8 Cheapest Streaming Services for Sports

cord-cutting • March 31, 2023 • Staff

It's not exactly cheap to be a dedicated sports fan. You have to shell out on game tickets, merchandise, and the occasional pay-per-view event among others. Thankfully, streaming isn't one of those expenses you have to worry about. At least it shouldn't be, not when there are cheap options available in the market.

The most cost-efficient streaming service for watching sports is Sling TV, particularly its Sling Orange package, since it already comes packed with a handful of live channels. Also worth noting are Paramount+ for NFL fans, Peacock Premium for British football fans, and SportsLive for college-level matches. Below are all the streaming services you should watch out for if you're a sports fan.

Sling Orange

Sling Orange used to be more expensive than Sling Blue but they now both cost $40 each, or $28 if you get both of them ($55/month if you get Sling Orange+Blue)

Go to Sling Orange

Price: $40/month

Device availability: AirTV, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Cox, iOS, LG TV, Mi Box, Roku, Samsung TV, TiVo, Vizio, Windows 10, Windows 11, Xbox, Xbox One

Channel lineup: A&E, AMC, AXS TV, BBC America, Bloomberg Television, Cartoon Network, Cheddar, Cheddar Big News, CNN, Comedy Central, Disney Channel, EPIX Drive-In, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, Food Network, Freeform, Fuse, HGTV, History, IFC, Investigation Discovery, Lifetime, Newsy, TBS, TNT, Travel Channel, Tribeca Shortlist, Viceland

Amazon Prime

Amazon's premium membership program includes access to the streaming platform Prime Video, more commonly referred to in this publication as simply “Amazon Prime.”

If you live in the US, the UK or Germany, you have the option between paying a yearly or monthly subscription fee for an Amazon Prime account, which comes with a bulk of other retail and delivery services. People in other countries where Amazon is not operating may be able to access it from a browser only.

In addition to on-demand streaming, you can rent or purchase TV shows that are not on the service for an additional fee. As well as Amazon devices, the app is available on any mobile device, including iOS, Android, or Windows. The app also works on Apple and Windows computers, on a wide range of TVs, mobile devices, and games consoles.

Go to Amazon Prime

Price: $12.99/month

Free Trial: 30 days

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Apple TV, Changhong, Chromecast, Haier, Hisense, iOS, LG, Nvidia SHIELD, Panasonic, Philips, PlayStation, Roku, Samsung, Sharp, Skyworth, Sony, TiVo, Vestel, Vizio, Wii, Xbox

Paramount+ Premium

Paramount plus is mostly a Netflix-style streaming service, offering movies and TV shows on-demand like The Good Fight or Yellowstone.

The premium plan of Paramount Plus gives you access to Live TV from CBS: CBS local channels, CBS News (CBSN), CBS Sports, ET live, and some live sporting events like NFL on CBS Live. It also offers on-demand access to programming from Comedy Central, MTV, BET, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Paramount Pictures and Smithsonian Channel.

Go to Paramount+ Premium

Price: $9.99/month

Free Trial: 7 days

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, LG TV, PlayStation 4, Portal TV, Roku, Samsung TV, Vizio, Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, Xfinity Flex

Channel lineup: CBS local channels, CBS Sports HQ, CBSN, ET Live

Peacock

Peacock is a streaming service owned by NBC, with options for paid subscriptions as well as a free plan. The free plan offers about 13,000 hours of ad-supported content, with the option to upgrade to premium for more access to content. The premium options include two plans: $4.99 a month or $50 a year for ad-supported; $9.99 a month or $100 a year for ad-free. With both premium plans, you'll get access to the full catalog of 2,000 movies and shows, including every episode of the original NBC series. You'll also get next-day access to all the new episodes of ongoing NBC shows, and early access to talk shows such as Late Night with Seth Meyers and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on the air night. You can stream Peacock on Apple devices like the iPhone and Apple TV, Google devices like Android phones and Chromecast, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles. But there is still no app available for Roku or Amazon platforms.

Go to Peacock

Price: $4.99/month

Device availability: Android, Android TV, Apple TV, iOS, LG TV, PlayStation, Roku, Visio TV, Xbox

SportsLive

SportsLive is a streaming platform that covers both pro and amateur sporting events. This means you're able to stay updated on your favorite teams whether they're from the big leagues or high school. And aside from featuring nearly 20,000 live events, it also boasts a catalog of exclusive programming, interviews, and press conferences. This platform, powered by CBS Sports Digital, comes at a reasonable price and will surely satisfy even the most niche sports fan.

Go to SportsLive

Price: $9.95/month

Device availability: Android, iOS, Website

Channel lineup: CBS Sports Network

Spectrum TV Choice

Spectrum is a cable TV, internet, telephone and wireless company based in the US. In 2019, Spectrum launched its TV Essentials services to target customers who prefer online viewing. As CEO Tom Routeledge describes it, Spectrum TV Essentials is a “low-priced, entertainment-only bundle unencumbered by the high cost of broadcast retransmission consent fees and expensive sports programming.” Spectrum TV Choice is an evolution of TV Essentials

Go to Spectrum TV Choice

Price: Varies depending on your location and account history.

MotorTrend OnDemand

MotorTrend OnDemand is a subscription service that specializes in motorsports and automotive content. It has 2,000 hours' worth of titles, which include historical archives, information programs, and reality shows. Roadkill and Ignition, original series that found their start on YouTube, have since been moved to the MotorTrend OnDemand platform, where they can be streamed exclusively. The auto-specific streamer also covers live racing events from all around the world, among them the Pirelli World Challenge and Blancpain GT Series.

Go to MotorTrend OnDemand

Price: $4.99/month

Device availability: Android, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, Roku, Website, Xbox One

ESPN+

One important thing to know: ESPN+ will not allow you to watch ESPN channels live. However, it has a lot of on-demand content that has aired on the channels and is a good way to watch some sports live. Namely: UFC events, many soccer leagues (such as LaLiga and Bundesliga), Golf, Tennis, and MLB. For the price, ESPN+ is worth at least a try if you are a fan of any of these sports.

Go to ESPN+

Price: $6.99/month

Device availability: Android, Chromecast, Fire TV, iOS, Oculus, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Roku, Roku TV, Samsung Smart TV, Website, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Xfinity Flex

Channel lineup: ESPN