Ask RokuGuide: Major League Sports on Roku

August 1, 2014 - 20:04 -- RokuGuide

Major League Sports on Roku"Dear RokuGuide, I'm a major league sports fanatic! I watch nothing on TV except major league baseball, hockey, football - if it's professional sports, I'll watch it. I want to drop my expensive cable TV subscription, but can I continue to get major league sports using only my Roku? I'm willing to pay for access to live sports!"

We have good news and bad news for cord-cutting sports fans looking to watch their favorite major league teams without an expensive cable or satellite TV package. The good news is that Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Soccer (MLS), and the National Hockey League (NHL) all have their own Roku channels offering live games. The bad news? Other than having to pay for subscriptions to these sports channels on Roku (but you knew that would be the case, right?), there are lots of blackout restrictions making it difficult to watch live action for your home team. And noticeably missing from live action is the National Football League (NFL).
Here's the rundown on all the major league sports action on Roku:

Baseball

The MLB.TV Roku channel streams every out-of-market game live, and offers all past games on-demand, to MLB.TV Premium subscribers. The Premium package gets you full game archives from the previous season, over 200 Spring Training games live, and every out of market game live or on demand. You can follow your favorite team and have the option of watching either the home or away broadcast, get the real-time highlights and player stats, you can pause/rewind games with DVR controls. Miss the game? no problem, watch full game archives with no local or national blackout restrictions.

If you aren't a Premium subscriber, you can still check game status and results, and MLB.TV offers a free game of the day to registered users with free accounts. The downside to the MLB channel is the local blackouts and there is no playoff coverage due to network contracts. Click here for more information on the MLB.TV Roku channel.

Basketball

If you want to watch the NBA on your Roku device you will need to subscribe to the NBA League Pass which will set you back approximately $199.00 for the upcoming season. This Roku channel will grant you access to a full season of NBA action, however make sure you read the fine print. There is a 17 page disclaimer that you need to read before subscribing, and the channel also has a very strict "blackout" policy.

What you will get is up to 40 out of market games per week, direct access to a national game archive featuring all televised games on ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV throughout the regular season and live feeds of home and away broadcasts. Click here for more information on the NBA Game Time Roku channel.

Hockey

Watching hockey on your Roku has never been easier thanks to the NHL GameCenter channel. The channel allows you to watch live out of market games, choose the home or away broadcast, and on demand full length or condensed replays. There is a daily game schedule available and a complete listing of players stats and team standings. If you want to go back and watch a game from the previous season, no problem, there are three seasons of archived games available, not to mention the classic game vault that allows you to relive hockey moments dating back to the 1960's. Click here for more information on the NHL GameCenter Roku channel.

Soccer

With the World Cup now over and fans interest peaked, it is time to focus on the regular MLS season. The MLS Live Roku channel is available for the remainder of the season for a mere $31.99, compared to an annual subscription of $64.99. What this gets you is access to hundreds of live out of market games, archived and condensed matches, however blackouts apply. The channel offers a complete game schedule, and conference standings. Click here for more information on the MLS Live Roku channel.

Football

The NFL is the big holdout among professional sports organizations when it comes to non-traditional means of accessing live games. But the NFL has announced plans to launch NFL Now on Roku this month. NFL Now will provide personalized NFL news, analysis and highlights to fans. Content will include original content created for NFL Now, highlights of NFL action, content Produced by NFL clubs, NFL Films content, NFL.com and NFL Network content, live events, press conferences, and shows. But you'll still need traditional TV to watch live games. Click here for more information on the the soon-to-launch NFL Now Roku channel.

Do you have questions about Roku devices, channels, or content? Send your questions to Ask RokuGuide using our contact form. RokuGuide is not affiliated with Roku, Inc. If you need technical support for your Roku device or help with your Roku account, please contact Roku Technical Support.