Sports is still one of the main reasons people pay for cable TV. The desire to have access to live events is something many are willing to pay a lot for.

The good news is watching sports as a cord cutter is easier than ever. So here is our quick guide to being a cord cutting sports fan.

Sports Channels

The first thing many people want is access to their favorite sports channels. ESPN, FS1, BTN, and more are all available to cord cutters with services such as Sling TV, PlayStation Vue Hulu, YouTube TV, fuboTV, and DIRECTV NOW.

Here is a quick chart on which service has what:

Channels Sling PS Vue DIRECTV NOW Hulu YouTube TV Fubo TV Bein X X Big Ten X X X X X CBS Sports X X X X ESPN X X X X X ESPN Goal Line X X ESPN U X X X X X ESPN2 X X X X X FS1 X X X X X X FS2 X X X X X X Golf Channel X X X X X X MLB Network X X X NBA TV X X X X X NBC Sports X X X X X X NFL Network X X X NHL Network X X Pac -12 Networks X X SEC Network X X X X X Stadium X X TBS X X X X X Tennis Channel X X X TNT X X X X X



*Did I miss something or make an error? Send us a message.

ABC, CBS, FOX, & NBC

Many of the biggest sporting events every year are 100% free on ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC. A good antenna will give you these races without the need to pay for anything.

Not sure what antenna you should get? Check outAntennaRecommendations.com. Type in your address to see what kind of antenna you will need.

If you can’t get the locals you want for free, check out Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, Hulu, , YouTube TV, Fubo TV, or DIRECTV NOW to see if they offer them in your area.

Regional Sports Channels (Fox Sports, CSN)

If you want access to your local sports networks such as Fox Sports or Comcast SportsNet (CSN) we have good news for you. Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, YouTube TV, Hulu, fuboTV, and DIRECTV NOW all offer local sports channels just not all of them. Sadly you will have to do a bit of research to see what local sports network each has in your area. They all seem to have Fox Sports and the rest have a smattering of different regional sports networks. So make sure to visit their sites to find out what they have where you live.

NFL

The NFL is our most commonly asked for sports. The good news is with an antenna 90% of Americans will be able to access their local CBS, FOX, and NBC stations. Add a streaming service such as Sling TV, FuboTV, or PlayStation Vue for ESPN, NFL Network, and NFL Redzone and you have the same coverage your local cable TV company can give you.

CBS All Access now streams in-market Sunday games through its streaming service.

College Football

College football is our second most requested guide from sports fans. As you saw above many streaming services such as Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, Hulu, YouTube TV, and DIRECTV NOW offer access to popular channels for college football fans. SEC Network, BTN, and the Pac-12 Network are all now available to cord cutters.

ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC are available to more than 90% of Americans with an antenna. If you cannot get it over the air look into services such as Sling TV, DIRECTV NOW, Hulu, YouTube TV, and PlayStation Vue, which offer locals in many different markets. So make sure to visit their sites to see what you can get in your local market.

NBA

Both Sling TV, YouTube TV, PlayStation Vue, and DIRECTV NOW will give you NBA TV and networks such as ESPN and TNT. You can watch the games on ABC with an antenna or by using your login for WatchESPN apps.

Again you may need to shop around for the service that has your regional sports channel but most Americans should be able to get it from one of the services.

You may also want to look into NBA League Pass if you live outside of your sports team’s local market. For a one-time payment of $99.99, you can watch every game for your out-of-market team. Now you can also subscribe to NBA League Pass through Sling TV and YouTube TV.

NHL

If you are an NHL fan then Sling TV is what you want. It has the NHL Network as well as the NBC Sports network for great NHL coverage. Add an antenna for local NBC games or stream NBC games for free on NBC’s website.

Golf

Are you a golf fan? Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, and DIRECTV NOW all offer the Golf Channel along with ESPN and more. Again add in an antenna for locals such as CBS and you have your golf fix. If you have poor OTA coverage check out the streaming services. Over half of PlayStation Vue subscribers now get local CBS stations live.

Twitter will also now live stream some Golf events.

MLB

If you want MLB Network currently only DIRECTV NOW, PlayStation Vue, and YouTube TV offer the MLB Network.

If you want access to your local sports networks such as Fox Sports or Comcast SportsNet (CSN) we have good news for you YouTube TV, PlayStation Vue, and DIRECTV NOW all offer local sports channels just not all of them. Sadly you will have to do a bit of research to see what local sports network each has in your area. They all seem to have Fox Sports and the rest have a smattering of different regional sports networks. So make sure to visit their sites to find out what they have where you live.

UFC Fighting

If you are a fan of UFC you should look at the UFC Fight Pass for ultimate access to UFC fights. It will show a ton of fights but you will need a service such as Sling TV or DIRECTV NOW to watch fights on FS1 and FS2 as well as signup for paper view events on Sling TV.

Nascar

If you want Nascar the main channels you want are FOX, NBC, FS1, & NBCSN. The good news is Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, Hulu, YouTube TV, and DIRECTV NOW all offer what you want. Also don’t forget an antenna for you locals.

Do you have a sport we didn’t cover? Leave us a comment and we will work on adding it to the list.

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