How to stream soccer: A cordcutter's guide

Our goal at World Soccer Talk is to make it easier to find out how to stream soccer so you can watch your favorite soccer team via high-quality legal streams. Here are our pro tips on how to stream soccer.

Whether you’re new or old to streaming, we’ve created a guide to help answer your questions including everything from what services are best to what devices you need and more.

By choosing to watch legal streams, it’s safer (no malware), often more affordable than cable and satellite, better quality (no buffering) and it offers more choices — so you can pick and choose what soccer leagues and competitions you want to watch. Plus most streaming services don’t demand that you sign up for an annual contract.

To make the experience of watching legal streams as easy as possible, we’ve created a guide for you that compares the leading streaming providers as well as including FAQs, helpful videos and step-by-step instructions of how to watch your favorite teams and leagues.

How to stream soccer

If you don’t know which streaming service you want to sign up for, we’ve created two helpful ways for you to figure out which service carries your favorite league, national team or club team.

You can search by downloading our free eBook.

Our eBook includes links to free trials with the leading soccer streaming services. The free trials will give you the opportunity to see which one will be the best fit for you.

4 Best Services to Experience How to Stream Soccer

1) Fubo

Includes: ESPN, ESPN2, NBCSN, FS1, FS2, beIN SPORTS, beIN SPORTS en Español, NBC, FOX, TUDN and more.

Features: Copa América, Premier League, World Cup, Women’s World Cup, Copa Libertadores, Liga MX, Gold Cup, MLS and more.

Fubo is unrivaled in its selection for soccer content when cutting the cord. While some may balk at the price of a dedicated streaming platform to replace cable or satellite, the breadth of options does make it more valuable. It has linear TV channels that are over the air. NBC, CBS, NBC and FOX all broadcast soccer games throughout the season. However, it also has the sports-specific channels. CBS Sports Network, the array of ESPN’s offerings, FS1 and USA Network.

What truly sets Fubo apart, though is the fact that it has exclusive soccer properties and beIN SPORTS. For most, beIN SPORTS was only available through satellite providers or niche streaming services. Its inclusion means Fubo subscribers can watch Ligue Un, Copa Libertadores and other competitions.

Moreover, Fubo has exclusive UEFA Nations League and European Championship qualifying games. In a deal with FOX, Fubo took on the media rights to every single UEFA Nations League game, including those simulcast on FOX, FS1 or FS2.

2) ESPN+

Features: LaLiga, Bundesliga, Championship, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, League One and Two, Belgian Pro League, Eredivisie, Allsvenskan, select Liga MX and Liga MX Femenil games, and more.

ESPN+ is a must-have for sports fans, and that is more true for soccer fans. No platform can match the breadth that ESPN+ has to offer. Even though ESPN+ lost Serie A, MLS and other leagues in recent seasons, it made up for it. Making the Bundesliga and LaLiga the marquee options for ESPN+ subscribers has been productive. While it will always be hard to compete against the Premier League, talent and strong performances across the board in both the Bundesliga and LaLiga have been good for ESPN+.

The sheer content truly shined in the FA Cup with Wrexham. A fifth-division side in Wales captured a remarkably high audience as it battled Championship club Sheffield United. The owners, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney truly had people flocking to ESPN+ (or ESPN2, in some cases) to watch a club few had even heard of before in the United States.

In a way, ESPN+ is a mix of catering to the casual fan. It has popular leagues like the Bundesliga and LaLiga. Then, it manages to fit in the niche audiences in leagues like the Belgian Pro League, Championship and Eredivisie.

3) Fanatiz

Includes: beIN SPORTS, beIN SPORTS en Español, GolTV, GolTV en Español, Real Madrid TV, Sevilla TV and more.

Features: Ligue 1, Copa Libertadores, Superliga Argentina, Copa Argentina and more.

Fanatiz is $9.99 per month, which may seem like a lot given what it provides. However, that is still an affordable option, especially given how hard it is to find channels like beIN SPORTS or GolTV. Part of what makes that tandem great is the fact GolTV has South American domestic competitions. Then, beIN SPORTS provides the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana.

Of course, the total content goes beyond just those two things. beIN SPORTS’s prized possession if Ligue Un, namely PSG with Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Neymar. Stars often draw in the viewers, particularly the casual ones.

If South America produced two of those stars, the Portuguese Primeira Liga, available on GolTV via Fanatiz, is a hotbed for talent, too. Benfica has become one of the premier locations to acquire talent. You can use Fanatiz to watch that league with ease.

4) Peacock TV

Includes: Premier League, Spanish broadcasts of USMNT & USWNT, and more than 10,000 hours of NBC television shows.

Most people see Peacock and think it only has the Premier League. Indeed, that is probably the biggest draw for soccer fans cutting the cord. There are between four and six games exclusive to Peacock each matchday in the Premier League. Plus, that rises whenever there is a midweek slate of games.

However, look beyond the Premier League when subscribing to Peacock. During the World Cup, Peacock had every single game available with Spanish-language broadcasts. As part of US Soccer’s new broadcasting deal, the service also has Spanish-language broadcasts of the USMNT and USWNT, including the SheBelieves Cup or friendlies.

Then, Peacock has exclusive shows and the array of content airing on NBC and its affiliated channels. All that is just $5.99 per month.

5) MLS Season Pass

Includes: Every MLS regular season, MLS Cup Playoffs and Leagues Cup match, plus select MLS NEXT Pro and MLS NEXT games and additional exclusive content.

As of 2023, the place to watch MLS is MLS Season Pass. The top division in the USA has largely left traditional TV in the rearview and now offers its own dedicated streaming service as part of a 10-year deal with Apple TV. While a handful of games throughout the season will also be available via FOX channels on TV, every game is available on MLS Season Pass, with no blackout restrictions.  

The service features the entirely of the MLS season, including playoffs and MLS Cup, as well as the newly expanded Leagues Cup in the summer which features every MLS and Liga MX team.

In addition, MLS NEXT Pro (MLS’s 3rd division pro development league) and MLS NEXT (youth development teams) matches will also be shown on the platform.

You can get MLS Season Pass for $14.99/month (or $99 for the entire season). If you are already an Apple TV+ subscriber, that price goes down to $12.99/month ($79/season). Each MLS season ticket holder account will receive one free subscription to the service.

Note that MLS Season Pass does not include a subscription to Apple TV+ (home to original programming such as Ted Lasso), and vice-versa. Apple TV+ subscribers do not have access to MLS Season Pass, it is a separate service. However, select games will be made available at no additional cost to Apple TV+ subscribers, while a smaller selection will be available completely free through the Apple TV app.

If you need more resources before making a decision about streaming soccer, we have a ton more research including comparison guides, how-to videos, a daily email newsletter, and more. For example, check out our article on the top 10 streaming services to watch soccer.

All of the materials have been gathered after hundreds of hours of research and interviews, as well as hands-on use of the streaming services on a daily basis.

Plus we have a weekly podcast that discusses the latest news about streaming soccer.

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How to stream soccer: A cordcutter’s guide
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Streaming guides
ESPN+
Fanatiz
fuboTV
Hulu + Live TV
Paramount+
Peacock
Sling TV
— Blue
— Latino
— Orange
— Orange+Blue
— World Sports