First touch
According to a 2018 Gallup poll, 7% of Americans call soccer their favorite sport. That’s a new high score for the game. It’s also only the second time in history that any sport has come in fourth place (behind football, basketball, and baseball) with that high of a score. And as soccer muscles its way into greater popularity, its TV coverage is increasing. Here are the best ways to watch as much of it as possible.
Starting lineup: What soccer TV channels do I need?
Nobody has enough time to watch every televised soccer game in the world. But we can try. A good first step is to find a cable, satellite, or streaming TV provider that carries the most soccer channels possible.
In this piece, we’ll show you which cable, satellite, and streaming providers are best for soccer (spoiler alert: we like fuboTV, Spectrum, and ESPN+). We’ll even suggest ways to watch soccer for free.
But first, we’ll answer your question with this list:
The best channels for watching soccer
-
- beIN Sports: beIN Sports, a major international sports network, broadcasts MLS soccer matches in Asia and South America.
- ESPN offers regular-season Major League Soccer (MLS) matches.
- ESPN+ covers Serie A, MLS, Copa America, English Football League, Carabao Cup, Eredivisie, Copa Italia, Superliga, Indian Super League, FA Cup, UEFA Nations League, and more.
- FOX Sports/FS1/FS2 broadcast major international soccer tournaments like the FIFA World Cup, FIFA Women’s World Cup, and the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
- FOX Soccer Plus features a wide variety of international leagues and matches, including UEFA Europa League, UEFA Champions League, the German Bundesliga, and more.
- GolTV broadcasts (in English and Spanish) a variety of international soccer leagues, such as the Portuguese Primeira Liga. It doesn’t carry MLS or Premier League, unfortunately.
- MLS Direct Kick offers access to out-of-market games for fans whose favorite team is in another city.
- NBC is the sole broadcaster of Premier League matches and the championship UEFA Europa League in the US.
- Telemundo is NBC’s Spanish-language channel, and it offers a lot of soccer coverage, including the FIFA World Cup.
Best cable and satellite TV providers for soccer
Best value for soccer Spectrum | Mejor en español DISH | Optimum | DIRECTV | RCN | AT&T U-verse | Cox | Xfinity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package pricerange | $44.99–$89.99/mo.§ | $59.99–$94.99/mo.˚ | $64.99–$119.99/mo.• | $59.99–$134.99.¶ | $59.99–$64.99/mo.** | $59.99–$134.99†† | $25–$69.99/mo.‡‡ | $49.99–$84.99/mo.§§ |
| A | ||||||||
| ABC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| B | ||||||||
| beIN SPORTS | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| beIN SPORTS en Español | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| beIN SPORTS 2 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| beIN SPORTS 3 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| beIN SPORTS 4 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| beIN SPORTS 5 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| beIN SPORTS 6 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| beIN SPORTS 7 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| beIN SPORTS 8 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| C | ||||||||
| CBS | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CBS Sports Network | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| E | ||||||||
| ESPN | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| ESPN2 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| ESPN Deportes | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| F | ||||||||
| FOX | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| FOX Deportes | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| FOX Sports 1 (FS1) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| FOX Sports 2 (FS2) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| FOX Soccer Plus† | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| G | ||||||||
| GolTV | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| M | ||||||||
| MLS Direct Kick‡ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| N | ||||||||
| NBC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| NBCSN | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| T | ||||||||
| Telemundo | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| TNT | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| TV Chile | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| TUDN | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| U | ||||||||
| UniMás | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Universo | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Univision | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Z | ||||||||
| Zona Fútbol | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
Data as of 1/28/20. Channel availability may vary by plan. Plan availability may vary by location and is subject to change.
Spanish channels may be part of a separate Spanish-language package.
† Premium add-on ($15/mo.)
‡ Premium add-on ($22.25/mo.)
§ For the first 12 mos.
˚ For 24 months with a 2-year agreement and eAutoPay.
• For 24 months. Plus taxes, fees, and other charges. Price for Life available on select plans. Customer must remain in good standing an up to date on bill payments to remain on Price for Life.
¶ For 12 months with a 2-year contract, paperless bill, & autopay. Price increases for months 13-24.
** For the first 12 mos.
†† For 12 mos. Plus taxes.
‡‡ For the first 12 mos.
§§ For the first 12 mos.
Many channels that come standard in cable TV packages like ESPN, NBC, and Telemundo offer basic soccer coverage. But if you want detailed analysis, highlights, and other goodies, you’ll probably want to look at dedicated sports packages like FOX Soccer Plus and MLS Direct Kick.
We’ve compared offerings from all the major cable and satellite TV providers to see which has the most comprehensive coverage of both domestic and international soccer pitches. Here’s some insight into the best qualities of each.
Soccer stats: Cable and satellite TV providers
- DISH/DISH Latino ($59.99–$89.99/mo.˚): 26 soccer channels (13 broadcast in Spanish); FOX Soccer Plus available
- Optimum Internet & TV ($64.95–$119.99./mo.•): 22 soccer channels (8 Spanish); FOX Soccer Plus and MLS Direct Kick available
- DIRECTV ($59.99–$134.99/mo.¶): 21 soccer channels (8 Spanish); FOX Soccer Plus and MLS Direct Kick available
- Spectrum ($44.99–$89.99/mo.§): 21 soccer channels (7 Spanish); FOX Soccer Plus and MLS Direct Kick available
- AT&T U-verse ($59.99–$134.99/mo.††): 19 channels (5 Spanish); FOX Soccer Plus and MLS Direct Kick available
- RCN ($59.99–$64.99/mo.**): 18 channels (6 Spanish); FOX Soccer Plus available
- Cox ($25–$69.99/mo.‡‡ ): 17 channels (6 Spanish); one of only two providers to carry Zona Fútbol; MLS Direct Kick available
- Xfinity ($49.99–$84.99/mo.§§ ): 17 channels (5 Spanish); MLS Direct Kick available
§ For the first 12 mos.
˚ For 24 months with a 2-year agreement and eAutoPay.
• For 24 months. Plus taxes, fees, and other charges. Price for Life available on select plans. Customer must remain in good standing an up to date on bill payments to remain on Price for Life.
¶ For 12 months with a 2-year contract, paperless bill, & autopay. Price increases for months 13-24.
** For the first 12 mos.
†† For 12 mos. Plus taxes.
‡‡ For the first 12 mos.
§§ For the first 12 mos.
Spectrum’s cable packages offer the best value. Spectrum Gold ($90 a month) has 200+ channels, including premiums like HBO®, NFL Network, SHOWTIME®, STARZ®, STARZ ENCORE, and TMC.
If you can’t get Spectrum in your area, satellite TV has nearly 100% availability. So DISH (26 channels; FOX Soccer Plus available) and DIRECTV (21 channels; FSP and MLS Direct Kick available) are decent bets—especially for Spanish speakers (DISH has more soccer channels).
Now let’s have a look at streaming TV providers’ soccer offerings.
Best streaming TV services for soccer
Best overall for soccer fuboTV | Cheapest for soccer ESPN+* | AT&T TV NOW | Sling TV | YouTube TV | Hulu + Live TV | Bleacher Report Live* | NBC Sports Gold* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package pricerange | $44.99–$74.99/mo.‡ | $4.99/mo. or $49.99/yr. | $65–$135/mo. | $30–$45/mo. | $49.99/mo. | $54.99–$60.99/mo. | $9.99/mo. or $79.99/yr. | $35–$55/mo. |
| A | ||||||||
| ABC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| B | ||||||||
| beIN SPORTS | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| beIN SPORTS Connect La Liga | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| beIN SPORTS en Español | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| beIN SPORTS CONNECT | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| beIN SPORTS 2 | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| beIN SPORTS 3 | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| beIN SPORTS 4 | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| beIN SPORTS 5 | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| beIN SPORTS 6 | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| beIN SPORTS 7 | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| beIN SPORTS 8 | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| beIN SPORTS 9 | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| beIN SPORTS 10 | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| C | ||||||||
| CBS | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| CBS Sports Network | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| E | ||||||||
| Ecuador TV | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Ecuavisa Internacional | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Eleven Sports | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| ESPN | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| ESPN2 | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| ESPN3 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| ESPN Deportes | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| F | ||||||||
| FOX | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| FOX Deportes | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| FOX Sports | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| FOX Sports 1 (FS1) | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| FOX Sports 2 (FS2) | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| FOX Soccer Plus† | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| fuboTV Sports Network | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| G | ||||||||
| GolTV | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| L | ||||||||
| LAFC | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| M | ||||||||
| MLS Direct Kick‡ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| N | ||||||||
| NBC | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| NBCSN | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| NBC Sports | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| O | ||||||||
| Orlando City | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| P | ||||||||
| Perú Mágico | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| S | ||||||||
| SUR Perú | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| T | ||||||||
| Telemundo | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| TNT | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| TUDN | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| TV Chile | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| TyC Sports | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| U | ||||||||
| UniMás | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Universo | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Univision | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| W | ||||||||
| WAPA America | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Z | ||||||||
| Zona Fútbol | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
Channel availability may vary by plan. Plan availability may vary by location and is subject to change.
Spanish channels may be part of a separate Spanish-language package.
Some providers require an OTA antenna to receive local channels.
* ESPN+, Bleacher Report Live, and NBC Sports Gold focus on events, not channels
† Premium add-on ($15/mo.)
‡ For the first three months ($79.99 thereafter)
Streaming services tend to have more soccer channels—but a near-total lack of FOX Soccer Plus (only fuboTV and YouTube TV offer it) and MLS Direct Kick (unavailable from any of the services we researched).
Here’s a breakdown of our findings, separated into livestreaming services and standalone apps.
Soccer stats: Streaming TV providers
- fuboTV ($54.99–$74.99/mo.): 32 soccer channels (18 in Spanish); FOX Soccer Plus available
- AT&T TV NOW ($65–$135/mo.): 26 channels (15 Spanish)
- Sling TV ($30–$45/mo.): 23 channels (9 Spanish) but some require ordering additional sports content (costs an extra $10–$20/mo.)
- YouTubeTV ($49.99/mo.): 18 channels (2 Spanish) including regional LAFC and Orlando City action; FOX Soccer Plus available
- Hulu + Live TV ($54.99–$60.99/mo.): 11 channels (1 Spanish)
- ESPN+ ($4.99/mo. or $49.99/yr.): Live soccer from 18 pro leagues, including Serie A, MLS, Copa America, EFL, Eredivisie, Copa Italia, UEFA Nations League, and more.
- Bleacher Report Live ($9.99/mo. or $79.99/yr.): Includes all UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League matches plus Scottish Premiership, Belgian Pro League, and UEFA Youth League.
- NBC Sports Gold ($35–$55/mo.): Matchday Pass ($34.99/mo.) includes exclusive live Premier League games (at least four per club) during the season. Premier League Pass ($54.99/mo.) gives you on-demand access to all 380 matches plus soccer shows, highlights, and analysis.
fuboTV is the best streaming service for soccer, not to mention the best overall. It has the most soccer channels (and mucho más Español channels) and also offers FOX Soccer Plus ($15 a month). ESPN+, however, gives you a ton of live and on-demand soccer for only $4.99 a month. That’s a great deal for anyone on a budget.
Also, fuboTV’s Ultra package ($74.99 a month) gives you tons of other channels, including SHOWTIME®. You also get 500 hours of DVR space—with no limit on how long you can keep your recordings, three streams, and 130+ events broadcast in 4k. That’s an incredible value.
But before you buy… Did you know that you can get your kicks for free?
Free kicks: How to watch live soccer at no charge
If your budget can’t spare even five bucks a month for ESPN+, we get it—we’ve been there. Here’s how you can watch a ton of soccer without paying a penny.
Soccer stats: Free TV providers
- fubo Sports Network (FSN): Separate from fuboTV, FSN allows you to watch live soccer free online, on your phone, or on your TV. It also includes soccer-themed original content: The Cooligans (soccer talk), Football Report (news), and The Players’ Lounge with Cobi Jones & PJ Harrison (vodcast).
- Pluto: This free service has 200+ live and on-demand channels, including Major League Soccer channel, Eleven Sports, and FOX Sports.
- Xumo: This live and on-demand service has 180+ free channels, including Copa 90, Eleven Sports, Football Daily, FOX Deportes, FOX Sports, and fubo Sports Network.
Final whistle
Tweeeeeeeeeeeeet! What’s the best way to watch soccer on TV? Our picks all offer a lot of soccer in both English and Spanish.
The streaming service fuboTV is our pick for the best overall way to watch soccer on TV. Cable provider Spectrum offers the best value. ESPN+ is hands-down the cheapest way to watch. And if your piggy bank holds only pennies and pocket lint, there’s always Pluto’s free MLS channel.
So it’s player’s choice: You can’t go wrong with any of these providers. Pick one that’s right for you.
How to watch soccer FAQ
Where can I watch soccer on TV?
Soccer is the world’s most popular sport, so there are a lot of ways to watch it. You can find cable, satellite, and streaming services that offer a lot of live soccer matches as well as analysis and news.
We recommend ESPN+, which covers a wide range of pro soccer leagues for only $4.99 a month. (Pro tip: You can bundle ESPN+ with Disney+ and Hulu Basic for $12.99 a month.)
What soccer leagues does ESPN+ have?
ESPN+ has a bunch of soccer leagues. You’ll be able to watch matches and tournaments from Serie A, MLS, Copa America, The Emirates FA Cup, English Football League (EFL), Carabao Cup (EFL), Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, Eredivisie, Copa Italia, Superliga, Indian Super League, Hyundai A-League, International Champions Cup, FA Cup, UEFA Nations League, and more.
Can you watch ESPN+ on TV?
Yes, you can watch ESPN+ on a TV as long as you use one of these supported devices: AppleTV (Generation 3 & 4), Roku, Chromecast, FireTV, Xbox One, Playstation 4, Oculus Go, and Samsung connected TVs (Tizen).
What is the best channel for soccer?
The best channel for soccer is the one where you can find the most action from your favorite leagues.
If you want the most live soccer, along with analysis and commentary, look into a subscription service like FOX Soccer Plus ($15 a month) or MLS Direct Kick ($22.25 a month). But you’ll need to find a cable, satellite, or streaming TV provider that offers them. Unfortunately, that means you’ll probably have to subscribe to a standard TV package too.
A much cheaper alternative is ESPN+, which gives you tons of live soccer for about five bucks a month.
Can you watch soccer games on Hulu?
You can watch live soccer games on Hulu + Live TV, but it’s not the best streaming service for the sport. You’d do better with fuboTV or Sling TV. Both services offer more soccer channels at a better price.
Randy Harward’s scribblings have appeared in HARP, Guitar World, Blurt, and a couple dozen other publications since the late ’90s. When he’s not watching TV professionally for CableTV.com, he’s eating burritos, playing disc golf, and caring for his tarantulas. Like everyone else on the internet, he thinks his cat is awesome.
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