, beIN Sports, TVG, Big Ten Network, Motortrend, and more.Â
Sports-Related Extras: Sports Plus (NFL RedZone, Stadium, Game+, TyC Sports…), fubo Cycling (Zona Futbol, Fox Soccer Plus…), and International Sports Plus.Â
TV Streaming (General) Extras: Fubo Extra (CNN, DIY Network, Cooking Channel, People TV…), Adventure Plus (Outdoor Channel, Outside TV…), Latino Plus, RAI Italia, Portuguese Plus, and Entertenimiento Plus.
Can You Record Live TV: Yes - up to 500 hours.
Required Internet Speed: At least 20Mbps needed to ensure consistent and clear media streaming.
Ad-Supported: Ads appear when streaming live channels & on-demand content.Â
Today, fuboTV is one of the most extensive TV streaming services, bringing various types of channels even in its base offer. However, this was initially a sports streaming service, which still shines through its selection of sports channels. Even though we think you’ll be more than happy with what you’ll get in its base offer, there are also plenty of interesting sports add-ons (extras) as well.Â
FuboTV is compatible with a huge range of platforms, offering up to 4K streams, and comes without a contract involved. At the moment, it lets you tune-in to the NFL, EPL, MLB, Nascar, PGA Tour, Copa MX, MLS, and more. And on top of this, you get a cloud DVR functionality, letting you record up to 500 hours of content. To learn more, here’s our full fuboTV review.Â
Pros
It offers a huge variety of TV channels (even in the base plan).Â
Plenty of sports TV channels, in addition to sports-related add-ons.Â
Highly polished apps and intuitive Web streaming.
Cons
ESPN isn’t on offer via fuboTV.
Not the most affordable option out there.
2. Hulu + Live TV - Best for Households With Varied Needs
Type: Live TV channels & on-demand content.
Supported Platforms & Devices: Web, Mac & PC, Android, iOS, Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Android TV, Xbox One, Nintendo, smart TVs (Samsung, Vizio, LG).Â
Maximum Streams Available: 2 simultaneous streams.
Where You Can Stream: Standalone Hulu available in the USA & Japan. Hulu + Live TV available in the USA (local TV channels are subject to availability).
Included Sports Channels (Base Plan): Fox Sports, TNT, NBC Sports, ESPN, Olympic Channel, SNY, CBS Sports Network, BTN, and more.
Sports-Related Extras: No sports-related extras.
TV Streaming (General) Extras: Premium channels (HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, STARZ), enchanted cloud DVR (200 hours), unlimited screens, and more.Â
Can You Record Live TV: Yes - up to 50 hours.
Required Internet Speed: 8Mbps for a single HD stream; Multiple streaming and 4K require higher bandwidth (15Mbps, at least).
Ad-Supported: Ads appear when streaming live channels & on-demand content.
Hulu perhaps isn’t the best-known name when it comes to sports. However, and trust us on this one, this streaming platform offers plenty of value for its price. In addition, its entire lineup of sports channels comes included in the base plan, which means that you don’t have to search for add-ons, which would increase your monthly bill. This is also why we strongly believe this to be one of the best sports streaming services right now.Â
Aside from offering a strong selection of national and regional channels, Hulu + Live TV comes with its own library of on-demand content. That’s right, you get to use Hulu without any limitations (its standalone plan, which includes ads). In addition, it comes with everything a household would ever need, in terms of its TV channels selection and technical capabilities. However, you can add additional DVR storage and unlimited screens for only $14.99/month. To see what else can be done with this platform, check our Hulu + Live TV review.Â
Pros
Includes Hulu’s entire catalog of on-demand content.Â
A strong selection of sports TV channels in the base plan.Â
It comes with numerous ESPN channels by default.Â
Cons
You won’t find the NFL Network & NFL RedZone here.Â
Includes standalone Hulu, but with ads.Â
3. YouTube TV - Best Coverage of National & Local TV Channels
Type: Live TV channels & on-demand content.
Supported Platforms & Devices: Web, Mac & PC, Android, iOS, Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Android TV, Xbox One, smart TVs (Samsung, Vizio, Hisense, LG).
Maximum Streams Available: 3 simultaneous streams (base plan).
Where You Can Stream: Available in the USA only (please note that local TV channels are subject to availability).
Included Sports Channels (Base Plan): ESPN, Fox Sports, BTN, Fox Sports, NBC Golf, CBS Sports, MLB Network, NBA TV, NBC Sports, Tennis Channel, and more.
Sports-Related Extras: Fox Soccer Plus, NBA League Pass.
TV Streaming (General) Extras: Acorn, AMC Premiere, Showtime, Shudder, STARZ, Sundance Now, UMC, and CuriosityStream.
Can You Record Live TV: Yes - you get unlimited cloud DVR (stored up to 9 months).
Required Internet Speed: 7Mbps for a single HD stream; 13Mbps for multiple HD streams.
Ad-Supported: Ads appear when streaming live channels & on-demand content.
It took a while for YouTube to achieve its full potential - which finally happened last year. Right now, YouTube brings an incredibly compelling lineup of TV channels (both national and local), which includes big-name sports channels as well. Despite its price increase (which happened last year), this is still one of the best sports streaming services overall.
We recommend YouTube TV not only to sports fans but to just about everyone out there. In case you want something for your entire household, you’ll find it here. There are movie channels, news, cartoons, documentaries, and more. You get a whole slate of applications, unlimited cloud DVR storage, and an often-praised integration with Google-made services and hardware products. In addition, know that YouTube supports up to three simultaneous streams with up to six user accounts in total. Make sure to keep on reading about this streaming platform by visiting our YouTube TV review.
Pros
Plenty of sports channels included in the base offer.
The ability to add Fox Soccer Plus and NBA League Pass as add-ons.
Unlimited cloud DVR included in the price.
Cons
The NFL Network is out of this platform’s range.
It doesn’t offer much in terms of original programming.
4. Sling TV - Best Budget-Friendly Sports Streaming Platform
Type: Live TV channels & on-demand content.
Supported Platforms & Devices: Web, Mac & PC, Android, iOS, Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Android TV, Xbox One, Nintendo, smart TVs.
Maximum Streams Available: 1 stream (base plan).
Where You Can Stream: Available in the USA only (please note that local TV channels are subject to availability).
Included Sports Channels (Base Plan): ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, TNT, Stadium.
Sports-Related Extras: Sports bundle (MLB Network, NBA TV, ACCN, PAC Network, Tennis Channel, Outside TV, beIN Sports, and more).
TV Streaming (General) Extras: Plenty of TV channel add-ons (kids, news, lifestyle, movies, comedy, international, and more).
Can You Record Live TV: Yes - up to 10 hours.
Required Internet Speed: 5Mbps for a single HD stream; 25Mbps for households (multiple simultaneous streams).
Ad-Supported: Ads appear when streaming live channels & on-demand content.
Price: Starts at $30/month (you pay $20 for the first month).
Sling TV has always been advertised as a low-cost option. It currently comes with two base plans, called Orange and Blue. You get ESPN channels on the former and the NFL Network and NBC Sports on the latter. With this said, we think many of you will want a plan that combines these two, priced at $45/month. In addition, there’s also a sports bundle on offer, which includes channels like beIN Sports, MLB Network, NHL Network, NBA TV, ESPN U, and plenty more. This bundle comes priced at $10/month.
As you can see, Sling TV’s most affordable plan supports only a single stream, allowing you to record up to 10 hours of content. If you need additional streams, you need the Sling Blue plan, which increases the limit of simultaneous connections up to three. And to record a larger volume of content, there’s Sling TV’s cloud DVR functionality, priced at $5/month (allowing you to record up to 50 hours of content). Sling TV looks very affordable if you check its base plan, but all these bundles and add-on can easily add up to a significant monthly expense. To dive deeper, here’s our Sling TV review.
Pros
Affordable (but limited) base plans.
Good selection of national TV channels.
It offers plenty of flexibility.
Cons
Not the best offer of local TV channels.
Many of its competitors offer more streamlined interfaces.
5. AT&T TV Now - Best Premium Sports Streaming Service
Type: Live TV channels & on-demand content.
Supported Platforms & Devices: Web, Mac & PC, iOS, Android, Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Android TV, Samsung smart TVs.
Maximum Streams Available: 3 simultaneous streams.
Where You Can Stream: Available in the USA only (please note that local TV channels are subject to availability).
Included Sports Channels (Base Plan): ESPN, ESPN2, FS1, FS2, TNT, and more.
Sports-Related Extras: NBA League Pass.
TV Streaming (General) Extras: Premium channels (Cinemax, Showtime, STARZ, Epic), Spanish TV channels, International TV channels.
Can You Record Live TV: Yes - up to 500 hours.
Required Internet Speed: 12Mbps for streaming in HD on multiple devices.
Ad-Supported: Ads appear when streaming live channels & on-demand content.
Formerly know as ‘DirecTV Now’, AT&T TV Now comes with a bit higher starting price. However, you still get plenty of value for your money. The base plan costs $65/month and brings you over 45 TV channels. However, true sports fans will most probably want to get a plan called Max (priced at $80/month). This one gets you CBS Sports Network, NBC Golf, MSG, NBC Sports, ESPN Network, Tennis Channel, and more. It even includes premium movie channels such as HBO and Cinemax.
We also have to note that AT&T TV Now comes with a greatly improved DVR functionality. You’re allowed to record up to 500 hours of content, stored up to 90 days. You also get this platform’s ‘Lookback’ and ‘Rewind’ features, so you can watch previously aired content (up to 72 hours in the past) and restart live streams from the beginning of the broadcast. To learn more about these features, we recommend reading our AT&T TV Now review.
Pros
Good all-around streaming service, for your entire family.
Plenty of channels included, even in the base plan.
Next, we have something a bit different. ESPN Plus isn’t a live TV streaming service - it’s an on-demand sports streaming platform primarily. This means that you’ll get to watch plenty of on-demand TV shows, movies, and ESPN+ originals (Sneaker Center, The Boardroom, More Than an Athlete, and more). However, this platform also offers live events related to the MLB, NHL, MLS, Serie A, FA Cup, Top Rank Boxing, and plenty more. And finally, know that you can count on PPV events as well (many of which are exclusive to ESPN Plus).Â
In other words, ESPN+ is designed for general sports fans, who want a nice combination of different sports, including live-action and replays. It comes priced at only $4.99/month. However, there’s an interesting bundle available where you can combine ESPN+, Disney+, and Hulu (with ads) for only $12.99/month. This gives you plenty of content to watch, which means that you’ll be covered well when it comes to movies, TV shows, and sports. To dive deeper, here’s our ESPN+ review.Â
Pros
A nice selection of on-demand content and live sports events.Â
You get access to ESPN+ premium articles as well.Â
Supports plenty of devices and works without any issues.Â
Supported Platforms & Devices: Web, Mac & PC, iOS, Android, Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Android TV, PlayStation 3/4, Xbox One, Nintendo, and more.Â
Maximum Streams Available: 3 simultaneous streams.Â
Where You Can Stream: Available in more than 200 countries. However, regional content libraries can greatly vary in size.Â
Included Sports Channels (Base Plan): Doesn’t include sports TV channels in its base subscription.Â
Sports-Related Extras: MLB.TV, NBA, Tennis Channel, Motortrend, WatchESPN, Fox Sports, and plenty more.Â
TV Streaming (General) Extras: Hundreds of individual streaming channels (Showtime, HBO Now, CBS All Access, PBS Masterpiece, Boomerang, and more).
Can You Record Live TV: Yes - but only via third-party solutions.
Required Internet Speed: 900Kbps for streaming in SD; 3.5Mbps for streaming in HD; 25Mbps for uninterrupted streaming in 4K.
Ad-Supported: No, Amazon Prime Video doesn’t serve ads at the moment.Â
Amazon Prime Video isn’t exactly a live TV streaming service. Even though it does offer some TV channels in select markets, this is primarily an on-demand streaming platform. It comes as a part of the much more comprehensive Prime subscription, which gets you free and fast shipping, Amazon discounts, cloud storage, unlimited e-books, limited music streaming, and plenty more. With this said, it comes with a price of $119/year, which is the most affordable way to enter the world of Amazon’s ecosystem (in the long run).Â
Once you get your Prime Video subscription, you are free to add individual ‘prime video channels’. These are basically standalone streaming services that integrate with your Prime Video app. In terms of sports, you can count on MLB.TV, PGA Tour Live, CBS All Access, Sports Illustrated, Motortrend, Outside TV, RingTV, and more. So, not the biggest selection out there - but it should make many of you happy. To learn more, check our Amazon Prime Video review.Â
Pros
Exclusive rights to some sports events (Thursday Night Football).Â
Interesting original titles produced and made by Amazon.Â
Granular customization; Plenty of standalone video channels.Â
Cons
Live TV streaming requires getting a video channel.Â
Supported Platforms & Devices: Web, Mac & PC, iOS, Android, Fire TV, Android TV, Chromecast, Roku, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and more.Â
Maximum Streams Available: 2 simultaneous streams.Â
Where You Can Stream: Currently available in the USA, Japan, Brazil, Spain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Canada, and Italy.Â
Included Sports Channels (Base Plan): No sports TV channels included (PPV and on-demand content on offer instead).Â
Sports-Related Extras: Everything is included in the price (no extras or add-ons).Â
TV Streaming (General) Extras: No extras or add-ons.Â
Can You Record Live TV: No, you can watch live content and replays.Â
Required Internet Speed: 5Mbps at least for streaming HD content.Â
Ad-Supported: Ads appear when streaming PPV events & on-demand content.
Price: Starts at $19.99/month (or $99/year).Â
Free Trial: Doesn’t offer a free trial.Â
DAZN has been rapidly expanding during the last couple of years and is now one of the most comprehensive on-demand sports streaming platforms. This one doesn’t bring you TV channels but instead focuses on on-demand content and exclusive PPV events. In the USA, DAZN is especially recommended to boxing and MMA fans, considering this platform’s $1 billion deal with Matchroom Boxing USA. You get over 100 exclusive fights per year, which is something you won’t find elsewhere.Â
In Canada, DAZN brings a compelling NFL package - allowing you to stream every NFL game in addition to NFL RedZone, MLS, La Liga, Serie A, WTA Tennis, PGA Tour events, and more. In other countries where this platform is available, it has exclusive rights to the NFL, MLB, NBA, and European soccer. With this said, you’ll want to check our article on how to watch DAZN from anywhere in the world.
Pros
An affordable way to watch high-profile PPV events.Â
Exclusive coverage of numerous boxing and MMA matches.Â
Covers plenty of devices and streams in full HD.Â
Cons
Mainly focused on MMA and boxing in the USA (for now).Â
In case you’re an NFL fan, you won’t find a better streaming platform than NFL Game Pass. As its name says, this is where you’ll find plenty of NFL-related action that comes via live and on-demand content. The biggest selling point here is that you can stream every single NFL game (preseason, regular season, and postseason). However, there’s a catch - you can live-stream regular-season games, as these are subject to exclusive rights signed by different broadcasters. However, you can watch these games on-demand as soon as their live broadcast ends.Â
It’s also worth noting that there are two versions of NFL Game Pass. If you’re in the USA, everything said in the previous paragraph still applies. Keep in mind that you’ll get to stream preseason games live, but they have to be outside of your market. There’s an International edition of NFL Game Pass, which lets you live-stream just about any NFL game (including regular-season games). All in all, this really is a one-stop-shop for NFL games and definitely one of the best sports streaming services if you are into NFL.Â
Pros
Gives you access to NFL Network and NFL RedZone.Â
You can stream all preseason, regular season, and postseason games.Â
Interesting original content on offer as well.Â
Cons
It doesn’t let you live-stream regular-season NFL games.
Supported Platforms & Devices: Web, Mac & PC, Android, iOS, Apple TV, Fire TV, Android TV, Xbox One, Chromecast, smart TVs (Samsung, LG, Sony).Â
Maximum Streams Available: 1 stream per account.Â
Where You Can Stream: Available worldwide, except in Brazil.Â
Included Sports Channels (Base Plan): No live channels included in the offer.Â
Sports-Related Extras: No extras - everything is included in the price.Â
TV Streaming (General) Extras: No TV streaming extras, everything comes already included.Â
Can You Record Live TV: No, but you can watch on-demand content anytime you want.Â
Required Internet Speed: 2Mbps for streaming in HD.Â
Ad-Supported: Ads appear when streaming live events & on-demand content.
Price: Starts at $9.99/month ($95.99/year).Â
Free Trial: Doesn’t offer a free trial.Â
In case you’re into MMA and UFC - here we have the ultimate resource of PPV events and addictive on-demand content. UFC Fight Pass brings you over 1,000 hours of live combat sports and over 17,000 fights in total, as well as every UFC ever. It has been available for several years now, but make sure to disregard any older reviews you might find on the Web. That’s because UFC Fight Pass has recently received a new update with plenty of interesting features.Â
Thanks to an all-new UI, you can now easily search for specific types of content and enjoy watching PPV events and on-demand content in 1080p resolution. You get multi-view for desktop, geo-targeted content for users from around the world, as well as offline downloads. And most importantly, all of this is available for only $9.99/month. To dive deeper, here’s our UFC Fight Pass review.Â
Pros
Now capable of streaming in up to 1080p.Â
Recently introduced offline downloads.Â
The ultimate resource for everything UFC-related.Â
Cons
It doesn’t offer any live TV channels.Â
A number of PPV events are sold separately.Â
Need Some Help With Deciding? Here’s a Quick Look at the Best Sports Streaming Services in 2020!
We’ve told you about 10 individual sports streaming services, so we understand if you’re having a hard time deciding. So, here’s a quick overview of the best streaming services based on different needs and priorities. Take a look.Â
Best All-Around Sports Streaming Service: Considering that it brings an enticing combination of sports TV channels, we believe that fuboTV is the best sports streaming service. However, keep in mind that fuboTV comes without any ESPN channels. So, in case you need those channels, you can either sign-up for ESPN+, or you can go with Hulu + Live TV.Â
Best for Streaming Football (NFL): In case you want to watch NFL games live, you should go with Hulu + Live TV, which brings a huge portion of the regular-season games. However, if you don’t care about live streaming (if you want on-demand content only), you should go for NFL Game Pass.Â
Best for Streaming International Football (Soccer): Well, this is where the situation gets somewhat complicated as there’s no single platform that brings everything. We recommend fuboTV and its international bundle of TV channels (to cover various leagues). Then, ESPN+ can be a good option if you’re into MLS games, Serie A, EFL, and Bundesliga. Then, there’s B/R Live, which brings the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Youth League, and plenty more.Â
Best for Streaming Baseball: Those who like to follow baseball need a strong coverage of regional sports channels, as well as ESPN, TBS, FS1, and Fox. All of this is offered by YouTube TV. However, in case you live in a different area than your favorite team, our recommendation is to go with MLB.TV - which brings live, out-of-market games.Â
Best for Streaming Basketball: Our recommendation, in this case, would be YouTube TV considering that it gets you TNT, ESPN, ABC, and even NBA TV. In addition, this streaming service also gives you the ability to sign-up for NBA League Pass.Â
Best for Streaming Hockey: Those who like to watch hockey can count on the following sports streaming services: YouTube TV, fuboTV, and Hulu + Live TV. And if you want to watch out-of-market games, you need to check out NHL.TV.Â
Best for Streaming UFC & MMA: To get live TV channels that cover UFC fights, you need a plan to includes ESPN channels. The most affordable way to get this right now is via Sling TV’s offer. Then, you can also rely on UFC Fight Pass - but keep in mind that individual PPV events will cost extra.Â
Best for Streaming Boxing: Sadly, there isn’t a single way to access all of the matches you want. To get the best possible combination, we recommend ESPN+ and DAZN. As you probably know, some boxing matches are only available on ESPN (not on ESPN+), so you’ll want a ‘regular’ streaming service as well, such as YouTube TV, for example.Â
Best for ‘Niche’ Sports: In case you’re into figure skating, winter sports, rugby, Supercross, NASCAR, or Indycar - we recommend checking out NBC Sports Gold. This platform sells individual passes, so you easily follow your favorite sports team without spending too much. Also, B/R Live is another interesting option, giving you access to the Extreme Polo League, World Armwrestling League, International Table Tennis, National Lacrosse League, and more.Â
So, we’ve finally reached the end of our guide to the best sports streaming services in 2020. We sincerely hope that we’ve managed to answer your questions and that you’ll now more easily reach the final decision. Happy streaming!
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