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Spring has officially arrived, ushering in the much-anticipated baseball season.
While the action technically began last night with a showdown between the Giants and the Yankees, today, March 26, marks the true Opening Day. The season’s first pitch will be thrown at 1:15 p.m. ET when the New York Mets face off against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
If you’re eager to catch every thrilling moment of the 2024 MLB season live online, we’ve got you covered.
What Channels Will MLB Be on in 2026? How to Watch MLB Games Live Online
This year, national MLB games will be broadcast across several major networks, including NBC, FOX, FS1, MLB Network, TBS, and ESPN. Local games will also be available through regional sports networks.
NBC
Notably, for the first time since 2000, MLB games will be regularly featured on NBC once again. The network will not only broadcast two Opening Day matchups—Mets vs. Pirates at 1:15 p.m. ET and Diamondbacks vs. Dodgers at 8:30 p.m. ET—but will also air Sunday Night Baseball weekly. Additionally, NBC will cover the four Wild Card series during the playoffs.
Stream NBC with: DIRECTV (five days free), Hulu + Live TV (three days free), Sling TV, Peacock
FOX and FS1
FOX will remain the home of the All-Star Game and World Series. Additionally, FOX will air Saturday afternoon and evening games weekly.
Stream FOX and FS1 with: DIRECTV (five days free), Fubo (five days free), Hulu + Live TV (three days free), Sling TV
MLB Network
MLB Network airs live games weekly throughout the season, often simulcast from teams’ regional broadcasts.
Stream MLB Network with: DIRECTV (five days free), Fubo (five days free), Hulu + Live TV (three days free)
TBS
Beginning Tuesday, March 31, TBS will be home to one Tuesday night game per week. The American League playoffs, including divisional and league championship series, will also air on TBS.
Stream TBS with: DIRECTV (five days free), Fubo (five days free), Hulu + Live TV (three days free), Sling TV, HBO Max
ESPN
While Sunday Night Baseball no longer lives on ESPN, the worldwide leader in sports will broadcast 30 exclusive games this season, including matchups on Memorial Day, Jackie Robinson Day, the second-half of the season opener and the MLB Little League Classic.
Stream ESPN with: DIRECTV (five days free), Fubo (five days free), Hulu + Live TV (three days free), Sling TV, ESPN Unlimited
ESPN is also the home of MLB.TV now — to watch live out of market games, you’ll have to subscribe through ESPN for $29.99/month.
Below, we’ve put together an easy guide to see which live TV streaming services carry which channels to help you find which is best for you.
| DIRECTV (five day free trial, $45+/month) | Sling TV ($30+/month) | Fubo (five day free trial, $75+/month) | Hulu + Live TV (three day free trial, $90+/month) | |
| NBC | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Fox | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| FS1 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| MLB Network | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| TBS | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| NBC | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
If you’re trying to watch as much baseball as possible, DIRECTV is the best streaming option for you, because in addition to all of the national channels necessary, you’ll also get the regional sports networks you need to watch your home team with the Choice package and higher.
In addition to linear cable and network television channels, three streaming services are set to carry some exclusive games throughout the 2026 MLB season.
Apple TV
For the fifth year, Apple TV will present Friday Night Baseball, weekly doubleheaders that air every Friday of the regular season. You can find a full schedule here.
Peacock
NBC’s overall deal with the MLB includes a number of games exclusive to NBCU’s streamer, Peacock, including a Sunday Leadoff morning game every week, one out-of-market game every day and a huge slate of games on July 5. Beginning May 3, Sunday Stretch will premiere on Peacock as well; the whip-around show will be similar to NFL Red Zone or the Olympics’ Gold Zone.
Netflix
Netflix has exclusive rights to three special event games within the MLB season: an “Opening Night” game, the Home Run Derby, and the Field of Dreams game, which will be between the Phillies and Twins in 2026.
Why Trust Decider Shopping
This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Decider, the New York Post, and Page Six. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, how to watch your favorite sports teams and movies on each streaming service and the very best in tech, like soundbars, to enhance your viewing experience. Not only does Angela test and compare the services, devices and merch she writes about, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech and pop culture. Prior to joining Decider and the New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.
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