Pop quiz! Each The MLB team plays 162 games a year, not counting preseason games or specials like the All-Star Game. And there are 30 teams. How many games does that make?
For those who hate calculators: That’s 2,430 regular-season games. That, plus a minimum of 32 and a maximum of 53 postseason games. How could one person convey all that? Well, let’s make sense of all this. At least as much sense as can be made of Major League Baseball and its various broadcast deals.
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The best live TV streaming package
Sling TV Blue + Orange comprises two separate packages, Blue and Orange, which offer different channel selections and cost $45 and $40 per month, respectively, if you buy them individually. For $60 per month, you can have both. Game coverage is split down the middle, with the Blue package offering games from Fox, FS1 and ABC, and Orange offering games from ESPN. Both offer TBS games and you have to pay $11 per month for the Sports Extra package with either if you want MLB Network. So buy Blue and Orange and add Sports Extra. You’re looking at $71 per month, but you still won’t be able to watch exclusive Friday night games on Apple TV+ or exclusive Sunday games on Peacock.
the runner-up
Hulu + Live TV offers a simpler package than Sling TV. You can watch all the games on Fox, FS1, ABC and TBS. The problem is that you can’t get MLB Network, so you miss out on a handful of games. Sling TV, with the MLB Network add-on, costs $1 more per month and gives you a few more games to watch. The other side of the coin is that choosing this package, one of our favorite streaming servicesIt also gives you access to regular Hulu, so you can watch recent shows (like atlanta), exclusive (as The Handmaid’s Tale)and a very impressive movie library.
Exclusive Games
Apple TV+ offers you two live games every Friday that you can’t watch on any other channel or streaming service. There are MLB-related highlights and analysis shows, as well as classic games and clips.
Peacock gives you access to 19 exclusive games that air on Sundays. That’s one per week. You can’t see them on any other network. Peacock is also releasing some classic games, documentaries, and live action highlights to sweeten the deal. Doubling the price to $10 per month for Peacock Plus removes the ads and lets you download and watch games later.
For out-of-market games
MLB.tv is your package if you’re an exiled fan of your favorite team(s). In fact, it might be your only option. Purchasing a streaming package to access regional channels, such as FS1, may not allow you to watch the game if you are outside of either team’s home market. This is how regional stations work. MLB.tv gives you access to each out-of-market game for all teams except exclusives shown on Apple TV+ and Peacock. For, say, a Braves fan in San Francisco, that works perfectly. For a Giants fan in San Francisco, not so much.
Services to avoid
YouTube TV is like a long ball skimming the foul ball pole in the outfield. Close, but no cigarette. Fox, FS1, ABC, and TBS are all represented on the YouTubeTV channel lineup, but MLB Network isn’t available, even as an add-on. One advantage over the competition is that YouTubeTV broadcasts most channels in 1080p resolution, while it is standard for others to broadcast in 720p.
FuboTV is too expensive and offers too little compared to the competition to be worth it. FuboTV’s entry-level package includes Fox, FS1, and ABC, and you can upgrade to the $85-per-month Elite package for MLB Network, but FuboTV doesn’t offer TBS on any of its channel packages. That means you end up paying more than SlingTV, Hulu + Live TV, or YouTubeTV while watching fewer games.
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