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Just over a year since the pandemic disrupted the baseball world, Major League Baseball is back with a full schedule.
The MLB kicked off its 162-game regular season on April 1. The regular season will lead up to the playoffs in October, with the 2021 World Series scheduled to begin on October 26.
The season will also include special events like the All-Star game on July 13, the MLB at Field of Dreams game on August 12, and the MLB Little League Classic on August 22.
Select MLB games are broadcast nationally, while other matches are only available on local stations in certain markets. Unfortunately, there's no simple solution to catch every game, but to help narrow down your options, we've compiled some of the best streaming services you can use to watch some of your favorite MLB stars in action.
How to watch MLB games
As of April 1, the 2021 MLB regular season is scheduled to feature 188 nationally televised games. National games will be spread across MLB Network, ESPN, FS1, and Fox. Some games will also stream on YouTube.
MLB Network will offer the most games of the bunch, with 87 currently scheduled. Meanwhile, FS1 is set to air 40 games, Fox has 28 games on its slate, ESPN has 26 games, and YouTube will stream seven games.
It's important to keep these networks in mind before choosing a primary service to watch the MLB season. If you don't have cable and you want to stream games playing on these networks, you have a few different options.
AT&T TV
AT&T TV features Fox, MLB Network, FS1, and ESPN in most of its plans. The cheapest plan with all four channels is the AT&T TV Choice plan for $85 a month. The Choice plan also gives you access to several regional sports networks for local games that aren't broadcast nationally.
AT&T TV provides local coverage for 20 of MLB's 30 teams, according to a spokesperson from the service. You can check to see if AT&T TV covers your regional sports network with this lookup tool.
YouTube TV
One of the most comprehensive options for streaming MLB games is YouTube TV. The service costs $65 a month and includes Fox, FS1, ESPN, and MLB Network, as well as some regional sports networks depending on your area.
YouTube TV also includes an option to watch out-of-market games via the MLB TV add-on for an extra fee. This means you can watch a mix of local games, nationally televised games, and out-of-market games all in one place.
Sling TV
Another option for MLB games is Sling TV. Sling Blue ($35/month) includes access to Fox (in select markets) and FS1. Sling Orange ($35/month), on the other hand, offers live access to ESPN. You can combine both Sling Blue and Sling Orange for $50 a month. You can also add MLB Network via Sling's Sports Extra package for an additional $15 a month.
This combo will get you Fox, FS1, ESPN, and MLB Network for $65 a month. Please note that Fox only airs in 18 markets, primarily in major US cities, via Sling TV.
Fubo TV
Fubo TV also offers a package that will get you all the channels you need for national MLB games. The streaming service's Starter plan has around 120 channels, including Fox, FS1, and ESPN. Fubo TV also offers access to MLB Network with its Sports Plus with NFL RedZone add-on for $11 a month. There's also a few regional sports networks in select areas.
How to watch out-of-market MLB games
If you're looking for access to out-of-market MLB games, the MLB TV streaming service is your best bet. The service lets you stream all out-of-market MLB games — both live and on-demand — for $130 with the All Teams plan. With that said, blackout restriction do apply. You can see what restrictions are imposed in your area here.
There's also a $25 a month MLB TV plan but, since the season lasts from April into October, this option will wind up costing you more if you want to pay for it all season. These two plans both come with a seven-day free trial.
If you're a fan of a single team that's out of your local market, there's also an option to pay $110 to watch every out-of-market game for a specific team. There are some restrictions regarding certain games in some local markets, however, which could result in blackouts. This plan does not come with a seven-day free trial.
The ESPN+ streaming service is also showing select out-of-market MLB games throughout the season. ESPN+ estimates it will air over 170 games this season. These games aren't exclusive to ESPN+, however, as they'll also be available to watch via MLB TV and regional sports networks.
Still, if you're looking to add a few out-of-market games to the selection of national games you might already get through another service you have, ESPN+ is an affordable supplemental option for MLB viewing.
ESPN+ costs $6 a month or $60 a year. You can also bundle the service with Disney Plus and Hulu for $14 a month.