Best Streaming Service for Sports 2020

Grab your chips and dip, and get your jersey and game face on. It’s time to watch some sports. We have rated the best streaming services for live sports so you can watch your favorite teams whenever and wherever you might be in the country.

Whether you like professional football, basketball, baseball, soccer, tennis, or college sports, one of these services has got you covered. Let’s kickoff, jump ball, and serve into this!

Here’s what we looked at to choose the best sports streaming services:

• Number of sports channels
• Price
• DVR storage
• Simultaneous streams
• Bonus features

YouTube TV: Best sports coverage

YouTube TV has the best national sports coverage and unlimited DVR storage, but no NFL Network.

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What we like

• Number of live sports channels
• Sports and premium channel add-ons
• Solid DVR

Best national sports coverage among the rest

Not only is YouTube TV the best option for sports fanatics, but it’s the best live TV option for most. If you want to watch Undisputed, the San Antonio Spurs take on OKC Thunder, as well as the Oakland Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers matchup all in one day, then YouTube TV is for you.

YouTube TV is the best option for national and regional sports with the following channels:

Add-ons for fans of basketball, soccer, and Shameless

YouTube TV offers NBA LEAGUE PASS for $40 per month and FOX SOCCER PLUS for $15 per month. You’ll be able to watch every single out-of-market NBA game of the season. You’ll also get to watch UEFA Championships League matchups and Bundesliga highlights.

YouTube TV offers SHOWTIME, STARZ, and EPIX premium channel add-ons, but the bad news: no HBO.

Best DVR among the rest

YouTube TV has the best DVR in the streaming world with unlimited storage space that will save for nine months in your Library.

You’ll have the ability to record all of the Sunday football games, NBA games of the week, MLB playoffs, and Pardon the Interruption every day to binge over the following weekend. You’ll also be able to watch a great game you recorded Week 1 of the NFL season or a 30 for 30 movie that aired on ESPN over the summer.

It is also the best sports streaming app because you and two of your Pittsburgh Steelers–loving family members can stream the game simultaneously. And you can have a total of six accounts to tailor your individual sports streaming needs.

What we don’t like

• Not much international sports coverage
• Doesn’t have NFL Network

Not as great of global sports coverage as fuboTV

While YouTube TV is the best option for national and regional sports, it does not have the international sports channel lineup that fuboTV does. FuboTV will be your best option if you’re a diehard fan of FC Barcelona or if you like to watch your sports with Spanish-speaking announcers.

No NFL Network for the NFL addicts

No NFL Network means no Thursday Night Football. If you’re also a big fan of talk shows like Good Morning Football and NFL Total Access, this service may not be the one for you. But if you have Amazon Prime to watch Thursday Night Football and you use ESPN for your talk show watching, then it won’t be a big deal for you.

YouTube TV summary

• Good: YouTube TV has the most complete sports channel lineup.
• Bad: There isn’t too much international coverage for the soccer fans.
• Full review: Check out our full review of YouTube TV.

Hulu + Live TV: Best for bundling sports and entertainment

Hulu gives you great sports channels while also giving you the option to add ESPN+ and Disney+ on one platform.

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What we like

• Solid sports channels
• Has the biggest DVR space aside from YouTube TV

Includes the top sports channels

Enjoy watching First Take on ESPN and the PGA Tour on the Golf Channel with Hulu. This streaming service gives you the top sports channels for an avid sports-watcher and for the whole family. You can bundle Hulu, ESPN+, and Disney+ together for a complete entertainment experience.

Check which channels are available in your area, but Hulu includes the following sports channels:

50 hours of DVR storage

Hulu gives you 50 hours of DVR storage to record eight NFL and eight NBA games in two days if you so choose (Sling TV gives you 50 hours of storage too—but for an extra cost).

What we don’t like

• Doesn’t have NFL Network, MLB Network, and NBA TV

Neglects professional football, baseball and basketball coverage

If you’re a hardcore fan of the NFL, MLB, or NBA, Hulu may not be the answer to your sports-streaming prayers. But it does have TNT, CBS, and NBC, and of course all the other channels mentioned above.

If you need the league-specific channels, it’ll be worth spending the extra $10 per month for fuboTV to have NFL Network and NBA TV or the extra $5 per month for YouTube TV to have MLB Network and NBA TV.

Hulu + Live TV summary

• Good: Hulu + Live TV has great channels for a sports junkie while saving you money.
• Bad: This streaming service lacks league-specific channels.
• Full review: Check out our full review of Hulu with Live TV.

Sling TV: Best budget pick

With a few plans to choose from, this is the best option for average sports fans for a reasonable price.

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What we like

• Different plans for different levels of sports fans
• Offers NBA LEAGUE PASS and premium channels

Plans for the low-to-medium level sports fans

Sling TV has three plans plus a Sports Extra add-on. For the low-level fans, the Orange package for $25 per month includes just four sports channels and a few others:

• ESPN
• ESPN2
• ESPN3
• Stadium
• TNT
• The Disney Channel
• Freeform
• And more!

The Blue package includes the following channels:

• ESPN
• ESPN2
• ESPN3
• Stadium
• NFL Network
• NBC Sports
• FS1
• FS2
• NBC Sports Network

But the best option for sports fans is to get the Sling Orange + Blue package along with the Sports Extra add-on for a total of $50 per month. That way, you’ll have access to not only everything both packages include, but you’ll also get access to these on your streaming device:

• ESPN U
• Golf Channel
• MLB Network
• NBA TV
• NHL Network
• beIN Sports
• Pac-12
• SEC Network

Check the Sling TV channel availability in your area.

Offers NBA LEAGUE PASS and premium channels

Sling TV keeps NBA fans in mind. It offers NBA LEAGUE PASS for $29 per month ($11 less than YouTube TV). There’s also Team Pass for $18 per month if you are loyal to just one team.

Sling TV has SHOWTIME, STARZ, and EPIX add-ons along with a bunch of random channels like DOGTV, Docurama, CONtv, Cinefest, and more.

What we don’t like

• DVR is an add-on option for an extra cost
• Fewer channels than the rest

DVR is an additional cost

Sling TV might be the only streaming service that doesn’t include DVR. They charge an extra $5 per month for cloud DVR, which gives you 50 hours of storage and will save it all indefinitely.

If you choose the $50 per month package and get the DVR, it will cost more than YouTube TV, where you get most of these channels and unlimited storage space.

Lowest number of total channels

With just 32 to 52 channels, this streaming service offers the lowest number of channels of the bunch. But it’s the only streaming service that gives you a cheap option for a few channels if you don’t need 60+.

Sling TV summary

• Good: Sling TV is best for multiple levels of sports fans.
• Bad: Sling TV’s channel lineup is slim.
• Full review: Check out our full review of Sling TV.

FuboTV: Best for international sports

FuboTV is the best option for international sports fans and an acceptable option for national sports fans.

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What we like

• International sports coverage
• Some national sports coverage

Best TV streaming service for international sports

FuboTV is perfect for the Real Madrid CF, Liverpool FC, and the Copa América aficionados. So grab your fellow Madridistas, make some paella, and watch some real fútbol with the family on fuboTV.

FuboTV’s international sports channels include the following:

• fubo Sports Network
• BeIN Sports
• Zona Football
• TUDN
• UniMás
• GOL TV (English and Spanish)
• Ginx Esports TV
• FOX Deportes
• Fight Network
• Eleven Sports
• TyC Sports

A good variety of national sports coverage

FuboTV is an all-around solid sports streaming service because you can watch a LaLiga game and watch the Pac-12 Championship game a few days later. All at your fingertips.

But again, check your availability to see which sports channels are offered in your area because, unfortunately, some might not be available.

FuboTV’s national sports channels include the following:

What we don’t like

• No ESPN channels
• DVR storage is scarce

No ESPN talk shows or coverage

Not sure about you, but we like our ESPN commentary and news, along with their game and feature coverage. It’s undeniable that ESPN might be the GOAT of all sports channels. But if international sports coverage is more important, fuboTV will be your bread and butter.

Also, if you’re a fan of a college team in the Southern Eastern Conference or a fan of professional baseball, bad news: fuboTV doesn’t have the SEC Network or MLB Channel. This streaming service includes more niche sports than other streaming services.

DVR storage doesn’t compare to YouTube TV’s

Everyone has a busy life, and everyone likes convenience. We need a reliable DVR to record the LSU Tigers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide game we’ll be missing.

But you better make sure you have enough storage, because fuboTV lets you save only 30 hours worth of recordings. So don’t even think about recording a full week of NBA games.

fuboTV summary

• Good: FuboTV has great coverage of international and niche sports.
• Bad: The DVR storage is subpar.
• Full review: Check out our full review of fuboTV.

AT&T TV NOW: Best for fans of HBO

AT&T TV NOW is on the pricier side, but HBO is included for the fans of boxing and Deadwood.

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What we like

• Includes HBO

It’s for the average sports watchers who need their HBO

AT&T TV NOW has a nice plan for the crowd who are not only sports-watchers, but who also love a good variety of entertainment and lifestyle shows. Check out the full channel lineup, but the biggest plus is the inclusion of HBO, HBO Family, and HBO Latino.

We’ll be honest: AT&T NOW is our last choice for most sports fans, since the sports channels included in the $50 per month plan are pretty slim. If you’re looking for more than three sports channels, you’d have to go with the whopping $70 per month MAX plan.

The sports channels AT&T TV NOW includes these channels:

• ESPN
• ESPN2
• FS1

Along with the above three, here’s the sports channels AT&T TV NOW MAX includes:

• ACCN
• CBS Sports Network
• BTN
• ESPN News
• ESPN U
• FS1
• FS2
• SEC
• NBCSN
• Olympic Channel

What we don’t like

• Priciest option
• Worst DVR

Pretty pricey service

Since we are evaluating the best option for sports streaming, AT&T TV NOW is the priciest option. Although AT&T TV NOW isn’t the top choice for sports streaming, it’s the best for a traditional TV experience.

Worst DVR of the group

AT&T TV NOW’s DVR only records up to 20 hours and saves for 30 days. Compare that to YouTube TV with a DVR that has unlimited hours, saves for nine months, and has 10+ more sports channels for the avid sports watcher. That’s a pretty huge difference.

AT&T TV NOW summary

• Good: AT&T TV NOW is the best option for average sports watchers and access to premium channels.
• Bad: The DVR storage is below subpar.
• Full review: Check out our full review of AT&T TV NOW.

Recap: Which is the best streaming service for sports?

We sorted through lots of streaming services to highlight some of the best. We considered pricing, channels, DVR, and more to determine which streaming service deserves your attention for sports streaming. Overall, we can say this about each:

Sports streaming plans and price recap

• YouTube TV: $49.99/mo., 70+ channels
• Hulu + Live TV: $44.99/mo., 60+ channels
• Sling TV: $25–$50/mo., 32–52 channels
• fuboTV: $54.99/mo., 75+ channels
• AT&T TV NOW: $50–$70/mo., 45–60+ channels

What do you think?

Did we miss something? Which streaming service do you think is the best for sports? Tell us what you think in the comments!