Fox Sports is, without a doubt, one of the largest sports networks around. Although no sports channels can match ESPN, Fox Sports still generates nearly 500,000 average daily viewers. Considering Fox Sports has major contracts to broadcast every popular sport, including MLB, NBA, golf, cycling, NCAA college basketball and more, there’s a good chance you’ll want access. Thankfully, you can watch Fox Sports online without cable using a few easy cord cutting methods.
We’ve done some research to determine how you can best watch Fox Sports without cable. This primarily includes paid IPTV streaming services like Sling TV. Our focus here is purely on legal ways to watch Fox Sports online. All options below will give you cable-free access to Fox Sports without having to worry about pirated streams.
How to Watch Fox Sports Without Cable
Our list below is structured based on the options that we think are the best, followed by those that are still good, but not as optimal. We consider all of the options listed here as superior to getting a cable package, as any method you find below will cost less than almost any equivalent cable or satellite TV subscription you’ll find.
fuboTV
| Fubo | Fubo Extra | Fubo Latino | Fubo Português | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $44.99/mo. | $49.99+ | $17.99/mo. | $19.99/mo. |
| Channels | 75+ | 90+ | 15+ | 5+ |
| Simultaneous Streams | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Fire TV Support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Roku Support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sign Up | 7-DAY FREE TRIAL | 7-DAY FREE TRIAL | 7-DAY FREE TRIAL | 7-DAY FREE TRIAL |
fuboTV is a relatively new service, but it’s excellent competition for Sling TV. And if you’re a sports fan, and in particular, a Fox Sports fan, this is a service for you.
FuboTV offers up over between 50 to 100+ channels, depending on the package you choose, with a heavy emphasis on sports. That includes Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, Fox Soccer Plus, and Fox Desportes.
fuboTV offers two packages: a $45 base package, and a $50 package that offers over 100 channels. Both options will net you over 30 sports networks, including NBC Sports Network, ten Bein Sports channels, Golf Channel, NBA TV, FuboTV Network, and Eleven Sports.
You’ll also find a good number of features with fuboTV. You can stream on up to 2 devices at the same time and can increase that to 3 devices with an add-on. You’ll also get a fairly generous 30-hour cloud DVR, which can be increased to a somewhat insane 500 hours for an added price.
While there are certainly more Fox Sports channels it could offer, FuboTV is a heavy-weight champion when it comes to providing sports channels for a low cost. Fubo is also available on most devices, including Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, and Chromecast. You’ll get a 7-day free trial with this service as well, which is a perfect amount of time to squeeze in quite a lot of matches before deciding whether you want to keep it.
Sling TV
| Sling Orange | Sling Blue | Sling Orange + Blue | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $25 | $25 | $40 |
| Channels | 30+ | 40+ | 50+ |
| Simultaneous Streams | 1 | 3 | 4* |
| ESPN | Yes | No | Yes |
| Fire TV Support | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Roku Support | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Special Offers | FREE ROKU DEAL | FREE ROKU DEAL | FREE ROKU DEAL |
Sling TV, which is owned by Dish Networks, is perhaps the best and current leader in a la carte live TV streaming. Sling TV has two options: Sling Orange and Sling Blue. For those who want the best of what Fox Sports has to offer, Sling Blue is what you’re looking for.
Under the Sling Blue package, which costs $25 to purchase and comes with a 7-day free trial, you’ll have access to over 45 channels. These channels include Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, and Fox Regional Sports. If you’re a die-hard sports fan and need just a bit more than just Fox Sports, you’ll also get access to the NFL Network, NBC Sports Network, and the NBC Regional Sports Network.
Sling Blue only provides 3 device streams at a time, compared with just 1 stream through Sling Orange. None of Slings packages provide a cloud DVR, however. You’ll need to pay an extra $5 per month to get Sling’s 50-hour Cloud DVR.
Note that we stated you’d have access to “Fox Regional Sports” and not the regular “Fox Sports.” Unfortunately, Fox does not offer its regular Fox Sports channel through Sling. You’ll be stuck with just regional sports, meaning mostly just your local sports teams’ games.
Some viewers may see this as a plus, however, especially if you only ever watch your home teams’ games anyway. And considering the $25 price tag, Sling TV is without a doubt the least expensive way we’ve located to get this many sports channels without paying an arm and a leg or resorting to pirated streams.
Additional Sling TV Benefits
If you find you still need to justify even that low price tag to yourself (or to a significant other), you may want to consider the other benefits and general cost savings.
In a 2016 article, “Who Needs Cable? Broadcast TV Makes a Comeback,” we analyzed some TV packages from several of the largest cable providers in the US. What we found was that companies like Comcast and Turner charge nearly $20 a month just for live, over-the-air channels that you can get for free. If you actually want premium content with those networks, you’ll need to pay in over $40 a month, and at times over $50 a month or more for the same number of channels you can get with Sling TV’s packages.
Given many of these cable services only sell you TV channel packages as a bundled deal with an internet service plan, for some users, it may be worthwhile to pay slightly more for a high-speed internet package that comes without a cable subscription, and then purchase Sling TV separately.
If that’s not a good enough reason, also consider the fact that Sling TV works with a large number of devices. You’re not tied to your TV to get your content. Although services like Comcast and Verizon now offer streaming apps for their cable subscriptions, you can’t use these apps on nearly as many devices as Sling TV offers. With Sling, you can use almost any device that uses apps, including a Roku or Amazon Fire TV.
Sling TV offers the best price with the most usability for a sports fan trying to watch Fox Sports without cable, so it’s high on our list here.
Hulu with Live TV
Somewhat new to the mix, Hulu now offers a live TV option that includes a handful of sports options. Hulu with Live TV has Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2. Additionally, you’ll find that the service comes with other sports channels you may be after. ESPN, ESPN2, EPSN News, and ESPN U are available through the service.
You can also enjoy regular, commercial-free Hulu if you sign up for Hulu with Live TV. If you already have a Hulu account, you can upgrade from your account settings. In all you get over 50 channels, cloud DVR, and unlimited screens for $39.99/month.
Hulu provides a 7-day free trial in case you need to try it before you commit.
PlayStation Vue
Despite the name, you don’t actually need a PlayStation to utilize this option. If you’re looking to access Fox Sports without cable, and you already have a PlayStation, you’re good to go. However, you can also use PlayStation Vue as a perfectly viable option from a web browser, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, or most mobile devices running Android or iOS.
Right out of the gate, we’ll let you know that this is not the cheapest option you’ll find. In fact, it’s similarly priced to DIRECTV NOW, with a higher starting point. That said, the lowest cost package, at $39.99 a month, gives you two great options: Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2. Specifically, many of the really good sports broadcasting contracts end up getting routed through Fox Sports 1, so you’ll actually find some significant benefit to going with this option over DIRECTV NOW if you’re a PlayStation user.
Considering the $39.99 “Access” package also includes ESPN and ESPN2, it’s not a bad deal. The other package options here are marginally worth it for the cost, but you may still want to consider them.
Beyond the lowest-cost “Access” package, you’ll find a $44.99 “Core” package that specifies it includes more sports options — which it does, somewhat. The “Core” subscription adds in ESPN News, ESPN U, Golf Channel, NBA TV, NBC Sports Network, NFL Network, and the ESPN SEC Network. It’s not until the “Elite” package ($54.99 a month), that you also get three Fox College Sports networks (Central, Pacific, and Atlantic regional networks), as well as MLB TV and ESPORTSTV.
Even with its most expensive package, the regular Fox Sports channel doesn’t exist on PlayStation Vue. If you’re in need of the core channel, this isn’t a great option for you. However, if you’re happy with all of the many other Fox Sports channels, PlayStation Vue may be a safe bet.
Interestingly, PlayStation Vue is the only option of the three that offers the regional Fox College Sports channels or the ESPORTSTV channel. In fact, even in its priciest $70, 120-channel package, DIRECTV still doesn’t provide the Fox College Sports channels. PlayStation Vue may be limited in not having the core Fox Sports channel, but it more than meets your Fox Sports watching needs by covering pretty much every other option in the Fox Sports family.
DIRECTV NOW
The DIRECTV NOW service is essentially DIRECTV’s answer to Sling TV. DIRECTV offers up a fairly competitive package against what you’ll find with Sling, offering over 60 channels for $35. If you look at things from a purely price-per-channel perspective, you’re actually paying a few cents less per channel for DIRECTV. That said, its service is not quite as good, mostly because of the way they do they pricing schemes and because you’re not getting as much of what you’re looking for as a Fox Sports fan.
In their $40 package, DIRECTV does offer Fox Sports (the real Fox Sports, not just the Fox Regional Sports channel). However, unlike with Sling TV, you will not also get Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2. In fact, there are few other sports options available in the DIRECTV Now $40 package. ESPN and ESPN2 are provided there, but that’s it.
If you really want to maximize your Fox Sports package through DIRECTV NOW, you’ll need to use their “Go Big” package. “Go Big” comes with over 100 channels and includes Fox Sports 2 (but not Fox Sports 1), as well as the MLB channel, NBC Sports Network, NBA TV, ESPN News, ESPN U (college sports), and the Golf Channel. The price tag? $65.
Thankfully, DIRECTV NOW works on nearly as many devices as Sling TV, with Roku supported added just this year in March. Amazon Fire TV is included in that list.
All told, DIRECTV NOW is a great option for cord cutters, but not as great for anyone that wants to watch Fox Sports without cable. You’re not getting as much of the Fox Sports content as you might want, and you’re paying more for less of that content. Still, the $40 package is going to be less than many–but not all–traditional cable packages. You can also get a 7-day free trial, or even a 30-day free trial if signing up to use the service on Roku. Limitations aside, if all you want is the pure Fox Sports channel, you’ll get it through DIRECTV NOW.
YouTube TV
Do you currently live in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, or San Francisco? If so, you’re in luck (and quite frankly, we’re a bit jealous)! The brand-new YouTube TV service is being offered in just those five U.S. cities. YouTube currently has offered no word on when the service will move beyond those five cities, but you can almost guarantee that this service will eventually start spreading across the country.
What is YouTube TV?
YouTube TV is YouTube’s answer to the Sling TV model that has also been mimicked by DIRECTV and PlayStation Vue. YouTube TV offers up live TV streaming through an internet connection, just like Sling. You’ll get access to over 50 different network and premium channels for the fairly low cost of just of just $40 a month.
YouTube TV utilizes its own app separate from the regular YouTube app and has its own web page (tv.youtube.com). YouTube also throws in unlimited cloud storage for their DVR, meaning you can record as many shows as you want. To make the deal even sweeter, YouTube TV also lets you have 6 different users on the same account.
If that sounds good to you, the news gets better if you’re a Fox Sports fan. Not only will you get access to Fox Sports through YouTube TV, you also get Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2 included in the package. Additionally, you’ll have access to CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, NBC Sports Network, and even ESPN News.
Without a doubt, YouTube TV is designed for sports fans. It’s unlikely that YouTube will keep this one sheltered to just a few cities for long, so we recommend that you go to the YouTube TV page and do the following:
- Click on “Try 1it free”
- Choose the Google account you want to associate with your YouTube TV account
- Click on “Let’s Go”YouTube will assess your location via your IP address. You may need to click to “allow” if a prompt shows up
- YouTube will assess your location via your IP address. You may need to click to “allow” if a prompt shows up
- When you get the rejection note, click on “Alert Me When Available” and then “Submit”
You’re done! Once YouTube TV is available in your area, the site will send you an email letting you know that you can sign up.
Do you know of a service that we missed? Let us know and we’ll review it!
