Major League Baseball spring training will begin early this year. Players began reporting to training camps in Arizona and Florida last week. That’s because 2026 is the World Baseball Classic year, with international games taking place from March 5-11, which moves the entire spring schedule up a bit. This means an earlier reporting date, with the first spring training game of the season set to be Friday, February 20th. You can watch this year’s spring training games on MLB Network and subscribe to MLB.TV to get ready for Opening Day on March 26.
If you’re an avid MLB fan, you’ve probably heard that ESPN is now the streaming home of MLB.TV, which means fans can purchase an MLB.TV subscription directly through ESPN. The partnership will bring thousands of out-of-market live games to the ESPN app and ESPN.com each season, but the catch is you still have to pay for MLB.TV as an add-on service. Don’t worry if this change is confusing, we’ll break it all down below.
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Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch live streams of spring training games this year.
How to watch spring training games live:
date: February 20 to March 24
channel: MLB Network, local RSN
Streaming media: DirecTV, MLB.TV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, Sling + more
How to watch MLB spring training games:
MLB spring training games will be available to watch on MLB Network. You can also watch games on MLB.TV, MLB.com and the MLB App, as well as select games on your local RSN.
Subscribing to MLB.TV is a great way to watch all of your favorite teams’ off-field and spring training games live.
New MLB.TV subscriptions will be available through ESPN starting in February of this year. New subscribers purchasing MLB.TV must do so through the ESPN app and will need to sign up for a 1-month free trial of ESPN Unlimited before signing up for MLB.TV. ESPN automatically renews at $29.99/month after 1 month, or you can cancel your trial at any time. ESPN is not required to maintain an MLB.TV subscription.
Existing ESPN Unlimited subscribers have the opportunity to add an MLB.TV subscription in 2026 for $149.99 per season, priced at $134.99.
The monthly subscription option is priced at $29.99, and new subscribers are eligible for a free month of ESPN Unlimited.
Many DirecTV packages will provide you with the key channels for the 2026 MLB season, including Fox, FS1, ESPN, ABC, and MLB Network, which you’ll need to watch live spring training games. Each plan also includes a subscription to ESPN Unlimited, ESPN’s new streaming platform.
Starting at $60 for the first month, DirecTV Choice is a great choice for a powerful yet cost-effective streaming plan that includes all the channels you need to watch baseball in 2026. You can even start with a free trial. Every DirecTV subscriber, regardless of tier, has access to unlimited cloud DVR.
How to subscribe to MLB.TV via ESPN?
New subscribers purchasing MLB.TV must do so through the ESPN app and will need to sign up for a 1-month free trial of ESPN Unlimited before signing up for MLB.TV. ESPN automatically renews at $29.99/month after 1 month, or you can cancel your trial at any time. ESPN is no Required to maintain MLB.TV subscription. If you are a current MLB.TV subscriber, your subscription will renew directly through your MLB.TV account for the 2026 season (although this may change in the future). You can continue to access streaming content in the MLB app, or if you have the ESPN app, you can link your MLB.TV subscription to the app and watch there. If you get ESPN Unlimited through another provider like DirecTV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV or Spectrum, click here for instructions on how to access MLB.TV with your account.
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Is MLB.TV provided by ESPN free?
New partnership between ESPN and MLB.TV no This means MLB.TV is now a free part of the ESPN app and will be available as an add-on feature. However, ESPN+ subscribers will have the opportunity to purchase an MLB.TV subscription at a discount: in 2026, a full season will cost $134.99 instead of $149.99, and subscribers can watch games through the MLB app or the ESPN app.
MLB 2026 Spring Training Opening Weekend Schedule
You can find the complete spring training game schedule here; RSN broadcasts are described below.
All Eastern Time
Friday, February 20
New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles, 1:05 p.m. (Gotham, MASN)
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Kansas City Royals vs. Texas Rangers, 3:05 p.m.
Chicago White Sox vs. Chicago Cubs, 3:05 p.m. (MARQ)
San Diego Padres vs. Seattle Mariners, 3:10 p.m. (SDPA, SEA Video)
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Colorado Rockies, 3:10 p.m. (Drought, Colorado)
Saturday, February 21st
Atlanta Braves vs. Tampa Bay Rays, 1:05 p.m. (RAYS)
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Baltimore Orioles, 1:05 p.m. (MASN)
Boston Red Sox vs. Minnesota Twins, 1:05 p.m. (NESN, MNNT)
Detroit Tigers vs. New York Yankees, 1:05 p.m. (DETT, YES)
Washington Nationals vs. St. Louis Cardinals, 1:05 p.m.
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Toronto Blue Jays, 1:07 p.m. (NBCSP)
Miami Marlins vs New York Mets, 1:10pm (Singapore time)
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Oakland Athletics vs. Chicago White Sox, 3:05 p.m. (CHSN)
Cincinnati Reds vs. Cleveland Guardians, 3:05 p.m. (CINR, CLEG)
San Diego Padres vs. Kansas City Royals, 3:05 p.m.
Texas Rangers vs. Chicago Cubs, 3:05 p.m. (MARQ)
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Los Angeles Angels, 3:10 p.m. (SNLA)
Cleveland Indians vs. Milwaukee Brewers, 3:10 p.m.
San Francisco Giants vs. Seattle Mariners, 3:10 p.m. (NBCSBA, SEA Video)
Colorado Rockies vs. Arizona Diamondbacks, 3:10 p.m. (drought)
Sunday, February 22
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Houston Astros, 1:05 p.m. (SCHN)
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Boston Red Sox, 1:05 p.m. (NESN)
Baltimore Orioles vs. Detroit Tigers, 1:05 p.m.
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New York Mets vs. New York Yankees, 1:05 p.m. (Gotham)
Minnesota Twins vs. Atlanta Braves, 1:05 p.m. (GTV)
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Philadelphia Phillies, 1:05 p.m. (NBCSP)
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, 1:05 p.m. (Rays, SNP)
Washington Nationals vs. Miami Marlins, 1:10 p.m.
Milwaukee Brewers vs. Chicago White Sox, 3:05 p.m. (BREW, CHSN)
Cleveland Guardians vs. Oakland Athletics, 3:05 p.m.
Colorado Rockies vs. Texas Rangers, 3:05 p.m.
Seattle Mariners vs. Cincinnati Reds, 3:05 p.m.
Chicago Cubs vs. San Francisco Giants, 3:05 p.m. (SF Video)
Kansas City Royals vs. Milwaukee Brewers, 3:10 p.m.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Diego Padres, 3:10 p.m.
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Los Angeles Angels vs. Arizona Diamondbacks, 3:10 p.m.
Monday, February 23
Boston vs. Tampa Bay, 1:05 p.m.
Atlanta Braves vs. Baltimore Orioles, 1:05 p.m.
Minnesota Twins vs. Detroit Tigers, 1:05 p.m.
New York Yankees vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, 1:05 p.m. (Gotham, SNP)
Miami Marlins vs. St. Louis Cardinals, 1:05 p.m. (Matrix)
New York Mets vs. Toronto Blue Jays, 1:07 p.m.
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Cleveland Guardians, 3:05 p.m.
Chicago Cubs vs. Kansas City Royals, 3:05 p.m.
Seattle Mariners vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, 3:05 p.m. (SNLA)
Oakland Athletics vs. San Francisco Giants, 3:05 p.m.
Texas Rangers vs. Los Angeles Angels, 3:10 p.m.
Milwaukee Brewers vs. San Diego Padres, 3:10 p.m. (BREW, SDPA)
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Chicago White Sox vs. Colorado Rockies, 3:10 p.m.
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Washington Nationals, 6:05 p.m.
When does the 2026 MLB season start?
The 2026 MLB season starts earlier than ever. The 2026 season will begin on Wednesday, March 25, with an Opening Night showdown between the San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees at Oracle Park in San Francisco, followed by 14 Opening Day games on Thursday, March 26.
How to watch the 2026 MLB season without cable TV:
Many DirecTV packages will provide you with the key channels for the 2026 MLB season, including Fox, FS1, ESPN, ABC, and MLB Network, which you’ll need to watch live spring training games. Each plan also includes a subscription to ESPN Unlimited, ESPN’s new streaming platform.
At $60/month for your first month, DirecTV Choice is a great choice for a powerful yet cost-effective streaming plan that includes all the channels you need to watch baseball in 2026. You can even try it for free for 5 days. Every DirecTV subscriber, regardless of tier, has access to unlimited cloud DVR.
While Sling doesn’t currently offer a free trial, since the MLB season obviously lasts longer than a standard trial, it ends up being a solid option for watching many games during the season regardless.
For $76 per month, you’ll get the 60-plus channels included with Sling Orange and Blue, and with the Sports Extra add-on, you’ll get more than a dozen sports channels, including MLB Network, where you can watch spring training in 2026.
