The World Baseball Classic is back after a six-year hiatus, and you can watch every game on FOX Sports channels and digital platforms.
Beginning on March 7, this year’s tournament features a larger pool of teams than ever before. Popular players like Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, and Julio Urías will represent their home nations in a competition that reminds us of baseball’s international reach.
Don’t miss out on the World Baseball Classic. Keep reading for specific channel details and an overview of the 2023 tournament schedule.
What channels show the World Baseball Classic?
What teams are in the World Baseball Classic?
There are 20 teams participating in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, which organizers separated into four pools ahead of the group stage.
| Pool A |
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Pool A games occur in Taichung, Taiwan.
| Pool C |
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Pool C games occur in Phoenix, Arizona.
| Pool B |
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Pool B games occur in Tokyo, Japan.
| Pool D |
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Pool D games occur in Miami, Florida.
World Baseball Classic schedule
The 2023 World Baseball Classic begins on Tuesday, March 7, at 11 p.m. Eastern. Because games are happening at various venues worldwide, start times vary drastically—especially during the Group Stage.
The tournament concludes with the World Baseball Classic Championship on Tuesday, March 21, at 7 p.m. Eastern.
Data effective as of post date.
Pro tip: Keep tabs on team news and game schedules via MLB’s official World Baseball Classic webpage. You can also find tickets for available games if you want to attend.
Best TV plans for watching the World Baseball Classic
Signing up for an entire TV plan to watch the two-week World Baseball Classic may seem inconvenient. But you won’t be able to watch the 41 games that air on FS1 and FS2 without a cable, satellite, or live TV streaming service.
Sling TV’s Sling Blue plan ($40 a month) with the Sports Extra add-on ($11 a month) is the most inexpensive way to get FS1 and FS2. Fortunately, the streaming service has no contracts—meaning you can sign up and cancel anytime. And you’ll also get MLB Network to watch Spring Training games throughout March.
The only issue you may run into with Sling TV is that it offers FOX only in select markets. Therefore, you may need a digital antenna to catch Team USA’s opening game on March 11.
Which TV providers carry World Baseball Classic games?
FOX Sports channels are widely available across most TV providers. To simplify your browsing experience, we’ve listed 13 popular providers in the table below—highlighting whether they carry FOX, FS1, FS2, and Fox Deportes.
| Provider | FOX | FS1 | FS2 | Fox Deportes† | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cox | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Read Cox review |
| DIRECTV | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read DIRECTV review |
| DIRECTV STREAM | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read DIRECTV STREAM review |
| DISH | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read DISH review |
| fuboTV | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read fuboTV review |
| Hulu + Live TV | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read Hulu + Live TV review |
| Optimum | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read Optimum review |
| Philo | — | — | — | — |
View plans Read Philo review |
| Sling TV | ✔* | ✔ | ✔ | — |
View plans Read Sling TV review |
| Spectrum | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read Spectrum review |
| Vidgo | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read Vidgo review |
| Xfinity | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Read Xfinity review |
| YouTube TV | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read YouTube TV review |
Data effective as of post date.
*Available in select markets.
†May require Spanish-language plan or separate add-on.
How to watch the World Baseball Classic for free
You can watch six live World Baseball Classic games for free, with three airing on FOX and three streaming on Tubi.
To watch the FOX games for free, you must use an over-the-air (OTA) antenna to pick up your local FOX station. Of course, antennas aren’t free, and buying one might seem inconvenient for three games. But FOX airs other important baseball events like the MLB All-Star Game and the World Series.
If you need an antenna, check out our Best Antennas for Cord-Cutters page. You can also verify if a FOX station is in your area by entering your zip code in the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Reception Map Tool.
Final take
Because of the pandemic, it’s been six years since the last World Baseball Classic. Team USA won that edition, but a lot has changed since then—including the tournament expanding to 20 national teams.
To watch the 2023 competition, you’ll need a TV plan that includes FOX, FS1, and FS2. The free streaming service Tubi will also have live games and on-demand replays.
Sling TV’s Sling Blue plan ($40 a month) with the Sports Extra add-on ($11 a month) is the best way to watch the World Baseball Classic if you’re on a budget. It’ll still cost you $51 a month, but that’s cheaper than fuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, and YouTube TV. You may even find some sweet Sling TV deals when you sign up.
How to watch the World Baseball Classic FAQ
Where is the 2023 World Baseball Classic?
The 2023 World Baseball Classic will take place in four cities: Taichung, Taiwan; Tokyo, Japan; Phoenix, Arizona; and Miami, Florida. Each location will host group stage matches, while the semifinal and championship games will occur in Miami.
Is there a World Cup for baseball?
Yes, the World Baseball Classic is the baseball equivalent of the FIFA World Cup. While the Baseball World Cup existed from 1938 to 2011, the World Baseball Classic eventually took its place to crown the sport’s “World Champion” every four years.
Methodology
Our sports experts spent over eight hours researching and testing the best TV plans for watching the World Baseball Classic. We based our viewing recommendations on pricing and channel availability. We also updated our viewing suggestions to include viewing MLB games.
Check out our How We Rank page to learn more about our methods.
