Major League Baseball Playoff Action perhaps the best episodic drama to have on your screen this fall. From October 5 and 6, when the wildcard games of the American League and the National League, respectively, are due to be played, until potentially November 3, when the champagne would flow afloat after a decisive championship, the World Series Game 7 , the 2021 MLB playoffs promise to pack up to 43 high-stakes games in four weeks.

If you’ve subscribed to cable or satellite with a fairly diverse range of channels, you should be good to go. But if you’re a free agent cutting the cord, you need a plan to broadcast and watch all of the MLB playoff action.

Should you go with YouTube TV? Would have Hulu Plus Live TV job? Sling TV? Something else? You can find answers here. We take a look at five of the top live streaming TV services and assess how each will meet your playoff needs. We’re also taking a look at MLB.TV and giving free TV fans some love with a digital antenna recommendation.

If this all sounds like a lot to take in, it is. MLB doesn’t make it easy for chair fans who want to follow every face of the pitch Mookie betts and the Los Angeles Dodgers, 2020 World Series champions, Jose altuve‘s Houston Astros, Christian Yelich‘s Milwaukee Brewers and more.

After the wildcard matches, there are three elimination rounds of action: each league has two division series, followed by one league championship series each; and, of course, the unique World Series. (This calculation, moreover, does not counts towards all potential tie-breaking games in the regular season.)

From there the 2021 MLB Playoff Schedule is spread over a total of five networks – ESPN, FS1, the MLB network, TBS and Fox. You will need: ESPN to watch the AL Wild Card Game; TBS for the NL Wild Card Game, as well as all NL Division Series and NL Championship Series games; FS1 and the MLB network for AL Division Series games; FS1 and Fox for the AL Championship Series; and, finally, Fox for the World Series.

But where to broadcast and how? It’s time to get on the plate and find out.

YouTube TV

YouTube TV is the MVP of this recap. It’s the only live TV streaming service discussed here with a basic package that (maybe) you get every round of the MLB playoffs.

Note that basic doesn’t mean cheap: YouTube TV’s standard monthly service costs $ 65. For that investment, you get over 85 live TV channels including ESPN, FS1, TBS, the MLB network, and depending on your coverage area, your local live TV channels including Fox. (Conversely, if you and your postcode are not so lucky, then you habit get Fox with YouTubeTV.)

As with the other over-the-air TV services mentioned here, there are no setup fees, equipment fees, or contracts. And, like the competition, YouTube TV is supported on a number of devices and streaming media players. A warning for Roku users: YouTube TV is currently not available in the Roku Channel Store. Until parent company YouTube TV (aka Google) and Roku resolved their contractual dispute lasting several months, new users who have not yet downloaded the application will have to content themselves with watching YouTube TV alternatively via the YouTube channel.

At the time of publication, YouTube TV was offering new users a free trial, followed by a $ 10 discount on a monthly subscription (for the first three months).

Watch the 2021 MLB Playoffs on YouTube TV (subscription required)

DirectTV Stream

DirecTV (screenshot)

The recently launched and rebranded Live TV live streaming service (formerly AT&T TV) follows the script with no contracts, hassle and many YouTube TV channels. And cable veterans will be familiar with its plans and pricing on several levels.

When it comes to MLB 2021 playoff action, if you’re a complete, you’ll need the $ 85 per month “Choice” package from DirecTV Stream. It offers over 90 live TV channels including ESPN, FS1, MLB Network, TBS, and depending on your coverage area, your local Fox station.

If you don’t care as much about American League teams, such as the Houston Astros, you can get away with DirecTV Stream’s $ 70 per month “Entertainment” tier. It offers over 65 channels including all the baseball playoff channels you will ever need – except MLB Network. (So, to be clear, that option means you’d miss out on some AL Division series action.)

Watch the 2021 MLB Playoffs on DirecTV Stream (subscription required)

Hulu Plus Live TV

Hulu via Facebook

In a way, Hulu Plus Live TV is a streaming service for extremely old school baseball fans – people who see the American League as an inferior upstart than the National League. Translation: A monthly subscription to Hulu Plus Live TV (at the regular price of $ 65) will get you over 75 channels, including ESPN, FS1, TBS and potentially your local Fox station, but not the MLB network broadcast in the AL Division series.

Hulu Plus Live TV has something its competition doesn’t: access to standard, ad-supported Hulu, including new Hulu original shows such as “Only Murders in the Building” and “Dopesick”.

At the time of publication, Hulu Plus Live TV was offering new subscribers a seven-day free trial, followed by $ 10 off the first three months of a monthly subscription.

Watch the 2021 MLB Playoffs on Hulu Plus Live TV (subscription required)

FuboTV

Rafael Henrique / SOPA Images / LightRocket / Getty Images (illustration photo)

For $ 65 per month, FuboTV’s “Starter” tier offers up to 110 channels, including ESPN, FS1, and, again, depending on your region, your local Fox station. An add-on package of $ 8 per month, known as “Fubo Extra”, will also get you into the MLB Network. If you opt for the “Elite” level, you will get 158 ​​channels, more the “Fubo Extra” channels, bundled for $ 80 per month.

Note that we haven’t said anything about TBS: FuboTV doesn’t have it. So if you’re a die-hard fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, and other National League teams, then FuboTV might not be the ticket. (Remember: TBS is the alone chain for the NL qualifiers before the World Series.)

At the time of publication, FuboTV was offering new users a free trial.

Watch the 2021 MLB Playoffs on FuboTV (subscription required)

Sling TV

Sling TV via Facebook

Of the services covered here, Sling TV offers the cheapest live TV prices: $ 35 per month for its so-called “Orange” and “Blue” levels. But here’s the trick: to get all MLB 2021 playoff game, you will need the “Orange & Blue” service at $ 50 per month, more the “Sports Extras” package offered by the MLB network at $ 15 per month. So, yes, $ 65 per month just like the competition.

If you don’t mind skipping the NL Wild Card game, you can get away with the “Blue” level without ESPN. This will bring you FS1, TBS, and potentially your local Fox station. Complete the subscription with the “Sports Extra” add-on, priced at $ 11 per month at this level. All together you will have everything you need (corn the NL Wild Card game) for $ 46 per month.

At the time of publication, Sling TV was offering “Orange” and “Blue” tiers to new users for just $ 10 each for the first month; the deal for the “Orange & Blue” level was $ 20 for the first month.

Watch the 2021 MLB Playoffs on Sling TV (subscription required)

Indoor HD digital TV antenna

You must have via Amazon

If you’re still with us and haven’t given up on figuring out which streaming option will give you the most bang for your buck in the playoffs, then we bring you the U Must Have Amplified Indoor HD Digital TV Antenna. .

For a flat fee of $ 30, it will stream all games broadcast live on Fox, including the World Series, to your HDTV, along with everything else offered by other free digital channels in your area. No subscription, no monthly fees. Just connect the U Must Have to your set and watch. It’s the 20th century television experience with 21st century technology.

Antenna U Must Have has nearly 14,000 customer reviews on Amazon and a four and a half star rating.

Not to complicate matters, but keep in mind that the reason cable TV has become a thing is that some neighborhoods just don’t get very good TV reception. Today’s digital antennas are much better than the old-fashioned rabbit ears, but even they can’t do much unless your house is disputed by the front desk.

And one more thing: As stated above, live TV streamers cannot guarantee that you will get all of your local TV channels. So if you live in an area where, say, your YouTube TV subscription will be not include Fox, then you will need a digital antenna to receive the free TV channel.

U must have indoor HD digital TV antenna, $ 30

MLB.TV

Hunter Martin / Getty Images

Our very last option is the easiest: with an MLB.TV subscription, you can watch every MLB playoff game – no ifs or butes. There’s just one really big caveat: if you’re a true cord cutter (i.e., you not have a TV provider), then you can not watch the matches live. (Local TV cuts will apply to MLB.TV users who to do have TV providers, so, really, nothing is perfect.)

For all subscribers, the postseason games will be available to stream on MLB.TV 90 minutes after concluding. Archived action is always a lot of action – and it’s all in one place.

As of publication, a new annual MLB.TV subscription could be obtained for $ 26.99. (The subscription will expire before the start of the 2022 MLB Spring Practice.) A seven-day free trial was also available.

Watch the 2021 MLB Playoffs on MLB.TV (subscription required)

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