Bally Sports Ohio: 7 Ways to Watch NBA, NHL & MLB in 2024

While Bally Sports Ohio isn’t available on platforms like YouTube TV, Hulu Live TV, or Sling TV, Fubo Pro and DIRECTV STREAM Choice are not your only options. You can stream Bally Sports Ohio on other packages like Fubo Elite and DIRECTV STREAM Ultimate, and others.

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Published: January 14, 2024

If you love the Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Cavaliers, or Columbus Blue Jackets, you need to stream Bally Sports Ohio (BSOH) for all their home games. In 2024, Fubo and DIRECTV STREAM are the only two ways of getting this regional sports network without cable or satellite.

How to watch Bally Sports Ohio Without Cable

Only Fubo and DIRECTV STREAM carry Bally Sports Ohio. That may soon change as Diamond Sports hopes to partner with Amazon Prime, which plans to offer Bally Sports networks to local customers. 

That would broaden choices for MLB, NBA and NHL fans, especially since BSOH isn’t available on YouTube TV, Sling TV or Hulu Live TV. Here are your current options: 

  • Fubo’s Pro Plan costs $79.99 per month plus a regional sports network fee that is either $11.99 or $14.99 per month. It has 189 channels, covering sports, entertainment, and news. Fubo Elite gives you more sports and entertainment channels if you want a bigger selection.
  • DIRECTV STREAM’s Choice package includes Bally Sports Ohio. It’s $108.99 per month for over 105 channels, including TNT, TBS, ESPN, ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX. This is great for MLB and NHL watchers, thanks to TNT. For more channels, look at DIRECTV STREAM Ultimate.

Both offer a trial period. DIRECTV STREAM has a 5-day free trial to try their service. Fubo has a 7-day free trial across any plan. 

Where can I get Bally Sports Ohio?

Bally Sports Ohio (formerly Fox Sports Ohio) is available in Ohio, and parts of Indiana, Kentucky, northwestern Pennsylvania, eastern Tennessee, West Virginia, and the southwestern edge of New York.

You can find the service on major cable TV providers, DIRECTV STREAM and Fubo.

For those living in the Ohio TV Market, subscribing to Fubo or DIRECTV STREAM means you may get local channels such as WKYC (NBC 10) for NBC, WOIO (CBS 3) for CBS, and WJW (FOX 29) for FOX. 

Having access to CBS 3 (WOIO) means Cavaliers fans in Ohio, and parts of West Virginia and Pennsylvania can watch games. These games are also available free to anyone who can get CBS 3 with a TV antenna. 

While Bally Sports Ohio isn’t available on platforms like YouTube TV, Hulu Live TV, or Sling TV, you can watch national broadcast games on ESPN, FOX and FS1 using these services.

Fubo Pro and DIRECTV STREAM Choice are not your only options for watching BSOH without cable. You can stream Bally Sports Ohio on other packages like Fubo Elite and DIRECTV STREAM Ultimate, and others.

Columbus Blue Jackets fans who live outside of the team’s home market can rely on a budget-friendly ESPN+ subscription to watch live games.

Bally Sports Ohio, which started in 1989 as SportsChannel Ohio, continues to be a cornerstone in the region for exclusive coverage of local sports. Whether you’re eager to follow the MLB Playoffs, the NBA season, or NHL matches, these streaming services offer a flexible, cable-free solution to stay connected with your beloved teams.

DIRECTV STREAM: Watch Bally Sports Ohio Live

DIRECTV STREAM offers Bally Sports networks in only three of its packages along with other key channels for Reds, Cavaliers and Blue Jackets fans.

Choice: Cheapest DIRECTV STREAM package with BSOH


The Choice package is $108.99 per month with over 105 channels, unlimited Cloud DVR, and 40,000 TV shows and movies. Watch on many screens at home. It has ESPN, ESPN2, CBS Sports Network, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2, NBA TV, NFL Network, TNT, TBS, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPNews, and ESPNU.

You also get AMC, HGTV, and Comedy Central.

Ultimate: Stream Bally Sports Ohio with MLB and NHL Networks

At $119.99 per month, DIRECTV STREAM Ultimate gives you over 140 channels, including MLB Network, NHL Network for hockey and FOX Sports 2 for various sports. It also has Golf Channel, Tennis Channel, and TVG for horse racing. 

Beyond sports, the Ultimate package includes channels like fyi, LMN, LOGO HD, MGM, Oxygen, Revolt, STARZ (East), Sundance TV, and Universal Kids, each offering unique entertainment and lifestyle programming.

Premier: Get BSOH with Max & Cinemax

DIRECTV STREAM Premier, at $164.99 per month, adds over 150 channels, with Max, Cinemax, and Showtime. It includes all the channels from Choice and Ultimate plans.

Boomerang, Destination America, Discovery Family Channel, Discovery Life, HBO (East), HBO 2 East, HBO Comedy East HD, HBO Family East, HBO Latino, HBO Signature East HD, HBO Zone East HD, Starz Cinema East HD, Starz Comedy East HD, Starz Edge East HD, Starz In Black East HD, and Starz Kids & Family are exclusive to the Premier plan.

DIRECTV STREAM Cloud DVR & On-demand library

DIRECTV STREAM has a big on-demand library with 90,000 titles. Unlimited cloud DVR comes with all packages, storing shows for nine months.

Sports Pack Add-on


For $14.99 per month, the Sports Pack adds about two dozen channels. You can add the Sports Pack to any DIRECTV STREAM plan. 

For Cavs and Reds fans thinking about DIRECTV STREAM, grabbing the Sports Pack is like hitting the sweet spot for additional coverage.  

You get the NHL Network tossed into the mix and NBA TV.  Don’t forget, this pack throws in NFL Network, NFL RedZone, and a mix of college sports channels. Maybe they’re not the front-runners for the hockey and basketball heads, but they sweeten the pot for those playing the field in sports.

directv stream local channels
(photo credit: Jim Kimble / The Cord Cutting Report)
PLANPRICECHANNELS
Entertainment$79.99/month75+
Choice$108.99/month105+
Ultimate$119.99/month140+
Premier$164.99/month150+
Device support: Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Chromecast with Google TV along with Smart TVs by Samsung, Sony Bravia

Fubo: Streaming Bally Sports Ohio Without Cable

Fubo includes Bally Sports Ohio and other regional sports channels in its Pro, and Elite plans. A regional sports fee of $11.99 per month is added to your bill for one RSN. Areas with two RSNs costs $14.99 per month.

Pro Plan: Cheapest Fubo plan with Bally Sports Ohio


For $79.99 per month, you get 202 channels with the Fubo Pro plan. It has local ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX, plus ESPN, the Big Ten Network and all RSNs available in your area. 

You also get HGTV, Food Network, and Comedy Central. This plan offers a mix of sports and entertainment. Note: Fubo currently doesn’t have TNT or TBS.

Elite Plan: Stream Bally Sports Ohio and 4K Sports

Elite costs $89.99 per month and adds 65 channels to the Pro lineup, including NBA TV and NHL Network. Other channels are beIN Sports LaLiga, BET, and more.

beIN Sports LaLiga, BET, Big Ten Network (with alternatives), Game Show Network, Lifetime Movies, Military History, MotorTrend, MTV Classic, MTV Live, Nat Geo Wild, NBA TV, NHL Network,  and NickToons are in the Elite plan. 

Elite subscribers can watch select sporting events in 4K on channels such as FS1, FOX and NBC Sports.

Get Bally Sports Ohio with Fubo’s Sports Plus Add-on

The Sports Plus bundle can be added to Fubo Pro or Elite. It adds 32 more channels and costs $10.99 per month.

Sports Plus includes NFL RedZone, all four Stadium networks, Sports Illustrated TV, Golf TV English, Golf TV Spanish, PAC 12 Arizona, PAC 12 Bay Area, PAC 12 Los Angeles, PAC 12 Mountain, PAC 12 Oregon, PAC 12 Washington, FOX College Sports Atlantic, FOX College Sports Pacific, FNTSY, Fight Network and TyC Sports.

Fubo’s Cloud DVR & On-demand features


All Fubo subscribers get 1,000 hours of Cloud DVR. What’s cool is that you can start watching your recordings right from the beginning, even if they’re still recording. All your shows and events get stored safely in Fubo’s cloud storage, so you can access them on any Fubo-compatible device, no matter where you are.

Fubo lets you watch on 10 screens simultaneously and offers a “look back” feature to view past games. You get on-demand access to shows like “Survivor” and “The Simpsons.”

fubotv-channels
(photo credit: Jim Kimble / The Cord Cutting Report)
PLANPRICECHANNELS
Pro$79.99/month189
Elite $89.99/month255
Premier$99.99/month264 & Showtime
Device support: Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast with Google TV, Xbox One, along with Smart TVs by Hisense, Samsung, LG, Sony Bravia and VIZIO SmartCast TV. Android, iPhones and iPads with current iOS.

ESPN Plus for out-of-market Blue Jackets fans

ESPN+ is ideal for watching NHL games, including the Columbus Blue Jackets, if you’re not in their local area.
A $10.99 per month subscription makes ESPN+ a cost-effective choice for sports fans.

For fans living outside the Blue Jackets’ home TV market, ESPN+ lets you stream over 1,000 out-of-market NHL games. This is also known as the ESPN+ Power Play. Local and national TV might not show these games.

ESPN+ also covers UFC, college sports, and soccer, including La Liga and Bundesliga. It’s a diverse sports hub with college football, and baseball too.

The service works on many devices, like smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, PlayStation, and Roku. This means you can watch sports easily, no matter your device.

live-mlb-games
ESPN+ has daily MLB games. (photo credit: Jim Kimble / The Cord Cutting Report)
PLANPRICESTREAMS
ESPN+$10.99/moHD/1080p – 3 devices
Disney Trio Basic
(with ads)
$14.99/mo.Disney+ up to 4K/Dolby Atmos
Hulu up to 4K
ESPN+ HD/1080p
Disney Trio Premium
(only ESPN+ with ads)
$24.99/mo.Disney+ up to 4K/Dolby Atmos
Hulu up to 4K
ESPN+ HD/1080p
Device support: Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Chromecast with Google TV along with Smart TVs by Samsung, VIZIO SmartCast, Sony Bravia, PlayStation, XBox, Xfinity Flex and Xumo TV.

How to Watch Bally Sports Ohio FAQs

These are questions that sports fans ask when searching for ways to stream Bally Sports Ohio without a pay TV provider. 

What is Bally Sports Cincinnati?

Bally Sports Ohio also operates regional feeds for Cleveland and Cincinnati markets. The regional Cincinnati feed is also called Bally Sports Cincinnati in some TV listings and program guides.

Where can I watch Cleveland Guardians games?

Bally Sports Great Lakes (formerly Sports Time Ohio) airs in-market or home games for the Cleveland Guardians. Bally Sports Great Lakes is available in Northeast Ohio, the Columbus area, Northwest Pennsylvania, and parts of Western New York. 

Where can I watch Cincinnati Reds or Cleveland Cavaliers games?

The Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Columbus Blue Jackets games are primarily broadcast on Bally Sports Ohio, but they do occasionally appear on national broadcasts.  

  • Cincinnati Reds: Most of the Reds games are broadcast on Bally Sports Ohio. Nationally televised games may appear on ESPN, Fox, FS1, or TBS.
  • Cleveland Cavaliers: Cavaliers games are typically aired on Bally Sports Ohio. Nationally televised games can be found on ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV.
  • Columbus Blue Jackets: Blue Jackets games are usually broadcast on Bally Sports Ohio. Some games may also be nationally televised on ESPN, TNT, TBS, ESPN Plus, and NHL Network.

Please note that the availability of these games on specific channels can vary based on your location and cable/satellite provider.

How can I watch Bally Sports Ohio without a cable subscription?

To watch Bally Sports Ohio without cable, you can subscribe to streaming services like Fubo or DIRECTV STREAM. Both offer Bally Sports Ohio as part of their sports channel lineup. Check their current plans for availability and pricing.

What streaming services offer Bally Sports Ohio?

Fubo and DIRECTV STREAM currently offer Bally Sports Ohio. These services provide access to live games and events on the channel, typically included in their sports packages.

Can I stream Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Cavaliers, or Columbus Blue Jackets games on Hulu Live TV?

As of now, Bally Sports Ohio, which broadcasts Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Columbus Blue Jackets games, is not available on Hulu Live TV. For streaming these teams’ home games, you must subscribe to Fubo or DIRECTV STREAM.

What are the best streaming devices for watching Bally Sports Ohio?

When you are using a streaming service to watch Bally Sports Ohio, you can use select smart TVs, and a variety of streaming devices including Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and game consoles like Xbox and PlayStation.  

Does YouTube TV have Bally Sports Ohio?

No, YouTube TV does not carry Bally Sports Ohio in its channel lineup. If you want to watch Bally Sports Ohio, you can subscribe to Fubo or DIRECTV STREAM. 

Fubo carries Bally Sports Ohio across all its plans. DIRECTV STREAM carries BSOH and other regional sports networks in the Choice plan or higher.

Does Sling TV have Bally Sports Ohio?

No, Sling TV does not offer Bally Sports Ohio as part of its channel lineup. To watch Bally Sports Ohio, you should consider other providers like Fubo or DIRECTV STREAM, which currently include this channel in their sports packages.

How to watch Bally Sports Ohio on Roku?

To watch Bally Sports Ohio on your Roku device, follow these steps:

  • Check Subscription: Make sure you have a subscription to a service like Fubo or DIRECTV STREAM that includes Bally Sports Ohio.
  • Add the Channel: On your Roku home screen, go to ‘Streaming Channels’, then search for and add the app of your streaming service (Fubo or DIRECTV STREAM).
  • Log In: Open the app on your Roku and sign in with your service account details.
  • Find Bally Sports Ohio: Use the app to locate Bally Sports Ohio in the channel list.
  • Watch: Select Bally Sports Ohio to start streaming your favorite sports events.

This process will allow you to stream Bally Sports Ohio content directly on your Roku device.

How to watch Bally Sports Ohio on an Amazon Fire TV Stick?

To watch Bally Sports Ohio on your Amazon Fire TV Stick, here are the steps:

  • Verify Your Subscription: Make sure you have an active subscription to Fubo or DIRECTV STREAM, which offer Bally Sports Ohio.
  • Install the App: On your Fire TV Stick home screen, go to the ‘App Store’. Search for the Fubo or DIRECTV STREAM app and download it.
  • Sign In: Open the downloaded app and log in with your subscription credentials.
  • Locate Bally Sports Ohio: In the app, search for Bally Sports Ohio among the available channels.
  • Start Streaming: Select Bally Sports Ohio in your channel lineup to begin watching the live sports broadcasts.

By following these steps, you can access Bally Sports Ohio programming on your Amazon Fire TV Stick.

Can I watch Bally Sports Ohio on a Sony, LG, or Vizio Smart TV?

Yes, you can watch Bally Sports Ohio on Sony, LG, and Vizio Smart TVs by using a streaming service that offers this channel, such as Fubo or DIRECTV STREAM. 

  1. Get a Subscription: Confirm you have a subscription to a service like Fubo or DIRECTV STREAM that includes Bally Sports Ohio.
  2. Access the App Store: On your Smart TV, go to the app store or content store.
  3. Download the App: Search for the Fubo or DIRECTV STREAM app and download it to your TV.
  4. Log In: Open the app on your Smart TV and sign in with your subscription details.
  5. Find Bally Sports Ohio: Navigate through the app to find Bally Sports Ohio in the channel lineup.
  6. Watch: Select the channel to start streaming games and events on Bally Sports Ohio.

These steps allow you to enjoy Bally Sports Ohio on your Sony, LG, or Vizio Smart TV through compatible streaming services.

Where can I get Bally Sports Ohio?

You can get Bally Sports Ohio through the following options:

  • Cable Subscription: Bally Sports Ohio is available on most cable TV services in the Ohio region and surrounding areas. Check with local providers like Spectrum, Cox, or Cincinnati Bell.
  • Streaming Services: Subscribe to streaming platforms like Fubo or DIRECTV STREAM, which include Bally Sports Ohio in their channel lineups.
  • Bally Sports App: With a cable or satellite subscription, you can use the Bally Sports App to stream Bally Sports Ohio live. You’ll need to authenticate with your TV provider’s login details.

Methodology

I spend hundreds of hours throughout the year conducting hands-on testing of streaming services, including Peacock, DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo, Sling TV, YouTube TV, Hulu Live TV. I do the same rigorous testing for TV antennas and TV-related hardware. Check out the review policy to see how I compare products and services.The Cord Cutting Report is a reader-supported publication, and may earn affiliate commissions when you pick a streaming service through a recommendation. Read our affiliate policy for more information.

Jim Kimble is a seasoned industry expert with over two decades of journalism experience. He has been at the forefront of the cord-cutting movement since 2016, testing and writing about TV-related products and services. He founded The Cord Cutting Report in 2016, and serves as the editor.

Major publications, including MarketWatch, Forbes, and South Florida Sun Sentinel, have interviewed Kimble for his years of expertise. He gives advice on the complexities consumers are navigating with streaming options, and over-the-air TV. Kimble has been a staff writer or correspondent for several award-winning, daily newspapers, including The Boston Globe.

1 thought on “Bally Sports Ohio: 7 Ways to Watch NBA, NHL & MLB in 2024”

  1. Now you can not even stream it with spectrum. I just went and bought a roku tv don’t Wat too much money just to cut the cable cord and they no longer offer the app on roku. This is awful.

    Reply

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