Watching live sports is one of the most popular pastimes for many people around the world. With the rise of cord-cutting and streaming devices like the Amazon Firestick, there are now tons of options for streaming live sports without an expensive cable subscription.
In this guide, we will cover the 14 best sports streaming apps available for Firestick, Fire TV, Android TV, Android devices, and more. These apps provide access to live sports, replays, highlights, analysis, and more from major sports leagues.
Factors for the Best Sports Streaming Apps
When compiling this list of the top sports streaming apps, we considered several key factors:
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Content selection – The best apps provide a wide variety of live sports from major leagues and niche sports. This includes options for football, basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer, MMA, boxing, golf, tennis, and more.
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Device availability – We focused on apps available on Firestick, Fire TV, Android TV, Roku, Apple TV, and mobile devices. Cross-device compatibility is key.
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Stream quality – The ability to provide smooth HD streams without buffering issues.
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Free vs paid – Both free and paid sports streaming apps are included to fit different budgets and preferences.
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User experience – Easy to navigate apps with modern interfaces.
Considering these factors, below are the 14 best sports apps for cord-cutters in 2023.
1. Sling TV
- Compatible devices – Firestick, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, iOS, Android
- Free trial available? Yes, 3 days
- Price – $40-50/month
Sling TV is one of the most popular live TV streaming services available today. Their Orange and Blue packages include major sports channels like ESPN, FS1, NFL Network, NBC Sports Network, and more.
The great thing about Sling is you can customize channel add-ons to get the sports you want for the lowest price. For instance, the Sports Extra add-on gives you access to NFL Redzone along with more soccer, golf, tennis, and college sports options.
Sling‘s interface makes it easy to find live games in progress or upcoming matches. You can stream on up to 3 devices simultaneously and cloud DVR is available to record games.
2. fuboTV
- Compatible devices – Firestick, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, iOS, Android
- Free trial available? Yes, 7 days
- Price – $70-100/month
fuboTV is a sports-focused live TV streaming service with a huge lineup of sports channels. Their base plan includes national sports networks like NFL Network, FS1, NBCSN, beIn Sports, as well as many regional sports networks for local coverage.
You can add on sports packages like fubo Extra and Sports Plus to get NFL Redzone, NBA TV, MLB Network, and tons more sports content. FuboTV is an excellent option for soccer fans since they have rights to stream many live matches.
The biggest drawback with fuboTV is the higher subscription cost. But for sports lovers wanting access to a wide variety of live sports, it‘s one of the best options.
3. Hulu + Live TV
- Compatible devices – Firestick, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, iOS, Android
- Free trial available? Yes, 7 days
- Price – $70-75/month
While not as robust as Sling or fuboTV, Hulu + Live TV still provides a solid sports package. This includes national sports networks like ESPN, FS1, TBS, and TNT. Regional sports coverage is available based on your location.
The main draw of Hulu is that you get access to thousands of on-demand movies/shows with your subscription. So Hulu + Live TV gives you both live sports and endless entertainment options in one place.
Some limitations are that NFL Network and NFL Redzone are only available as premium add-ons. But for $70/month, Hulu Live is a cost-effective option worth considering.
4. DirecTV Stream
- Compatible devices – Firestick, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, iOS, Android
- Free trial available? Yes, 5 days
- Price – $70-150/month
DirecTV Stream (formerly known as AT&T TV) mimics a traditional cable TV package but delivered over the internet. They offer popular sports channels like ESPN, FS1, MLB Network, NBA TV along with regional sports networks.
While expensive, their premium plans give you access to niche sports channels like NFL Sunday Ticket (available without a dish) and MLB Extra Innings. So DirecTV Stream appeals most to die-hard football and baseball fans willing to pay more.
Keep in mind with their higher tier plans, you‘re paying for a ton of entertainment channels you may not watch. But DirecTV Stream does make it easy to stream live sports across devices.
5. ESPN+
- Compatible devices – Firestick, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, iOS, Android
- Free trial available? No
- Price – $10/month
ESPN+ gives you access to thousands of live sports events that aren‘t available on their ESPN cable channels. This includes college football & basketball, MLS soccer, PGA golf events, Grand Slam tennis tournaments, UFC fight nights, and more.
You also get access to original ESPN shows, analysis, and documentaries with an ESPN+ subscription. It‘s a must-have complement for the die-hard sports fan.
The key drawback is that ESPN+ does NOT include streaming access to live ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, etc. You‘ll need a Live TV streaming service like Sling for those channels. But as a stand-alone sports add-on, ESPN+ packs a lot of value at just $10/month.
6. Paramount+
- Compatible devices – Firestick, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, iOS, Android
- Free trial available? Yes, 7 days
- Price – $5-10/month
Paramount+ has become a go-to destination for soccer fans with rights to stream live Champions League, Europa League, Serie A, and more matches. They also broadcast various NFL, college football, and golf events.
The basic $5/month Essential plan includes the 24/7 CBS Sports HQ channel along with live soccer and NFL. To get more sports content, upgrade to the $10 Premium plan for your local live CBS station.
While Paramount+ lacks the depth of dedicated sports services, soccer enthusiasts will find tremendous value in their soccer coverage. Use the 7-day free trial to test it out.
7. NBC Sports
- Compatible devices – Firestick, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, iOS, Android
- Free access with TV provider login
- Price – $10/month without provider
The NBC Sports app offers free access to live sporting events if you have a qualifying TV provider login. This includes NBC Sports Network, Golf Channel, Olympic Channel, and more.
Without a provider, you can purchase a standalone NBC Sports Gold pass for $10/month to live stream Premier League soccer matches, IndyCar, motocross and more.
Unfortunately, their channel access is limited compared to other services on this list. But NBC Sports is worth checking out, especially during the Olympics or for certain niche sports.
8. NBA League Pass
- Compatible devices – Firestick, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, iOS, Android
- Free trial available? Yes, 7 days
- Price – $15-200/month
Basketball fanatics need NBA League Pass to watch every live regular season NBA game. Choose from 3 pricing options that let you follow a single team, multiple teams, or get access to every game league-wide.
Out-of-market games broadcast live but local games are blacked out. You also get on-demand access to full game replays, mini condensed games, and more. It‘s pricey but delivers amazing basketball content.
The free 7-day trial is great for trying out the service and following opening week games. Just remember to cancel before the trial ends to avoid being charged.
9. MLB.TV
- Compatible devices – Firestick, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, iOS, Android
- Free trial available? Yes, 7 days
- Price – $25-130/month
Baseball fans can catch live out-of-market regular season MLB games with an MLB.TV subscription. They also broadcast spring training, postseason, and World Series games.
Choose from single team packages or get all teams for the highest price tier. Condensed and full game replays are available on-demand after live broadcasts.
The MLB app provides excellent baseball coverage but suffers from frustrating local blackout restrictions. Using a VPN can help get around blackouts which we‘ll explain later.
10. NHL TV
- Compatible devices – Firestick, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, iOS, Android
- Free trial available? No
- Price – $25-150/month
NHL TV (formerly NHL.TV) grants access to live out-of-market NHL games throughout the regular season. They also broadcast replays, classic games, and analysis programming.
You can choose from a single team pass up to a premium ‘NHL TV All-Access‘ monthly subscription with every live game. Similar to other league passes, local games are blacked out.
This service appeals specifically to hockey superfans. Casual NHL viewers can probably avoid the hefty subscription fee and just catch highlights.
11. NBC Peacock
- Compatible devices – Firestick, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, iOS, Android
- Free trial available? No
- Price – Free or $5/month
NBC‘s Peacock streaming service includes a solid lineup of live sports for free or cheap. Sign up for a free Peacock account to stream Sunday Night Football, Premier League Matches, U.S. Open golf, and more.
For $5/month, upgrade to Peacock Premium for additional sports like WWE wrestling events and extra EPL games. You also get access to tons of movies, shows, and Peacock Originals.
Overall, Peacock is a superb free option for casual sports fans wanting to sample some live events. It can supplement a more robust sports streaming service.
12. Red Bull TV
- Compatible devices – Firestick, Roku, Apple TV, Android, iOS
- 100% free
For fans of extreme sports and events, Red Bull TV offers completely free streaming access. Watch live events and on-demand replays across motocross, mountain biking, surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, eSports, and more.
They also have some soccer, volleyball, dance, music, and entertainment content. While very niche, it provides high-quality coverage of adrenaline sports you won‘t find elsewhere.
13. Pluto TV
- Compatible devices – Firestick, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, iOS, Android
- 100% free
Pluto TV has over 100 free live TV channels accessible through their app. These include several dedicated sports channels like NFL Channel, MLB Channel, PGA Tour Channel, Stadium, Fight Channel, and more.
You‘ll also find various sports talk, extreme sports, wrestling, racing, and outdoor channels. While unpredictable, Pluto TV is a neat free option to casually discover live sports.
14. Local Now
- Compatible devices – Firestick, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, iOS, Android
- 100% free
Local Now provides free local TV channels based on your location. This includes local sports networks like NBC Sports Regional, Fox Sports Regional, CBS Sports Network, etc.
So you can watch local live sports without paying for cable TV or a streaming service. Just create a free account and enjoy your local sports coverage.
Using a VPN to Unblock Sports Blackouts
Many of the sports streaming services above enforce annoying local blackout restrictions for live games. A VPN can help you bypass these blackouts by changing your device‘s location.
For instance, NBA League Pass blacks out local NBA games. But using a VPN set to another city will trick League Pass into thinking you‘re out-of-market, allowing you to stream local games.
The same concept works for MLB.TV, NHL.TV and other services. I recommend ExpressVPN but any premium VPN will work. Follow my guide to learn how to setup and use a VPN for sports streaming.
Final Thoughts on the Best Sports Apps
Streaming live sports over the internet has never been easier thanks to this wide selection of sports apps. Instead of paying for cable just to watch the big game, you can now choose from several affordable streaming options.
For the most robust sports package with tons of channels, I recommend Sling TV or fuboTV. Budget-friendly options like ESPN+ and Paramount+ are great for niche sports coverage. And free services like Pluto TV provide a sampling of live events.
Review the list above and select 1 or 2 sports apps that align with your viewing interests and budget. Mix and match different services for the greatest coverage of live games, analysis and on-demand sports content.
Cut the cable cord and unleash a whole new world of sports streaming with this lineup of the best sports apps available in 2023. Never miss a game from your favorite leagues using the Firestick, Roku, Apple TV, smartphones and other devices.
