Don’t Have Cable? Here’s How to Watch the 2023 MLB Season With DIRECTV STREAM
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The 2023 MLB season is charging on. Now over three months in, a hazy postseason is starting to take form. In the American League, the Braves are leading the MLB with 60 wins and 29 losses. The Marlins and the Dodgers are also NL standouts, while the Rays, the Orioles, and the Rangers lead the AL.
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However, keeping up with MLB games can be challenging for anyone who has recently cut the cord, as coverage is spread out across national channels, regional sports networks (RSN), and streaming services. Luckily, if you’re just getting into this year’s MLB season (or you’re tired of juggling different streaming services), there’s a streamlined solution for watching MLB games live online: DIRECTV STREAM.1
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What is DIRECTV STREAM?
DIRECTV STREAM is a live TV streaming service, meaning you pay a monthly subscription fee to access live TV channels on any streaming-enabled device, be it your smart TV, laptop, tablet, or phone (no cable box or roof dish necessary). For some users, live TV streaming services like DIRECTV STREAM also feel more straightforward, as they don’t have the same binding contracts; just pay the monthly fee and cancel any time.
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What Channels do DIRECTV STREAM Carry for MLB Games?
Live TV coverage of MLB games is spread out across Fox, FS1, TBS, ESPN, MLB Network, and your local RSN. Some other live TV streaming services only carry a couple of national sports channels, but DIRECTV STREAM is a great choice because it carries all of these channels.
With the service’s CHOICE package (more on this below), you get the national channels — FS1, TBS, ESPN, and MLB Network — as well as access to local broadcasts on Fox and any available RSNs (i.e. NBC Sports and Bally Sports). A large chunk of MLB games are only shown on these RSNs,2 making them very important if you want to keep up with the MLB.
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In short, you’ll be able to watch most MLB games live online with a subscription to DIRECTV STREAM’s CHOICE package. That means less flipping between streaming services, no need for cable, and, of course, more baseball livestreams to enjoy.
DIRECTV STREAM Pricing
DIRECTV STREAM offers four packages at different price points, starting at $74.99 a month plus tax for the ENTERTAINMENT package. However, MLB fans will want to upgrade to the CHOICE PACKAGE ($99.99/mo plus tax) or higher. These upgraded packages, including the CHOICE package, all carry local channels and RSNs, but the ENTERTAINMENT package does not.
Here’s a full breakdown of the four DIRECTV STREAM packages.
(Worth noting: All of these packages include unlimited cloud DVR storage, and let you stream on unlimited devices at once.3)
1. DIRECTV STREAM ENTERTAINMENT Package
The ENTERTAINMENT package is the most affordable DIRECTV STREAM plan at $74.99 a month plus tax. It gets you access to over 75 channels, including ESPN, TBS, and FS1 for MLB games, but you’ll need to upgrade to one of the other plans below for the other MLB channels.
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Price: $DIRECTV STREAM ENTERTAINMENT
2. DIRECTV STREAM CHOICE Package
DIRECTV STREAM’s CHOICE package offers the best value for baseball fans. You get over 105 channels in total, including RSNs, local channels, and all the national channels showing MLB games (FS1, TBS, ESPN, and MLB Network). Plus, the CHOICE package comes with Max, SHOWTIME, STARZ, and MGM+ for three months.4
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3. DIRECTV STREAM ULTIMATE Package
The ULTIMATE package bumps up your channel count to 140+, and only costs $10 more per month plus tax than the CHOICE package. This package also gets you CBS Sports Network and Golf channel, making it a good choice for watching as many live sports games as possible with DIRECTV STREAM.
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Price: $DIRECTV STREAM ULTIMATE
4. DIRECTV STREAM PREMIER Package
At the top of DIRECTV STREAM’s package lineup is the PREMIER package, which carries over 150 channels, and delivers Max, SHOWTIME, and STARZ with your subscription. It costs $154.99 per month plus tax, but the number of channels and the included premium streaming services make the PREMIER package a good all-in-one option if you can afford it.
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Price: $DIRECTV STREAM PREMIER
Shop all of DIRECTV STREAM’s packages here.
1Local channels, RSNs, and MLB Network only available with CHOICE package or higher. Additional fees may apply. Blackout restrictions apply. Availability of RSNs varies by zip code and package.
2RSNs accounted for 23% of MLB revenue, 13% of NBA revenue, and 12% of NHL revenue during the 2021-2022 seasons (Sportico research).
3Data connection req’d. Recordings expire after 9 months. In a series recording, max 30 episodes stored (oldest deleted first which may be in less than 9 months). Restr’sapply.
4Available only for new DIRECTV STREAM customers with ENTERTAINMENT, ÓPTIMO MÁS, CHOICE, or ULTIMATE Package (min. $74.99/mo.). Max, SHOWTIME, STARZ, MGM+, and Cinemax auto-renew after 3 months at then prevailing rates (currently $14.99/mo. for Max, $11.00/mo. each for SHOWTIME, STARZ and Cinemax, and $6.00/mo. for MGM+), unless you change or cancel. Req’s you to select offer. Offer subject to change & may be modified or discontinued at any time without notice.
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