5 Essential TV Apps Every Sports Fan Needs To Install

If you're a cord-cutter and looking to get your fill of sports, it can be tricky to figure out exactly which apps you need to ensure you have access to everything you want to watch or keep track of. Streaming for live sports is fragmented, and unfortunately, there isn't a single app or service that you can subscribe to get everything, similar to how Netflix doesn't carry every single movie or TV series.

So, to help you get a solid set of apps that you can mix and match, we have compiled a list of five smart TV apps that have the biggest selection of live and on-demand sports content. Our recommendations were selected after a careful consideration of exactly what each of the smart TV apps offers in terms of sports content, including which leagues and sports they cover, what's available live, and what they cost. So, here are our top essential apps that you need as a sports fan.

YouTube TV is a widely liked live TV streaming service that costs $83 a month. But if you're a new subscriber, you can save a bit of money for the first couple of months, depending on the promotions running at the time. It gives you access to all major national sports networks, including FS1, FS2, ESPN, CBS Sports, TNT, and TBS. However, its regional sports networks (RSNs) support is limited to four NBC Sports RSNs. You also get league channels, such as NBA TV, NFL Network, and Golf Channel. MLB and NHL networks are currently missing from the lineup. One major highlight of the YouTube TV subscription is exclusive access to NFL Sunday Ticket, which lets you watch out-of-market NFL games on Sunday afternoons; however, it will cost you extra.

The current pricing of the Sunday Ticket can be found on the YouTube TV website. There is also the choice to go for the Sports Plus add-on, which includes the Tennis Channel, Willow, and the NFL RedZone, among other channels. YouTube TV has official apps for all major smart TV platforms, including Apple TV, Google TV, Fire TV, and Roku. It supports up to six individual accounts in a single membership, and everyone gets unlimited DVR space for the content that can't be watched live. It also supports up to three simultaneous streams. Remember, YouTube TV livestreams for sports can have a slight delay of a few seconds, and you have to pay extra for 4K streaming. The latter can make some folks think whether YouTube TV is actually worth it. Finally, YouTube TV has announced that it's bringing genre-specific plans in early 2026, which will likely cost less than the current base plan.

If the lack of most RSNs on YouTube TV is a problem for you, Fubo, which is a sports-first streamer and a YouTube TV alternative, can rectify that. It's a great choice for anyone who wants to watch their local MLB or NHL team every night. It offers access to NESN, YES Network, MSG, FanDuel Sports Networks, and more RSNs. It's also an excellent option for watching soccer, as it carries Champions League, Serie A, MLS, Ligue 1, and much more through the available channels, such as CBS Sports, Fox, FS1, FS2, TUDN, and beIN SPORTS. Fubo's pricing depends on the bundle you choose.

For example, its Fubo Sports + News bundle will cost you $56 a month, whereas Pro and Elite plans are more expensive, and their pricing depends on whether you are in an RSN market. Like YouTube TV, Fubo now offers unlimited DVR and has apps for all major smart TV platforms. It's important to remember that as of early 2026, Fubo is in a carriage dispute with NBCUniversal, resulting in a complete NBC blackout on the service. So you won't get local NBC affiliates, Golf Channel, USA Network, and more. Unless this is fixed, you'll miss the 2026 Winter Olympics, Sunday Night Football, and EPL. Apart from the dispute, keep in mind that Fubo doesn't carry TNT/TBS.

If you're into combat sports, DAZN is the app for you, as it holds rights to fights from the biggest promoters, such as Matchroom Boxing, Misfits Boxing, Golden Boy Promotions, and MMA. That said, as it's actively expanding into other sports, it also offers games from the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, Serie A, the National League TV, women's soccer, and more. DAZN, unfortunately, has almost zero rights to the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL in the U.S.

DAZN's base plan starts at $21 a month and includes over 185 fights a year and 1080p streaming. You will have to pay extra for pay-per-view events. The DAZN Ultimate plan starts at $45 a month, and it includes at least 12 pay-per-view events, HDR support, Dolby 5.1 surround sound for select events, access from over 200 countries worldwide, and everything you get in the base plan. Like our other recommendations, DAZN has apps for all major smart TV platforms.

Sling TV is one of the more flexible and cheaper options you can explore as a sports fan. It offers multiple plans, allowing you to choose what you need. For example, its Orange & Blue plan (starting at $61 per month) includes ESPN, ESPN 2, NFL Network, FS1, TNT, TBS, USA, and more for live sports content. However, you can also go with individual Orange Blue plans separately, for around $46 each per month. While Orange has the various ESPN channels, TNT, and TBS, Blue includes the rest. Additionally, you can add the Sports Extra add-on to get even more channels, such as NBA TV, MLB Network, NHL Network, and Tennis Channel.

Interestingly, besides the monthly and three-month prepay plans, Sling TV lets you buy one-day, three-day, or seven-day passes for the Orange plan if you only need access to the included channels to watch a specific event. In other highlights, Sling TV offers 50 hours of free DVR storage, which you can upgrade to unlimited for $5 a month. Unfortunately, Sling doesn't carry any RSNs or CBS. It's also having a dispute with Disney over its day passes, which can cause ESPN to disappear if an agreement is not reached. Lastly, Sling TV has apps for all the usual smart TV platforms, and while most of its content is in 1080p, it does offer some major live events in 4K for free. 

Paramount+ is one of the most affordable streaming services you can get for sports at $9 a month. However, it doesn't carry a lot in terms of live sports. That said, some of the latest developments on Paramount+ are certainly notable for combat sports fans, as it's the new home for UFC and Zuffa Boxing. As a subscriber to Paramount+, you get access to on-demand fights of UFC 324, live action of UFC 325, UFC Fight Nights, or any Paramount+ exclusive UFC event. There are no pay-per-view charges or additional fees to access UFC content. The same goes for Zuffa Boxing fights.

Besides combat sports, Paramount+ carries tons of soccer games, including every single match for UEFA Champions League and Serie A. You can also watch NFL games being shown on your local CBS station, March Madness, and more. As mentioned, Paramount+ starts at $9 for the ad-supported Essential plan, but you can pay $6 more to remove ads, add support for 4K and HDR, all of Showtime content, and a complete feed of your local CBS. The service is available on all major platforms. Unfortunately, the Paramount+ app has a pretty bad reputation for glitches, bitrate issues, and more.

While choosing essential smart TV apps for a sports fan, we scoured various popular streaming services, including those that offer live TV channels, to find the ones that have the biggest selection of sports content. We confirmed the current status of each service's offerings, live sports that stream on them, their subscription costs, and whether they have official apps for the major smart TV platforms. We also consulted expert reviews and comments shared by cord-cutting sports fans on Reddit.