Best streaming platforms for watching sports in 2024
The NBA season is in full swing now and Major League Baseball will spring into action shortly, not to mention all the NCAA college basketball to come in March. And, oh yeah, the Paris Summer Olympics are right around the corner, too. The 2024 PGA Tour is on as well. With so much sports content to watch, figuring out how and when to watch all your favorite teams and players can feel overwhelming.
If you've cut the cord to your cable TV company, you'll need a digital TV antenna or streaming subscription to watch sports on your TV. Not all streaming platforms, however, will broadcast every sport or every game.
To help you make sense of your sports streaming options in 2024, the experts at CBS Essentials have done the research for you to keep you in the game. Read on to learn how you can stream sports in 2024, and all the ways you can watch for free.
Note: CBS News and Paramount+ are both subsidiaries of Paramount.
Stream NFL, Champions League and SEC football for free with Paramount+
Paramount+ gives you access to CBS original content, NFL football games airing on CBS, UEFA Champions League soccer, PGA Tour golf, NCAA college football and more. Paramount+ was also the exclusive streaming home to Super Bowl LVIII.
Right now, Paramount+ is offering a seven-day free trial of the service to new subscribers. After the free trial period, you'll pay $5.99 per month for the ad-supported Paramount+ Essential plan, or $11.99 per month for the ad-free Paramount+ with Showtime tier.
What you'll get with Paramount+:
- You'll have access to all NFL games airing on CBS locally and nationally televised on all its subscription tiers.
- Paramount+ has CBS programming, including hit shows like "Survivor," "Young Sheldon" and "NCIS."
- Paramount+ has original programming like "1923," "Lawmen Bass Reaves" and "Tulsa King."
- Paramount+ has professional soccer, including the Champions League live.
- Paramount+ features SEC college football games (with a Paramount+ with Showtime subscription).
Get Paramount+ as part of Walmart+ and stream live sports for free
The Walmart+ shopping subscription service includes access to the Paramount+ Essential tier. Walmart+ subscribers also get discounts on gasoline at Mobil and Exxon stations, access to special members-only deals, same-day home delivery from your local store and more. Note, you'll need a Paramount + with Showtime subscription to get access to live sports, except the NFL on CBS and UEFA Champions League, which can be accessed with the Paramount+ Essential tier.
Walmart+ costs $98 per year. Tap the button below to learn all the benefits of Walmart+, and to start your 30-day free trial.
What you'll get with Walmart+:
- Walmart+ members get access to this game through the Paramount+ streaming service, a $72 value.
- You can get groceries delivered to your home quickly -- sometimes same day -- without paying Instacart-like markups.
- Walmart+ members get early access to Walmart's Black Friday deals.
- You can make returns from home -- Walmart will pick them up for you. (Restrictions apply; must be present for pickup.)
Start watching Paramount + free on Amazon Prime Video
Paramount+ content, including live sports, is available to stream on Amazon Prime via a Paramount+ on Prime Video add-on subscription. Prime Video also carries some of the best sports docs, including "Kelce," which documents Philadelphia Eagles star Jason Kelce's (assumed) last season in the league.
Amazon is offering a seven-day free trial of Paramount+. Tap the button below to start your trial and start streaming now for free. After the free trial period ends, a subscription to Paramount+ Essential is $5.99 per month, while the Paramount+ with Showtime tier is $11.99 per month.
NBA League Pass: Watch out-of-market basketball games this season from home
If you want to catch out-of-market NBA games during the 2024 season, NBA League Pass gives you the most access to the most basketball games this season. (There are some blackout games, which you won't be able to watch live, which we'll explain below.)
With the NBA League Pass, you can watch out-of-market games live and on-demand, plus get round-the-clock NBA TV coverage. With an upgraded NBA League Pass Premium subscription, you get everything included in the NBA League Pass, plus you'll be able to stream live and on-demand games on up to three different devices at a time -- and get access to the in-arena stream for the game of your choice.
NBA League Pass is currently priced at $15 per month. NBA League Pass Premium costs $23 per month. NBA League Pass offers a seven-day free trial.
Note: NBA League Pass has some blackout games, which means certain local games and all nationally broadcast games will be available three hours after the live broadcast. All subscription tiers include access to live radio broadcasts of all NBA games.
If you don't want to watch out-of-market NBA games, you can get a stand-alone subscription to NBA TV for just $6.99 per month via Amazon Video. An annual subscription is available for $35.99 per year. A seven-day free trial is available.
Stream national and local NBA games on Sling TV and get NBA League Pass
If you don't have cable TV that includes ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, TBS and NBATV one of the most cost-effective ways to stream NBA games this year, and still get access to local programming, is through a subscription to Sling TV. The streamer offers access to 46 channels, including TNT and ESPN, plus local ABC affiliates (where available) with its Orange + Blue Tier plan. But what sets Sling TV apart is its NBA League Pass offering, which gives you special access to watch every out-of-market NBA game live.
Sling TV has a special NBA Prepay Bundle offer for those interested in NBA League Pass: You can prepay for three months of the NBA League Pass basketball streaming service, and get all the channels in the Orange tier, for $135. That works out to $45 per month. (One month of Orange + NBA League Pass regularly costs $55, so this combo plan is the best value.)
NBA League Pass is available as a $15 per month a la carte offering, though you'll pay just $10 for your first month. You can learn more by tapping the button below.
You can learn more by tapping the button below.
Top features of Sling TV Orange + NBA League Pass:
- There are 46 channels to watch in total, including local NBC, Fox and ABC affiliates (where available).
- You can add the Golf Channel, NBA TV, NHL Network, NFL RedZone, MLB Network, Tennis Channel and more sports-oriented channels (25 in total) via the Sling TV Sports Extra add-on. These channels will cost you an additional $15 per month.
- You get access to most local NBA and nationally broadcast games at the lowest price.
- All subscription tiers include 50 hours of cloud-based DVR storage, perfect for recording all the biggest games of the season.
- With Sling TV Orange + NBA League Pass, you'll get access to all the NBA games you want to watch (minus local blackout games), plus network programs airing on NBC, ABC, Fox and more. It's the most cost-effective way to watch out-of-market NBA games and local network programming.
If you don't want to prepay for three months of NBA League Pass, you can still watch a terrific slate of sports with a subscription to Sling TV. The streamer offers access to the NFL Network, local NBC, Fox and ABC affiliates (where available) and ESPN with its Orange + Blue Tier plan.
That plan normally costs $60 per month, but the streamer is currently offering a 50% off promotion for your first month, so you'll pay just $30. You can learn more by tapping the button below. You can add the Golf Channel, NBA TV, NHL Network, NFL RedZone, MLB Network, Tennis Channel and more sports-oriented channels (25 in total) via the Sling TV Sports Extra add-on. These channels will cost you an additional $15 per month.
Watch the NFL, NBA and MLB for free on Fubo
If you're new to streaming sports, you should know about Fubo. Fubo is a sports-centric streaming service that offers access to almost every live sporting event of the 2024 season, your local TV affiliates, hundreds of cable TV channels and 1,000 hours of cloud DVR storage. It's the ultimate replacement for your costly cable TV subscription.
Another great reason to love Fubo is its Lookback feature that lets you watch sporting events up to 72 hours after they air live.
Start watching sports on Fubo, including network-aired NFL, NBA and MLB games by starting a seven-day free trial of Fubo. You can begin watching immediately on your TV, phone, tablet or computer. Fubo starts at $80/month for the Pro tier (includes 186 channels).
What you'll get with Fubo Pro Tier:
- There are no contracts with Fubo -- you can cancel at any time.
- The Pro tier includes 187 channels, including NFL Network. (You'll need to upgrade to the Ultimate tier for NFL RedZone.)
- Fubo includes all the channels you'll need to watch college and pro football, including CBS.
- In addition to NFL football, Fubo offers MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS and international soccer games.
- All Fubo tiers come with 1,000 hours of cloud-based DVR recording.
- Stream on your TV, phone and mobile devices.
Watch live sports with Hulu + Live TV
If you've completely cut cable and you're looking to stream sports while still accessing local programming, Hulu + Live TV will save you a bundle. You can watch programming aired locally on CBS, ABC, NBC and Fox affiliates, plus the NFL Network, NBA on TNT, Major League Baseball games and more.
You'll be able to watch NBA and MLB games with Hulu + Live TV, which includes your local CBS affiliate, plus (most) NFL games next season. Hulu + Live TV comes bundled with ESPN+ and Disney+ for $77 per month.
What you'll get with Hulu + Live TV:
- You won't need a cable subscription when you subscribe to Hulu + Live TV.
- Watch top-tier sports like NFL football, the NBA on TNT and the 2024 MLB season with Hulu + Live TV.
- Unlimited DVR storage is included.
- You won't need a clunky cable box with Hulu + Live TV.
Watch the NFL, Big Ten basketball and the Premier League with Peacock
Peacock offers its subscribers live streaming access to NFL games that air on NBC, Big Ten football, Premier League soccer and WWE wrestling (including formerly PPV-only events such as Wrestlemania). Peacock is also the streaming home of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.
The streamer hosts 80,000 hours worth of recorded content to watch as well, including hit movies and TV series such as "The Office" and "Parks and Recreation."
Peacock Premium is regularly $6 per month or $60 per year.
Top features of Peacock:
- Peacock airs NFL matchups airing live on NBC (that's Sunday Night Football and special NFL regular season and special NFL playoff Saturday games).
- Peacock features plenty of current and classic NBC and Bravo TV shows.
- Subscribers get access to Peacock's massive library of record content, plus Peacock originals including "Poker Face" and "Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip".
Get ready for the 2024-5 NFL season with NFL+
If you want to watch the NFL on your phone or tablet, check out NFL+. You'll get access to the NFL preseason on your mobile device, plus out-of-market NFL games next season. Or, boost your NFL experience and upgrade to NFL+ Premium with NFL RedZone and watch up to eight NFL games simultaneously next season.
The premium streaming service, which starts at $7 per month, offers access to the NFL Network. Start with a seven-day free trial, or take advantage of the NFL+ deal on an annual subscription, now 60% off. The NFL+ Premium offering is $15 per month and includes full-game replays.
Why you'll get with NFL+:
- You can watch NFL football live on your phone or mobile device.
- You get access to all NFL preseason games, including those that are out of market.
- NFL+ lets you watch stream local and primetime regular season games on your phone or tablet, but not your TV.
- NFL+ includes the NFL Network (and NFL RedZone with NFL+ Premium), so it's a good option for those who are looking to stream football on the go.
Watch Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime
Starting in 2022, Amazon became the exclusive carrier of Thursday Night Football (TNF). Last season, Prime upped its coverage with a riveting Thursday Night Football schedule that included all 14 playoff teams from the 2022-2023 NFL season.
In addition to TNF, last season's Black Friday game was played in Week 12 on November 24 -- Miami Dolphins vs. the New York Jets. It aired exclusively on Amazon Prime. Expect more Amazon-exclusive games in the future.
You can try out Amazon Prime for 30 days at no cost. After that, Prime is $14.99 per month ($139 annually). You can read up on all the other benefits of Amazon in our article, "Is Amazon Prime worth it?"
ESPN+: Watch MLB, UFC and the PGA Tour
ESPN+ is ESPN's subscription streaming platform, which offers exclusive live events, original studio shows and top-tier series that aren't accessible on the ESPN networks. ESPN+ subscribers may purchase UFC PPV events and access the platform's vast archive of on-demand content, including the entire 30 For 30 catalog, game replays and select ESPN films.
It is important to note that ESPN+ does not include access to the ESPN network. It is a separate sports-centric service, with separate sports programming.
ESPN+ offers exclusive live sports, original shows and a vast library of on-demand content, including the entire 30 For 30 series and more. Here's a sampling of what's available on ESPN+:
- Exclusive fantasy sports tools and content from some of the sports world's most respected voices in sports.
- Every Fight Night UFC event UFC PPV event (PPV events are subject to an additional charge).
- Soccer including EFL Championship, US Open Cup and Bundesliga.
- College sports including the Ivy League, Big Sky Conference and Atlantic A10 Conference.
- MLB and the World Series.
- Top-tier tennis including the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
- The PGA Tour and the Masters.
An ESPN+ subscription costs $10.99 per month, or save 15% when you pay annually ($110). ESPN+ is also currently offering a cost-saving bundle. Get ESPN+ (with ads), Disney+ (with ads) and Hulu (with ads) for $14.99 per month. If you want to learn more about ESPN+, please see our article, "What is ESPN+?"
How to stream the sports in 2024 for free
If you're looking to stream sports this year, but aren't sure if you want to commit to another streaming subscription, NBA League Pass, Paramount+ and Fubo let you test drive the platform with a seven-day free trial. None requires a long-term contract, so you can cancel anytime.
Tap the buttons below to learn more about streaming your favorite sports for free.
