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The 2018 World Cup is quickly approaching, and the United States Men’s National Team is locked in a tight battle for qualification. Fortunately for those who have decided to cut the cable cord, watching a live stream of all the remaining qualification matches is simple.
Before we get to your streaming options, here’s a rundown of the USA’s qualification schedule in 2017:
June 8: vs. Trinidad & Tobago, Fox Sports 1
June 11: vs. Mexico, Fox Sports 1
September 1: vs. Costa Rica, TBD
September 5: vs. Honduras, TBD
October 6: vs. Panama, ESPN Networks
October 10: vs. Trinidad & Tobago, TBD
Qualification matches will be broadcast in the United States on either Fox Sports 1 or ESPN. And when it comes to watching those channels without cable, there are a handful of different options in the form of over-the-top streaming services, which allow you to stream a handful of channels for a monthly fee. DirecTV Now is the cheapest way to stream both those channels and is thus our recommendation, but Fubo TV is an excellent package for soccer fans, while Sling TV and PlayStation Vue offer some different pros and cons.
It is worth noting that Fox, which sometimes broadcasts games, is part of these packages but is only available live in certain markets.
Nevertheless, when it comes to FS1 and ESPN, here’s a rundown of your streaming options, and how to sign up:
Cheapest Option: DirecTV Now
If your No. 1 priority for streaming the USA World Cup qualifiers is price, then DirecTV Now’s “Live a Little” bundle is going to be the way to go. At $35 per month, it isn’t the cheapest bundle on the market, but it is the cheapest that includes both Fox Sports 1 and ESPN.
Here’s a complete rundown of DirecTV Now’s “Live a Little” bundle:
USA Soccer Channels Included: Fox (live in certain markets), Fox Sports 1, ESPN, ESPN 2
Total Channels Included: 60-plus, depending on local channels available. You can find the complete channel list right here
Price: $35 per month
Extras: Watch on two different devices at the same time; No DVR
Free Trial: 7 days
How to Sign Up & Watch:
1. Click here to go to the DirecTV Now website
2. Click on “Start your free trial now” and then create an account
3. Select the channel package you want. There are four different options, all of which include Fox, FS1, ESPN and ESPN 2
4. Enter your payment information. The “Live a Little” package is the cheapest of the four packages at $35 per month. If you cancel your subscription within seven days of signing up, you will not be charged
5. Return to the DirecTV Now website to start watching on your desktop. You can also watch via the DirecTV Now app, which is available via a handful of different mobile or streaming devices. You can click here for the complete list of compatible devices
DVR & More Package Customization: Sling TV
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Sling TV has two base packages: “Sling Orange,” which is just $20 per month, and “Sling Blue,” which is only $25 per month. That typically makes it the cheapest streaming service around, but the only problem here is that ESPN is only included in the “Sling Orange” bundle, while Fox Sports 1 is only included in the “Sling Blue” bundle. If you want both, you’ll have to go with the “Sling Orange + Blue,” which is discounted at $40 per month.
The pros with Sling TV are the DVR functionality ($5 extra per month), the ability to watch more streams at once, and the ability to customize your channel package with specific add-on’s, such as the “Sports Extra” or “Comedy Extra” packages. Also, if you only want ESPN or Fox Sports 1, you can always just go with one of the base packages, and it will end up being cheaper than anything DirecTV has to offer.
Here’s a complete rundown of what you get with “Sling Orange + Blue”:
USA Soccer Channels Included: Fox (live in certain markets), Fox Sports 1, ESPN, ESPN 2
Total Channels Included: 45-plus, depending on local channels available. You can find the complete channel list right here
Price: $40 per month
Extras: Watch on four devices at once (with Sling Blue, it’s three devices. With Sling Orange, it’s one device); 50 hours of cloud DVR is $5 per month extra (restrictions with certain channels)
Free Trial: 7 days
How to Sign Up & Watch:
1. Click here to go to the Sling TV website
2. Click on “Watch Now 7 Days Free” and then create an account
3. Select the channel package you want. Both “Sling Orange” and “Sling Blue” will give you access to Fox if it’s available in your market
4. Enter your payment information. The “Sling Orange” package costs $20 per month, the “Sling Blue” package is $25 per month, and the “Sling Orange + Blue” bundle is $40 per month. If you cancel your subscription within seven days of signing up, you will not be charged
5. Download the Sling app on your computer or mobile device and begin watching TV. If you’re interested in watching Sling TV on a mobile or streaming device, you can do so via their app, which is free to download. You can click here for a full list of compatible devices
The Soccer Package: Fubo TV
Whenever it comes to a soccer fan looking for a live streaming service, my first recommendation is always Fubo TV. The drawback in this particular case is that ESPN isn’t included, but Fubo is a fledgling product that’s still growing its arsenal of channels, so it’s possible the service will add ESPN and others before the end of the year.
If you aren’t concerned about the lack of ESPN, Fubo TV is only $35 per month, has a DVR feature at no extra cost, and offers a mostly sports-based channel lineup with a strong focus on soccer. It includes Fox, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, all 10 of the beIN Sports networks, Fox Soccer Plus, Eleven Sports, and Football Report TV. There’s also a “Sports Plus” ($5.99 per month) add-on that includes GolTV.
Here’s the rundown of Fubo TV’s bundle:
Total Channels Included: 55-plus, depending on local channels available. You can find the complete channel list here
Price: $34.99 per month
Extras: Watch on two different devices at once; three DVR spots for free
Free Trial: 7 days
How to Sign Up & Watch:
1. Click here to sign up and launch your free trial. You’ll need to enter your credit card information when signing up, but if you cancel your subscription before the trial ends, you won’t be charged.
2. If you’re on a computer, you can start watching TV right away in your Internet browser without having to download a desktop app. If you’re on a mobile device, download the Fubo app.
Click here to download the app in the iTunes App Store
Click here to download the app in the Google Play Store
Full list of compatible devices can be found here
Most Streams At Once: PlayStation Vue
If you’re in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, San Francisco or Miami, you may want to ignore PlayStation Vue, as the cheapest bundle for those markets is “Access,” which costs $40 per month. Those in other markets, however, can sign up for “Access Slim,” which is a more reasonable $30 per month and includes both Fox Sports 1 and ESPN.
PlayStation Vue does have it’s advantages, however, as users can watch on five separate devices at once, which is more than any other service.
Here’s a look at the “Access Slim” bundle:
strong>Total Channels Included: 40-plus, depending on local channels available. You can find the complete channel list here
Price: $29.99 per month ($39.99 for select markets)
Extras: Watch on five different devices at once; cloud DVR (restrictions with certain channels)
Free Trial: 5 days
How to Sign Up & Watch:
1. Click here to go to the PlayStation Vue website
2. Click on “Start Free Trial” and then create an account
3. Select the channel package you want. There are four different options, all of which include Fox
4. Enter your payment information. The “Access” package is the cheapest of the four packages at $29.99 per month, but it is $39.99 per month in select markets. If you cancel your subscription within five days of signing up, you will not be charged
5. Return to the PlayStation Vue website to start watching on your desktop. You can also watch via the PlayStation Vue app, which is available via a handful of different mobile or streaming devices. You can click here for the complete list of compatible devices