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Baseball is finally back, and if you’re itching to plop on your couch and watch MLB games every day of the week, you’ve come to the right place. Streaming baseball isn’t always the most straightforward, but we have all of the details on how to watch MLB games for free—and it’s easier than you might think.
2024 MLB spring training officially kicked off on Thursday, February 22, with the regular season getting going for all teams on Thursday, March 28. The regular season technically started with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres’ Seoul Series on March 20 and March 21. However, the official Opening Day is on Thursday, March 28 and the regular season comes to a close on September 29, 2024. Each team will play a total of 162 games during the regular season. After that, the postseason is set to begin on October 1 with a potential World Series Game 7 on the calendar for November 2. Another key date that all baseball fans should know about is the 94th All-Star Game, which is slated for July 16 at the Texas Rangers’ Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
With a total of 162 regular season games per team, each team will play 13 games against their division rivals, which comes out to 52 games. Each team will play six games against six opponents and seven games against four opponents in the same league, which comes out to 64 games. Plus, each team will play 46 interleague games, which includes a four-game home-and-home series against their designated interleague rival. The grand total of all of these matchups comes out to 162 games per team.
Each season, there are inevitable rule changes. You can read more in depth about the rule changes for the 2024 MLB season here, but TL;DR there will be tweaks to the pitch clock, a mound visit reduction, a runner’s lane widening, and an adjustment to pitchers who are warming up.
If you’re a die-hard baseball enthusiast, keep reading for how to watch MLB games for free. There are so many different options and you’re sure to find the perfect one for you, below.
How to watch MLB games for free
MLB games air on ESPN, TBS, FOX, FS1, and MLB Network, which are available to stream on services like DirecTV Stream, Fubo, Sling, Hulu+ With Live TV, ESPN+, and Apple TV+. DirecTV Stream offers a five-day free trial, starts at $74.99 per month after the trial ends (with $10 off your first three months), and includes MLB Network (only on Choice, Ultimate, and Premier), ESPN, TBS, and FOX/FS1. Fubo offers a seven-day free trial, starts at $74.99 per month after the trial ends, and also includes MLB Network, ESPN, TBS, and FOX/FS1.
Sling and Hulu+ With Live TV don’t have free trials, however, they are cheaper per month than the other options. Sling starts at $40 per month and carries the MLB Network, ESPN, TBS, and FOX/FS1. Hulu+ With Live TV starts at $68.99 per month and includes ESPN, TBS, and FOX/FS1. ESPN+ airs a decent amount of out-of-market games, while Friday Night Baseball is back on Apple TV+ with two MLB games a week every Friday.
Best Overall Pick to Watch MLB Games for Free: DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream is our best overall pick to watch MLB games for free for its free trial, price (including its current deal), and channel selection. DirecTV Stream offers a five-day free trial and has a current deal where new subscribers can receive $10 off their first three months. DirecTV offers four plans: Entertainment, which costs $74.99 per month with the first three months at $64.99 per month; Choice, which costs $99.99 per month with the first three months at $89.99 per month; Ultimate, which costs $109.99 per month with the first three months at $99.99 per month; and Premier, which costs $154.99 per month with the first three months at $144.99 per month. MLB Network (only on Choice, Ultimate, and Premier), ESPN, ESPN2, TBS, and FOX/FS1 are all available on DirecTV Stream.
As for other differences between the plans, Entertainment includes more than 75 channels, the ability to stream on unlimited devices in your home, unlimited cloud DVR storage, and a special offer on premium channels. Choice, which is the most popular plan, includes more than 105 channels, regional sports networks, and everything included in Entertainment. Ultimate includes more than 140 channels and everything included in Entertainment and Choice. Premier includes more than 150 channels including premium channels like HBO and Starz and everything included in Entertainment, Choice, and Premier. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch MLB games for free with DirecTV Stream’s free trial.
- Visit streamtv.directv.com
- Click “Shop Packages”
- Click “Try It Free” for the plan of your choice
- Enter your information and payment method
- Search for the channel of your choice and start watching MLB games
Best Free Trial Pick to Watch MLB Games for Free: Fubo
Fubo is our best free trial pick to watch MLB games for free. Fubo offers a seven-day free trial (two days longer than DirecTV Stream) and offers three plans: Pro, which costs $74.99 per month; Elite, which costs $84.99 per month; and Ultimate, which costs $99.99 per month. MLB Network, ESPN, ESPN2, and FOX/FS1 are all available on Fubo.
As for the difference between the plans, Pro includes 180 channels, 1,000 hours of Cloud DVR, and the ability to watch on up to 10 screens at once. Elite includes everything in Pro, as well as a total of 256 channels and 4K resolution. Ultimate includes everything in Pro and Elite, as well as a total of 299 channels, Showtime, and Red Zone NFL Network. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch MLB games for free with Fubo’s free trial.
- Visit Fubo.TV
- Click “Start Free Trial”
- Enter your information and payment method
- Search for the channel of your choice and start watching the MLB games
Best Budget Pick to Watch MLB Games: Sling
Sling is our best budget pick to watch MLB games based on its price. Sling offers three plans: Sling Orange, Sling Blue, and Sling Orange + Blue. Sling Orange costs $40 per month, Sling Blue costs $45 per month, and Sling Orange + Blue costs at $60 per month. You’re going to want to pick the combined plan, Sling Orange + Blue, to watch MLB games on all of the different channels the games will air on. MLB Network, ESPN, ESPN2, TBS, and FOX/FS1 are all available on Fubo.
As for the difference between the plans, Sling Orange includes 32 channels and the ability to stream on one device at a time, while Sling Orange + Blue includes 46 channels and the ability to stream on three devices at the same time. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch MLB games with Sling.
- Visit Sling.com
- Click “Try Us Today”
- Create an account
- Choose your plan
- Enter your information and payment method
- Search for the channel of your choice and start watching the MLB games
Best Upgrade Pick to Watch MLB Games: Hulu+ Live TV
Hulu+ With Live TV is our best upgrade pick to watch MLB games based on its channel selection and its free subscriptions to Hulu, Disney Plus, and ESPN Plus. Hulu+ With Live TV offers four plans: a $68.99 per month plan with access to only live TV; a $69.99 per month plan with free subscriptions to Hulu with ads, Disney Plus with ads, and ESPN Plus with ads; a $74.99 per month plan with free subscriptions to Hulu with ads, Disney Plus with no ads, and ESPN Plus with ads; and a $82.99 per month plan with free subscriptions to Hulu with no ads, Disney Plus with no ads, and ESPN Plus with ads. ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, TBS, and FOX/FS1 are included on all four plans. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch MLB games with Hulu+ Live TV.
- Visit Hulu.com/liveTV
- Click “Sign Up Now”
- Enter your information and payment method
- Search for the channel of your choice and start watching the MLB games
Best Out-of-Market Pick to Watch MLB Games: ESPN+
ESPN Plus airs a decent amount of out-of-market games and costs $10.99 per month for a monthly plan or $109.99 per year for a yearly plan, which saves customers about 15 percent or almost $22 from the monthly rate. ESPN Plus is also included in The Disney Bundle, which offers three plans: Duo Basic for $9.99 per month (which includes ad-supported plans of Hulu and Disney Plus; Duo Premium for $19.99 per month (ad-free); Trio Basic for $14.99 per month (which includes ad-supported plans of Hulu, Disney Plus and ESPN Plus); and Trio Premium for $24.99 per month (which includes ad-free plans for Hulu, and Disney Plus and an ad-supported plan of ESPN Plus). Duo Basic and Duo Premium save subscribers 37 percent compared to the regular monthly price of each service. Meanwhile, Trio Basic saves subscribers 44 percent compared to the regular monthly price of each service and Trio Premium saves subscribers 41 percent compared to the regular monthly price of each service.
ESPN Plus also comes for free with Hulu+ With live TV costs $76.99 per month for its ad-supported plan and $89.99 per month for its no-ads plan. Hulu+ With Live TV’s ad-supported plan comes with free ad-supported plans of Hulu, Disney Plus and ESPN Plus, while Hulu+ With Live TV’s no-ads plan comes with free no-ads plans of Hulu and Disney Plus and an ad-supported plan of ESPN Plus.
- Visit ESPN Plus’ website
- Click “Get the Disney Bundle” or “Subscribe to ESPN+ only”
- Create an account
- Select your plan and insert your payment information
- Search for MLB games and start watching
Best Friday Games Pick to Watch MLB Games for Free: Apple TV+
Two MLB games a week every Friday are available to stream on Apple TV Plus in 100 countries, which offers a seven-day free trial and costs $9.99 per month after the trial ends. Along with Friday night double-header MLB games, Apple TV Plus includes dozens of Apple Originals with new content added every month. Apple Originals include award-winning comedy and drama series such as Ted Lasso, Severance, Palm Royale, The Morning Show, and Bad Sisters, as well as original movies, documentaries, and children’s content. More recently, Masters of the Air dropped on the streaming platform and stars Austin Butler, Callum Turner, and Barry Keoghan, among others. Apple TV Plus additionally allows users to stream on up to five devices and download content to watch offline.
- Visit TV.Apple.com
- Click “Try It Free“
- Create an account with your email or Apple ID
- Enter your information and payment method
- Search for MLB games and start watching