Updated August 2026
Sport is the one thing that makes cancelling cable scary. The channel you need for your team may only exist on one of these services, so the order below is about coverage first and price second.
Most local NBA, MLB and NHL games sit on a regional sports network (RSN). RSNs are the single biggest difference between these services. Fubo Pro and DIRECTV Choice carry the most; Sling, Philo and Hulu carry the fewest. Put your ZIP code into the provider's channel lookup before you subscribe — it takes thirty seconds and saves a refund request.
$64.99 Sports + News / $88.99 Pro / $98.99 Elite
The sports-first choice. Pro carries 212 channels including most regional sports networks, and Elite adds 4K for big events. The catch: no NBC-owned local station in many markets, which hurts Sunday Night Football and Premier League on NBC.
$94.99 Choice / $124.99 Ultimate
Choice is the plan to get: 125+ channels with regional sports networks and specialty sports. Ultimate at $124.99 piles on more sports and movie channels. Expensive, but it is the closest thing to old-school cable sports.
$82.99
ESPN, Fox Sports, TNT, TBS and locals in one clean package, with unlimited DVR so you can record a whole season. RSN coverage depends on your market — check your ZIP before signing up.
$45.99
Cheapest way to get ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN3. Only one stream at a time and thin local coverage, so it works best as a second service or for a single-TV household.
$89.99
Solid national sports through ESPN Select plus locals, and you get Disney+ in the bundle. Fewer RSNs than DIRECTV or Fubo, and only two streams by default.
Only Fubo Elite ($98.99) includes 4K streaming as standard, and even then only selected events are produced in 4K. You need roughly 25 Mbps of steady bandwidth per 4K stream, so wire the main TV into your router if you can.
None of these providers uses a contract. Plenty of fans run Fubo through football season, switch to a $28 Philo plan in the quiet months, and come back in autumn. Over a year that saves more than any single discount.
Fubo Pro at $88.99 a month is the best all-round IPTV service for sports because it carries the widest set of regional sports networks. DIRECTV Choice at $94.99 is the better pick if your team is on an RSN Fubo does not carry, and YouTube TV at $82.99 is the best balance of sports and general entertainment.
Some do. Fubo and DIRECTV carry the most regional sports networks, YouTube TV carries a smaller list, and Sling and Hulu + Live TV vary heavily by ZIP code. Always run your own ZIP code through the provider's channel lookup before you subscribe.
Only Fubo Elite at $98.99 a month includes 4K streaming as standard, and even then only selected events are produced in 4K. You need around 25 Mbps of steady bandwidth per 4K stream, so a wired ethernet connection to the main TV is recommended.
Yes. None of these providers uses an annual contract, so many fans run Fubo through football season and switch to a $28 Philo plan in the quiet months. Over a year that saves more than any single promotional discount.
YouTube TV allows 3 simultaneous streams, Fubo allows up to 10 at home, DIRECTV Stream allows unlimited streams on your home network, and Hulu + Live TV allows 2 unless you pay for the unlimited screens add-on.
Back to the full 2027 IPTV comparison.
Keep going with the guides readers open next.