The Best Streaming Services For Watching Live Sports in 2025

In the past, watching sports was straightforward: you'd turn on your TV and catch the game. Nowadays, navigating the world of sports streaming has become much more complex. With regional blackouts, additional paywalls, and exclusive broadcasting rights scattered across various services, it can feel like navigating a labyrinth. Fans are often left scrambling to find where and how they can watch their favorite games.

With numerous streaming platforms offering live sports, choosing the right service to subscribe to can be daunting. We've done the research for you and compiled a list of the best sports streaming services for live games, matches, and fights, tailored to every type of fan.

Hulu + Live TV

Best Streaming Bundle For Sports

Hulu + Live TV offers an extensive array of popular sports across more than 95 channels, including NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NCAA, international soccer, UFC, and more. In addition to games on local channels, you can regularly watch sports on ESPN, CBS Sports Network, NFL Network, and FS1, among others.

As part of its monthly subscription, Hulu + Live TV includes the Disney Bundle, granting access to ESPN+ which offers additional exclusive sports events, like UFC and college sports, along with original programming. Hulu + Live TV also comes with a three-day free trial, making it an excellent choice for watching March Madness games in 2025.

Fubo

Best Variety

Fubo, though less known, is our top pick for variety, streaming over 55,000 sporting events annually. This includes NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, NCAA college sports, NASCAR, golf, tennis, boxing, MMA, and much more. International soccer fans will enjoy coverage of the Premier League, LaLiga, UEFA Champions League, Ligue 1, Liga MX, and Serie A.

For those seeking even more sports content, Fubo offers various add-on packages that include channels like NFL Redzone, MLB.TV, NBA League Pass, international sports channels, and NCAA conference-specific channels.

Peacock

Best For Premier League Soccer and WWE

Owned by NBC Universal, Peacock offers a wealth of sports content, particularly Premier League soccer, one of the world's most popular sports. With season-long live coverage and exclusive matches, you can watch games from teams like Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal.

For WWE enthusiasts, Peacock is the exclusive streaming platform for every WWE premium event, including Wrestlemania. Additionally, you can catch NFL Sunday Night Football and Big Ten college basketball on Peacock.

ESPN+

Best For UFC and College Sports

ESPN+ is the go-to platform for streaming UFC events, including Pay-Per-View fights, Fight Nights, and more. While UFC PPV events require an additional $79.99 fee, Fight Nights and other events are included with the subscription. ESPN+ also provides access to hundreds of classic UFC fights.

The platform boasts a vast selection of college sports, with over 6,000 men's and women's events across 26 conferences, including football, basketball, baseball, hockey, lacrosse, wrestling, and more. However, it's important to note that ESPN+ does not include access to popular ESPN network channels like ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNEWS. To watch SportsCenter or other ESPN-exclusive events, you'll need a traditional cable or Live TV streaming subscription.

DirecTV Stream

Best Cable Alternative

DirecTV Stream is a satellite-free service that offers everything you'd expect from a cable alternative, including local networks and sports channels like ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN U, NBC Golf, FS1, NBA TV, MLB Network, and the Tennis Channel. The DirecTV Choice package is particularly appealing to sports fans, providing over 125 channels with major nationwide and regional sports events.

New subscribers can take advantage of a five-day free trial to test the service.

Paramount Plus

Best For PGA Golf

Paramount+ offers sports content from CBS Sports, including NFL on CBS games and every UEFA Champions League match. Alongside a library of sports movies and TV shows, you'll find daily programming from CBS Sports HQ and documentaries.

Golf enthusiasts can upgrade to the Paramount+ with Showtime plan for access to major PGA Tour events such as the Farmers Insurance Open and the Wyndham Championship.

Sports Streaming FAQs

Can You Watch Live Sports For Free?

Yes, you can watch select live sports for free. The availability and frequency vary, but you can use a TV antenna to access local channels and watch popular sporting events like NFL, MLB, and NBA games. Streaming services like Sling Freestream also offer ad-supported access to certain live sports.

Which Sports Streaming Services Have Free Trials?

Most of the sports streaming services mentioned above offer free trials. Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, DirecTV Stream, and Paramount+ provide trials ranging from three days to a week. Timing your trial well can allow you to watch multiple live sporting events. Peacock and ESPN+ currently do not offer free trials, though ESPN+ is included in the Hulu + Live TV free trial.

If you're interested in more than just sports, check out our list of the Best Streaming Services With Free Trials in 2025.