The truncated 60-game MLB schedule has come to an end and the first round of the expanded 16-team playoffs is set to start on Sept. 29. Don’t want to miss a single inning? Our guide covers all the best video streaming services for watching all of the MLB postseason games from the first pitch of the Wild Card round to the last out of the World Series.
How to Stream the MLB Playoffs
If you have cut the (cable) cord, don’t worry: You can still watch all the postseason baseball you want. You just need to subscribe to the right live TV video streaming service. To watch playoff games, make sure your service offers five channels: ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, FS1, and TBS. Only a few streaming services offer all these channels, but you should consider other factors, such as each service’s price, live TV streaming resolution, DVR capabilities, and support for simultaneous streams. Currently, Hulu + Live TV and AT&T TV Now are the cheapest options with these channels, though neither offers the MLB Network channel.
Note that coverage blackouts and other restrictions still apply to video streaming services. However, since MLB postseason games are set to broadcast nationally, these restrictions are not as relevant. During the regular season, navigating coverage restrictions and trying to find the regional sports networks (RSNs) you need to watch your favorite baseball teams in action can be a challenge.
How to Stream the World Series
This year, the World Series will be played at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. It’s the first time a single ballpark has hosted every game of the World Series since 1944 and the first-ever neutral site for the event. The World Series begins on Tuesday, Oct. 20, with a potential Game 7 on Wednesday, Oct. 28.
You can watch all the games on your local FOX broadcast affiliate. The vast majority of live TV streaming services (including all the services listed in this roundup) offer access to local broadcast networks, including FOX. If you only want to watch the World Series, Locast is the cheapest option; it offers local channels in many national broadcast markets.
Cable and Over-the-Air Options for Baseball
One way to make sure you catch as many games as possible during the postseason is to sign up for a cable plan. Cable plans tend to be more expensive than streaming subscriptions, but most packages have all the channels you need to watch the MLB Playoffs and the World Series. If you have a cable subscription, you can watch games from any device using the dedicated ABC, ESPN, FOX Sports, and TBS apps by signing in and verifying your cable provider.
ESPN, ESPN2, FS1, and TBS are all not available to watch with an antenna. On the other hand, ABC and FOX are available over-the-air. Unless you are willing to miss out on all the postseason games, you need to find a solution that gets you more than just your local channels.
Other Ways to Stream the MLB Playoffs
Another way to watch MLB postseason games is with MLB.TV’s Postseason package. This service enables you to watch replays of postseason games and listen to every game live for $24.99. MLB audio is now a part of this subscription.
A major caveat is that all postseason games are subject to broadcast exclusivities, so subscribers don’t get any extra live game coverage. All live games broadcast by FOX and MLB Network will be available to authenticated subscribers (customers of a participating cable or video service provider) on the site, but that access is not specific to MLB.TV users. Check the MLB’s official postseason schedule to see which games are available to authenticated users. If you want to watch the MLB Playoffs live, MLB.TV is not a worthwhile option. Even during the regular season, you can’t watch live games in which your local team is playing with MLB.TV.
On the bright side, subscribers can watch the archived postseason games about 90 minutes after the game ends and there are no blackouts for live audio streams of these games. A subscription also includes access to the archives of every game of the 2020 season. MLB.TV offers on-demand content for baseball fans, including documentaries and vintage episodes from the ’70s and ’80s, too. You can download the MLB.TV app on mobile platforms (Android and iOS), media streaming devices (Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, and Roku), and game consoles (PS4 and Xbox One). A catch-up feature (only available on the fourth-generation Apple TV) allows you to get a 90-second rundown of key plays when you tune into a game already in progress.
If you are hoping to watch sports other than baseball, check out our guide for ways to watch every sport without cable. General sports fans should consult our roundup of the top sports streaming services.
Best MLB Playoffs Streaming Services Featured in This Roundup:
Hulu + Live TV
Hulu + Live TV has every channel and network you need to watch MLB postseason games, including ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, FOX, FS1, and TBS. Other sports channels that are part of a subscription include BTN and Golf Channel. The Español add-on ($4.99 per month) gets you international sports coverage via ESPN Deportes.
The Enhanced Cloud DVR (increases DVR storage from 50 hours to 200 hours) and the Unlimited Screens package (increases concurrent stream limit from two to unlimited on your home network and two mobile streams away from it) improve the Hulu experience. You can get both Add-ons for $14.99 per month or purchase them separately for $9.99 per month. The service supports 1080p/60fps live streaming on select platforms, while on-demand content is mostly available in 1080p.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV offers a serious selection of TV networks for baseball fans, including the necessary ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, FOX, FS1, and TBS channels to watch the playoffs and the World Series. It also includes the MLB Network, so you’ll get to see more game coverage and analysis. YouTube TV’s sports lineup also includes Golf Channel, NFL Network, Tennis Channel, and Olympic Channel. The optional Sports Plus Add On ($15 per month) includes NFL RedZone and FOX Soccer Plus.
Unlimited cloud DVR storage, up to three simultaneous device streams, and support for six user accounts come standard with a YouTube TV subscription. The service also supports 1080p streams on some live channels on select platforms. You can access YouTube TV via the web or downloading its app for Android, iOS, Apple TV, and other streaming devices.
fuboTV
While fuboTV is known for having one of the best sports packages available, it doesn’t have TBS (or any other Turner channels), so you will miss some playoff games. The streaming service does have ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, FOX, and FS1 channels, however.
FuboTV’s sports lineup includes the Golf Channel, NFL Network, and CBS Sports Network. FuboTV also includes many international sports channels, such as beIN Sports, GOL TV, and TUDN. With the fubo Extra package ($5.99 per month), you can get the MLB Network, along with sports fan favorites like NBA TV, Tennis Channel, ESPN U, and the NHL Network. The Sports Plus with NFL RedZone package ($10.99 per month) includes MLB Strike Zone, a channel that allows viewers to see highlights, live look-ins, and updates from regular-season games without commercials.
Two top playback features of fuboTV are Lookback (allows you to watch some sports events up to 72 hours after they aired) and Startover (lets you start some live programs over from the beginning). fuboTV airs some live programming in 4K, though most of its live streams are 720p. Much of its on-demand content can be streamed in 1080p or higher.
You can keep your fuboTV DVR content forever and, if you run out of space, upgrade fuboTV’s DVR storage from 30 hours to 250 hours ($9.99 per month) or 1,000 hours ($16.99 per month). If you need to stream on more devices simultaneously, you can increase the limit from two to three ($5.99 per month) or five at home and two on mobile ($9.99 per month). FuboTV offers dedicated apps for mobile platforms (Android and iOS) and media streaming devices (Apple TV, Fire TV, Chromecast, and Roku).
Sling TV
To watch many of the playoff games, you need to opt for Sling’s Orange & Blue plan ($45 per month) which includes ESPN, ESPN2, TBS, and FS1. If you want to watch your local FOX affiliate, you need to check for local channel availability. ABC is not available on Sling without setting up an antenna and other streaming hardware, so the service is not ideal for watching the playoff games that air on that network.
Sling TV’s combined plan has a 50-channel lineup that includes networks such as HGTV, SyFy, and TruTV. The Sports Extra add-on ($10 per month) gets you beIN Sports, ESPN U, Golf Channel, MLB Network, NBA TV, and NHL Network.
Sling TV includes just 10 hours of DVR storage with a subscription, but you increase that limit to 50 hours for an extra $5 per month. Currently, you can’t stream any live content above 720p. Sling TV is available on mobile phones, streaming devices, Xbox consoles, and the web.
AT&T TV Now
AT&T TV Now’s $55-per-month Plus plan covers the channels you need to watch the MLB Playoffs, including ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, FS1, and TBS. It also offers includes FOX affiliates for watching the World Series. The Plus service also includes NBC Sports Network.
AT&T TV Now has two innovative playback features: Lookback and Rewind. They respectively allow sports fans to watch previously aired content (up to 72 hours in the past) and restart live streams from the beginning of the broadcast for certain channels.
AT&T TV Now keeps DVR recordings for up to 30 days and offers just 20 hours of storage. The service does not offer 4K live streams. AT&T TV Now is available on streaming devices, mobile platforms (via the AT&T TV app), and the web, but not game consoles.
