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Statistics show that Americans are cutting their cable subscriptions at a frenetic pace. The advent of the internet led to the freedom of information on a global scale. Today, if you want to watch something on TV, you don’t have to bother with subscribing to cable anymore. Streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime are affordable, with a massive selection of shows on offer.
However, while it’s relatively easy to find websites offering live streams of TV shows and pre-recorded programming, it’s a different story when it comes to sports. Sure, you might think it’s a great idea to cut your cable, but how will you watch the game on Sunday?
We put together a list of the best free sports streaming websites on the internet. While the quality of the stream might not always be in 4K, they offer you a reasonably watchable stream, and you won’t have to pay a cent for the privilege.
DISCLAIMER: Some of the methods mentioned in the review provide you with links to unofficial streams. The article is for informational purposes only. We always recommend you pay for your streaming services and show your support for the sporting industry.
Before You Start – Install an Adblocker App
One of the issues with watching sports on live streams, apart from the lack of streaming quality, is that most of the sites mentioned in this list have plenty of pop-up ads. While you might not think that you’ll click on them, they can be tricky to navigate around, and in some cases, you might have to close multiple windows to get the stream to work, accidentally clicking on a pop-up instead.
Almost all of these pop-ups end up installing malware on your machine, and we doubt you want to jeopardize your privacy to watch a sporting event. Fortunately, there’s an easy work-around to this problem – installing an ad blocker on your browser.
AdBlock and AdGuard are two excellent apps available in the Chrome store for use on Chrome browsers. If you’re using a different browser, try installing Opera, it’s a useful tool for blocking ads as well.
An ad-blocking app is an essential tool for protecting you while streaming on these sites, even if you’re using a browser like Brave.
You’ll also need a top-quality anti-malware software as well, and you can’t go wrong with Malwarebytes – they have a free trial. If you decide you don’t want to spend any money on your anti-virus and anti-malware software, download AVG Free to your computer.
Use the Major Networks for Limited Events and Highlights
ESPN decided to move away from its traditional cable offering in 2018. The company now operates an online streaming service for all of its sports programs, from Monday Night Football to the latest UFC card. However, in most cases, you’ll have to register for the site and purchase the event.
ESPN does offer some streams of live sporting events for free, but most of them require purchasing a pay-per-view or signing up for a subscription. ESPN does offer some highlight packages from sports events for free, so check on the site if you’re looking for a highlights package of the game you missed on the weekend.
Stream on Facebook Watch
Facebook launched its streaming service earlier this year, with most sports fans missing the debut of the service. You get plenty of options for sports on Facebook Watch, with the service streaming most MLB games for free. However, the platform limits you to watching one MLB game for free.
Other exciting sports available on the service include soccer, women’s basketball, and even WSL surfing events. Facebook negotiated with sports leagues to bring you plenty of streaming options for free, and we can expect the platform to continue to grow in its offerings in the future.
You’ll need a Facebook account if you want to log into Facebook Watch,
Facebook Watch broadcasts sports like Major League Baseball, and users are also able to live stream other games as well. You also get an ad-free and malware-free platform but remember that
Facebook is always tracking your data to optimize its ad offerings to you in your social feed.
Stream on YouTube
Many people don’t realize that you can watch plenty of live sporting events on YouTube for free. There are hundreds of channels offering both illegitimate and legitimate sports streams for free. Everything from boxing to F1 races is available on YouTube.
However, while the legitimate channels are a great way to watch sports in HD, many of the illegitimate streams are low-quality. It’s also possible to find plenty of highlight packages on the platform, with many channels, like Red Bull Sports, offering you plenty of options for more obscure sports, like cliff-diving, mountain bike racing, and snowboarding events.
Stream on Laola1
This Austrian website allows global users to access live sports streams, with plenty of popular European sports, like soccer and rugby, available on the site for live streaming. The site doesn’t have any regional blocking, and you can access it from anywhere in the world.
If you’re looking for more obscure sports like table-tennis, volleyball, or international soccer games, then loala1 is an excellent choice. Not all of the games are available in HD, and you might find the quality poor on most streams.
Source Live Sports Streams on Reddit
Reddit is a social community talking about anything and everything you can imagine, from politics to hobbies, and sports. While Reddit doesn’t offer any streaming services itself, it’s a handy place to find links to live streams of sporting events on other websites.
The vast majority of the streaming links posted on Reddit are either illegitimate or illegal, and the site is not responsible for your clicking on any links. Still, you can search through the sub-reddits on the platform for links to any sporting event you want.
Users on the site also up-vote of down-vote streams based on the quality and legitimacy of the service. As a result, you get real user information on the quality of the stream, allowing you to make an informed decision before you click the link to the sporting event you want to see. This community aspect of the platform makes it a safer option than clicking random search links in your browser.
Some of the most popular sub-reddits offering links to live streaming events are the following.
- Free baseball streams: r/MLBstreams
- Free football streams: r/NFLstreams
- Free ice hockey streams: r/puckstreams
- Free college football streams: r/CFBstreams
This list only scratches the surface of the number of live sporting links available on the site, and you’ll find a link to any event ion the world if you search the sub-reddits for long enough.
Stream Sports on Stream2Watch
Stream2Watch features a wide selection of sporting events to watch online. You get access to links collected from websites streaming the game, and a wide variety of sports on offer through the platform.
However, Stream2Watch comes with plenty of pop-up advertising and malicious links that install adware, spyware, and other forms of malware on your machine. It’s vital that you use an adblocker software and a good anti-malware program when viewing any stream through this website.
You get access to most American and European sporting events on the site. If you run the right software to counter the advertising, it’s one of the best streaming services available for watching live sports events.
Stream Live Sports on SportRAR.TV
SportRAR.TV is another site offering links to free streams of sporting events. The website has a similar model to Stream2Watch, using invasive pop-up advertising to install malware on your machine. Make sure that you have all of your protections in place before clicking on any link on this site.
However, while the malware and pop-ups are an issue, you can still access the majority of American and European sporting events, with multiple links available for each game.
Find all of your favorites on this site, such as NFL and college football games, NHL and MLB games, and other more popular sports like PGA golf tournaments and cycling races.
Stream Live Sports on Streamhunter
Log onto Streamhunter for a collection of sporting events from around the world. The variety on offer at streamhunter is astounding, and you get everything from NFL and MLB games to UFC events, boxing matches, and even table-tennis tournaments – if you want to find any sporting event, streamhunter is your best bet.
The site also offers multiple links to each game, but all of them come with annoying pop-up windows in the stream that you need to close using the X-icon in the window.
You have to start closing the smallest windows first, and if you start with closing the big windows, then the site pulls you through to other websites that install tracking software on your browser, even when using adblocking software.
Stream Live Sports on Bosscast
Bosscast is another streaming service worthy of mention in this review. Bosscast requires you to install Flash on your machine, similar to streamhunter, and you get access to all the major American sporting events in baseball, football, and basketball.
If you don’t like the thought of exposing your computer to the security vulnerabilities associated with using Flash on your machine, then you might want to avoid using sites like Bosscast and stream hunter.
Stream Live Sports on Cricfree
Cricfree is an excellent site offering links to a variety of European sporting events, including cricket, rugby, and soccer matches. As the name of the site suggests, it specializes in streaming cricket events, and you’ll find a huge selection of European and other international cricket matches available.
There are plenty of misleading pop-up ads, and some of them appear on your screen, even if you have an ad blocker installed in your browser. Be careful that you don’t click on any of the links, as they install spyware and adware in your browser that requires cleaning with programs like Hitman Pro.
Why Do These Sites Use Malware and Pop-Ups?
The majority of these sites provide illegal streams to sporting events. Therefore, the website knows that you are breaking international Copywrite laws and a host of other Federal laws while illegally watching the stream. Consequently, they pretty much can do whatever they want, and they know you won’t complain.
If you do decide to complain, there’s no support or admin staff for you to moan at, and no way of yu taking recourse against the site if your machine does experience an infection with malware, viruses, or tracking software.
What’s the Quality Like on These Sites?
When watching any of these streams, the quality can range from 360p to 720p. The quality depends on the popularity of the event and the number of streams available.
If you like watching your sports in 4K, then these streams aren’t worth you cutting your cable. You’re better off registering for a subscription or pay-per-view with ESPN, or another legitimate sports streaming service that offers official streams.
Wrapping Up – Protect Your Privacy with a VPN
Most of the streaming services mentioned in this article offer no geo-blocking on their events. As a result, you can log into any site and click on a link, regardless of where you are in the world.
However, we highly recommend you use a VPN when viewing any of these streams. A VPN cloaks your IP address from any hidden hackers lurking around these sites. A VPN creates a secure connection between the server and your computer, and no hacker can get past the encryption to view your data.
Some of the best VPNs for use in streaming live sports events on these sites include Avast Secureline, Nord VPN and Express VPN , both of which have excellent offerings. However, there’s a drawback to using a VPN for this task as well.
Most VPNs will throttle your download speed, reducing the bandwidth on your connection. Therefore, you might find that you experience some buffering when viewing a stream, which can be somewhat annoying.
Stay Ahead of the Market with Benzinga Pro!
Want to trade like a pro? Benzinga Pro gives you the edge you need in today's fast-paced markets. Get real-time news, exclusive insights, and powerful tools trusted by professional traders:- Breaking market-moving stories before they hit mainstream media
- Live audio squawk for hands-free market updates
- Advanced stock scanner to spot promising trades
- Expert trade ideas and on-demand support
1 Comment
It’s always nice to find articles like this with some streaming link suggestions for sports. I was quite surprised to see Facebook among them. Among other articles that I looked at, there was another one that caught my eye (it’s from a VPN provider, but I guess that’s one of the reasons I believe the links are actually legitimate). If anyone is interested in looking through them, here you go: https://surfshark.com/blog/10-best-free-sports-streaming-sites