It is very lucky today to be a sports fan since there are so many ways that one can watch their favorite team and athletes perform. With the availability of such a wide array of choices, including broadcast networks, cable channels, streaming services and so much more, you can always find your sports fix. However, with the number of channels available, it becomes difficult to establish which of the channels is best suited to sport filtering. Here are some of the top contenders:
ESPN
ESPN has been a popular sports channel for many years, and due to its nickname ‘The Worldwide Leader in Sports,’ it has been regarded as a main source of sports. The online bookmakers take several live games from different sports including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL soccer, tennis, golf, and others. Sports Center for example is a show that has news, highlights, and discussion on the go done by their team of analysts and commentators such as the famous Stephen A Smith and Scott Van Pelt. Cable networks provide original and valuable programming and documentaries such as 30 for 30. The drawback is that being a cable network they require you to have a pay TV subscription which includes ESPN to watch their channels. But for the sports lovers, it’s something unusual that they can’t afford to miss out on.
Broadcast Networks; Fox, CBS, NBC
The major over-the-air broadcast nets are the ones that provide some of the biggest sporting events broadcast. CBS and Turner Sports switch every year the broadcasting rights of the NCAA March Madness basketball championship. FOX has a good lineup of sports; it will broadcast the NFC conference games of the NFL and MLB playoffs, NASCAR races, and other sports. CBS broadcasts on Sundays the NFL games, the Olympics, the Stanley Cup Finals, Premier League soccer games, and so on. The benefit of Broadcast networks is that they can be accessed for free and with any regular television antennae in HD quality. However, it is a much-limited list that only includes popular, big-10 sports.
Regional sports networks
RSNs are cable networks that broadcast live games and some specific professional or college teams within certain geographic regions. For instance, the YES Network broadcasting group in New York targets the Yankees and the Brooklyn Nets. CBS SportsNet in Los Angeles broadcasts Dodgers and Lakers games. This approach provides detailed coverage and analysis by focusing on the specific sport and team. However, the content is only useful to the fans living in the media market of that particular team. You may also need a pay-per-view TV package that broadcasts the local regional sports network. It is in flux and depends on the specific zip code of the area in question.
Season tickets to NFL Sunday Ticket, MLB Extra Innings, or NBA League Pass
The major sports leagues have regional broadcast packages that allow you to get live regular-season games that are not available on local/national television where you are located. NFL Sunday Ticket is an NFL package that airs all of the NFL games that take place on Sundays, except those that are being broadcast locally. And MLB Extra Innings and NBA League Pass are offering games of MLB and NBA from different locations in the country. These are expensive packages, which range at an average of $200-$300 for the season. They do allow you to view your desired teams even though you may no longer reside in the home market of the teams.
Sling Tv, fubo Tv, YouTube Tv, Hulu Plus Live TV
Internet-based live television streaming services such as Sling TV, FuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, or YouTube TV offer numerous national and regional sports networks at a relatively low cost compared to cable systems. The majority contain popular sports channels from the network footprints such as ESPN, FS1, TBS/TNT, and several RSNs. Some of them have extra features and options such as NFL RedZone. The basic plans may cost as low as $35 per month. You watch the channels live over the internet on phones, smart TVs, media players, and other devices. The only drawback is that not all have RSNs, so make sure to check if they include your local sports network.
ESPN+
ESPN+ costs $5. 99 a month and is an additional feed to traditional ESPN with a whole lot of live streaming and other sporting events you won’t get to see on broadcast or cable. This covers hundreds of Major League Baseball, National Hockey League, and Major Soccer League regular season games, grand slam tennis tournaments, Top Rank prize fights, PGA Tour golf, international soccer, and college sports. By subscribing, it opens up ESPN’s original series and docs. For this price, it is well worth it to pay for ESPN+ to get access to even more sports to watch.
Amazon Prime Video
RFK Entertainment Options for Prime Members (+$8. 99/month/$119/year) has been increasing its live sports content through Amazon Prime Video. Their most expensive product is Thursday Night Football which delivers 11 NFL games directly on Prime Video. Some Champions League soccer, some Yankees/Dodgers baseball games, some tennis tournaments, and some other athletic events such as surfing are also available on Prime Video. The quality is as good as streaming it from a local disk. But it does mean you will have to pay to be a member of Amazon’s Prime service to be able to view the content.
DAZN
This platform which has a focus on sports streaming, dubs itself the “Netflix of Sports”. Subscribers can also access more than 100 fight nights every year with Matchroom Boxing and GGG Promotions at $19. 99 monthly or $99. 99 per year. Also included are every NFL game through NFL Game Pass, MLS, Champions Leagues, and much much more soccer. To recap, DAZN is rapidly expanding rights to some of the most-watched events. And not forgetting, a monthly contract and cancel anytime policy can be deemed as one of the conveniences. Indeed, it presents a rather appealing proposition for both fight enthusiasts and soccer lovers.
Peacock
Currently, the streaming service of Comcast, which was launched as Peacock offers some live sports content in its $4. 99 monthly subscription to the Premium plan which broadcasts Sunday Night Football, Premier League soccer games, Major League Baseball’s Sunday Night Leadoff games, Olympics coverage, and more. There are also news and highlights-based channels like NBC Sports and The Dan Patrick Show with programs aired daily. Of course, watching sports exclusively on Peacock would not offer the range of options as on ESPN, if it is considered a separate service. But there is enough such choice to attract cord-cutters, particularly fans of soccer.
Paramount Plus
CBS’ rebranded streaming service, later this year to become Paramount+, has expanded for more live sporting events to include more than 1,000 per year once Paramount+ goes fully live in 2021. the established sports include NFL Football Games, NCAA March Madness Basketball, PGA Golf Tour, and UEFA Champions League and Europa football. Additionally, there is a pair of dedicated studio programs like Inside the NFL, We Need To Talk, and a range of sports documentaries that provide that ESPN-like breakdown. Of course, we’ll have to wait and see if they are going to fulfill their potential in terms of providing more than what already exists now in live sports. But it looks promising.
Pluto TV
Pluto TV is a streaming television service, that allows some live sports to be watched for free. This has three sports Chanel exclusively. CBS Sports HQ brings news, analysis, and a quick look at moments. FOX Sports as a cable and satellite television channel offers broadcasting of college sporting events, poker, rugby, and extreme sports. And Stadium provides the College Football, Basketball, Lacrosse, Hockey, and Baseball live events. Of the additional categories, you may readily recognize classic games, talk shows, and documentaries. Well, with free streaming, do not expect to come across premium-tier sports by any chance. But, again, Pluto TV is a good way to go for those who have no strict requirements for the shows they watch.
The Verdict
For the number of national/regional sports channels plus the big league games and events, there is no other service that offers them than ESPN and the mainstream broadcast/cable networks. While most of the other offerings in the frame are of mainstream pro/college sports, news, and high-production quality, ESPN stands out. Of course, for those who want out-of-market games, those few sports, and cheaper prices have other options such as ESPN+, DAZN, Peacock, and Paramount.
Cord breakers need to begin with streaming packages like YouTube TV or fuboTV that offer cable with RSNs. Some regional sports networks and cable/satellite providers offer out-of-market packages directly from the leagues in Sunday Ticket/League Pass. And ESPN+ Plus and DAZN have cheap add-ons at the same. In conclusion, the optimal sports channel is best defined by your wallet, how many details you wish to get at the cost of the service, and whether you can combine several services to get the best of the desired sports. In 2021, due to the availability of streaming services, viewers can choose individual components that will allow them to create the most suitable package for themselves.
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