MLB Network is a good option for any homes looking for greater access to baseball. The network channel includes access to live games (subject to local blackouts) as well as a variety of studio programming, news, highlights, analysis and interviews.
While MLB Network is available through a number of popular live TV streaming services, it’s not available through all of them. For example, neither Hulu Live nor YouTube TV currently offers MLB with their existing packages, or as a channel that can be added to a plan.
Considering the popularity of these two services, that does mean a large number of homes will need to consider switching services if they want a live TV plan that includes MLB Network. Whether it is worth switching providers just for access to one specific channel will depend on the home, but there are other options available.
If looking to switch services, or have yet to sign up to a live TV subscription, then here is a summary of the cheapest live TV plans with access to MLB Network:
Streaming services with MLB Network:
| Service | Cost | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Sling TV | $51 ($56 in ABC areas) | Orange/Blue + Sports Extra |
| Vidgo | $64.95 | Plus |
| fuboTV | $75 (+ RSN fee) | Pro |
| DirecTV Stream | $99 | Choice |
Live TV with MLB Network from $51 per month
The cheapest way to watch MLB Network without cable is Sling TV. Sling offers two main base plans to choose from but neither actually include MLB Network in their lineup. Instead, MLB Network can be added to either base plan by bundling the Sports Extra add-on.
Sports Extra costs $11 per month on top of the $40 monthly cost of Sling Orange or Sling Blue. This takes the total to $51 per month. It should be noted that Sling now charges a $5 ABC fee in some areas, so the overall cost could be as high as $56 per month for some homes.
Other ways to watch MLB Network
If Sling TV isn’t the right fit, the next cheapest option is Vidgo. This live TV streaming service also offers more than one plan to choose from and all of them include MLB Network. The cheapest overall is the $64.95 per month Pro plan.
The next cheapest option is going to be fuboTV and its $85 per month Elite plan. fuboTV offers MLB Network as part of its fubo Extra add-on which is included with Elite at no additional cost.
Technically, fuboTV does offer a $74.99 per month Pro plan, and fubo Extra can be added to it for an additional $7.99 unlocking MLB Network in the process. While this is cheaper at $82.98 per month, the extra $2 each month for Elite also unlocks access to the News Plus add-on and the option to watch in 4K where available.
Regardless of whether opting for Pro + fubo Extra or Elite, fuboTV does also charge an RSN fee in many locations which could raise the cost of a live TV plan by as much as $14 per month.
Lastly, there’s DirecTV Stream. In total, DirecTV Stream has four main live TV plans to choose from, but the $99 per month Choice package is the cheapest one that includes MLB Network. It also makes DirecTV Stream one of the most expensive options overall.
MLB Network and TV Everywhere
In addition to access to the linear channel and on demand programming, live TV services also tend to provide the option to access a network’s own app and website. For example, the MLB Network website. This is made possible through the use of TV Everywhere support which allows live TV subscribers to log in with their live TV credentials.
However, not every live TV streaming service offers TV Everywhere support, or for every channel that it carries. Due to this, TV Everywhere is something else that can result in a difference between live TV providers.
In terms of MLB Network, this is one of the areas where subscribers won’t be getting as good of an experience as with other networks. Right, now only DirecTV Stream provides TV Everywhere support for MLB Network. Even then, support only extends to the website.
If TV Everywhere support is important, then DirecTV Stream is likely to be the best option. For everyone else, Sling TV is going to be the best option to watch MLB Network at the cheapest price possible.
