Chicago, USA – August 12, 2015: Chicago Cubs play Milwaukee Brewers on a warm summer’s night at Wrigley Field
updated July 9, 2020
Cubs baseball is back on July 24th!!
We couldn’t be more excited! (Well, no that’s not true. We would be way more excited if it was safe for us to load the kids up, take the Red Line down to Wrigley and enjoy a game at the Friendly Confines). But this is second best news!
Now that the Cubs are back on the schedule, how are we going to watch games? What is the Marquee Sports Network? How do we get it with cable? Can we stream it? Are there any other options? Please let us watch some Cubbies baseball!
Starting with the 2020 season, the Marquee Sports Network will be home to the Chicago Cubs. The Marquee Sports Network launched on February 22, 2020. It will “feature every spring training game, extensive pre and postgame coverage, exclusive Cubs content and other local sports programming.” – according to their website.
They will be broadcasting all of the Cubs games, except those selected as national broadcast games.
To be clear, this is a regional sports network, not a national sports network. The Marquee Network will be available to the Chicagoland area as well as select markets in Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Minnesota.
How do I get the Marquee Sports Network?
Marquee Sports Network has greatly expanded their list of providers since December. Here are a few of the major cable providers in the Chicago area that will carry the channel:
AT&T Uverse (channel 740)
DIRECTV (channel 664)
WOW (channel 271)
RCN (channel 679)
The Marquee Sports Network is actively asking Cubs fan to petition their cable and streaming providers to add the Marquee Network to their lineup.
How can I stream the Marquee Sports Network without cable?
Cubs games will no longer be broadcast on WGN. You will not be able to watch Cubs games with an antenna. Nationally broadcast Cubs games will be on either FOX or ESPN (FOX games can be watched with an antenna). Here is the National Broadcast Schedule (this is currently empty but hopefully information will be posted here eventually). All other Cubs games will be on the Marquee Sports Network.
As of right now, Hulu Live is the only streaming service that includes the Marquee Sports Network.
There is a dedicated streaming app and you can stream from their website, but you must have a cable or streaming provider to log in.
Hulu Live
Hulu Live‘s streaming package is $55/month. This includes 60+ live channels and the entire Hulu On Demand catalog.
Note: you will not be able to get live sports (or any sports really) on the $6/month (regular) plan.The Marquee Network is only available with the Live TV Hulu subscription.
Hulu Live has a Cloud DVR with 50 hours of recording time and allows for 2 streams (what does that mean?).
Hulu Live also has an option for $61/month for Hulu no ads + Live TV. This means that any On Demand content through Hulu will have no ads. Live TV will still have commercials. There are several add-ons you can chose, such as Enhanced DVR, Unlimited Screens and premium channels. Each of these carries an additional monthly fee.
Hulu Live is available on Roku (yay!), Amazon Fire products, AppleTV, Chromecast, among others. You can find the full list here.
Bonus! If you sign up for Hulu Live now and use Rakuten, you get $5 off your first month. New subscribers only (of course).
Marquee Sports Network App and TV Everywhere
Fans living within the Chicago Cubs broadcast territory will be able to stream all Marquee Network programming and live Cubs games on the Marquee Network App. Access to the app is free but will require a cable or streaming provider log in.
To further clarify, you must have a cable or streaming package that includes the Marquee Network in order to access live content on this app.
It will be available on desktop, Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, Android, iOS. It is available for download at www.watchmarquee.com
Will more streaming services pick up the Marquee Network?
There is really no way to know. On the plus side, the Cubs are a very popular team in one of the major markets. We can hold out hope that other streaming services like YouTubeTV and FuboTV will come around.
It looks like the Marquee Network has been playing hardball with cable as well as streaming providers. They still haven’t reached an agreement with Comcast one of the major cable companies servicing Chicago.
I don’t live near Chicago, how can I watch Cubs games?
This is probably the most straightforward answer. If you are a Chicago Cubs fan and live outside of their market, you can subscribe to MLB TV or the At Bat app.
This isn’t an option for fans in the Chicago area because of blackouts.
SO WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?!?
At this point, we don’t have many options as Hulu Live is the only streaming service that carries the Marquee Network. We currently subscribe to YouTubeTV and are very happy with it (despite their recent rate hike!).
We did download the Marquee Sports Network app on to our Roku, but it requires a provider log in to access the channel, and we don’t have that.
Our current plan is to wait and see if YouTubeTV picks up the Marquee Network. If not, we will cancel YouTubeTV and subscribe to Hulu Live.
But in the meantime, I’m going to contact YouTubeTV and beg ask them to please reach a deal with the Marquee Sports Network. It’s just personal preference but I really really prefer YouTubeTV over the needlessly confusing interface of Hulu Live.
Super Bowl LIV, San Francisco 49ers vs. Kansas City Chiefs will be on Sunday, February 2nd at 5:30pm (CST) broadcast on FOX. To stream the Super Bowl, you will need access to FOX.
Note: this page contains affiliate links. That means if you buy something using one of the links, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
FOX on your streaming service
If you already subscribe to a Live TV Streaming Service (and watch sports) there’s a good chance that FOX is in your channel lineup.
Assuming that you already subscribe to one of these services, this is going to be your most convenient and easiest option.
Even if you don’t already subscribe to one of these services, they all also have a 7 day Free Trial. Here is a list of the Live TV Streaming Services that carry FOX:
YouTubeTV
Sling Blue
Hulu Live
FuboTV
Vidgo
If you aren’t already a subscriber. These services are all available on all major methods of streaming. Except YouTube TV (which is our favorite sports streaming service) isn’t available on Amazon products. If you don’t have a streaming device, pick up a Roku Streaming Stick +
FOX Sports app and FOX NOW app
You can try to use one of these apps to watch the Super Bowl, they both require you to sign in using your cable or streaming provider. Only certain providers work. Generally, you must have access to FOX in your TV package in order to access the app.
In past years, major networks haven’t required provider login for major events, like the Superbowl.
Amazon Fire Stick is the “preferred method” to stream the game (according to Fox). The Super Bowl will be broadcast in 4K, certain Fire Stick devices support 4K viewing (you must also have a 4K TV).
Apple TV (also available in 4K), Android, Xbox One, and certain Smart TVs also support the Fox Sports App.
FoxSports.com
The Fox website usually requires you to sign in with a cable provider in order to watch live TV. In the past, they have streamed major events, like the Super Bowl, without a login.
Set up an antenna
If you like sports, you’re probably going to want an antenna anyway! You can read all I have to say about antennas here.
FOX is one of the television stations that broadcasts Over The Air (OTA) channels. You can get FOX using a traditional antenna (monstrosity that is mounted on your roof) or using an indoor, digital, HD antenna.
Using an antenna, you will actually get better picture quality than from your cable provider. That’s cool, right?
You can use this website to determine how far away station towers are and what strength antenna you need.
Indoor antennas aren’t expensive. This is one of our favorites:
This is a 50 mile radius antenna. It needs to be plugged into an electrical outlet and connected to your TV with a coxial cable (included). You will need to mount it on a window or a wall, preferably in the direction of your local television towers. The ClearStream Eclipse is black on one side and white on the other, you can choose which side you want showing. It is also paintable, you can paint it to match the color of your wall!
Conclusion
Here are your best bets for watching the Super Bowl without cable:
An antenna (but no recording, pausing or rewinding)
FOX on your streaming service (on your Smart TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV or Apple TV)
Use one that you already subscribe to or sign up for a free trial
Here are the ones that carry FOX:
YouTubeTV
Sling Blue
Hulu Live
FuboTV
Vidgo
Last resorts (require cable or streaming provider log in):
Hallmark Movies are long tradition for many families during the holiday season. Giving up cable doesn’t mean giving up Hallmark Christmas movies! You have a few options for watching Hallmark Movies without cable.
Hallmark Channel Everywhere App
Hallmark has an app available on most streaming devices. However, you must log in with a cable provider in order to watch any of their content. By logging in, they also check to see if Hallmark Channels are part of your cable channel line up.
Hallmark Movies Now
This is Hallmark’s streaming service. It costs $6 per month after a 7 day free trial. You can also opt to pay $60 annually ($5 per month).
If you only want to have the Hallmark Channel during the holiday season, this is a pretty good deal. With the free trial, you get 5 weeks of Hallmark Movies for $6!
This is not a live TV service. It provides On Demand movie watching. This service does NOT have all of Hallmark’s movies. Here is a list of all their movies: Hallmark Movies Now
Live TV Streaming Services
Subscribing to a Live TV Streaming Service is another option for streaming Hallmark Movies. Live TV Streaming Services provide a cable-like TV watching as well as On Demand options. Most (but not all) also offer cloud DVR, so you can record live TV shows and movies. Visit our page on Live TV Streaming Services to learn more.
The Live TV Streaming Services that carry the Hallmark Channel are:
AT&T Watch TV ($15/month or free if you have certain cell phone plans)
Unlimited DVR, you can save as many shows as you want for up to 30 days
Philo app is available on Roku, Amazon Fire Stick and AppleTV (to name the most popular)
Yes, AT&T Watch TV is $1 cheaper. But they don’t have an app for Roku (they do have apps for Amazon Fire Stick and AppleTV) and they only allow one stream at a time. However, if you are already getting this service for free because of your cell phone plan, you might as well take advantage of it!
What about Hallmark Movies for FREE?
Another option that is a little more complicated (but free!) is to hop around on different free trials. Most of these streaming services offer a 7 day free trial (Playstation Vue has a 5 day free trial). Assuming you have not yet taken advantage of any of these free trials, you can get up to almost 7 FREE WEEKS of TV.
The Catch: You have to remember to cancel your free trial, otherwise you will automatically be billed for an entire month of service.
Enjoy and Happy Holidays!
If getting rid of cable is one of your New Year’s Resolutions, I hope we can help! Jump on over to our First Things First page to see how to get started. Also, please consider joining our Facebook Group Living the Stream – Help Desk. You can ask questions about streaming TV and get answers from myself or other members.
Note: this page contains affiliate links. That means if you buy something using one of the links, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you (it helps pay for my Netflix).
Also, join our Facebook Group, Living the Stream – Help Desk, ask your questions and get answers from me and other members about cutting the cord and streaming TV.
The Holiday season is coming! Wondering what to get for the cord cutter on your list? Here are some gift ideas for everyone from new cord cutters to someone experienced in streaming TV.
Note: this page contains affiliate links. That means if you buy something using one of the links, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you (it helps pay for my Netflix).
A steaming device is a must-have for cord cutters. This is a great gift for someone who would like to try streaming TV, but maybe isn’t sure if they want to get rid of cable yet. The Roku Streaming Stick + offesr 4K definition and access to the entire library of Roku apps.
We typically recommend a Roku Streaming Stick for your 2nd or 3rd (etc) TV and a Roku Ultra for your main TV. But if someone is just starting out streaming, this is a great place to start. For more information and device comparisons, see our streaming devices page.
Every cord cutters needs an antenna. This antenna is mounted inside the house and attaches to a wall or window. It’s the best way to get local news, weather and sports (read more about antennas). We really love the Clearstream Eclipse Indoor HDTV Antenna
This silicon cover for a Roku remote would make a great stocking stuffer! It’s not a necessity for a Roku remote, but it is a fun gift. There are lots of different colors available. If someone has more than one Roku remote in their house, it is a great way to differentiate between remotes for different rooms.
When you cancel cable, you might also cancel your home phone service. I like to have a home phone for emergencies. Magic Jack gives you home phone service through your internet for a low yearly rate. If you don’t already have one, grab phone too.
Echo Dot
Give the gift of Alexa. An Echo Dot can be paired with Amazon Fire devices for hands free control of your TV. I love using our Echo Dot in the kitchen, she sets timers, adds items to my grocery list (or my Costco list, or my Target list!), I also listen to music, audiobooks and podcasts. I use a wall mount (no tools necessary) to keep it off my counter and out of the way.
Amazon Prime subscription – chances are, your Cord Cutter may already have a Prime subscription. Besides free 2 day shipping, they will also have access to Prime Video. Even if they already have a Prime membership, your gift will add on to their existing account. You can purchase a 3 month or 12 month membership.
Google WiFi system
The Google WiFi system replaces your current router, it works with your modem and internet connection to boost the WiFi signal to every part of your house. This is ideal for people who live in larger homes, or older homes that may have thicker walls. You can buy a single router or a triple pack for maximum coverage. There is an app that connects to Google WiFi and also has parental controls! Add a stocking stuffer wall mount, to keep these little devices out of the way.
(Not sure what the difference is between a modem and a router? I didn’t either for a long time! Visit our Modems and Routers page for the basics).
Most streaming player remotes only control the streaming player, they don’t control the TV power and volume. Sideclick Remotes attach to the side of your streaming player remote and give you control of your TV, all in one remote! These are a great little invention and will make your life way easier! You will need to choose a Sideclick Remote that corresponds with your streaming player.
Give the gift of Philo! Philo is our favorite skinny stream. It has a limited number of channels but is the least expensive streaming service. Right now, you can buy a gift card for $99 which covers 6 months of Philo! This is for their $20/month streaming service, it works out to just $16.50 per month. That saves you $20!
If your Cord Cutter likes to travel, a Roku Express is great to take on the road. It’s the smallest of the Rokus and the one my family brings with us when we travel.
Roku Express carrying case
This is another great gift for someone who likes to travel. This little carrying case is made for the Roku Express. It helps protect the streaming player in your luggage and keeps the remote, streaming device and cords all in one piece!
TCL TVs are Roku Smart TVs. These are the only kind of Smart TVs that I recommend for anyone getting rid of cable. Not only are they great quality TVs but they also have built in Roku technology, which means you don’t need a separate streaming player to watch TV. If you need a new TV and are committed to streaming TV, this is the one to get.
Soundbar
Tablo DVR
Tablo DVR is perfect for a dedicated cord cutter who loves to watch TV using an antenna. Tablo connects the antenna to a whole home DVR system. It can connect with up to 6 devices and can live stream or record 4 streams at once. For the best experience, external memory storage is recommended.
The Harmony Remote is the ultimate gift for someone who loves gadgets. The Harmony remote can connect with up to 15 devices, TVs, streaming players, Ring doorbell, video game consoles, Nest Thermostat, DVR, DVD players, Phillips hue lights, Amazon’s Alexa and more. It has a touchscreen that makes it easy to customize. There is also an app for your smart phone or tablet. If the person on your gift giving list wants to move towards a Smart Home, this is the remote to get.
At this time (Winter 2018) MLB does not have information up for streaming their 2019 season. They are currently only offering a streaming package to rewatch games from the 2018 season.
Here is pricing information from the 2018 season:
Follow all teams – $116/season or $25/month
Follow 1 team – $90/season
Students get MLB TV for free
35% discount for members of the military
NHL TV has several options for streaming plans for the 2018-2019 season.
$140/year for all access
$110/year for single team access
$25 monthly subscription
Discounts are available for students and members of the military. Also, please be aware that these are considered yearly subscriptions, so it will automatically renew next year unless you cancel.
Do you know of anything else that would make a great gift for a cord cutter? Is there something that you have that is especially helpful? Please let me know in the comments!
Note: this page contains affiliate links. That means if you buy something using one of the links, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you (it helps pay for my Netflix).
Concise guide on how to watch the NFL without cable
The channels that broadcast NFL games
Sunday Day games (FOX and CBS)
Sunday Night football (NBC)
Monday Night football (ESPN)
Thursday Night football (FOX, NFL Network, Amazon Prime Video)
Superbowl (NBC)
The channels you will want to have to watch the NFL without cable are as follows:
CBS
NBC
FOX
ESPN
Amazon Prime video (optional: they will broadcast all the Thursday night games that are also broadcast on FOX)
NFL Network (there are 3 Thursday night games broadcast exclusively on NFL Network and the Sunday game in London and 4 Saturday games)
Channels provided by streaming services that you’ll need to watch football without cable
Note: Philo and AT&T Watch TV aren’t included on this chart because they don’t have any of the channels listed. They aren’t good options if you like to watch sports.
Analysis
You have lots of options for streaming football.
If you want the NFL Network:
$40 – Sling TV (Orange and Blue packages) – you won’t get CBS with this option, but you can watch CBS on your antenna
$45 – Fubo TV – does not include ESPN
$50 package or higher – Playstation Vue
$55 package or higher – DIRECTV NOW
If you don’t need the NFL Network, these packages have all the other channels listed:
Replay every game from the season with NFL Game Pass. They have full broadcast replays, games condensed to 45 minutes and coaches film (shows all 22 players on the field).
Notice that it says replay. This is not for live games.
7 day free trial
One payment of $99 OR
Four payments of $29.99
NFL Sunday Ticket
This is only available to DIRECTV Customers OR non-DIRECTV customers who live in select multi-dwelling buildings where DIRECTV is not available.
College students – check and see if you are eligible for NFLSundayTicketTV U
NFL Sunday Ticket is available for out of market games only.
Understanding Blackouts and Out of Market Games
Sports blackouts come into play when a game is broadcast on a regional sports network.
Out of Market Games
Out of market games are games in which neither team playing is from your local area. For example, if you live in Chicago and are trying to watch a Miami Dolphins vs. San Francisco 49ers game.
Location Blackouts
This means that, if you live outside the area local to your favorite team, you may not be able to see the game. If you live near Indianapolis but want to watch a Chicago Bears game, you might not be able to view the Bears game, as you are outside the regional network.
Sometimes a game may be blacked out on a regional channel if it is being broadcast on a national network. Channels like ESPN or TNT may have exclusive rights to a game, so the game will not be broadcast on other channels.
Also, some professional sports choose to blackout games if a certain percentage of tickets to the game hasn’t sold. They want to “encourage” fans to attend the game instead of watching at home. (I think this just pisses fans off instead of encouraging them to do anything).
College sports are going to be the biggest issue with location based blackouts.
Device Blackouts
Some channels or events can be blacked out on streaming devices or streaming through mobile devices. Most streaming companies will reference this, but there are few concrete examples given on their websites.
We watch a lot of sports at my house and haven’t run into this problem. However, we live in a local area to (most) of the teams we watch. Also, we don’t watch Pay Per View events or (many) boxing events.
According to DIRECTV Now’s FAQs, NFL games cannnot be streamed on mobile devices.
Streaming Companies
Here are links for different streaming companies and how they address blackouts. It’s important to realize that streaming companies don’t have control over blackouts. If it was up to them, they would give you all the content all the time.
SkyStream TV claims that it doesn’t have sports blackouts EVER.
If you want to learn about watching ALL THE SPORTS, I’ve got you covered.
Hopefully I’ve convinced you that watching football without cable is totally doable and you’re ready to cut the cord! Head on over to Living the Stream for our step by step guide to getting rid of cable.
If you want more help, check out my Services page. I can create a personalized streaming plan for you or we can have a one on one consultation to talk through all your options.
Note: this page contains affiliate links. That means if you buy something using one of the links, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. They help pay for my Netflix.
Let’s celebrate with some FREE TV from Prime Video Channels. You do need to be an Amazon Prime member to enjoy. You can always sign up for a free 30 day trial of Amazon Prime and enjoy Prime Video Channels as well.
Amazon Channels is launching stand alone channel subscriptions. Some of the top channels are mainstream premium channels. However, Amazon Channels also gets into more niche markets like Best Westerns Ever and Screambox.
After the free trial, your Amazon account will be billed for each channel subscription that you decide to keep. Like most streaming services, you can easily cancel online at any time (yay!)
Note: This page contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and buy something, I receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you. It helps pay for my Netflix.
Pros: You will probably save money.
Most people will save around $100 per month when they get rid of cable. You can see the comparison here . If you’re able to get inexpensive, fast internet, choose to subscribe to Netflix and find all the channels you want in one streaming service, you will pay just over $100 per month.
Internet – $60
Hulu Live – $40
Netflix – $12
Total – $112/month
Con: You might not save that much money.
Some people may be stuck paying more for their internet package. Other people may want certain TV channels that are only available with higher priced streaming packages. Once you add in premium channels like HBO or Showtime, your monthly expenses could be climbing up near what you paid for cable.
Internet – $80
Playstation Vue Ultra – $75 (includes HBO and Showtime)
Playstation Vue Sports add on (for NFL Red Zone) – $10
Netflix – $12
Total – $177/month
Pro: Streaming TV is more flexible than cable
My house has been cable free for about a year and a half. During that time we have used Sling TV, Hulu Live, DIRECTV Now and YouTubeTV. We have also had HBO Go and Starz intermittently. Turning these subscriptions on and off is extremely easy.
First, we had Sling TV Blue for $25/month but it didn’t have ESPN. My husband loves sports so we decided to switch to Hulu Live because it has ESPN. I was able to cancel our Sling subscription online, and our service stopped on the last day of that billing cycle. It just so happened that we had a very busy weekend immediately following our Sling subscription ending, so we actually didn’t have any streaming service for a few days. One day there was a game that my husband wanted to watch, so he signed up for Hulu Live and was watching the game within minutes.
There was no customer service to call. We didn’t spend any time on hold. We didn’t have to wait for someone new to come out and install a new service or pay a service fee. We didn’t have to return any equipment or wait anxiously for a final bill with mystery charges on it. It was easy and pain free. We repeated the process when we switched to DIRECTV Now…and then again when we switched back to Sling.
We also turn our premium channels on and off frequently. We get HBO when Game of Thrones is airing. When it’s off the air, we cancel HBO. I will sign up for Starz once the new season of Outlander is out. At some point, I will pay for a month of Hulu so I can watch the new season of the Handmaid’s Tale.
The only catch is that you will have to wait until the end of your billing cycle before your service ends. They won’t give any refunds if you cancel part way through the month. Also, if you prepay for 2 or 3 months to receive a special offer like a free Roku or Apple TV you will have to keep your service that entire time. Still, 2 or 3 months is nothing when you think about cable contracts of 1-2 years.
Honestly, this is the biggest pro besides saving money. We started streaming TV because I wanted to save money. But now, even if we weren’t saving money, I would still stick with streaming TV.
Con: you’re still paying for lots of channels that you don’t want
This was my biggest surprise when we switched to streaming. The channel count for lots of streaming services is much lower than cable but there are still so many channels that I have never heard of and will never watch. It seems like a waste.
Hulu Live offers about 60 channels. I have never heard of 10 of them. My family only watches about 15 of the channels. So, we only use 25% of the channels that we pay for.
Sling is probably the most versatile when it comes to customizing content. They offer some of the lowest prices ($25/month for Orange or Blue packages, $40 for both) plus lots of add ons for $5 or $10/month. They also offer a DVR option for $5/month.
Pro: Streaming is very portable
Lots of cable companies are now offering apps for watching TV while you are on the go. Streaming takes it a step further. When we travel, we bring our Roku Express with us. If we are in a hotel room or an Airbnb, we can hook it up (assuming we have internet access) and watch TV like we would at home. We also bring our Roku when we rent a lakehouse with our friends. There was one disastrous weekend when the Blackhawks were in the playoffs and we couldn’t watch the game on the TV in the house we rented. Never again! Now, our Roku comes with us.
Con: streaming TV isn’t as mindlessly easy cable
Watching TV with cable is easy. You turn on your TV (and cable box) and something is on. It’s easy to switch back and forth between channels quickly.
Streaming TV isn’t quite as easy. Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t hard. But it isn’t as mindlessly easy as cable.
At my house, I have to turn on the TV, then the screen saver for my Roku will be on, so I have to press a button to wake it up. Then I have to choose what app I want to use (probably Netflix) then I choose what program I want to watch. This whole process takes about 15-20 seconds.
My husband wanted me to make sure I put this in here because it is more difficult to switch between different sporting events. The ESPN app is especially time consuming to switch between games.
Edit: We now subscribe to YouTubeTV and I find it to be the best for sports. They have an option to see the last 5 channels you’ve viewed, so it makes it easy to switch between games!
Con: not all streaming services offer DVR or live TV pausing
So you’ve gone through all the trouble of figuring out which of the live TV streaming services has all the channels you want. You narrowed it down to one. But then you realize that it doesn’t have a DVR option. You love your DVR. So, what do you give up? Do you chose a service that doesn’t have all the channels you want, but does have a DVR? Or do you go with all your channels but lose the DVR? That’s a tough choice.
My advice would be to do a free trial of the service without DVR. See if you miss it. Almost everything is available On Demand, I think you will be surprised (I was! We have a DVR with YouTubeTV and I don’t even use it).
Pro/Con: you might start watching less TV
I’m not here to tell you that you have to watch less TV or even that watching less TV is better. No judgments here. I love watching TV (I even started a website to help people watch TV).
Once we got rid of cable, we started watching less TV. This could be because we just had our third child and our lives were getting progressively busier. I think it was because it wasn’t quite so convenient to turn on the TV. That slight bit of extra work sometimes just made it not worth it to turn it on at all.
Bottom Line: For me and my family, the pros of saving money and the flexibility of streaming services far outweighed the cons of getting rid of cable. You have to determine what trade offs are worth it to you. Is it worth $100/month to keep cable for you to switch seamlessly between sports games? Is it worth even $50/month to keep cable so you can keep your regular DVR?
If you’re on the fence and want to experience streaming for yourself before committing: buy a Roku Express (you may even be able to rent one from your library!), pick a weekend where you don’t have a lot going on. Start a free trial of a streaming service. Don’t use your cable and see how it goes!
If you know you’re all in with streaming and want a little more in depth information on getting started – First things first
Sports are, by far, the biggest concern that people have when looking to cut the cord. It was my family’s limiting factor when we were looking at getting rid of cable. If we couldn’t watch our sports, we had to keep cable.
Good news: there are A LOT of options for watching sports. There is a learning curve but it’s still relatively easy and completely doable. Stick with me, I’ll try to outline the easiest options first, then get more complicated towards the bottom.
Note: this page contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and buy something, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
The Cons
There are a few drawbacks to watching streaming sports. Even if you choose a streaming service that has a DVR and the ability to pause live TV, some streaming services state that these features aren’t available for some live sports because of licensing rights. That isn’t to say that it’s impossible (cable companies don’t seem to follow the same restrictions…) it just isn’t 100% guaranteed.
We have never run into this problem but streaming services are always careful to mention it.
My husband was also adamant that I let you know, it is not easy to flip between games on most cord cutting options. For example, during college football season, if you’re trying to watch a game on ESPN through your streaming service and want to jump to a network game through your antenna, there is no one button quick way to flip back and forth. The ESPN streaming app is particularly bad in that even for multiple games within the app there is no, one click way, to flip between them.
Update:
We are currently using YouTubeTV and they have a feature that shows the last 5 channels you’ve watched. This makes it easy to switch back and forth between games!
Moving along.
The very first thing you need to figure out is which sports you want to watch. Since we are local to Chicago, I’ve included information for the local teams that we watch.
Thursday Night football (FOX, NFL Network, Amazon Prime Video)
Superbowl (FOX)
NBA
Chicago Bulls (NBC Sports Chicago, WGN, ESPN, NBA-TV)
College basketball
Villanova (FS1, FS2, ESPN, ESPN2, CBSSN, FOX)
March Madness (TBS, TNT, TruTV, CBS)
College football (CBS Sports Network, ESPN channels, Fox sports channels, more on this below)
Premiere League soccer (NBC, NCBSN, CNBC, USA)
Track and field events – college and professional (NBCSN, NBC, ESPN)
Most major professional sports are broadcast on regional sports networks. This means that if you live outside that region, you won’t be able to see those games. However, most of the stand alone sports streaming services (MLB TV, NHL TV etc.) will air live games if you live outside area for your team.
Some teams/sports have a lot of channels listed. This doesn’t mean that every game is broadcast on all those channels. Each game is broadcast on one of those channels, it changes for every game. If you want to see every single game, you will need all those channels.
If you want to watch sports without cable, you might want an antenna
We use an antenna. (It’s not that scary, I promise!) to watch lots of sports. Yes, this is limited to your regional sports. We also occasionally watch NFL, NHL and NBA games on our antenna.
You will get ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX (plus a lot more channels!) all completely free with an antenna. Not to confuse you, but you may also have access to these channels if you subscribe to a Live TV Streaming Service.
WGN (local Chicago station) is only available via antenna. It does not have a streaming option. However, WGN is no longer broadcasting Cubs games (sob) so this has less of an impact on sports watching.
The downside is that you can’t DVR or pause live TV with the standard antenna set up. There are products out there that will allow you to do this, you can look into AirTV, Fire Recast, Tivo and Tablo. But we aren’t going to go into those right now (and we also haven’t personally reviewed them yet).
Sports on Streaming Services
Most people will want to subscribe to a streaming service to ensure that they don’t miss any games. Watching sports using an antenna is great, but it isn’t going to get you every channel.
Regional channels
Some teams air their games on regional channels. The good news is that some streaming services carry these local channels. Examples for us would be, Marquee Sports Network, NBC Sports Chicago, Fox Sports Chicago.
If your favorite teams play on regional channels in your area, you will have to look at which streaming services offer local channels in your area. You should be able to enter your zip code on the website of each streaming service to get a list of the local channels they offer in your area.
What streaming service should I use to watch sports?
This is always the hardest part. My advice is that the very first thing you should look at when choosing a streaming service is whether or not they have the channels you want to watch. If you want more information on choosing a streaming service, look at our Live TV Streaming Services page.
(There used to be a chart here but it was ridiculously out of date so I just took it down so I wouldn’t embarrass myself. I’m working on getting an up to date one together. It was a super handy little chart.)
Analysis
Fubo ($55) does not have ESPN but it has lots of specialty sports channels. If you are into specialty sports or international sports, definitely check them out.
Don’t sign up for Philo or AT&T Watch TV if you like sports, they don’t have any of those channels, not even the major networks (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC).
To compare other aspects of these streaming services (DVR, number of screens etc.) check out the Live TV Streaming Services page.
Summary
Subscribe to one of the following streaming services to get the most sports channels
Here’s where it can get complicated. If you don’t want to subscribe to one of the streaming services above, you still have options to watch sports.
You can look into a stand alone streaming app to download onto your streaming device (all are supported on Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, and Apple TV, plus more)
ESPN app
ESPN has a free app that broadcasts games live. Here is the catch: you need to log in using your TV provider AND your TV package must include ESPN. So you must have cable in order to use it. That doesn’t help us very much.
Some streaming companies will allow you to log in to the ESPN app…but if you already get ESPN from them, I’m not sure why you would want to. We find it much easier to navigate YouTubeTV (our streaming service) than the ESPN app.
ESPN +
This is a new, stand alone streaming service by ESPN. It allows 5 screens at one time. Free 7 day trial, then plans start at $5/month.
Their website says that they will include a “selection” of live games. So, it is not a stand alone way to watch ESPN. It’s meant to supplement ESPN in your streaming package.
There are some games that are broadcast ONLY on ESPN+. We ran into this issue during the last college football season. Luckily we were able to do a free trial in order to watch the game. If this happens again, we will probably pay $5 to have access to ESPN+ for one month.
I encourage you to test it out but don’t rely on this if you don’t get ESPN in your streaming package.
MLB TV
Follow all teams – $116/season or $25/month
Follow 1 team – $90/season
Students get MLB TV for free
35% discount for members of the military
It looks like they will prorate the season. For example, it’s September 1st as I write this. The current price for the rest of the 2018 baseball season for 1 team (Chicago Cubs, obviously) is $16.
Blackout rules apply for local teams, for home and away games. If you are streaming a game from your local area, the game will become available 90 minutes after the game’s conclusion. So, in my opinion, MLB TV is great if your favorite team is not from your local area. (See above, we must watch all sports games in real time in my household)
CBS All Access
CBS All Access is for CBS only. It does not include CBS Sports Network. If games are on CBS (not CBS Sports Network) then you will be able to watch them on the CBS All Access app.
Blackout rules apply for all games broadcast on NBA League Pass.
One Team
$18/month
$99 annual
All Teams
$29/month
$170 annual
All Teams and In-Arena Stream (instead of commercials, you see what’s going on in the arena – kinda cool!)
$40/month
$210 annual
There are a couple other options too, like audio only or one game only streams.
Blackout restrictions apply. For Blackout information on NBS League Pass, visit here. If a nationally televised game is blacked out, it will be available 3 hours after it aired. If a locally televised game is blacked out, it will be available 3 days after it aired. Live audio of all games is available on NBA League Pass (also probably for free on the radio).
SO, NBA League Pass is a good option if your favorite team is not local to your area.
NHL.tv
All Access: $140
Single Team Pass: $110
You can upgrade your Single Team Pass to an All Access Pass for $30, anytime
Monthly pass: $25
Student and Military discounts available
NHL.tv offers you the option to choose between the announcers for either team for every game. You can pause and rewind live games. They also have an interactive timeline and you can jump back to highlights (cool! If anyone has used this, let me know if it works well!).
You can also watch up to 4 games at once. You can choose picture in picture or a mosaic view. Each game will have several camera angles that you can choose from, including a first person ref cam at some games.
All of these features sound cool, but games are subject to blackout restrictions. Meaning, you can’t use NHL TV to watch teams from your local area.
Blackout games will be available 48 hours after they air. All Stanley Cup playoff games and the Stanley Cup final game will be subject to blackouts. Blackouts are calculated by where you are viewing a game, so if you are traveling, you are subject to blackouts where you are physically watching the game. Not your billing address.
Replay every game from the season with NFL Game Pass. They have full broadcast replays, games condensed to 45 minutes and coaches film (shows all 22 players on the field).
Notice that it says replay. This is not for live games.
7 day free trial
One payment of $99 OR
Four payments of $29.99
There is an NFL Game Pass for European viewers that airs all live regular season games.
NFL Sunday Ticket
This is only available to DIRECTV Customers OR non-DIRECTV customers who live in select multi-dwelling buildings where DIRECTV is not available.
College students – check and see if you are eligible for NFLSundayTicketTVU
Blackout rules apply, NFL Sunday Ticket is available for out of market games only.
NFL Network/Fox Sports Go/NBC Sports Apps
These apps require you to sign in with a cable provider. You can use your streaming service as a cable provider log in. However, your package must include the channel in order to view content.
Other College Sports
If your college team isn’t local to you and isn’t televised in your area, you still have options!
SportsLive is a streaming company that partners with over 70 colleges to provide streaming coverage of over 30 sports. It is $10/month or $100/year. With your subscription, you get access to all their streaming content.
The other option that I’ve come across is to visit your school’s website and see if they offer streaming options. My husband went to West Point, they offer a streaming service called Knight Vision. (West Point football games usually air on CBS Sports Network as well). Knight Vision is powered through a company called SideArm Sports. You can check here to see the list of schools they support.
Are there other sports you want to know how to watch? Soccer? UFC? NASCAR? (I didn’t know NASCAR was all caps until my spelling was corrected when typing this). Please let me a comment and let me know! I’d love to hear from you.
OK so now you know, watching sports without cable is totally doable (even easy!). So what else is holding you back? Let’s get you started with streaming! First things first
If you want more help, check out my Services page. I can create a personalized streaming plan for you or we can have a one on one consultation to talk through all your options.
