Best Streaming Services for Sports in 2026: 8 Options Compared

ESPN launched its direct-to-consumer service in August 2025, and it comes in two plans. ESPN's support page lists ESPN Unlimited at $31.99 per month or $319.99 per year, and ESPN Select at $13.99 per month or $139.99 per year.

Unlimited gives access to all of ESPN's linear networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SEC Network and ACC Network) plus ESPN on ABC and the ESPN+ library, with about 47,000 live events a year. ESPN's own overview describes Select as access to ESPN+ content only, with more than 32,000 events a year. It also says NFL Network is part of the direct service, and Monday Night Football streams on Unlimited. Both plans carry ads during live events.

The honest limitation is that ESPN does not carry Sunday afternoon NFL on CBS or FOX, or the NBC games. Pair it with something else if you follow the NFL closely.

YouTube TV works like cable without the box. Its page lists the main plan at $82.99 per month for 100+ channels, a Sports + News plan at $71.99 per month with 50+ channels, and a Sports plan at $64.99 per month with 30+ channels. New customers were offered the Sports + News plan at $49.99 for the first five months, with the offer ending November 16, 2026.

Every plan includes unlimited DVR, 6 household accounts and 3 simultaneous streams, and multiview lets you watch up to four games at once. Local channels are included, and NFL Sunday Ticket can be added on for an extra cost to get out-of-market Sunday games. Its Sports + News plan page says it includes local channels, so you can follow Sunday NFL and college football without a second service.

It is the most complete one-stop choice here, but you pay for it. The page also lists a 5-day free trial.

Fox One is the newest option here, and Fox's own page prices it at $19.99 per month with a 3-day free trial. The App Store also lists an annual plan at $199.99. A subscription includes FOX Sports, FOX News, FOX Business, FOX Weather, FS1, FS2 and BTN, with multi-screen viewing, DVR and a catch-up feature.

For the last week of October 2026 the page notes that Fox One streams the World Series between the Rays and Brewers and a slate of regional Sunday NFL games and Saturday college football. If you want FOX games and little else, it is a cheap way to cover them.

Its sports pairing with ESPN is the real draw. The ESPN Unlimited and Fox One bundle is $39.99 per month, which the page lists as 23% less than buying both at $51.98. The limit is obvious: nothing from CBS, NBC or Amazon.

Fubo built its brand on sports. Its September 2025 plan, Fubo Sports, is described in Fubo's investor release as a standalone plan with 20+ sports and broadcast networks including direct access to ESPN Unlimited. The same release lists the price at $64.99 per month after the first month, and says the service follows a free trial.

Fubo's help center explains that full Fubo TV plans rose by $15 per month with the launch of NBCUniversal channels, putting Essential, Pro and Core at $88.99, Elite and Ultra at $98.99, Ultimate at $113.99 and Deluxe at $118.99. Some subscribers in areas with NBC regional sports channels will also pay a $15.99 Regional Sports Fee. A newer My Local Sports add-on lets Fubo Sports subscribers in select markets add their local regional sports network.

We would pick Fubo for the sports plan, not the full package. Compare it carefully with YouTube TV's Sports plan before deciding, because the totals are close.

Sling is the budget live TV service. The pages we saw in search results list Sling Orange at $45.99 per month with 30+ channels including ESPN, TNT and TBS, Sling Blue at $45.99 with 40+ channels, and the combined Orange and Blue plan at $60.99 with 50+ channels. Sling's site blocked our automated checks, so treat those figures as unconfirmed and check them on sling.com.

Those results also show 50 hours of cloud DVR, with unlimited DVR available for $5 per month, and one-day passes (such as Orange at $4.99) in place of a free trial. A day pass is a handy way to watch a single big game without a month's commitment.

Sling suits viewers who want ESPN and a few sports channels without the price of YouTube TV. Local channel availability varies by area, so check your ZIP code before you pay, and do not expect the coverage of the larger plans.

Peacock is the streaming home of NBC Sports content. Per search results from Peacock's own help pages, Premium is $12.99 per month (up from $10.99 as of August 18, 2026) and Premium Plus is $19.99 per month (up from $16.99). Both match the US App Store listing. The Select plan at $8.99 per month excludes live sports.

Peacock's homepage lists live sports and events on both Premium tiers, including Sunday Night Football, the Premier League and NBA games. Students and young adults aged 18 to 24 can get Premium for $6.99 per month. Premium Plus mainly adds fewer ads and downloads.

Peacock is a supplement, not a full sports package. It does not carry Sunday afternoon NFL, ESPN or most college football. We would add it for specific events, and pause it when the season you want has ended.

Paramount+ is the cheapest route to NFL football on CBS. The US App Store lists Paramount+ Essential at $8.99 per month and Premium at $13.99. Paramount's own NFL streaming guide (updated August 2026) says plans start at $8.99 and that the service streams local NFL on CBS games, selected national CBS games and playoff games including the AFC Championship Game.

The same guide lists UFC, UEFA, Zuffa Boxing and college football among its sports. Paramount's guide and its FAQ are not fully consistent about which tier includes a live local CBS station, so look at the plan comparison for your ZIP code before choosing between Essential and Premium.

It is a smart pick for fans of AFC teams or anyone who wants to add one cheap service to a larger stack. It does not replace a live TV service, because you cannot flip between channels.

League Pass is for the fan who follows one team from far away. The NBA's page describes League Pass as live or on-demand games with commercials on one device, and League Pass Premium as no commercials on up to 3 devices with offline downloads. Both offer multiview of up to 4 games.

The US App Store lists League Pass at $16.99 per month and League Pass Premium at $24.99 per month, plus annual options. The NBA's page showed season prices, but they did not display clearly for us, so confirm them on the site.

Blackouts matter. The NBA says you cannot view nationally broadcast games on ESPN, ABC, NBC, Peacock or Prime Video through League Pass, and local games are blacked out in your home market. Check the blackout map first.