When did watching your favorite team play get so complicated?
With the soccer season approaching, it’s time again for fans to track season stats and player deals. But today, sports fans also need to know if they can watch the game on traditional broadcast or cable TV, or stream it on Apple TV+, Amazon, Peacock, or ESPN+.
Live programming was never envisioned as a streamable option, but with companies like Disney, Amazon, and Apple joining the streaming wars, the way sports content is consumed is changing. A few years ago, cable subscriptions meant every fan needed access to local games. But now Two of the biggest US sports leagues have flagged the streaming service. An exclusive game of ‘Friday Night Baseball’ is now available on Apple TV+, and ‘Thursday Night Football’ will be available exclusively on Amazon Prime Video starting his Sept. 21. Fox has terminated these rights.
more: Ryan Fitzpatrick Introduces FitzMagic to Amazon as Thursday Night Football Analyst
Why sports streaming is on the rise
But why is sports moving to streaming? Sports Business Journal reporter John Ourand said companies with streaming services would like to know if live sports drives more subscriptions. and are willing to pay more than broadcast and cable companies.
Not all fans were happy with these changes. They claim that it makes it harder to keep track of where to watch your favorite teams, and it’s more expensive to watch.
“Now you’re asking fans to get a cable subscription and also get a streaming subscription to one of several different streaming services,” says Ourand. “It’s expensive and confusing, especially for older people who don’t know how to join.”
Alex Timmons, a 37-year-old baseball coach from Pasedena, Calif., says his dad is taking time to get used to streaming hockey. Because he is new to technology. He helped his father by buying an Amazon Fire TV Stick.
Despite feeling unprepared for the shift, Timmons says he found himself preferring to watch baseball on Apple TV+ over regional sports networks and local stations.
“It was a little different,” says Timmons. “I was really unprepared. But once I started watching, I actually appreciated it more than the local coverage. The stats they used and the camera angles they used were typical local broadcast was much better than
Edel Tapia, 39 year old teacher Los Angeles, Streaming has made it harder for him to skip commercials while watching baseball on Apple TV+, he says.
“By the time the next app finishes loading, it’s time to get back into the game,” says Tapia.
Services like Apple, Peacock and Amazon want fans to be You will quickly adapt and figure out how to watch.
“If you’re a sports fan, you’ll understand how to watch sports,” Ouland says.
Here’s how to watch soccer, baseball, basketball, soccer, and hockey. About streaming this season:
How to watch NFL games
“Thursday Night Football” will be available on Amazon Prime Video starting September 8 with an Amazon Prime subscription ($14.99). monthly; $139 per year). Spanish-language network Fox Deportes will also provide coverage of Thursday’s game.
“Sunday Night Football” is the most-watched TV show of prime time and is available to watch on NBC or stream with a Peacock Premium subscription ($4.99 per month). Paramount+ ($9.99/month) subscribers can also watch shows on CBS. Regional Sunday NFL games.
The NFL launched its own streaming service, NFL+, on July 25th, offering live access to regular season and playoff games just on mobile phones and tablets. The service comes with a basic $4.99/month tier and a $9.99/month premium tier.
In terms of cable and broadcast, DirectTV also offers two packages for accessing live games outside the market on Sunday afternoons, and Fox Sports broadcasts local Sunday games for free. (Apple and Amazon are reportedly vying to take over the Sunday Ticket package next season). NFL Network has partnered with companies like Xfinity, Dish, Hulu and Fubo TV+ to provide access to all Sunday games through NFL RedZone packages.
“Monday Night Football” is available exclusively on ESPN, including streaming services ESPN+ ($9.99/month), ESPN Deportes, Spanish-language networks, and Hulu Premium ($12.99/month).
How to watch MLB games
In March, Major League Baseball announced that the first 12 weeks of “Friday Night Baseball” would be available for free exclusively on Apple TV+.
A selection of Sunday morning MLB games are available exclusively with Peacock Premium.
No other baseball day has an exclusive deal with a streaming service, so a cable subscription should be enough for additional games televised by regional sports networks and local stations. Other streaming services that offer access to local and national MLB games include Hulu, ESPN+ and FuboTV.
How to watch NBA games
The game is accessible to National Basketball Association fans with an ESPN+ or Hulu Premium subscription. There are no exclusive deals with any streaming service. Fans can also watch his NBA games on TNT and ESPN.
how to watch soccer
In June, Apple announced a 10-year deal with Major League Soccer, giving fans access to games on Apple TV+ through 2032.
The top tier of the English football league system, the Premier League, will air exclusive games on Peacock Premium.
CBS, CBS Sports Network and Paramount+ will continue exclusive coverage of the UEFA European Conference League in the United States through 2024.
ESPN+ provides access to the Bundesliga, the German football league, and La Liga, the Spanish league.
How to watch NHL games
NBC will end its 16-year broadcasting partnership with the National Hockey League in 2021. That same year, Disney, which owns ESPN and ABC, announced his seven-year rights deal with the NHL. The deal allowed ESPN or ABC to cover his 25 games, the playoff halves of the season, and the Stanley Cup finals over his four years.
ESPN+ and Hulu will exclusively stream 75 regular season games, and ESPN+ gives NHL fans access to over 1,000 games, regardless of location.
Cable subscriptions allow fans to watch games on TNT and ESPN through the Stanley Cup Playoffs.