Best Streaming Services for Sports Lovers
In this era of streaming services and cord-cutting, what is a plain old sports fan to do you wonder? Cord-cutting has indeed become a popular choice among the millions of TV viewers in the United States who have spent decades watching cable TV as their major source of entertainment. However, even though streaming services are absolutely wonderful when it comes to video on demand that includes movies and TV shows, there weren’t any streaming services offering sports broadcasts, live or otherwise.
Cable TV has been the main source of the daily fix for sports lovers for many years and providers like Optimum Altice and many other major companies have made sure that no match goes unwatched. It is believed by many that cable TV is always over-priced and does not provide you value for your money. However, providers like Optimum prove all those haters wrong. With their extensive channel lineup that includes every genre of entertainment, especially sports, and economical prices, Optimum is without a doubt one of the best cable TV providers out there.
However, if you are still set on streaming services and want to know if you will be able to watch all your favorite sports once you cut the cord, then the answer is yes. It wasn’t possible when the streaming services started off but now there are a few services that would offer you that daily fix of sports news and live matches you so badly crave. Gone are the days when you had to choose to stay with your cable TV provider just because you can’t imagine parting with your favorite sports channels.
So here we go! Here are the top streaming services to subscribe to if you are a sports lover and can’t imagine a life without watching every sporting event in the country and beyond.
FuboTV
The best streaming service there is for international and national sports coverage, FuboTV offers around 50 sports channels to its subscribers. If you are a Real Madrid CF, Rafael Nadal, or Seattle Seahawks fan, then fuboTV is the best choice for you. The number of channels offered by fuboTV is more than any other streaming service offers. The service gives you access to MMA, golf, soccer, hockey, MLB, college football and so much more.
Some of the international channels include Fox Deportes, BeIN Sports, Fubo Sports Network, and UniMas. Whereas some of the national networks include Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN2, NBA TV, NBC Sports Network, and many others. However, fuboTV does not offer any Turner Network programming anymore. This means you will not have access to CNN, TBS, and TNT and thus will not able to watch the NBA matches broadcasted on TNT. If you can do without these three channels you will find fuboTV absolutely lovely.
The two plans offered by fuboTV for sports fans:
Family – $64.99 per month, up to 105+ channels, and 500 hours of DVR storage.
Elite – $79.99 per month, up to 155 channels, and 500 hours of DVR storage.
YouTube TV
The cheapest streaming service offering major sports networks including MLB Network, NFL Network, and NBA TV. YouTube TV is not only a great option for sports lovers but everyone else too. The only streaming service that will allow you to watch the Los Angeles Chargers matchup with Oakland Raiders, OKC Thunder matchup with the San Antonio Spurs, or listen to a sports debate or two on Undisputed. YouTube recently added NFL Network to the profile as well. If you are looking for channels like ESPN, MLB Network, NFL Network, Big Ten Network, etc. then YouTube is the answer to your prayers.
What’s more, you ask? With a $40 per month fee, you can watch all the out-of-market NBA games using your NBA League Pass that YouTube TV offers. YouTube TV has also added a Sports Plus add-on to its channel lineup that includes Fox College Sports, NFL RedZone Channel, Fox Soccer Plus, Stadium, and GoITV.
If you are wondering which streaming service offers the best DVR service, you got it right. It’s a YouTube TV! You get unlimited storage and your videos stay in the library for up to nine months. You can record anything anytime to your heart’s content. May it be the Sunday football games, MLB playoffs, Pardon the Interruption or NBA games of the week, you no longer have to worry about watching them live anymore. Just record them on your DVR to watch at your convenience.
YouTube TV may not offer as many international sports channels as fuboTV but it does offer a well rounded national coverage for most of us. If you like watching your sports with native Spanish announcers or if you are an FC Barcelona fanatic then nothing will serve you better than fuboTV.
The YouTube TV plan for sports fans:
YouTube TV – $64.99 per month, up to 85+ channels, and unlimited DVR storage for up to nine months.
Hulu + Live TV
Hulu offers the best entertainment and sports bundle there could be. It offers a great variety of sports channels and provides you the option to add Disney+ and ESPN+ into the same bundle. Hulu Live also lets you enjoy PGA Tour on Golf Channel and First Take on ESPN. An avid sports watcher? No worries because Hulu you and the entire family are covered. Sports channels offer by Hulu include ESPN, ESPN U, NBCSN, CBS Sports Network, etc. However, one downside is that you cannot access NBA TV, MLB Network, and NFL Network with Hulu + Live TV. If you are a die-hard NBA, MLB, and NFL fan then Hulu is not for you, but it does offer channels like TNT, NBC, CBS, and several others if you can make do.
The Hulu plan for sports fans:
Hulu + Live TV – Up to $60.99 per month, up to 65+ channels, and 50 hours of DVR storage.
Conclusion
There you have a complete review of the top three streaming services that are best suited for sports lovers. You just have to decide if you would like to watch more local sports or international sports and then sign up accordingly.