Ultimate Guide to Streaming Sports Online in 2025
Thanks to streaming services, there are lots of ways to see more sports than ever. Unfortunately, the landscape can be really confusing for beginners. I’ll walk you through the major sports and what you need to know to watch them without a cable TV subscription.
Football
NFL
Thankfully, the NFL is one of the simplest sports to stream.
Nationally Televised Games
Linear Channels: CBS (also through Paramount+), FOX, NBC (also through Peacock), ABC, ESPN, NFL Network (also through NFL+), NFL RedZone (also through NFL+)
Streaming Exclusives: Prime Video (Thursdays), Netflix (Christmas)
Out-of-Market Option
NFL Sunday Ticket provides every out-of-market NFL game throughout the season. It can be purchased as a standalone service or at a discount through YouTube TV.
NCAA Football
Linear Channels: CBS (also through Paramount+), FOX, NBC (also through Peacock), ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, FS1, CBS Sports Network, The CW, truTV (also through Max), Big Ten Network, SEC Network, ACC Network, ACC Network Extra
Streaming Exclusives: Peacock, ESPN+, SEC+
Basketball
NBA
Changes are coming to the NBA starting with the 2025-26 season. Longtime league partner TNT will no longer carry games after Prime Video and NBC/Peacock won the rights.
Nationally Televised Games
Linear Channels: NBC (also through Peacock), ABC, ESPN, NBA TV
Streaming Exclusives: Prime Video, Peacock
Regional Games
Each team has a different regional partner. FanDuel Sports Network carries 13 teams, while the other providers handle the rest of the league. In other cases, the team broadcasts its games for free over the air. Some teams like the Jazz, Pelicans, and Suns offer standalone streaming services.
Out-of-Market Option
NBA League Pass provides every out-of-market NBA game. You can choose to pay to follow just one team or the entire league.
WNBA
Nationally Televised Games
Linear Channels: ESPN, ESPN3, ION, ABC, NBA TV, CBS, CBS Sports Network
Streaming Exclusives: Prime Video
Regional Games
Each team has a different regional partner. In some cases, it’s a channel like a FanDuel Sports Network or The CW. In other cases, the team broadcasts its games for free over the air.
Out-of-Market Option
WNBA League Pass provides every out-of-market game.
NCAA Men’s Basketball
Men’s basketball airs on CBS, ESPN, ABC, FOX, FS1, Peacock, TNT, TBS, truTV, Big Ten Network, ACC Network, SEC Network, and FloSports.
NCAA Women’s Basketball
Women’s basketball games appear on ESPN, ABC, FOX, FS1, Peacock, CBS, Big Ten Network, ACC Network, SEC Network, and FloSports.
Baseball
MLB
Read: Ultimate Guide to Streaming MLB in 2025 ►
Nationally Televised Games
Linear Channels: FOX, MLB Network, Fox Sports 1, ESPN, and TBS.
Streaming Exclusives: Apple TV+, Roku Channel, MLB.TV, Prime Video (select Yankees games)
Regional Games
MLB regional rights are an absolute mess and they know it. It’s a patchwork of various channels and providers. The biggest provider is FanDuel Sports Network, which carries 9 teams. See Streaming Smarter’s Ultimate Guide to Watching MLB for a complete breakdown. All teams except the Astros have a direct-to-consumer streaming option if that appeals to you.
Out-of-Market Option
MLB.TV is your ticket to watching all your team’s away games that aren’t nationally televised.
Hockey
NHL
Nationally Televised Games
Linear Channels: ABC, TNT, truTV, ESPN, ESPN2, NHL Network
Regional Games
Every NHL team has a different regional broadcast situation. While 8 teams partner with FanDuel Sports Network, most teams have a standalone provider. Many teams offer a direct-to-consumer streaming option.
Out-of-Market Option
ESPN+ carries more than 1,000+ out-of-market games. You get it free if you choose Hulu + Live TV as your provider.
Soccer
English Premier League
NBC and Peacock
UEFA Champions League and Europa League
CBS and Paramount+
La Liga
ESPN and ESPN+
MLS
Nationally televised games appear on FOX and FS1, but most games are only available with MLS Season Pass
Serie A
CBS and Paramount+
Bundesliga
ESPN and ESPN+
Concacaf
National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL)
ABC, ESPN, CBS, Paramount+, Prime Video, ION
Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL)
English Football League (EFL)
U.S. Men’s National Team and U.S. Women’s National Team
UFC
Fights are televised on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2, though many exclusive fights and PPV are only available on ESPN+.
WWE
Peacock is the key WWE option with Main Event (Thursdays), Saturday Night’s Main Event, and premium live events like WrestleMania.
Netflix is home to Raw (Mondays).
NXT (Tuesdays) is on The CW. Evolve (Wednesdays) is on Tubi, and SmackDown (Fridays) is on USA Network.
Racing
NASCAR
Linear Networks: NBC, FOX, TNT, USA Network, FS1, The CW.
Streaming on Max, Peacock, and Prime Video
Formula 1
Races appear on ESPN and ABC. F1 TV is the sport’s official streaming option.
IndyCar
Races air on FOX and FS1.
Tennis
Matches appear on Tennis Channel, TNT, TBS, truTV, ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3.
Some events stream on ESPN+.
Golf
The majors appear on CBS, NBC, ESPN, and USA Network. Additional coverage airs on Golf Channel.
LIV Golf appears on The CW.
Olympics
NBC owns the right to Summer and Winter Olympics. I strongly recommend Peacock to watch the Olympics – the whip-around coverage of Gold Zone is the best way to keep track of all the action.
