Baseball is Back: Here's How to Watch the 2020 MLB Season Online

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Baseball is officially back. After being delayed for four months due to coronavirus concerns, the 2020 MLB season finally kicks off this week under a modified schedule that will see games being played without fans, and with players subjected to regular coronavirus testing.

The shortened 2020 MLB season runs from Thursday July 23 to Sunday, September 27. Each team will play a 60-game schedule instead of the usual 162-game skid, with 40 divisional matchups and 20 interleague matchups between teams in the same region (thereby minimizing travel). Playoffs are still scheduled to take place in October, with a number of contenders looking to take over as World Series champs from the Washington Nationals.

How to Stream MLB Online

You won’t be able to head out to the stadium just yet, but If you want to watch baseball live from home, there are a couple of ways to do it on the cheap.

1. ESPN+

For less than the price of a coffee, ESPN+ gets you hours of live sports streaming, including access to MLB games. You’ll also be able to unlock exclusive content on the ESPN site (look for sections labeled with the E+ logo), with hours of post-game analysis, insider news and team updates.

In addition to baseball, ESPN+ is the current hub for exclusive UFC Fight Night events, which stream live from Fight Island in Dubai. And sports fans will like the ability to stream current games from MLS, Serie A, FA Cup and more. What we like: ESPN+ is also where you can access the entire 30 for 30 catalog, including the infamous “Long Gone Summer” episode about Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa.

Everything streams in full HD quality, and you can access content from your phone, tablet, TV or computer. Get ESPN+ for just $4.99/month here (You can also snag this bundle deal right now that gets you ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu for just $12.99/month).

2. Sling TV

One of our favorite places to stream live TV and live sports, Sling TV currently has a free trial offer that lets you sample the service without any commitment. For baseball fans, we like the Sling Orange plan ($30), which gets you access to ESPN and TBS, which will broadcast the majority of MLB games this season. The Sling Orange + Blue plan is $45/month and tacks on FOX, FOX Sports and NBCSN. That’s in addition to dozens of other popular live TV channels, like AMC, CNN, FX, HGTV, TNT and more.

Watch everything from your TV at home, or take the games on-the-go with you through the Sling TV app. You can start with a month by month plan (which lets you cancel anytime), though Sling has a deal right now that gets you a free AirTV Mini (an $80 value) when you subscribe and prepay for two months of service. See details and start your free trial here.

3. Hulu + Live TV

One of the best values in the market right now is a a Hulu + Live TV subscription, which is great if you love sports and entertainment. For just $54.99/month, you get unlimited streaming to Hulu’s massive catalog of TV shows, movies and originals (including The Great, Little Fires Everywhere and The Handmaid’s Tale) plus live TV channels like ESPN, ESPN2, Fox, FS1 and TBS. Hulu also offers local networks in select markets, like YES, SNY, CBS Sports and more. See what channels are available in your market here.

Hulu + Live TV is basically your one-stop-shop for content. Stream a new movie or binge your favorite show, then switch over to the Live TV platform to watch a game in real-time. See details and start a 7-day free trial here.

ALSO CONSIDER: HDTV Antenna

If you only care about nationally broadcasted games, or are looking for the cheapest option on the list, consider picking up an HDTV antenna from Amazon. This one gets you a signal range of 200 miles and can pick up broadcast TV channels like ABC, CBS, CW, NBC, and FOX, which has the rights to more than 20 MLB games this season.

Amazon

The antenna won’t catch cable channels like TBS or ESPN, so if you want to watch the games on those channels, you’ll have to consider a streaming service like the ones mentioned above.

But if you’re a casual fan or just want basic cable (without having to pay a monthly fee), this antenna is the right choice for you. Purchase: $39.99 on Amazon.com.

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