By Jim Kimble / Updated April 8, 2022
There are a few ways to watch Chicago Cubs games live without a cable TV or satellite package. Most games are on Marquee Sports Network.
Nationally televised games during the regular season in 2022 are on FOX, ESPN, FS1, TBS and MLB Network. A few post-season games air on ABC.
Table of Contents
- New, free ways to watch Chicago Cubs
- Live Streaming Chicago Cubs Games
- Where can I watch Marquee Sports Network?
- Stream Chicago Cubs Games on Roku, Fire TV Stick
- Marquee Sports Network App Activation
- Are Chicago Cubs Games on YouTube TV?
- Streaming Chicago Cubs on ESPN and cable channels
- Watch Chicago Cubs on MLB.tv
- Cubs games on Apple TV+ and Peacock
- Are the Chicago Cubs on ESPN+ in 2022?
- How to Watch Cubs games free with a TV antenna
- What channel is the Chicago Cubs game on tonight?
New, free ways to watch Chicago Cubs
Apple TV+ will stream two live baseball games on Friday nights during the 2022 MLB season.
The Friday night doubleheaders on Apple will be free. (Details are below.) NBC’s Peacock is streaming games in a new Sunday morning time slot.
Keep in mind that streaming MLB games isn’t your only option.
Cord-cutters can watch some national broadcast games for free using a TV antenna. I started streaming MLB games in 2016 back when PlayStation Vue began carrying NESN in its channel lineup.
This guide aims to give you a comprehensive look at how to watch Cubs games without cable TV for the 2022 season.
Live Streaming Chicago Cubs Games
The Chicago Cubs broadcast most of their games on Marquee Sports Network. The regional sports channel has exclusive rights to in-market Chicago Cubs games.
Marquee Sports Network is only carried by DIRECTV STREAM and fuboTV.
Where can I watch Marquee Sports Network?
Marquee Sports Network is available to pay-TV subscribers in five states.
Most of Illinois, Indiana and Iowa, eastern Nebraska and Kenosha County, Wisconsin are within the home broadcast area.
Stream Chicago Cubs Games on Roku, Fire TV Stick
Watching live Chicago Cubs 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 Marquee Sports Network and the channels that carry national broadcast Chicago Cubs games
- An Internet connection
- 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, Google Chromecast with Google TV.
These apps are also available on Smart TVs, iPhones, iPads and Android smartphones. You can watch live TV on a PC through a web browser.
DIRECTV STREAM
DIRECTV STREAM has every channel needed to watch Chicago Cubs games in 2022.
A subscription costs $89.99 per month for 90+ channels. Marquee Sports Network, ESPN, MLB Network, FS1, and local channels such as ABC and FOX are included in the Choice lineup.
You can sign up for a free 5-day trial without any obligations.
Subscribers can get three months of HBO Max, Showtime, Cinemax and EPIX for free before the monthly rates kick in. You can watch live TV on up to 20 screens at once. 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.
fuboTV
fuboTV has 130 channels with a lineup that is similar to a cable TV package.
ESPN, HGTV, MSNBC, Golf Channel and Hallmark channels are part of the pro bundle. You will have local ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX stations.
fuboTV is the only live TV service that offers select sporting events and entertainment in 4K resolution.
There’s an on-demand library of movies and TV shows. fuboTV includes 250 hours of Cloud DVR. A subscription costs $69.99 per month.
fuboTV works on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Fire Stick, Chromecast, Apple TV and Android TV devices. You can also watch live TV on a PC or use a mobile app on iPhone and Android smartphones. You won’t have TBS, but that might not matter for Cubs fans.
Currently, there are no Cubs games scheduled for broadcast on TBS during the 2022 season. Look over the fuboTV channel lineup, or get a free trial for 7 days.
Marquee Sports Network App Activation
DIRECTV STREAM is currently the only live TV streaming service that lets you activate the Marquee Sports app. fuboTV currently does not support TV Everywhere access to the Marquee Sports Network app.
Are Chicago Cubs Games on YouTube TV?
No, YouTube TV does not carry Marquee Sports Network.
YouTube TV does have channels for nationally televised games. Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV carries channels for nationally televised Chicago Cubs games as well.
Streaming Chicago Cubs on ESPN and cable channels
If you’re trying to narrow your focus to a specific cable TV network, no worries. You can read my guides on how to watch ABC, FOX, ESPN, FS1, TBS and MLB Network without cable.
Watch Chicago Cubs on MLB.tv
The MLB also has MLB.tv which live streams all out-of-market games for every team.
Chicago Cubs 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 Chicago Cubsgames.
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.
Cubs games on Apple TV+ and Peacock
Apple TV+ is delivering a weekly Friday night doubleheader during the 2022 MLB season.
The first leg of doubleheader MLB games will be free to anyone with internet access, according to Apple. The company released its schedule of games that begin on April 8.
Apple TV+ works on most major streaming devices including Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Google Chromecast with Google TV. Smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, Vizio, Panasonic and Hisense are also supported.
Peacock begins streaming Sunday morning MLB games on May 8.
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.
| DATE | TIME | MATCHUP |
|---|---|---|
| May 8 | 11:30 a.m. ET | Chicago White Sox at Boston Red Sox |
| May 15 | 11:30 a.m. ET | San Diego Padres at Atlanta Braves |
| May 22 | 11:30 a.m. ET | St. Louis Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates |
| May 29 | 11:30 a.m. ET | San Francisco Giants at Cincinnati Reds |
| June 5 | 11:30 a.m. ET | Detroit Tigers at New York Yankees |
| June 12 | 11:30 a.m. ET | Oakland Athletics at Cleveland Guardians |
| June 19 | Noon ET | Philadelphia Phillies at Washington Nationals |
| June 26 | Noon ET | New York Mets at Miami Marlins |
| July 3 | Noon ET | Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers |
| July 10 | Noon ET | Los Angeles Angels at Baltimore Orioles |
| July 17 | Noon ET | Kansas City Royals at Toronto Blue Jays |
| July 24 | Noon ET | Chicago Cubs at Philadelphia Phillies |
| July 31 | Noon ET | Detroit Tigers at Toronto Blue Jays |
| August 7 | Noon ET | Houston Astros at Cleveland Guardians |
| August 14 | Noon ET | San Diego Padres at Washington Nationals |
| August 21 | Noon ET | Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Guardians |
| August 28 | Noon ET | Los Angeles Dodgers at Miami Marlins |
| September 4 | Noon ET | Toronto Blue Jays at Pittsburgh Pirates |
The service also 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.
You can sign up for a free 7-day trial of Peacock Premium.
Are the Chicago Cubs on ESPN+ in 2022?
Yes. ESPN+ will once again have daily MLB games that are part of the national broadcast schedule.
Out-of-market games are still governed by local blackout restrictions.
Each MLB team will be on ESPN+ at least 10 times by the end of the season. Replays are made available after a live game streams on ESPN+.
A subscription to ESPN+ costs $6.99 per month, and you can check the upcoming lineup of MLB games.
How to Watch Cubs games free with a TV antenna
A TV antenna is the best way to watch Chicago Cubs 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
What channel is the Chicago Cubs game on tonight?
Chicago Cubs games are typically on Marquee Sports Network. The schedule below breaks down what channel or streaming service has national broadcast games for the 2022 MLB season.
| DAY | CUBS 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 |
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