Sports fans know the struggle of trying to watch every game all too well. With the rise of cord-cutting and a multitude of streaming services, it can be difficult to keep up with all the games you want to see. Consumer Reports has compiled a comprehensive breakdown of your viewing options so you can determine if it’s worth the investment.
Gone are the days when you could easily catch sports games on your local channels. Nowadays, leagues have exclusive deals with certain networks, and local blackout restrictions make it challenging to figure out which subscriptions are necessary. However, there is a silver lining – here is a detailed breakdown of your options.
For football enthusiasts, watching your local team might be as simple as tuning into channels like ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX. These channels can be streamed on various services such as DirecTV Stream, Hulu, and YouTube TV. If you’re a fan of Monday night games, ESPN or ESPN+ might be worth considering. YouTube TV also offers the NFL Sunday Ticket for out-of-market games at a cost of $349.
Baseball fans can opt for MLB.TV’s single-team package or upgrade to the All Teams package for just a little extra money. Make sure to choose a streaming service that includes the regional sports network broadcasting your favorite team’s games.
NBA enthusiasts can find many games on TV packages with national channels or on streaming services like YouTube TV or Hulu, often at a lower cost. Additionally, there’s NBA League Pass for $14.99 a month and WNBA League Pass for $12.99 a month.
If you’re only interested in watching a single game, subscribing monthly may not be the most cost-effective option. In such cases, it might be more affordable to watch the game at a local sports bar. Also, keep in mind that sharing passwords with others to split the cost of subscriptions may result in account suspension since many services are cracking down on this practice.
Ultimately, finding the right viewing options for your favorite sports games can be a bit of a puzzle, but with the right information and choices, you can enjoy the games you love.