How to Watch MLB in 2026: Every Channel, Every App, and the One Package That Actually Covers It All

2026 MLB Key Dates You Need On Your Calendar

• March 25 - Opening Night: Yankees at Giants (Netflix)
• March 26 - Opening Day: all 30 teams play (earliest Opening Day in MLB history)
• April 15 - ESPN midweek exclusives begin (Mets at Dodgers on Jackie Robinson Day)
• April 25–26 - Mexico City Series: D-backs vs. Padres
• May 15–17 - Rivalry Weekend: Yankees-Mets, Cubs-White Sox, Dodgers-Angels, Rangers-Astros, Royals-Cardinals, and more
• July 5 - Star-Spangled Sunday: all games exclusive to NBC Sports
• July 11–14 - All-Star Week in Philadelphia: Draft (NBC), Futures Game, Home Run Derby (Netflix), All-Star Game (Fox)
• August 3 - Trade Deadline
• August 13 - Field of Dreams: Twins vs. Phillies (Netflix)
• August 23 - Little League Classic: Braves vs. Brewers
• September 27 - Regular season ends
• Late September - Wild Card Series (NBC/Peacock)
• October - ALDS/NLDS and ALCS/NLCS (Fox/TBS)
• October 23–31 - World Series (Fox)

Where MLB Games Air in 2026 (The Full Map)

MLB's new media rights deals kicked in this season, and the broadcast landscape has been completely reshuffled. Here's every network, what it carries, and what you need to access it.

Fox / FS1 - The Saturday Anchor and Postseason Home

Fox is still MLB's biggest broadcast partner. You get Baseball Night in America every Saturday night (24 primetime windows, March through September, with a World Cup gap in late June/early July), plus 39 additional games on FS1 across Saturday afternoons, Monday nights, and select weeknights. Here's the key detail: all Fox regular-season games are exclusive. That means they don't simulcast on your local RSN. If you don't have Fox, you don't see the game. Fox also holds the World Series, one LCS, select Division Series, the All-Star Game (July 14 in Philadelphia), and the World Baseball Classic.

ESPN - Midweek Exclusives and MLB.TV

ESPN's MLB deal is brand new and completely different from the Sunday Night Baseball package they used to run. Now it's a 30-game midweek national package - weeknight exclusives starting April 15, with some weeks featuring two or even three games. The bigger deal for fans: ESPN is now the exclusive distributor of MLB.TV. The out-of-market streaming service that used to live on MLB's own app now runs through ESPN Unlimited. ESPN also holds exclusive local in-market streaming rights for six teams (Guardians, Padres, Mariners, Twins, Diamondbacks, Rockies) - if you follow one of those clubs and you're in their market, ESPN is your only streaming option for home games.

NBC / Peacock / NBCSN - Sunday Night Baseball Is Back on the Peacock

This is the biggest shift of the year. Sunday Night Baseball - ESPN's signature franchise since 1990 - has moved to NBC. Most weeks it airs on the NBC broadcast network. During early-season overlap with NBA and late-season overlap with NFL, it shifts to Peacock and NBCSN. NBC also carries 18 Sunday Leadoff afternoon games on Peacock/NBCSN, the entire Wild Card Series in the postseason, Opening Day and Labor Day primetime games, the Futures Game, and the first round of the MLB Draft. Mark July 5 - that's "Star-Spangled Sunday," when every game that day airs exclusively on NBC Sports platforms.

TBS - Every Tuesday Night, All Season

TBS runs MLB Tuesday every week throughout the regular season. The Yankees lead the first-half schedule with five Tuesday appearances. TBS also carries LCS and Division Series games in October. If you're a postseason junkie, you need this channel.

Apple TV+ - Friday Night Doubleheaders

Friday Night Baseball continues on Apple TV+ with weekly doubleheaders all season. There's no workaround here - it's an Apple TV+ exclusive ($12.99 per month). If you already subscribe for Severance or Ted Lasso reruns, you're covered.

Netflix - The Shiny New Toy

Netflix carried Opening Night on March 25 (Yankees at Giants) and has the T-Mobile Home Run Derby (July 13), the Field of Dreams Game on August 13 (Twins vs. Phillies in Dyersville, Iowa), and select special events. These are Netflix-only broadcasts - no cable channel simulcast.

MLB Network - The Hardcore Fan's Channel

Daily studio coverage, Showcase live games, and collaborative production on select NBC and Netflix broadcasts. If you want wall-to-wall baseball talk between games, this is where it lives.

Why DIRECTV MySports Is the Smart Buy for Baseball Season

You've seen the channel map. You know the math doesn't work with most streaming services. Here's why MySports solves the puzzle better than anything else on the market right now.

You get the channels that actually carry baseball

MySports includes ESPN, ESPN2, Fox, FS1, FS2, TBS, TNT, truTV, NBC (most markets), and MLB Network. That covers Saturday Fox games, Tuesday TBS games, midweek ESPN exclusives, Sunday Night Baseball on NBC, and daily MLB Network coverage. The only national MLB windows MySports doesn't cover are Apple TV+ Fridays and Netflix special events - and no live TV streaming service covers those either.

ESPN Unlimited is included - and that's a $30 value by itself

This is the underrated part of the deal. ESPN Unlimited normally costs $30 per month on its own. With MySports, it's included free. That gives you the full ESPN app experience: MLB.TV's entire out-of-market library (thousands of games per season), in-market streaming for six clubs, plus all of ESPN's other live sports and original content. If you were going to subscribe to MLB.TV anyway, MySports essentially pays for itself.

It's built for sports fans who don't want to pay for HGTV

This is the core value proposition. YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and Fubo all run $80 to $90 per month and force you to pay for dozens of lifestyle, cooking, and reality channels you'll never touch. MySports is 25+ channels of pure sports at $64.99 ($44.99 for your first two months). If you watch sports and nothing else on live TV - and if you're reading this article, that's probably you - this is designed for exactly your situation.

No contract, no satellite, cancel anytime

MySports streams over your internet connection through the DIRECTV app. Works on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, smart TVs, phones, tablets, and web browsers. There's a 5-day free trial, a two-month promo discount, and no commitment beyond month-to-month. You can sign up today, watch the entire baseball season, and cancel in October if you want. 

The Comparison: MySports vs. Everything Else

The bottom line: MySports is the only package that includes MLB Network, ESPN Unlimited with MLB.TV, and every national cable channel that carries MLB games - at a lower price point than all three competitors. YouTube TV and Hulu are fine products, but you're paying $15 to $25 more per month and still missing MLB Network and out-of-market games.

Add Your Local Team: The MyHome Team Mini-Pack

Here's the part that matters if you're a die-hard follower of a specific club. Most MLB teams play 140+ of their 162 games on regional sports networks, not national TV. If you want those games, you need the MyHome Team mini-pack - an add-on for MySports subscribers at $19.99 per month.

MyHome Team gives you the RSN in your market. DIRECTV has been aggressively expanding its RSN coverage, and for the 2026 season, they added nine new MLB-operated team channels (Reds, Tigers, Royals, Marlins, Brewers, Mariners, Cardinals, Rays, and Nationals) on top of the five they'd already launched (Padres, Diamondbacks, Rockies, Guardians, Twins). They also carry established RSNs like YES Network, NESN, Bally Sports networks, Marquee Sports Network, and more.

In total, DIRECTV offers local access to 28 of the 29 U.S.-based MLB teams (the most comprehensive RSN coverage of any streaming provider in 2026).

MySports plus MyHome Team runs $84.98 per month ($64.98 with the promo) - still cheaper than a base YouTube TV subscription, and you're getting your local team's full schedule on top of every national broadcast channel.

What MySports Doesn't Cover (And What to Do About It)

No streaming service covers 100% of MLB in 2026. Here's what falls outside of DIRECTV and how to fill the gaps:

Apple TV+ - $12.99 per month: Required for Friday Night Baseball doubleheaders. No other way to get these games. If you're already subscribing for other Apple content, you're set. If not, this is a targeted add during baseball season only — you can cancel the same day the World Series ends.

Netflix - $6.99 per month (with ads): Opening Night, the Home Run Derby, and the Field of Dreams Game are Netflix exclusives. At under seven bucks per month, this is the easiest gap to fill. If you already have Netflix for other content, you don't need to do anything.

Peacock - $7.99 per month: Some Sunday Leadoff games and the Wild Card Series air on Peacock. However, many of these simulcast on NBC or NBCSN, which MySports carries. Worth checking your specific game schedule before adding this one.

The total cost to see everything: MySports ($44.99 to $64.99) + MyHome Team ($19.99) + Apple TV+ ($12.99) + Netflix ($6.99) = roughly $85 to $105 per month. That covers every national game, every local game, and every streaming exclusive. Compare that to a traditional cable sports package at $150+ per month with a two-year contract - the math sort of speaks for itself.

How to Sign Up (Takes About 3 Minutes)

1. Go to DIRECTV.com
2. Select the MySports Genre Pack
3. Create your account
4. Add MyHome Team if you want your local team's RSN
5. Start your 5-day free trial

No annual contract. No equipment installation. No satellite dish. The DIRECTV app works on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung/LG/VIZIO smart TVs, phones, tablets, and any web browser. You can be watching live MLB within five minutes of signing up.

FAQ

What channel is MLB on tonight? 

It depends on the day. Fox and FS1 carry Saturday games. ESPN has midweek exclusives. TBS airs Tuesday night games. NBC has Sunday Night Baseball. Apple TV+ streams Friday doubleheaders. DIRECTV's MySports Genre Pack carries Fox, FS1, ESPN, TBS, TNT, NBC, and MLB Network - covering six of the seven nights.

How much does it cost to watch every MLB game in 2026?

DIRECTV MySports starts at $44.99 per month ($64.99 regular). Add MyHome Team for local games ($19.99), plus Apple TV+ ($12.99) and Netflix ($6.99) for streaming exclusives. Total: roughly $85 to $105 per month for complete coverage with no annual contract.

Is MLB.TV included with DIRECTV MySports?

Yes. MySports includes ESPN Unlimited at no extra cost, and ESPN Unlimited now serves as the home of MLB.TV. You get out-of-market streaming of regular-season games from all 30 teams through the ESPN app.

Can I watch my local team on DIRECTV?

Yes - add the MyHome Team mini-pack ($19.99 per month) for your local RSN. DIRECTV carries regional sports networks covering 28 of 29 U.S. based MLB teams, including 14 MLB-operated team channels launched through direct partnerships with the league.

Where did Sunday Night Baseball go?

It moved from ESPN to NBC starting in 2026. Most games air on the NBC broadcast network, which MySports carries in most markets. During early-season and late-season scheduling conflicts, it shifts to Peacock and NBCSN.

Does DIRECTV MySports require a satellite dish?

No. MySports is a streaming-only product delivered through the DIRECTV app over your home internet connection. No dish, no installation, no equipment rental.

Can I cancel DIRECTV MySports anytime?

Yes. There's no annual contract. Service renews month-to-month and you can cancel online anytime. There's also a 5-day free trial for new subscribers.

What else is on MySports besides baseball?

The full NFL, NBA, NHL, and college sports lineup. ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network, Fox Sports channels, NFL Network, NBA TV, NHL Network, Golf Channel, and more. Plus ESPN Unlimited covers everything from UFC to college football to international soccer. It's a year-round sports package, not just a baseball subscription.