By Jim Kimble / Updated March 29, 2023
Learning how to watch Boston Red Sox games without a cable TV or satellite package is becoming an annual ritual for sports fans.
Here are seven options:
Watching home, or in-market, games during the 2023 season requires a subscription to a live TV streaming service that carries NESN.
Nationally televised MLB games are on FOX, ESPN, FS1, TBS and MLB Network. A few post-season games air on ABC.
How to watch Boston Red Sox Games Live
The Boston Red Sox broadcast most of their games on NESN and their new standalone streaming service, NESN360. The regional sports network is also known as the New England Sports Network. It has exclusive rights to in-market Boston Red Sox games.
NESN is currently on two live TV streaming services, DIRECTV STREAM and fuboTV.
DIRECTV STREAM has a 5-day free trial. Fubo has a 7-day free trial.
You can watch every home game this season on DIRECTV STREAM and fuboTV if you live in the broadcast area of NESN.
National broadcast games are on ESPN, FOX, FS1, and TBS.
NESN is available to pay TV subscribers in the New England market.
The New England market includes Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont and most of Connecticut. The only exception is Fairfield County, Connecticut, which is considered part of the New York City market.
| STREAMING SERVICE | NESN | ESPN/FOX/FS1/TBS |
|---|---|---|
| DIRECTV STREAM | Yes | Yes |
| fuboTV | Yes | No TBS |
| Hulu Live TV | No | Yes |
| Sling TV | No | Yes |
| YouTube TV | No | Yes |
Apple TV+ is streaming two live baseball games on Friday nights during the 2023 Major League Baseball season. The Friday night games are part of the National Broadcast schedule.
You can watch these games on any Smart TV or streaming device that supports Apple TV+. This marks the second year in a row for Apple streaming MLB games.
NBC’s Peacock is streaming exclusive Sunday morning games for the second year in a row.
Cord-cutters can watch some national broadcast games for free using a TV antenna.
How to Stream Boston Red Sox Games
Watching live Boston Red Sox games without cable TV is pretty simple. You just need a few things to start streaming MLB games on your TV.
- A streaming service that carries NESN and the channels that carry national broadcast games
- A Smart TV or streaming device such as a Roku connected to your TV
You can watch live TV channels through the app of streaming services such as DIRECTV STREAM. Live TV streaming services have apps for Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast with Google TV.
These apps are available on Smart TVs, iPhones/iPads (iOS), and Android smartphones. You can watch live TV on a PC through a web browser. Gamers can watch on Xbox and PlayStation game consoles.
DIRECTV STREAM
DIRECTV STREAM (formerly AT&T TV) has every channel needed to watch Boston Red Sox games in 2023.
A subscription to the DIRECTV STREAM Choice package costs $99.99 per month for 105 channels.
NESN, ESPN, MLB Network, FS1, and local channels such as FOX, NBC, ABC, and CBS are included in the Choice lineup.
Subscribers can get three months of HBO Max, Showtime, Cinemax and MGM+ for free before the monthly rates kick in. You can watch live TV on “unlimited screens” in your home.
You can sign up for a free 5-day trial without any obligations.
Every plan includes unlimited Cloud DVR and a robust library of on-demand movies and shows. There are no contracts. There are no additional regional sports fees.
You can subscribe month to month and cancel whenever you want.
DIRECTV STREAM works on Roku, Android TV, Fire TV devices, Apple TV and smartphones and tablets. You can look over the different channel lineups before making any decisions.
fubo
fubo (formerly fuboTV) has more than 152 channels in its Pro plan, including NESN.
The Pro plan has a large roster of regional networks and national cable networks for sports fans. NESN is available to in-market subscribers.
New England subscribers get NBC Sports Boston, local broadcast channels such as ABC and NBC, and cable networks including New England Cable News (NECN) in their channel lineup.
Pro plan subscribers get ESPN Networks, FS1, FOX, NBA TV, NFL Network, ACC Network and Big Ten Network.
A subscription costs $74.99 per month. You can watch TV or on-demand content on 10 screens at once. fubo adds a regional sports fee. It costs $10.99 per month for one regional network. It’s $13.99 per month if you have two RSNs in your area.
You should look over the channel lineup for your area before signing up.
fubo has entertainment channels, including Discovery, Paramount Network, USA Network and Hallmark Channel. Subscribers get 1,000 hours of Cloud DVR for recordings, so you can watch replays of games whenever you like.
Elite and Premier subscribers can watch some games on FS1 and FOX in upscaled 4K. There’s a huge on-demand library of movies and TV shows for when you don’t need live TV.
fubo works on Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV (tvOS) and Android TV. Samsung Smart TVs, Vizio SmartCast TVs, Hisense, and TVs running Google TV or Android TV are supported. Gamers can watch fubo on Xbox game consoles.
You can get a 7-day free trial. There are no contracts or obligations.
NESN360
NESN360 is a standalone streaming service for New England sports fans that carries in-market Boston Red Sox games.
Just like with the NESN cable channel, you must live in the home market to watch live games. You can check with your zip code to determine if you are in the home market area.
A subscription costs $29.99 per month, or $329.99 annually.
Subscribers can watch the Boston Red Sox play at home, along with the Boston Bruins, Worcester Red Sox and a number of other regional sports teams.
You can start watching NESN 360 through the NESN app. Smart TVs running Google TV are supported. Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, iOS and Android all support the NESN app.
NESN 360 supports streaming in 4K HDR video quality on Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV devices and Google TV 4K devices.
MLB.tv (Out-of-Market)
MLB.tv live streams all out-of-market games for every team.
Boston Red Sox games are blacked out for fans living in the team’s home broadcast region. The service allows subscribers who live in an out-of-market area to watch games.
A subscription to MLB.tv costs $24.99 per month. Amazon Prime members can get a free 7-day trial of MLB.tv through Amazon Channels. The regular rate kicks in once the trial ends. You can also sign up for MLB TV through your fubo subscription.
Apple TV+
Apple TV+ is delivering two weekly Friday night games during the 2023 MLB season.
Apple TV+ subscribers can watch MLB games along with a number of original movies and TV shows. A subscription costs $6.99 per month after a free 7-day trial.
Apple TV+ works on most major streaming devices, including Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast with Google TV. Smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, Vizio, Panasonic and Hisense are also supported.
Apple TV+ MLB schedule
| DATE | TIME (ET) | GAME |
|---|---|---|
| April 7 | 2:20 p.m. | Rangers at Cubs |
| April 7 | 7:20 p.m. | Padres at Braves |
| April 14 | 6:40 p.m. | Giants at Tigers |
| April 14 | 7:10 p.m. | Angels at Red Sox |
| April 21 | 7:05 p.m. | Blue Jays at Yankees |
| April 21 | 7:20 p.m. | Astros at Braves |
| April 28 | 8:10 p.m. | Phillies at Astros |
| April 28 | 10:10 p.m. | Cardinals at Dodgers |
| May 5 | 6:40 p.m. | White Sox at Reds |
| May 5 | 7:10 p.m. | Twins at Guardians |
| May 12 | 8:10 p.m. | Royals at Brewers |
| May 12 | 8:10 p.m. | Cubs at Twins |
| May 19 | 7:07 p.m. | Orioles at Blue Jays |
| May 19 | 7:20 p.m. | Mariners at Braves |
| May 26 | 7:05 p.m. | Padres at Yankees |
| May 26 | 7:10 p.m. | White Sox at Tigers |
| June 2 | 5:10 p.m. | Brewers at Reds |
| June 2 | 8:10 p.m. | Guardians at Twins |
| June 9 | 7:05 p.m. | Royals at Orioles |
| June 9 | 9:38 p.m. | Mariners at Angels |
| June 16 | 8:10 p.m. | Pirates at Brewers |
| June 16 | 10:10 p.m. | White Sox at Mariners |
| June 23 | 6:40 p.m. | Pirates at Marlins |
| June 23 | 7:05 p.m. | Mets at Phillies |
| June 23 | 7:05 p.m. | Brewers at Pirates |
| June 30 | 9:38 p.m. | Diamondbacks at Angels |
Peacock
Peacock begins streaming Sunday morning MLB games on April 23.
Games will be available on the Premium plan. Peacock Premium costs $4.99 per month. There is a free 7-day trial for Peacock Premium.
Peacock works on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Roku. The service has apps for a wide variety of Android TV-enabled Smart TVs, including Sony. Smart TVs by LG, Samsung, Vizio and Hisense are supported as well.
Peacock MLB Schedule
| DATE | TIME (ET) | GAME |
|---|---|---|
| April 23 | 12:05 p.m. | Colorado Rockies at Philadelphia Phillies |
| April 30 | 12:05 p.m. | Chicago Cubs at Miami Marlins |
| May 7 | 11:35 a.m. | Baltimore Orioles at Atlanta Braves |
| May 14 | 11:35 a.m. | Los Angeles Angels at Cleveland Guardians |
| May 21 | 11:35 a.m. | New York Yankees at Cincinnati Reds |
| May 28 | 11:35 a.m. | Los Angeles Dodgers at Tampa Bay Rays |
| June 4 | 11:35 a.m. | St. Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates |
| June 11 | 11:35 a.m. | Arizona Diamondbacks at Detroit Tigers |
| June 18 | 1:05 p.m. | Baltimore Orioles at Chicago Cubs |
| July 2 | 12:05 p.m. | Minnesota Twins at Baltimore Orioles |
| July 9 | 12:05 p.m. | Texas Rangers at Washington Nationals |
| July 16 | 12:05 p.m. | San Francisco Giants at Pittsburgh Pirates |
| July 23 | 12:05 p.m. | San Diego Padres at Detroit Tigers |
| July 30 | 12:05 p.m. | Los Angeles Angels at Toronto Blue Jays |
| August 6 | 12:05 p.m. | Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Guardians |
| August 13 | 12:05 p.m. | Detroit Tigers at Boston Red Sox |
| August 20 | 1:05 p.m. | Seattle Mariners at Houston Astros |
| August 27 | 12:05 p.m. | Los Angeles Angels at New York Mets |
| September 3 | 1:05 p.m. | Philadelphia Phillies at Milwaukee Brewers |
You can sign up for a free 7-day trial for Peacock Premium.
ESPN+
ESPN+ is streaming one live MLB game per day that is part of the national broadcast schedule.
Out-of-market games are still governed by local blackout restrictions.
You will need your local regional sports channel to watch home games.
Replays are made available after a live game streams on ESPN+. A subscription to ESPN+ costs $9.99 per month, and you can check the upcoming lineup of MLB games.
How to Watch Red Sox games free with a TV antenna
A TV antenna is the best way to watch Boston Red Sox games that are carried on ABC and FOX for free.
If you have a TV antenna handy, but haven’t used it in a while, plug it into your television’s coax port and scan for channels. FOX broadcasts games throughout the regular season. ABC becomes a key channel for post-season games.
If you are new to TV antennas, here is a list of resources that I have written to get you started.
- How to Choose the Best TV Antenna and OTA DVR
- How to Connect Multiple TVs to One Antenna
- Review: The Best Indoor TV Antennas
- Review: The Best Outdoor TV Antennas
How to Watch Boston Red Sox FAQ
These are questions readers ask when searching for ways to watch or stream Boston Red Sox games without a pay TV provider.
How can I watch Red Sox games?
DIRECTV STREAM and fubo both carry NESN in their channel lineups, but plans and pricing are different.
- DIRECTV STREAM has the network in the Choice package. A subscription has 105 live TV channels including major sports networks such as ESPN, FS1 and TBS along with local channels. A subscription is $99.99 per month. You can try out the Choice plan with a 5-day free trial.
- fubo carries NESN in the Pro plan, which has 152 channels and key MLB channels, including ESPN, FS1 and local FOX stations. TBS is not included. The Pro plan costs $74.99 per month. The regional sports fee is $10.99 or $13.99 per month, depending on whether you get one or two RSNs. There is a free 7-day trial with no obligations.
Sports fans can also try out NESN360, a standalone streaming service for $29.99 per month. NESN360 carries all in-market games for the Boston Red Sox.
Can I watch the Boston Red Sox on YouTube TV?
YouTube TV does not carry NESN. But a YouTube TV subscriber can watch Red Sox games on FOX, FS1, ESPN and TBS. Those channels broadcast nationally televised games. A subscription costs $72.99 per month, includes unlimited Cloud DVR and a free trial that lasts 7 days.
Can I watch the Boston Red Sox on Hulu?
Hulu Live TV has ESPN, FS1, TBS and local FOX channels that carry national broadcast games. But Hulu’s live TV plan does not carry NESN, which has home games for the Boston Red Sox. A subscription includes 75 live TV channels, and unlimited Cloud DVR for $69.99 per month.
Can I watch the Red Sox games on Sling TV?
Sling Orange subscribers can watch the Red Sox when games are on ESPN and TBS. FS1 is on the Sling Blue plan. Sling TV does not carry any regional sports networks.
Local FOX stations are in a limited number of markets. If you live in or around one of these cities, then you should be able to watch the Red Sox when games are on local FOX stations:
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Chicago
- Dallas/Fort Worth
- Detroit
- Gainesville
- Houston
- Los Angeles
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis/St. Paul
- New York
- Orlando/Daytona/Melbourne
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa/St. Petersburg
- Washington, DC
What channel is the Boston Red Sox game on tonight?
Boston Red Sox games are typically on NESN. The schedule below breaks down what channel or streaming service has national broadcast games for the 2023 MLB season.
| DAY | Red Sox MLB NATIONAL BROADCAST SCHEDULE |
|---|---|
| Sunday morning | Peacock |
| Sunday afternoon | TBS |
| Sunday night | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| Monday night | ESPN or FS1 |
| Tuesday night | TBS |
| Wednesday Night | ESPN, FS1, MLB Network |
| Thursday Night | ESPN, FOX and MLB Network |
| Friday Night | Apple TV+ |
| Saturday Afternoon | FOX |
| Saturday Night | FOX, FS1 |
Note: This article was originally published on March 12, 2022. It has been updated to reflect new streaming options, prices and updated schedules.
For more news on streaming, how-to guides and reviews, head over to the main page of The Cord Cutting Report or follow the CCR on Google News.
Founder and Editor of The Cord Cutting Report. Before launching the site in 2016, he worked for more than two decades as a staff writer or correspondent for a number of daily newspapers, including The Boston Globe. His enthusiasm for tech began with the Atari 2600. Follow @james_kimble
