Being a sports fan can be expensive. Not only are there tickets, clothing and other goods associated with supporting your favorite team, but you also need a way to watch them.
On this front, streaming services come into play. They're easy to set up, and you can tailor options to best suit your viewing needs. However, this comes at a significant cost.
The New York Times found the average NFL fan will spend up to $631 to stream games this year. They came to this total by factoring in the following:
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- Live-streaming service, such as YouTube TV, for around $90 per month ($540 six-month cost)
- Amazon Prime for Thursday night games at $15 per month ($75 for five months of games)
- Netflix ad-supported plan for Christmas games for $8
- Peacock for special access to a Sunday night game in December for $11 per month
Combined, that total will run you $634, and that doesn't count any add-on packages such as NFL Sunday Ticket.
With this in mind, I wanted to see what other sports would cost to stream. I'll provide easy tips to employ that'll help you save on streaming services.
How much will it cost to stream other sports?
Using the same framework for calculating NFL streaming costs, we can apply a similar breakdown for NBA fans:
- Live streaming services: $90 per month for nine months, including playoffs and the NBA Finals: $810
- NBA League Pass (to cover games not on ESPN, TNT or other networks): $90 annually
Tally this up, and it's around $900 to stream a full season of NBA games. I used NBA League Pass as an example, since it's easier for out-of-market fans to catch games.
Meanwhile, MLB fans will feel a similar financial pinch. You'll have six months of action with a live streaming service for $90 per month or $540 per year.
Next, if you're an avid fan wanting to stream as many games as possible, you'll likely want MLB.TV, where a single team plan for a full season is $140. Combined, you're on the hook for $680.
Since each sport can cost you upwards of more than $500, it's important to find cost-saving measures where you can. Thankfully, there are some great streaming deals available.
Streaming deals to ease the pain
I'm an avid sports fan, and even I can't keep up with all the streaming offers one would need to stream every game. That's why I stick with YouTube TV. It's expensive at $82.99 per month, but it covers all the major games I want to see from all major sports, without the need to add another platform or package.
However, if you don't want to spend that much, there are more affordable choices. Chief among them is Sling TV.
They have packages starting from $46 per month, or if you want to watch a day of games, you can buy the day pass for $4.99. It includes 24-hour access to 34 channels, including ESPN and TNT.
Another option is Paramount Plus. With it, you can stream NFL, college football and basketball, golf and other sports live. Right now is the best time to sign up for the service, as you can receive 50% annual plans through September 18.
A pro tip: Sign up for the Paramount Plus Premium Plan for $59.99 per year, as it includes free live streaming of your local CBS content.
You can also use other streaming services to catch sports live. Peacock offers select college football and basketball games, NFL Sunday night football, Premier League matches, PGA tournaments and much more.
Want to save even more money? Sign up for a Walmart Plus membership, which gives you a choice of either Paramount Plus or Peacock's ad-supported plan for free.
At $98 a year, it's less expensive than Amazon Prime; you'll earn discounts on gas and Burger King, and you can switch streaming services every 90 days.
Things to consider with streaming sports
The first of which is blackout restrictions, which can happen quite often. Why do blackouts happen? To make TV networks money by forcing local fans to either attend games live or buy another package to stream games.
This is why it's important to check blackout restrictions when signing up for streaming services. Some, such as NBA League Pass, allow you to enter your ZIP code to show which teams might have blackout restrictions in your area.
A cost-saving measure is family accounts. Some services, such as YouTube TV, allow you to share your subscription with other users. If costs are a concern, you can always split the bill and the subscription, provided your streaming service allows you to.
Another cost-saving tip is to rotate services as sports seasons change, or better yet, do away with one when you don't need it anymore. Streaming services, unlike many cable companies, make cancelling services simple. You can restart them anytime you need to.
Finally, if you're looking to stream some games but don't want to pay for any services, buy a digital antenna. All the major sports leagues broadcast games on local channels, such as ABC, NBC, Fox and CBS.
Doing so means you'll pay out of pocket once for the antenna, but you won't be on the hook for a monthly bill.
Overall, it's never been more convenient or expensive to be a sports fan. The goal is to strike a balance between securing coverage for the games you want, while not sacrificing the budget in the meantime.
Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to achieve this. Whether it's through choosing a standalone live streaming service, rotating multiple ones or buying a digital antenna, there are ample ways to enjoy live sports while saving money.
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