The 2018 FIFA World Cup is going to kick off in Russia, and billions of people from around the world are expected to tune in, and watch this prestigious soccer tournament.
But if you don’t have cable, or you prefer watching content on your Roku, you may be wondering how you can watch the 2018 FIFA World Cup without using a cable box or satellite TV. In this article, we’ll break down your options for watching the 2018 FIFA World Cup on Roku. Let’s get started!
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You Need Fox Sports to Watch Coverage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup – Here are Your Options
Most live sports are broadcast by cable companies, and the 2018 FIFA World Cup is no exception. Fox Sports is the exclusive English-language broadcaster for the U.S., so you’re going to need a Fox Sports subscription to watch the 2018 FIFA World Cup on Roku.
However, you don’t necessarily need cable to get Fox Sports. Most internet TV “skinny bundle” services like Sling TV offer Fox Sports as part of their channel lineups.
Let’s take a look at your best options for watching Fox Sports using an internet TV service.
fuboTV
fuboTV was founded to bring international sports like soccer to an American audience, so it’s no surprise that this sports-focused streaming service has made our list. Get the details about fuboTV now, and see if it’s right for you.
Plans and channels
The pricing structure and packages available from fuboTV changed recently. They offer a $45/month “fubo” package, as well as a “fubo Extra” package for $50/month. fubo Extra has a few more channels, but both packages contain Fox Sports, so there’s no real reason to upgrade.
For the price, you’ll get a total of 75 channels with fubo, and 90+ with fubo Extra. These include hard-to-find international channels like beIN Sports, which offer coverage of many different international soccer competitions. fuboTV is a great choice if you’re a soccer fan looking for year-round coverage of championship leagues like La Liga and Bundesliga.
Features
fuboTV has decent features, but for the price, they are a bit lacking. You get a free DVR, which gives you up to 30 hours of storage. It can be upgraded to 500 hours of storage for a $10/month fee.
You can only stream on 2 devices at once, but you can pay $6/month for Family Share, which gives you an extra simultaneous stream, bringing your total up to 3. However, during the World Cup, fuboTV is offering a third stream for free, which is a great bonus. with fuboTV, you can also get some bonus feeds of World Cup matches. You can find the details out here.
Device support for the service is good, though. You can download the fuboTV app from the Roku Store, and you can get a free month of fuboTV if you buy a Roku device. Other supported devices include Android and iOS tablets and phones, as well as the Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV, so you have plenty of viewing options.
You can see if fuboTV is right for you with a free trial now.
Sling TV
Sling TV was the first internet TV company, and quickly made a name for itself with its inexpensive “a la carte “ subscriptions. It’s also the cheapest option on this list. Learn more below.
Plans and channels
| Sling Orange Great Value $40.00/ month | 30+ channels ESPN New subscriber special 1 simultaneous stream | Try Sling |
| Sling Blue Great Value$40.00/ month | 40+ channels Fox, NBC, CNN, MSNBC New subscriber special 3 simultaneous streams | Try Sling |
| Sling Orange + Blue Best Value $55.00/ month | 45+ channels ESPN New subscriber special 4* simultaneous streams | Try Sling |
Sling TV has two main channel packages to choose from. You can get the Sling Orange package, which has 30+ channels, for $20/month, or you can choose the 45+ channel Sling Blue package for $25/month. You can also combine both packages for
$55 per month
.If you want to watch the 2018 FIFA World Cup on Roku, though, you should only get the Sling Blue package, which has Fox Sports. Sling Orange doesn’t have Fox Sports, so you don’t really need it if you’re only interested in the World Cup.
At $25/month, this is the cheapest way to get Fox Sports and watch the 2018 FIFA World Cup without cable, by far.
Features
Sling TV is cheap for a reason. You’ll have to pay $5/month extra for a DVR if you want to record FIFA games. That means you’ll actually be paying $30/month for Sling Blue + DVR service. The DVR works well, and provides you with 50 hours of storage, so it’s worth it for most customers.
You can also stream on 3 devices at once with Sling Blue, which is better than some competitors like DirecTV Now and fuboTV.
Sling TV has great device support. You can download Sling TV on Roku, and start watching right away. Other supported devices include Android and iOS devices, web browsers, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV, so you’ll have plenty of options.
You can give it a try now with a free 7-day trial, and see what you think about the service.
DirecTV Now
DirecTV Now was created by AT&T specifically to reclaim cord-cutters who didn’t want to pay for a pricey satellite subscription. It offers a reasonable set of features and a number of top channels at an affordable price. Here are the details.
Plans and channels
DirecTV Now gives you quite a few options when it comes to channel packages and subscriptions. You can choose the $35/month “Live A Little” package, or super-size your subscription to the $70/month “Gotta Have It” subscription, which includes 120+ channels and premiums like HBO and Showtime.
However, Fox Sports is available even in the cheapest package, so you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to watch the 2018 FIFA World Cup on Roku.
Features
In the past, we’ve given DirecTV Now a lot of grief because of its lack of features. However, the recent release of a free cloud-based DVR has been a real game changer.
You can only record up to 20 hours, so don’t expect to be able to record every FIFA match—but previously, DirecTV Now had no DVR at all, so this is still a huge improvement.
Simultaneous streams are limited to just 2, although DirecTV Now will soon be offering the option to add a third stream for an additional fee.
DirecTV Now is available on Roku, so you can easily download it and get started. It also supports all other major streaming devices and platforms, such as Apple TV, Chromecast, and Amazon Fire TV. You can even watch on the go on iOS/Android phones and tablets.
Interested in giving DirecTV Now a shot? You can get a free 7-day trial now! The company is even offering a free Roku streaming stick if you prepay for a single month, which is a great deal.
YouTube TV
Youtube TV is a newer internet TV service started by Google, and it is now available in most cities after an extended beta period throughout 2017. Here are the details.
Plans and channels
YouTube TV offers only a single subscription package, which costs $40/month. For the price of entry, you get around 60 channels, though this varies based on your location and available local affiliate channels.
For the price, you get a great lineup of channels. YouTube TV has Fox Sports, so you can easily watch all of the 2018 FIFA World Cup with this service. Other sports channels include NBCSN and several ESPN channels.
Features
YouTube TV sets itself apart from the competition with its free and easy-to-use features.
First, you get the best DVR in the internet TV world for no extra cost. YouTube TV lets you record unlimited shows for up to 9 months with no other restrictions. You can also create a total of 6 user profiles, so it’s great for families.
You can stream on 3 different devices at once, which puts it ahead of services like Hulu With Live TV, fuboTV, and DirecTV Now (without additional paid streaming upgrades). This makes it easy to share your account.
YouTube TV was added to Roku relatively recently, and the app is streamlined and easy to use. You can also stream on Samsung and LG Smart TVs, the Xbox One, Apple TV, and Chromecast, as well as the Chrome web browser and iOS/Android devices. The only major streaming device that’s not supported is the Amazon Fire TV, due to a corporate feud between Amazon and Google.
You can try YouTube TV with a free week-long trial, and see if it’s right for you.
Hulu With Live TV
Hulu With Live TV is technically still in “beta”, but anyone can sign up for it, and it offers a great set of features, channels and supported devices.
Plans and channels
Like YouTube TV, Hulu With Live TV offers a single streaming plan, with very few customization options. Depending on your geographic location, you may get between 40-70 channels. The service costs a flat fee of $40/per month, putting it at the same price point as YouTube TV.
You get Fox Sports on Hulu With Live TV, so you’ll get World Cup Coverage. Other sports channels available include ESPN and ESPN2, as well as the Olympic Channel, NBCSN, and quite a few others.
A unique benefit of the $40/month subscription to Hulu With Live TV is that you get a free base-tier Hulu membership, which is an $8/month value. This means you can watch live TV and as much Hulu on-demand content as you want.
Features
Hulu’s features are pretty standard for an internet TV service, and are free unless you decide to upgrade them. The cloud DVR provides you with 50 hours of storage, and can be upgraded to 200 hours with a $15/month “Enhanced DVR” package.
Simultaneous streams are limited to just 2, unless you shell out $15/month for the aptly-named “Unlimited Screens” package. With this add-on, you can watch on unlimited devices at home, and on up to 3 devices outside your home WiFi network. You can combine Unlimited Screens and Enhanced DVR for $20/month.
You can download the Hulu With Live TV Roku app now. Naturally, Hulu supports a wide range of other devices, such as modern Android and iOS phones and tablets, and web browsers.
You can also stream on Amazon Fire TV, Xbox 360 and Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Apple TV, Chromecast, and even some select Samsung and LG Smart TVs—so there are plenty of options for other devices.
You can try the service for free now, with a 7-day trial.
PlayStation Vue
PlayStation Vue does not require you to have a PlayStation. In fact, it has some of the best user reviews of any internet TV service—despite a confusing and unfortunate name.
Plans and channels
PlayStation Vue offers four different subscription packages, making it quite similar to DirecTV Now. They are as follows:
- Access – 45 channels, $40/month
- Core – 60 channels, $45/month
- Elite – 84 channels, $55/month
- Ultra – All Elite channels plus HBO/Showtime, $75/month
You can choose how many channels you want, but Fox Sports is included with every package, so there is no need to spend $55 or $70/month just to watch the World Cup.
Features
PlayStation Vue has pretty great features, especially for larger families or households sharing an internet TV subscription. A 28-day unlimited DVR is included with your subscription. The only restriction on the DVR is that you can only record episodes from up to 500 different shows.
You also can stream on up to 5 devices at once, depending on which devices you’re using. This means that you’ll almost never have to worry about too many people using your subscription at once.
PlayStation Vue also has really good device support. You can download it on the Roku App Store as well watch on your laptop’s web browser or your iOS/Android phone on the go. Other streaming platforms supported include Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Chromecast, as well as PlayStation 3 and 4 consoles. Just don’t expect Xbox support any time soon!
Fox Sports GO
If you have a cable subscription, or a subscription to any of the above internet TV services, you can use it to log into the Fox Sports Go app. Just download it from the Roku Channel Store, select your cable TV provider, and enter your credentials.
The primary advantage of doing this, rather than just using the Roku app for your streaming service, is that it doesn’t count towards simultaneous streams. For example, if you have Hulu With Live TV and two people are already streaming with your account, you can still log into Fox Sports Go and stream the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Eric Liston is a content writer based in Columbus, Ohio. Since 2015, he’s been writing about technology, cord-cutting, and helping everyday people save money. He also has expertise writing about medicine, dentistry, insurance, and a variety of other industries. No matter what he’s writing, his focus is always on simplifying complex concepts and making them approachable for everyone. When he’s not slamming away on his keyboard at his home office, you’ll find Eric reading sci-fi novels, improving his disc golf game (he just hit his first 400-foot drive) and playing video games on his gaming PC.
