Getty The Cincinnati Reds are set to get back in action soon.
Following their first 100-loss season in 40 years, the Cincinnati Reds enter Year No. 2 of their rebuild in 2023.
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Most Reds games this season will be locally televised on Bally Sports Ohio, while others may be nationally televised on MLB Network (those ones will also be on Bally Sports Ohio), ESPN, ESPN2, Fox or FS1. A couple may be untelevised and stream on YouTube, Apple TV+, Peacock TV or ESPN+.
If you don’t have cable and you live in the Reds market, you can watch a live stream of every televised Reds game on FuboTV or DirecTV Stream, which both include Bally Sports Ohio and come with a free trial.
Here’s a full rundown of those options, as well as some ways for out-of-market viewers to watch Reds games live online without cable in 2023:
If You’re in the Reds Market
FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of Bally Sports Ohio, ESPN, ESPN2, Fox, FS1, MLB Network and 100-plus other live TV channels on FuboTV. You’ll need to include the “Sports Plus” add-on for MLB Network, but you can include any add-ons you want with your free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch Reds games live on the FuboTV app or FuboTV website.
Compatible devices for the FuboTV app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” ESPN, ESPN2, Fox and FS1 are included in every one, while Bally Sports Ohio and MLB Network are in “Choice” and up, but you can pick any package and any add-ons you want with your free five-day trial:
Once signed up for DirecTV Stream, you can watch Reds games live on the DirecTV Stream app or DirecTV Stream website.
Compatible devices for the DirecTV Stream app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
If You’re Out of the Reds Market
Amazon Prime’s MLB.TV Channel
Amazon Prime subscribers (Prime comes with a 30-day free trial) can watch every out-of-market, non-nationally televised MLB game via Prime Channels.
The MLB.TV channel costs either $24.99 per month to watch every out-of-market game (“All Team Pass”) or $129.99 for the year to just watch out-of-market Reds games (“Single Team Pass”), but either option comes with a free seven-day trial:
MLB.TV Amazon Prime Free Trial
Once you’re signed up for the Prime MLB.TV Channel, out-of-market viewers can watch Reds games live on the Prime Video app or Amazon website.
Compatible devices for the Prime Video app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, various smart TV’s, Xiaomi, Echo Show or Echo Spot, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
MLB.TV
This is ultimately the same as the Amazon Prime option above, only you’ll watch games on MLB’s digital platforms instead of Amazon’s.
You can watch all out-of-market, non-nationally televised MLB games via MLB.TV. It costs $24.99 per month or $149.99 for the year to watch every out-of-market game, or $129.99 for the year to just watch out-of-market Reds games. The monthly and yearly all-team options include a free seven-day trial (the single-team option does not):
Once signed up for MLB.TV, out-of-market viewers can watch Reds games live on the MLB TV app or MLB.TV website.
Compatible devices for the MLB TV app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, various Smart TV’s, Samsung Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
ESPN+
This isn’t going to be an option to watch a lot of Reds games, but if you’re looking for a cheap way to watch a random MLB game daily, ESPN+ includes at least one out-of-market game every day during the regular season:
In addition to one live MLB game every day, ESPN+ also has dozens of other live sports, every 30-for-30 documentary and additional original content (both video and written) for $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year (or $13.99 per month for a bundle of all three of ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu).
Once signed up for ESPN+, out-of-market viewers can watch a daily MLB game live on the ESPN app or ESPN.com.
Compatible devices for the ESPN app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation 4 or 5, Xbox One or Series X/S, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), Samsung Smart TV, Oculus Go, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
Reds Season Preview 2023
Cincinnati finished 83-79 in 2021 and 31-29 in the COVID-shortened 2020 season. Clearly in the early throes of a rebuild, the Reds aren’t expected to do much this year.
The primary offseason acquisition for Cincinnati was Wil Myers, who has had 24 home runs and 104 RBIs over the last two seasons. The right fielder doesn’t hit as many dingers as he did back in 2017, when he had 30, but he could add some heft to Cincinnati’s lineup. The Reds also added pitcher Luke Weaver and outfielder Will Benson this offseason.
Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo and Graham Ashcraft are expected to lead Cincinnati’s rotation. Greene is expected to take a step forward after his rookie campaign last year, when he finished with a 4.44 ERA and 164 strikeouts in 125.2 innings pitched. The trio of Greene, Lodolo and Ashcraft are perfect examples of Cincinnati’s youth, but much ballyhoo has been made about the future of a fan favorite.
One primary question surrounding the Reds as opening day approaches is whether or not veteran first baseman Joey Votto will be ready to go after he had surgery on his left shoulder and biceps last fall.
“He’s moving well. He’s doing everything 100 percent,” Reds manager David Bell said about Votto’s performance so far this spring. “Looks good running. There’s still plays – he’s getting back into feeling like a baseball player in every way. Just to the eye, he looks great at the plate and moving well. He looks really strong.”
Trade rumors have been swirling around Votto for months, and if the Reds don’t win early and often, don’t be surprised if the veteran first baseman gets shipped somewhere else mid-season.
“I have higher expectations to be part of other large Major League moments,” Votto said back in 2022 prior to his injury. “That’s without question concerning to me. I’ve been in the same uniform my entire career. We haven’t done enough winning.”
Here’s a look at the projected lineup and likely rotation for Cincinnati this season:
- 1. Jake Fraley – RF
- 2. Jonathan India – 2B
- 3. Joey Votto – DH
- 4. Tyler Stephenson – C
- 5. Wil Myers – 1B
- 6. TJ Friedl – LF
- 7. Spencer Steer – 3B
- 8. Kevin Newman – SS
- 9. Nick Senzel – CF
Starting Rotation: Hunter Greene (RHP), Nick Lodolo (LHP), Graham Ashcraft (RHP), Luke Weaver (RHP), Luis Cessa (RHP)