For the postseason check out our guide on How To Watch The MLB Playoffs without Cable.
Baseball is back! We cover all the details of where to watch your favorite teams in this guide to watching Major League Baseball Online in 2021, even if you don’t have cable. This article explains how to watch your team regardless of where you live. I also cover where to watch nationally televised games. With this guide, you can watch every single MLB game played in the 2021 season.
Watching Baseball without Cable in 2021
Most people who want to watch the 2021 MLB season and don’t have cable usually fall into one of the two following categories:
- You have a single favorite team and live in their TV market
- You want to watch a team or teams in TV markets outside where you live
Generally, if you live in a team’s TV market, you will need access to the local, regional sports network that has the rights to broadcast that team. If you live outside the team’s TV market, then you can watch using MLB.TV. To confuse matter more, there are nationally televised games that air on Fox, ESPN, MLB Network, and FS1. I’ll explain how to watch baseball this season for all of these situations without the need for cable or satellite TV.
Watch Your Favorite MLB Team Without Cable
For the 2021 MLB seasons, I put together a guide specific to each team. The articles below will explain how to watch that team for fans that live inside and outside that teams designated TV market:
Read on for a way to stream games for every MLB team.
Watch Baseball with MLB.TV
MLB.TV is the best solution to watch baseball online, especially if you don’t live in the television broadcast market of your favorite teams MLB.TV allows subscribers to watch every game, for every team, all season long, with MLB.TV, you can watch baseball online, on TV and smartphones and tablets. MLB.TV Premium service is $129.99 for the 2021 season (It’s also available for $29.99 per month). There is also a subscription package for a single team for the year, for $109.99. MLB.TV allows for watching MLB games on Roku, Apple TV, Smart Devices, and more. You can check out their subscription packages at MLB.TV.
MLB.TV is supported on the following devices:
- Xbox One
- PlayStation®4
- Apple TV
- Roku
- iPhone / iPad
- Android
- PC/Mac
- Amazon Fire TV
- Chromecast
Subscriptions include both Home and Away broadcast feeds. Subscribers also receive a free subscription to the “MLB At Bat” App.
MLB.TV Features
Overall MLB.TV is a quality product that delivers Live MLB games in HD quality video. However, two functions blew me away.
First, the in-game highlights and stats update and automatically load as the action happens. A picture-in-picture window allows users to select highlights to watch from the game.
The other function that knocked my socks off was the number of games you can watch simultaneously. On PC or Mac, Mosaic View allows up to four games at once in a quad view, Split screen or picture in picture.
On top of those features, MLB.TV Premium provides the following:
- Live Game DVR Controls
- Full Game Archives
- Customized Fantasy Player Tracker
- Clickable Linescores
- A Pitch by Pitch Widget, that tracks speed, location, and pitch type
- Live Audio Broadcast of Games
MLB.TV Blackout Delay
Pro Tip: Try This Blackout Workaround to watch the games you want to watch.
While MLB.TV is a great product and a must-have for baseball fans, those interested in their local team may take issue with the 90-minute blackout delay (there is a workaround I’ll get to in a moment). It wasn’t going to be all sunshine and rainbows for cord-cutters.
Local teams in your viewing area and nationally televised games are available 90 minutes after a game’s conclusion due to blackout rules. Yet, all other games are available for watching baseball online or on a supported device.
The 90-minute delay to your local team’s games isn’t ideal, but it’s workable. Day games are available for viewing after dinner, and night games typically open up around midnight. Subscribers can fast-forward through all the downtime and be finished within an hour, or wait until the next day if they want to enjoy the game’s pace.
Furthermore, if you are desperate to catch the live-action and don’t want to use the blackout workaround, there is no delay in the live audio. Occasionally I’ll sit on the porch and listen to the live audio broadcast like I did when I was a kid. If you enjoy baseball on the radio and only care about your local team, you are set without MLB.TV. Every team has a local radio broadcast that airs MLB games live.
Of course, if you live outside your favorite team’s viewing area, you can watch their games live without worrying about blackout unless it’s a nationally televised game. This MLB blackout map indicates the blackout region for each team. The audio feature isn’t subject to blackout rules.
What is Subject to the Blackout Delay?
- Home and Away games of the designated team if you live within their blackout territory
- Games that broadcast nationally, such as the ESPN Sunday game or Fox Saturday game
- Play in games (Playoff tie-breakers)
- Post Season Games
Baseball on Live Streaming Services
Below is a breakdown of live TV streaming services and what to expect from each in regard to watching baseball.
DIRECTV Stream
DIRECTV Stream Now carries the regional sports network for every MLB team except for the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadephia Phillies. DIRECTV Stream also carries the local Fox channel in most of the country, along with ESPN, MLB Network, and FS1 for watching nationally televised games. This makes them the most comprehensive streaming service for watching baseball this season.
DIRECTV Stream is supported on the following devices:
- Roku
- 4th Gen Apple TV
- Google Chromecast, 2nd gen and higher
- Amazon Fire TV
- Fire TV Stick
- iOS devices
- Android
- Chrome and Safari browsers
See our review of AT&T Now for more details.
fuboTV
fuboTV carries the regional sports networks for the following MLB teams: A’s, Astros, Giants, Phillies, Pirates, Mets, Red Sox, and White Sox. FuboTV also carries the local Fox channel in some parts of the country along with MLB Network, ESPN, and FS1 for watching nationally televised games.
They offer a 1-week free trial. After the trial, its basic package costs $64.99/month. The FuboTV app is available on major platforms, including AppleTV, AndroidTV, Roku, and Amazon FireTV. Check out our review of FuboTV for more details.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV carries the regional sports network for the A’s, Giants, Phillies, Mets, and White Sox. YouTube TV will cost $64.99 per month and includes a DVR. YouTube TV also carries the local Fox channel in most parts of the country, along with ESPN, MLB Network, and FS1 for watching nationally televised games.
Youtube TV supports Android, iOS, Apple TV, Fire TV, Chromecast, and more. The YouTube TV app isn’t available on Roku. However, users can use YouTube TV through the YouTube app on Roku devices. Please read our review of YouTube TV for more details.
Hulu + Live TV
Hulu + Live TV provides regional sports networks for the A’s, Giants, Phillies, Mets, and White Sox. Hulu also carries the local Fox channel in most parts of the country, along with ESPN, and FS1 for watching nationally televised games.
Hulu Live TV will cost you $64.99 per month. However, that includes access to Hulu’s on-demand streaming library, a cloud DVR, and more. To see what channels are available through Hulu Live TV in your area, check out the tool: Channels Available by Zip Code
Hulu is supported on Roku, Fire TV Devices, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, iOS, Android, and more. For more information on this service, please check out Hulu Live TV review.
Sling TV
Sling TV carries ESPN, MLB Network, and FS1 for watching nationally televised games. You can try a 3-day free trial and see if this solution will work for you.
Sling TV is supported on Windows and Mac PCs and laptops, Android and iOS devices, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Nexus player, Xbox One, 4th Generation Apple TV, Chromecast, and more.
The service also includes a cloud DVR along with other great features. For details on Slings service offerings and the difference between them, check out my Sling TV review.
ESPN+
ESPN+ will be airing over 170 games this season, which works out to airing a game almost daily. An ESPN+ subscription costs only $6.99 per month. There is no contract, so you can cancel any time you like. In addition to ESPN, Disney also owns Hulu and the Disney+ streaming service. You can get Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ for just $13.99 by signing up here!
You can see our guide to watching MLB on ESPN+ for a schedule of games that will stream on the service and how you can watch.
Nationally Televised Games
The Nationally Televised game schedule that has been released so far is below. I’ve linked the article for how to watch the network airing the game in the TV column. If a game is out-of-market only then it won’t air on that network within either of the team’s TV markets. In that case, I recommend checking the article for how to watch that team linked earlier in this article.
| Date | Time | Away | Home | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, May 25 | 8:10 pm | Los Angeles Dodgers | Houston Astros | FS1 |
| Sat, May 29 | 7:15 pm | Milwaukee Brewers | Washington Nationals | Fox |
| Sat, May 29 | 7:15 pm | San Francisco Giants | Los Angeles Dodgers | Fox |
| Sat, May 29 | 7:15 pm | Atlanta Braves | New York Mets | Fox |
| Sun, May 30 | 7:08 pm | Atlanta Braves | New York Mets | ESPN |
| Tue, Jun 1 | 6:10 pm | Chicago White Sox | Cleveland Indians | FS1 |
| Sat, Jun 5 | 7:15 pm | Los Angeles Dodgers | Atlanta Braves | Fox |
| Sat, Jun 5 | 7:15 pm | Boston Red Sox | New York Yankees | Fox |
| Sat, Jun 5 | 7:15 pm | Chicago Cubs | San Francisco Giants | Fox |
| Tue, Jun 8 | 7:10 pm | Washington Nationals | Tampa Bay Rays | FS1 |
| Sat, Jun 12 | 7:15 pm | San Francisco Giants | Washington Nationals | Fox |
| Sat, Jun 12 | 7:15 pm | Houston Astros | Minnesota Twins | Fox |
| Sat, Jun 12 | 7:15 pm | St. Louis Cardinals | Chicago Cubs | Fox |
| Sat, Jun 19 | 7:15 pm | Chicago White Sox | Houston Astros | Fox |
| Sat, Jun 19 | 7:15 pm | Cincinnati Reds | San Diego Padres | Fox |
| Sat, Jun 19 | 7:15 pm | St. Louis Cardinals | Atlanta Braves | Fox |
| Sat, Jun 19 | 10:07 pm | Detroit Tigers | Los Angeles Angels | FS1 |
| Sat, Jun 26 | 4:05 pm | Kansas City Royals | Texas Rangers | FS1 |
| Sat, Jun 26 | 7:15 pm | Chicago Cubs | Los Angeles Dodgers | Fox |
| Sat, Jun 26 | 7:15 pm | New York Yankees | Boston Red Sox | Fox |
| Sat, Jul 3 | 4:05 pm | San Diego Padres | Philadelphia Phillies | FS1 |
| Sat, Jul 3 | 7:15 pm | Boston Red Sox | Oakland Athletics | Fox |
| Sat, Jul 3 | 7:15 pm | Los Angeles Dodgers | Washington Nationals | Fox |
| Sat, Jul 3 | 7:15 pm | Houston Astros | Cleveland Indians | Fox |
| Sun, Jul 4 | 7:08 pm | New York Mets | New York Yankees | ESPN |
| Sat, Jul 10 | 4:05 pm | Oakland Athletics | Texas Rangers | FS1 |
| Sat, Jul 10 | 7:15 pm | Cincinnati Reds | Milwaukee Brewers | Fox |
| Sat, Jul 10 | 7:15 pm | St. Louis Cardinals | Chicago Cubs | Fox |
| Sat, Jul 10 | 7:15 pm | New York Yankees | Houston Astros | Fox |
| Thu, Jul 15 | 7:08 pm | Boston Red Sox | New York Yankees | ESPN |
| Sat, Jul 17 | 4:07 pm | Cleveland Indians | Oakland Athletics | FS1 |
| Sat, Jul 17 | 7:15 pm | Houston Astros | Chicago White Sox | Fox |
| Sat, Jul 17 | 7:15 pm | San Francisco Giants | St. Louis Cardinals | Fox |
| Sat, Jul 17 | 7:15 pm | Boston Red Sox | New York Yankees | Fox |
| Sun, Jul 18 | 7:08 pm | Boston Red Sox | New York Yankees | ESPN |
| Sat, Jul 24 | 4:05 pm | New York Yankees | Boston Red Sox | FS1 |
| Sat, Jul 24 | 7:10 pm | Tampa Bay Rays | Cleveland Indians | FS1 |
| Sat, Jul 31 | 4:05 pm | Oakland Athletics | Los Angeles Angels | FS1 |
| Sat, Jul 31 | 7:15 pm | Minnesota Twins | St. Louis Cardinals | FS1 |
| Sat, Aug 7 | 4:05 pm | New York Mets | Philadelphia Phillies | FS1 |
| Sat, Aug 7 | 8:40 pm | Arizona Diamondbacks | San Diego Padres | FS1 |
| Thu, Aug 12 | 7:15 pm | New York Yankees | Chicago White Sox | Fox |
| Sat, Aug 14 | 4:05 pm | Cincinnati Reds | Philadelphia Phillies | FS1 |
| Sat, Aug 21 | 1:05 pm | Minnesota Twins | New York Yankees | FS1 |
| Sat, Aug 21 | 4:05 pm | Washington Nationals | Milwaukee Brewers | FS1 |
| Sun, Aug 22 | 7:10 pm | Los Angeles Angels | Cleveland Indians | ESPN |
| Sat, Aug 28 | 4:05 pm | Boston Red Sox | Cleveland Indians | FS1 |
| Sat, Aug 28 | 9:07 pm | San Diego Padres | Los Angeles Angels | FS1 |
| Tue, Aug 31 | 9:45 pm | Milwaukee Brewers | San Francisco Giants | FS1 |
| Sat, Sep 4 | 4:05 pm | Minnesota Twins | Tampa Bay Rays | FS1 |
| Tue, Sep 7 | 6:40 pm | New York Mets | Miami Marlins | FS1 |
| Sat, Sep 11 | 7:40 pm | New York Yankees | New York Mets | Fox |
| Sun, Sep 12 | 8:08 pm | New York Yankees | New York Mets | ESPN |
| Tue, Sep 14 | 7:40 pm | Cleveland Indians | Minnesota Twins | FS1 |
| Tue, Sep 21 | 10:10 pm | San Francisco Giants | San Diego Padres | FS1 |
| Tue, Sep 28 | 7:20 pm | Philadelphia Phillies | Atlanta Braves | FS1 |
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