How to Watch Live Sports on Roku in 2024
The Roku Channel Store has a great selection of apps to stream live sports. That said, it’s important to know what you want to watch before subscribing to a sports platform, because many of the apps may offer the same sports or leagues, but have access to different teams or channels.
For example, if you want to watch local in-market games, Bally Sports or Fubo is a better option than Sling TV or YouTube TV. Similarly, if you want to watch the Premier League, you need Peacock, because ESPN and Fox Sports don’t have the broadcast rights for the EPL.
Get PIA VPN to secure your Roku connection, avoid ISP throttling from ruining your streaming experience with annoying slowdowns, and bypass local blackouts. Our global network of high-speed servers is ideal for streaming sports without having to deal with buffering or low picture quality.
Important: Roku doesn’t have VPN apps in its Channel Store and it can’t be jailbroken because it uses its own operating system. The good news is you don’t need to install a VPN app on Roku — just configure PIA VPN on your router to enjoy all its benefits.
Once the setup is complete, connect to one of our fast servers in the location of your choice and you’ll see why PIA is the best VPN for streaming sports on Roku.
Table of Contents
The Best Sports Channels on RokuWhy You Should Use a VPN to Stream Sports on Roku
Securely Stream Live Sports on Roku with PIA VPN
FAQ
The Best Sports Channels on Roku
1. ESPN+: Stream NBA, MLB, NHL, MMA, NCAA, and More
Starting Price: $9.15 per month
ESPN, the self-proclaimed Worldwide Leader of Sports, has plenty of live sports on its networks and ESPN+ streaming platform. Watch Monday Night Football, NBA, and the MLB Game of the Week. There’s also NHL, NCAA basketball and football, and MMA.
In addition to American sports, ESPN+ has a good selection of international soccer and niche games like cricket, tennis, bowling, and more.
If an event is blacked out in your area, choose a PIA VPN server in a different state (we’ve got servers in all 50!), restart your Roku, and enjoy the game.
2. Fubo: Access to Regional and National Sports Channels
Starting Price: $79.99 per month
Fubo is a streaming platform with a focus on live sports. There are different subscription options, based on what channels you want to watch.
With access to channels like ESPN, FS1, B12, Golf Network and local FOX, NBC, Bally’s, and Sportsnet, you can watch local and national sporting events. The list of live sports includes NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, NASCAR, MLS, golf, tennis, boxing, college sports and more.
3. Hulu + Live TV: Stream Live Sports on your Roku
Starting Price: $76.99 per month
With Hulu + Live TV on your Roku, you can watch the NBA on TNT, ESPN, and ABC. Enjoy college sports on the ACC and SEC networks, baseball on FS1, and the NFL on Fox, CBS, and NBC. If you can’t catch the game live, record it with the Hulu DVR and stream at your convenience.
Some channels may be subject to local blackouts, but that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying the game. Connect to a PIA server in a different state, and stream sports without interruptions.
4. Fox Sports: Stream Games Live and On Demand
Starting Price: Free with a cable subscription
Roku viewers with a subscription to Fox Sports can watch NFL, MLB, MLS, NASCAR, NCAA football, NCAA basketball, FIFA World Cup, WWE SmackDown, UEFA European Championship, and more.
If you have a cable subscription, you can watch Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, and Fox Deportes at no additional cost. If you don’t have cable, you can stream it through Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, and Youtube TV.
5. Bally Sports: Hundreds of Live Sports Games Per Year
Starting Price: $19.99 per month for Bally Sports +
You need Bally Sports to stream live in-market games on Roku. Since Bally Sports is a regional network, it’s only available in certain areas in the US. With servers in nearly every State, PIA VPN can connect you to a different region so you can watch your favorite teams.
There are two ways to get Bally Sports on Roku; through your cable provider or purchase the Bally Sports + app.
6. Sling TV: Live Access to the Best Sports Channels
Starting Price: $20 per month
The Sling TV app for Roku gives you access to ESPN, Fox Sports, NBC Sports, TNT, TBS, and the NFL Network which include the NFL RedZone. You can purchase additional channels, such as the MLB Network, NBA TV, and several college football networks. The customizable channel lineup gives you the ability to stream any live sporting event on TV.
7. YouTube TV: Extensive Coverage of Live Sports
Starting Price: $72.99 per month
YouTube TV has plenty of live sporting events, including local channels, ESPN, NFL Network, and NBA TV. Stream out-of-market NFL Sundays with the exclusive NFL Sunday Ticket, and record everything with unlimited cloud DVR storage. Roku’s smooth interface makes navigating and switching between games a breeze, so you never miss a crucial play.
8. Peacock: Exclusive Home of the EPL
Starting Price: $4.99 per month
There’s no shortage of live sporting events on Peacock. NBC owns the contract for the English Premier League and streams exclusive matches on Peacock. You can also watch Sunday Night Football, the Olympics, WWE, Big Ten Basketball, Figure Skating, IndyCar, and more.
In addition to live games, you can watch highlights during a match, pause live TV, rewind the game to see an exciting play, and fast forward back to the live feed.
9. CBS Sports App: 24/7 Sports Content
Starting Price: $5.99 for Paramount Plus
Install the CBS Sports App from the Roku Store for access to live sports from CBS, Paramount Plus, and more in one convenient app. You will need a Paramount Plus or cable TV subscription to watch free sports through the app. If you have it, you can stream the NFL, UEFA Champions League, college sports in the Big 10 and SEC, the PGA Tour, NWSL, and more.
If you need to change your region to catch local games, connect to the fastest PIA VPN server, restart your Roku device, and enjoy.
10. FloSports: Best for Amateur and Niche Sports on Roku
Starting Price: $12.50 per month
FloSports has a great selection of sports from leagues that are not covered by the major sports networks. Stream rugby, minor league hockey, bike racing, varsity football, softball, cheer competitions, track and field, and EuroLeague basketball just to name a few. However, you have to subscribe to each sport separately, which can get expensive if you want to enjoy several different Flo channels.
Why You Should Use a VPN to Stream Sports on Roku
You should use a VPN whenever you’re online, and streaming sports on Roku is no exception. It’s an invaluable online security tool that encrypts your internet connection, preventing anyone — including the government, trackers, and hackers — from seeing what you’re doing and accessing your personal data.
From a practical perspective, a VPN can help you maximize your internet speed. To be clear, it won’t increase your speed above what you purchase from your ISP, but it will prevent ISP throttling. This is a tactic used by many ISPs to slow down your connection when they see you using bandwidth-heavy apps, such as streaming on Roku. PIA VPN hides your activity from everyone, including your ISP, and since they can’t see what you’re doing, they won’t be able to slow you down based on your activity.
If a game or match isn’t broadcast in your region, you’ll need PIA VPN to help you get access. We have VPN servers in every US state, so if you’re in Detroit and want to watch the LA Lakers game, you might need to connect to an LA server to access the local channel.
Lastly, it’s always nice to take your Roku with you when traveling abroad. However, many of the apps only work in specific countries. Connect to a PIA VPN server from your home country so you don’t lose access.
Now, unlike a Fire Stick, there’s no VPN apps for Roku. It’s not a big deal if you’re at home, because you can set up PIA VPN on your router. However, this isn’t so simple when you’re on vacation, especially if you don’t have access to the router settings. To solve this problem, you can set up a virtual router or install PIA VPN on your Android or iOS device and mirror your screen to the Roku.
Securely Stream Live Sports on Roku with PIA VPN
There’s no shortage of live sports to watch on Roku. Between the 10 apps and streaming platforms listed above, you can watch nearly every sporting event broadcast on TV or streaming live.
Using PIA VPN to stream live sports prevents buffering or low-quality videos due to ISP throttling. For our part, we provide unlimited bandwidth so you can enjoy the entire game, from the pregame through the post-game show, without having to worry about how long you’ve been streaming.
FAQ
PIA is the best VPN for streaming sports on Roku. It has VPN servers in every US state, so you can avoid local blackout restrictions. Our servers have the capacity for high-speed connections so you can stream in HD. We also have streaming-optimized servers in select locations, so you can always access your favorite streaming services.
The first step is to get PIA VPN and set it up on your streaming device. If you’re watching live sports on Roku, you will need to configure the VPN on your router. Then, choose a server location where the live sports you want to watch are available. Now, just log in to your streaming platform, and enjoy the game.
The Roku Channel has a few free sports channels, such as Stadium, fubo Sports Network, beIN Sports extra, and Outside TV+. Another option is the free Red Bull TV channel, which has surfing, snowboarding, and other outdoor sports. Both of these options are good for niche sports, but you won’t find major sporting events. The only way to get the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, or college sports for free is to sign up for a free trial with a service like Fubo, Sling TV, or YouTube TV.
Yes! Live sports is one of the best things about Roku. Download the apps that stream the games, sports, or leagues you want to want and log in with your credentials. Most sports have local blackout restrictions that apply to Roku viewers as well, but you can avoid this by setting PIA VPN up on your router. Then, select a server in an area where the broadcast is available, restart your Roku and watch the game.
Open the Roku Channel Store and navigate down to the Sports section. A list of sports channels will appear, including ESPN, Fox Sports, CBS Sports, FloSports, NFL, NBA, Bally Sports, NBC Sports, Tennis Channel, and the list goes on. You’ll also find Fubo, Sling TV, YouTube TV, and Hulu + Live TV all of which give you access to live sports channels.
You need to download a streaming app that has football games. The best option is YouTube TV, because it comes with the NFL Sunday Ticket, Other options include Sling TV, and Fubo, both of which have the NFL RedZone, plus games on Fox, CBS, and NBC. if a game is blacked out in your area, set up PIA VPN on your router and connect to a different US city. This makes it look like you’re watching in a state where the game is available, so you can watch without restrictions.
