Pick your teams. We'll do the math.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to watch sports in 2026?

Most US fans now need more than one service to keep up with their teams. A simple one-team setup lands around $75/month. A multi-sport household in a pricey market clears $200/month. Spot shows the price for your teams in your ZIP code.

Why do most fans need 5+ streaming services?

Local games run on a regional sports network (RSN) tied to your media market. National windows live on ESPN, FOX, TBS, NBC, ABC, or Amazon depending on the league. Exclusive games migrate to Apple TV+, Netflix, Peacock, and Prime Video. No single subscription covers all of them, so most fans assemble a stack.

How does the Spot Sports calculator decide which services you need?

Your ZIP tells us the TV market you live in. From there we match your teams to local channels, blackouts, national games, and streaming-only nights, then find the lowest official setup that covers the schedule.

Is this calculator free?

Yes. You can run unlimited cost checks without an account. A free account saves your teams, tracks price changes, and gets you early access to Jerry, our upcoming AI sports agent.

How often are the prices updated?

Pricing is reviewed monthly and after every major rights or service change. Each team and league guide shows a 'Last reviewed' date.

What is a regional sports network (RSN)?

An RSN is a TV network that carries live local games for the teams in its broadcast footprint. YES carries the Yankees and Nets. NBC Sports Bay Area carries the Warriors, A's, and Giants. MSG carries the Knicks and Rangers. Most MLB, NBA, and NHL home-market games are still RSN-exclusive in 2026, which is why your local cable or streaming choice matters more than the national rights for those leagues.

What is a DMA and why does it affect my watch cost?

A DMA, or Designated Market Area, is a Nielsen-defined US TV market made up of the ZIP codes that share the same TV stations. There are 210 DMAs total covering 41,000+ ZIPs. Your DMA decides which RSN counts as 'local', which league apps black out your home team, and which over-the-air channels you pull with an antenna. Two fans of the same team in different DMAs see wildly different watch costs.

Why does MLB.tv black out my favorite team?

MLB.tv is sold as an out-of-market product. If your ZIP is inside the DMA where your team plays, MLB.tv blacks those games out. The league protects the local RSN's exclusive rights. The same logic applies to NBA League Pass and NHL Center Ice. If you're in-market for the team you love, you need the RSN (via cable, a vMVPD that carries it, or the RSN's direct-to-consumer app), not the league pass.

What's the difference between a vMVPD and a streaming service?

A vMVPD (virtual multi-channel video programming distributor) replaces cable. Examples include YouTube TV, Hulu + Live, Fubo, Sling, and DirecTV Stream. They deliver live linear channels including local broadcast, RSNs, and cable networks, billed monthly with no contract. A streaming service like Netflix, Peacock, or Apple TV+ delivers on-demand and exclusive live windows, but not the full local cable bundle. Sports fans usually need at least one vMVPD or RSN app, plus selected streamers for exclusive games.

Has the cheapest stack to watch sports changed in 2026?

Yes. The 2026 NBA rights deal moved Tuesday and Saturday national games from TNT to NBC/Peacock and added an Amazon Prime Video package. Apple TV+ continues to hold every MLS game. Netflix added a Christmas Day NFL slate and a few Friday-night MLB events. RSN carriage on YouTube TV and Fubo continues to shift contract-by-contract. Spot Sports re-prices every team's stack monthly, so the answer for your specific teams updates as rights move.

Methodology

Here's how we figured it out