The best streaming service for sports in 2026 is YouTube TV. It's the service I pay for and use every week for NFL, NBA and more, and it was the only one I tested from Florida that gave me my sports channels and all my local channels in one package. The main plan costs $82.99 a month for 100+ channels, and sports fans can save with the Sports + News plan ($71.99 a month, or $49.99 a month for your first five months). If you need your team's regional sports network, pick Fubo or DirecTV instead. On a tight budget, Peacock, Paramount+ or an HD antenna will do the job.
I've used YouTube TV as my main service for a full year, and I tested Fubo, Hulu + Live TV and DirecTV against it on a smart TV, a Fire Stick and my phone. Below are my picks for every kind of sports fan, with real prices, pros and cons.
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My picks for the best sports streaming services
Best streaming service for sports overall: YouTube TV & StelloTV
Best for regional sports networks (NBA, MLB, NHL home teams): Fubo or DirecTV
Best for soccer fans: Fubo, plus Peacock and Paramount+
Best budget option for sports: Peacock, Paramount+ or an HD antenna
Best streaming service for sports overall: YouTube TV
Pros
Local ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox plus the big national sports networks in one package
Multiview lets you watch up to four games at once
Unlimited cloud DVR and six household accounts
Works anywhere in the US, including on your phone while traveling
NFL Sunday Ticket available as an add-on
Cons
Pricier than budget options, and promo prices jump when they end
Few regional sports networks
DVR recordings expire after nine months
Some recordings play the on-demand version with ads you can't skip
No Champions League (that's on Paramount+)
Key specs
Price: $82.99/month main plan (100+ channels); Sports + News plan $71.99/month, $49.99/month for your first five months; Sports plan $64.99/month
Top sports channels: ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, ESPN, FS1, NFL Network, NBA TV, TNT, TBS
Simultaneous streams: 3 (unlimited at home with the $9.99/month 4K Plus add-on)
Sports add-ons: NFL Sunday Ticket; NFL RedZone with Sports Plus ($10.99/month)
Why YouTube TV is my top pick
I watch a lot of sports: NFL, NBA, and soccer whenever the Champions League is on. After a year with YouTube TV, it's the service I'd tell any friend to get. The deciding factor for me was simple: it carried the local channels I wanted and my sports channels in one package. When I tested Fubo, Hulu + Live TV and DirecTV from Florida, none of them gave me every local channel I was looking for.
The moment it really won me over was a weekend trip with my family. We were out all day, and my favorite game was on. I opened YouTube TV on my phone, connected to public Wi-Fi, and watched the whole game with no buffering and no cutouts. That's the kind of reliability you only learn by actually using a service.
Is YouTube TV worth the price?
For me, yes. I'm on the Sports + News plan, which skips the entertainment and kids channels I don't watch. New users pay $49.99 a month for the first five months, then $71.99. There are cheaper services out there, but for the quality and the channels I get, the price is fair.
My one complaint is that jump after the promo. Going from $49.99 to $71.99 stings, and I'd love to see YouTube TV keep the lower price for longer. If you want every channel, the main plan is $82.99 a month.
What I don't like about YouTube TV
The DVR is the biggest annoyance. You can't easily record or delete a single episode, so it records the whole series, including reruns, and your library gets cluttered. Storage is unlimited, but every recording is deleted after nine months. Some recordings also switch to the network's on-demand version, which forces you to sit through ads.
Regional sports networks are the other weak spot. If your local NBA or MLB team is on a regional network, YouTube TV probably won't carry it. A few cable staples like History and Lifetime aren't on the lineup either. And like every live TV service, YouTube TV can lose channels for a while during contract disputes with networks.
Best for regional sports networks: Fubo or DirecTV
If you follow a local NBA, MLB or NHL team, its regular-season games are usually on a regional sports network (RSN) like FanDuel Sports Network or an NBC Sports regional channel. YouTube TV carries very few of these. Fubo and DirecTV carry the most, which is why Reddit's cord-cutting crowd keeps recommending them to home-team fans.
Fubo
Pros: One of the biggest sports lineups of any live TV service, RSNs on Pro and higher plans, up to 10 streams at home, unlimited DVR.
Cons: No TNT, TBS or CNN since 2024, and Versant channels like USA Network and Golf Channel are still missing.
Price: base plans from $88.99/month, plus regional sports fees in some areas; a cheaper Fubo Sports plan is available
Top sports channels: ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, ESPN, FS1, NFL Network, beIN Sports, regional sports networks
Simultaneous streams: up to 10 at home
When I tested Fubo from Florida, NBC and Telemundo were missing, because NBCUniversal had pulled its channels during a contract dispute. NBC, Telemundo and Bravo returned in June 2026, but USA Network and Golf Channel still haven't. Fubo has also gone without Warner Bros. Discovery channels since April 2024, so no TNT or TBS sports. For me, the missing NBC and Telemundo locals were the dealbreaker.
DirecTV
Pros: The most cable-like experience, the widest RSN coverage on its Choice tier and above, unlimited streams at home.
Cons: The most expensive of the big services once promo pricing ends.
Price: Entertainment, Choice and Ultimate base plans; Choice is the tier sports fans want for RSNs ($94.99/month regular price, often discounted). A cheaper MySports genre pack is also available.
Top sports channels: local ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox; ESPN; regional sports networks
Simultaneous streams: unlimited at home, 3 on the go
DirecTV is the pick if your local team's network matters more than price. In the Reddit thread, several fans said it was the only service carrying their regional networks. In my own Florida test, it didn't have every local channel I wanted, so I stayed with YouTube TV.
A cheaper option for one team
If you only care about one team, check whether it has its own streaming app, like NESN 360 or Jazz+. These can cost far less than a full live TV plan. League packages like MLB.TV and NBA League Pass work too, but they black out local games, so they're best for following a team from outside its home market.
Best for soccer fans: Fubo, plus Peacock and Paramount+
No single service carries all the big soccer in the US, so soccer-first fans need a combo. Here's the one I'd recommend:
Fubo for the widest live soccer coverage on TV, including beIN Sports along with ESPN, Fox, FS1 and NBC.
Peacock for the Premier League. Premium is $12.99/month, and Premium Plus is $19.99/month if you also want your local NBC channel live.
Paramount+ for the UEFA Champions League and Serie A. Essential is $8.99/month, and Premium is $13.99/month.
I'm a Champions League fan myself, and YouTube TV doesn't carry most of it. Instead of switching services, I add Paramount+ only during Champions League season (more on that below).
Best budget option for sports: Peacock, Paramount+ or an HD antenna
If you love sports but can't justify $70 to $90 a month, you don't need a full live TV service. These options do the job for far less:
Peacock ($12.99/month): Sunday Night Football, NBA games, the Premier League, MLB and more.
Paramount+ ($8.99/month): NFL on CBS, the Champions League, Serie A and UFC.
An HD antenna (one-time cost, often around $20): Free over-the-air ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox, which covers most NFL games, plus plenty of college football and NBA.
They won't give you everything YouTube TV does, but they cover the biggest events. An antenna plus one streaming app is the cheapest way I know to watch most NFL Sundays.
Other live TV services worth knowing
Hulu + Live TV ($89.99/month) comes bundled with Disney+, Hulu and ESPN Select, which makes it a strong pick if your household watches a lot of on-demand shows too. When I tested it from Florida, it didn't have every local channel I wanted, and it only allows two streams at once.
Sling TV is the cheapest of the live TV services, with Orange and Blue plans from $45.99/month each. Sling Orange carries ESPN, and Blue carries Fox and NBC in some cities, but neither includes CBS, so you'll miss some NFL games without an antenna.
Sports streaming services compared
YouTube TV gives the best balance of sports, locals and features for the price; Fubo and DirecTV win on regional sports networks.
Service | Regular monthly price | Channels | Regional sports networks | Simultaneous streams | Cloud DVR | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
YouTube TV | $82.99 (Sports + News $71.99) | 100+ | Few | 3 | Unlimited (9-month expiry) | Most sports fans |
Fubo | From $88.99 | 150+ | Yes (Pro and up) | 10 at home | Unlimited | RSNs, soccer |
DirecTV | $94.99 (Choice) | 90+ | Yes (Choice and up) | Unlimited at home, 3 away | Unlimited | RSNs, cable-like feel |
Hulu + Live TV | $89.99 | 95+ | Limited | 2 | Unlimited | Sports plus on-demand shows |
Sling TV | From $45.99 | 34+ | No | 1 (Orange), 3 (Blue) | 50 hours | Lowest price |
Sources: YouTube TV, Decider, CNET. Prices are before taxes and regional sports fees and change often.
How I tested these sports streaming services
I tested every service by actually watching games on it, from my home in Florida. YouTube TV has been my main service for a full year, and I trialed Fubo, Hulu + Live TV and DirecTV against it.
Here's what I did with each one:
Same Wi-Fi, three devices. I ran each service on my smart TV, a Fire Stick and my phone, all on the same home Wi-Fi. A phone's Wi-Fi chip can be stronger than a streaming stick's, so this showed whether picture quality or lag changed from one device to another.
Picture quality and lag. During live games, I watched for drops in quality, buffering and how far the stream ran behind live.
Away from home. I watched on my phone and tablet over public Wi-Fi while traveling, to see if streaming held up as smoothly as it does at home.
Channel check. I compared each lineup against the local and sports channels I actually watch: NFL, NBA and Champions League soccer.
YouTube TV was the only one that passed all four for me, especially on local channels.
My money-saving tip: add streaming apps only for the season you need
You don't need every sports app all year. I keep YouTube TV as my main service all year round, and I subscribe to Paramount+ only while the Champions League is on. I don't watch every match, just the ones I care about, so paying for Paramount+ in the off-season makes no sense.
The same trick works for any sport. Add Peacock for the Premier League season, or NFL Sunday Ticket for football season, then cancel when it ends. Most streaming apps let you cancel anytime, so you only pay for the months you watch.
Sports streaming FAQs
Is there anything better than YouTube TV for sports?
For most US sports fans, no. YouTube TV combines local channels, national sports networks, multiview and an unlimited DVR at a lower price than Fubo, DirecTV or Hulu + Live TV. The exception is if you need your local team's regional sports network. Fubo or DirecTV is better for that.
Is Fubo or Hulu better for sports?
Fubo is better for pure sports, especially soccer and regional sports networks. Hulu + Live TV is the better all-rounder if your household also wants Disney+, Hulu and ESPN Select bundled in. Keep in mind that Fubo doesn't carry TNT or TBS.
Is it cheaper to have YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV?
YouTube TV is cheaper. Its main plan is $82.99 a month, and its Sports + News plan is $71.99, compared with $89.99 for Hulu + Live TV. Hulu does include Disney+ and Hulu on-demand at that price, though.
Does Hulu + Live TV have local channels?
Yes. Hulu + Live TV carries local ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in most markets, but availability varies by ZIP code. Check your area's lineup before signing up, because in my Florida test it didn't have every local channel I wanted.
Why are people leaving YouTube TV?
Mostly because of price. YouTube TV launched at $35 a month in 2017, and the main plan now costs $82.99. Channel disputes also push people away, like the late-2025 standoff with Disney that temporarily took ESPN and ABC off the service. The new cheaper genre plans, like Sports + News, are YouTube TV's answer to that.
Final verdict: which sports streaming service should you get?
YouTube TV is the best streaming service for sports for most people in the US. Before you sign up, ask yourself two questions:
Are you a real sports fan? If you watch games every week, you'll get your money's worth from a full live TV service.
Can you afford YouTube TV? If yes, go with YouTube TV. That's what I did, and after a full year I'd make the same choice again.
If you're a sports fan on a tight budget, go with Peacock, Paramount+ or an HD antenna instead. They won't match YouTube TV, but they'll do the job. And if your local team plays on a regional sports network, pick Fubo or DirecTV.
About the author
Dana Reyes is a lifelong sports fan who watches the NFL, NBA and Champions League every season. They've used YouTube TV as their main live TV service for a year and have tested Fubo, Hulu + Live TV and DirecTV side by side on a smart TV, Fire Stick and phone.
Written by
Dana Reyes
Dana has spent six years untangling streaming hardware, from set-top boxes to the router behind them. She writes the setup guides she wishes she had.
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