By Jim Kimble / Updated April 13, 2022
You can watch Houston Astros games live without a cable TV a number of different ways. Most games are on AT&T SportsNet Southwest.
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
- Two new ways to watch Houston Astros live
- What streaming services carry Houston Astros games?
- Where can I watch AT&T SportsNet Southwest?
- Stream Houston Astros Games on Roku, Fire TV Stick
- Are Houston Astros games on YouTube TV?
- Streaming Houston Astros on ESPN and cable channels
- Watch Houston Astros games on MLB.tv
- Houston Astros on Apple TV+ and Peacock
- Are the Houston Astros on ESPN+ in 2022?
- What channel is the Houston Astros game on tonight?
Two new ways to watch Houston Astros live
Apple TV+ is streaming two live baseball games on Friday nights during the 2022 MLB season. The Friday night doubleheaders on Apple will be free.
NBC’s Peacock is streaming games in a new Sunday morning time slot. (Schedule is below.)
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 Astros games without cable TV for the 2022 season.
What streaming services carry Houston Astros games?
The Houston Astros broadcast most of their games on AT&T SportsNet Southwest. The regional sports channel has exclusive rights to in-market Houston Astros games.
AT&T SportsNet Southwest is only carried by two streaming services, fuboTV and DIRECTV STREAM.
Where can I watch AT&T SportsNet Southwest?
AT&T SportsNet Southwest is available to pay-TV subscribers in five states.
Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, parts of Oklahoma and eastern New Mexico make up the home broadcast area.
Stream Houston Astros Games on Roku, Fire TV Stick
Watching live Houston Astros 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 AT&T SportsNet Southwest and the channels that carry national broadcast Houston Astros 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 fuboTV or 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.
fuboTV
fuboTV carries 120+ channels including AT&T SportsNet Southwest and AT&T SportsNet Southwest Plus.
The service also carries channels for nationally televised games ABC, FOX, ESPN and FS1. TBS is currently not available on fuboTV.
Subscribers get 250 hours of Cloud DVR for recording live TV.
fuboTV is the only live TV streaming service that has select live sports and on-demand shows in 4K.
fuboTV works on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Google Chromecast with Google TV, Apple TV, Samsung and Hisense Smart TVs, and XBox One.
You can look over the channel lineup before deciding whether to try it out.
The entry-level fubo bundle is called the fubo family package and costs $64.99 per month. fuboTV says there is also a $6 monthly fee to pay for regional sports networks.
There is a free 7-day trial that you can sign up for without any obligations.
DIRECTV STREAM
DIRECTV STREAM has every channel needed to watch Houston Astros live games in 2022.
A subscription costs $89.99 per month for 90+ channels. AT&T SportsNet Southwest, ESPN, MLB Network, FS1, and local channels such as ABC and FOX are included in the Choice lineup.
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.
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. You can use the “Team Recordings” feature and record every Astros game if you can’t watch the team play live.
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 or check for promo pricing before making any decisions.
Are Houston Astros games on YouTube TV?
No, YouTube TV does not carry AT&T SportsNet Southwest.
YouTube TV does have channels for nationally televised games. Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV carries channels for nationally televised Houston Astros games as well.
Streaming Houston Astros 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 Houston Astros games on MLB.tv
The MLB also has MLB.tv which live streams all out-of-market games for every team. Houston Astros 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 Houston Astros 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.
Houston Astros 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.
| 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 |
Peacock works on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Roku. 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 for Peacock Premium.
Are the Houston Astros on ESPN+ in 2022?
Yes. ESPN+ is once again streaming one MLB game per day that is part of the national broadcast schedule. Out-of-market games are still governed by local blackout restrictions.
In other words, you will need your local regional sports channel to watch home games. A subscription to ESPN+ costs $6.99 per month. You can sign up for ESPN+ online, and start watching live MLB games within the ESPN app.
You can also check out the upcoming lineup of MLB games on ESPN+.
What channel is the Houston Astros game on tonight?
Houston Astros games are typically on AT&T SportsNet Southwest.
The schedule below breaks down what channel or streaming service has national broadcast games for the 2022 MLB season.
| DAY | ASTOS MLB NATIONAL BROADCAST |
|---|---|
| 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 |
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
