Roku Streaming Stick 4K May pick Roku Streaming Stick 4K — one stick, 500+ free live channels, no monthly fee About $40 one-time. The Roku Channel's clean live guide beats any antenna and works on every TV. Get one on Amazon →

Home · Sports · MLB

⚾ MLB · 2026 season

The cheapest way to watch your team — and the rest of MLB.

MLB is the most fragmented major sport in 2026. Six national platforms now needed (FOX, ESPN, NBC, Apple, Netflix, TBS) — plus your local team's RSN or direct DTC app. Answer 4 quick questions and we'll show you the cheapest stack for what you actually watch.

🛠️ Rick's Picks · your personalized MLB stack

Pick a team to see your personalized recommendations.

Questions people actually ask

Real questions from real readers — and direct answers from 22 years of install experience.

Why doesn't YouTube TV carry my local MLB games?

Because your local team's games live on a Regional Sports Network (RSN) — MASN, SNY, NESN, Marquee Sports, FanDuel Sports (the old Bally Sports), etc. RSNs are expensive carriage deals and YouTube TV stopped paying for most of them in 2022. Hulu+Live has the same gap. The streaming service with the most RSNs in 2026 is DirecTV Stream. Fubo has Bally/FanDuel RSNs in some markets.

Will MLB.tv work for my local team?

No — and this is the #1 misconception. MLB.tv blacks out your local team's games in your home market. It's built for fans of OUT-OF-MARKET teams. If you live in NYC and want to watch Yankees games, MLB.tv blacks them out. You need YES Network (via cable, DirecTV Stream, or Fubo in NYC). MLB.tv is great for transplants — someone in Phoenix who wants to follow the Red Sox.

What if my team is on FanDuel Sports / former Bally Sports?

FanDuel Sports (rebranded from Bally Sports in 2024, parent company Main Street Sports Group came out of bankruptcy in 2025) is on DirecTV Stream and Fubo in most markets. The direct-to-consumer FanDuel Sports app is $19.99/mo for one team or $29.99 all-access. We re-verify carrier lineups quarterly — see /guides/regional-sports-networks/ for the current map.

Can I just use MLB.tv for both my local and out-of-market team?

No — MLB.tv blacks out anyone in your home market, including both your home and any visiting team playing in your market. The workaround some fans try is a VPN to spoof their location, but that violates MLB's TOS and can get your account banned. The legal path for local games is your RSN (typically via cable, DirecTV Stream, or Fubo).