Baseball has been going strong for a few months and the playoffs will soon be upon us. If you’re not a baseball fan, this means you like watching the crisp, changing leaves, and pumpkin spice everything, but if you are a baseball fan, especially one that doesn’t have cable, it’s time to reevaluate how you watch the playoffs from the comfort of your own living room.
The good news is that cord cutting isn’t a fad that will be leaving any time soon. For you, that means that there are plenty of ways to watch the playoffs. Sports used to be one of the hardest things to watch without cable, but thanks to TV antennas and streaming services, you don’t have to miss a game in the post-season or all-season long.
Can You Watch the MLB Playoffs with an Antenna?
Yes! You certainly can watch MLB games, including portions of the playoffs with an antenna. If you don’t have a TV antenna, you should definitely get one because in addition to the playoffs, you’ll have access to local news, other sports, and popular network TV shows. If you don’t have an antenna there are plenty of good options to choose from.
While the first half of the playoffs airs on cable channels, you can watch some of the NLCS with an antenna because games will be shared between FOX and FS1. The entire World Series airs on FOX, which means you’ll be able to watch the most important round of the playoffs with just your TV antenna that provides a glorious high definition picture and superior sound on your TV. The bonus is that there is no other special equipment needed.
You won’t be able to watch every playoff game this way, but when using a TV antenna you’ll be able to watch some of the playoffs and all of the World Series.
How to Stream the Rest of the Playoffs
The rest of the MLB playoffs this year will air on ESPN, FS1, MLB Network, and TBS. Obviously, FOX viewing is covered by your TV antenna, but if you want to watch the other games you’ll need another solution. Luckily, many of the most popular streaming services offer some or all of these channels. For instance, you can sign up for DIRECTV NOW, YouTube TV, or PlayStation Vue if you want these channels. The first two services start at $40, but PS Vue is slightly higher at $45. These channels are offered along with many others and some additional perks like DVR storage and the ability to watch from a variety of streaming devices.
If MLB Network isn’t important to you, consider Hulu Live (which includes Hulu on-demand for free), Sling TV (one of the cheapest services in streaming with cable network channels), and fuboTV (offering a robust sports package) for diehard sport fans – however you’ll get a lot of channels except for the MLB Network.
Keep in mind that each of these services offer free trials. What that means is, if you make a schedule of the games, you could easily watch all the playoffs for free by jumping from trial to another trial! When you use the free trials in conjunction with your TV antenna, you’ll be able to watch all the games at no additional cost to you!
Good luck to your favorite team!