Are you a fan of New England sports but don’t have cable? You can still watch Boston Red Sox and Bruins games on NESN and NESN+ using a live streaming service, just as if you had NESN (New England Sports Network) through cable.
Want A Quick Answer
If you live in NESN’s broadcast area, which consists of New England except for Fairfield County, CT, you have three ways to stream NESN.
DIRECTV STREAM‘s Choice channel plan provides a 5-day free trial and carries NESN and NESN+ with 100+ TV channels for $108.99 per month. This plan also includes TNT, ESPN, Fox, FS1, and TBS for watching nationally televised Redsox and Bruins Games.
fuboTV provides 150+ channels, including NESN and NESN+, for $74.99 per month with an additional regional sports fee of up to $13.99 per month. They offer a risk-free 1-week free trial. This service lacks access to TBS and TNT.
NESN 360 is also an option at $30 a month. This option solely provides access to NESN and NESN+, so you won’t have access to Red Sox and Bruins games that are part of an exclusive national broadcast on ESPN, TBS, TNT, or Fox. Once subscribed, you can watch NESN with your iOS, Android, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Roku device.
Read on for more options on how to watch NESN.
What Streaming Service Carries NESN?
Two streaming services currently offer NESN (New England Sports Network) in their channel lineup: DIRECTV STREAM and Fubo. NESN 360 also provides a way to subscribe directly to NESN and stream NESN and NESN+ without needing a pay-TV provider. After dropping the channel from its service in October of 2021, YouTube TV no longer carries NESN. You also won’t find NESN on Hulu or Sling.
To watch NESN on DIRECTV STREAM, fubo, or NESN 360, you must live in the NESN broadcast area, which consists of New England except Fairfield County, CT. This is true whether watching NESN through cable TV or any TV streaming service I’ve mentioned.
If you don’t live in the NESN broadcast area, look at this guide to work around sports TV blackouts. Otherwise, read on for information on watching NESN online.
DIRECTV STREAM Carries NESN
DIRECTV STREAM is a live streaming service providing NESN in their “Choice” package for $108.99 per month as long as you live in the NESN TV market. They also carry FOX, ESPN, and TBS, so if a Rex Sox game or Bruins game is airing nationally, you can still watch it. NESN is channel 628 on DIRECTV’s streaming and satellite service.
You can sign up online, and they don’t force you into a contract so that you can cancel anytime. The service also includes a cloud DVR service that allows you to simultaneously stream to an unlimited number of devices in the home, up to 3 outside the home.
DIRECTV STREAM is supported on the following devices:
- 4th Gen Apple TV
- Google Chromecast, 2nd gen and higher
- Amazon Fire TV
- Fire TV Stick
- iOS devices
- Android
- Chrome and Safari browsers
- Roku
See our review of DIRECTV STREAM for more details on this streaming service.
Watch NESN on fuboTV
fuboTV offers subscribers local and cable TV channels just as if you subscribed to a cable TV package. For subscribers living in New England and the surrounding TV market, fuboTV carries NESN in its channel lineup, starting with the Pro plan for $74.99 per month after a 1-week free trial.
However, fuboTV subscribers in this area will be subject to a mandatory regional sports fee of up to an additional $13.99 per month. You can watch the NESN through fuboTV online or on your TV using a supported streaming device like a Roku, Apple TV, or Fire TV Stick. You can also watch on your Android or iOS device.
There is no contract, and you can cancel at any time. You will not be charged if you cancel during your free trial. Here are some features included with your subscription to fuboTV:
- live local CBS, FOX, and NBC broadcast in many parts of the country
- a ton of channels you usually find on cable like ESPN, FS1, and more
- a cloud DVR for recording TV shows
- stream to 2 devices at once (can upgrade to more)
fuboTV costs $74.99. For more information on this streaming service, see our guide to fuboTV. Check this link to verify NESN is available in your zip code. To learn more about fuboTV’s regional sports fee, see this fuboTV support page.
NESN 360
NESN 360 lets New England Sports Fans stream NESN and NESN+ and watch Red Sox and Bruins games without a pay-TV provider. The service costs $29.99 per month or $329.99 for the year, but it’s only available to those living inside the Bruins and Red Sox TV market. You can check your zip code for availability.
While the price is a bit high, it provides a discount for those who just want NESN and not all the other channels you get with FuboTV or DIRECTV STREAM. However, if you already have a pay-TV provider with NESN (including FuboTV or DIRECTV STREAM), you already have access to NESN 360 with your TV provider account credentials.
You can subscribe to NESN 360 on the NESN Website. Once you subscribe to NESN 360, you download the NESN 360 app to your streaming device and log in. NESN 360 supports iOS, Android, Apple TV, and Roku devices. You can also watch on NESN’s website.
NESN FAQ
Below are frequently asked questions we receive about streaming NESN without cable.
How Do I Watch NESN Free
You can get a few games in for free by using a streaming service that provides a free trial. If you cancel the trial before it expires, you won’t be charged for the service and get to watch NESN free for a few days.
- DIRECTV Stream – 5-day free trial
- fubo – 1-week free trial
These trials are limited to new subscribers. However, you can repeatedly take advantage of these trials if you use different email addresses and payment methods.
What If You Live Outside the New England TV Market?
If you live outside the NESN broadcast area, you won’t have access to NESN through fubo, DIRECTV STREAM, NESN 360, or any cable TV provider. However, you can check out these other articles on our site: Watching the Red Sox Online and Watching the Bruins Online. Fans may also be interested in using this TV blackout workaround.
What’s on NESN?
If you want to see upcoming games on NESN, check out our coverage of upcoming Bruins Games.
