How to Watch the MLB 2018 World Series Online – Pick the Best Platform
Baseball is easily one of the world's favorite sports, so if you're wondering how you'll be able to watch the World Series, we have you covered. Regular cable networks almost certainly feature the channels that broadcast the event, but we're more interested in those online platforms since cord-cutting is such a popular trend nowadays.
When Does the World Series Start?
Well, the World Series is part of the larger current 2018 MLB Season, which we already covered back in spring. Since then, however, some things have changed among over-the-top (OTT) platforms, so we're going to make sure to give you the freshest news. Since the World Series kicks off on October 23, 2018, this is just the perfect time to get updated.
The Regular Season kicked off back in March and ended in September, and the Postseason wrapped up on October 22, 2018. So, now that the World Series kicks off on the 23rd, we're preparing for some heated games until October 31, 2018.
Who's Playing the World Series?
You're likely to already know this, but we need to cover this side of the World Series too. So, this year, the World Series is played between the Boston Red Sox, the American League Champion, and the Los Angeles Dodgers, the National League winner.
This is the second time the Dodgers and the Red Sox have played against each other in the World Series, the last time happening 102 years ago.
The games are kicking off on October 23 and they might last until October 31, depending on the scores and who wins the first games.
What Channels Can You Watch the World Series On?
Well, the thing about baseball is that with any other regular games you'd be able to watch on a multitude of channels, but with the World Series, you've only got Fox because they have exclusive rights, or MLB International, the division's network.
The broadcast of the pre-game event starts at 7:30 PM EST, while the game starts half an hour later. Subsequent games are also scheduled for 8 PM EST.
What Streaming Services Can You Watch the World Series On?
Thankfully, Fox Sports is a channel that is carried by numerous OTT platforms. The MLB International channel is less popular since it's so targeted, but it should do for what we need. So, let's find out how you can watch the world series online.
1. fuboTV
First off, we have fuboTV which is a great platform for sports lovers since it comes with so many dedicated channels, plus loads of extra channels you can add.
The platform features four starter bundles - fubo, fubo Extra, fubo Latino, and fubo Portugues. FOX is present in fubo ($44.99 per month, $39.99 for the first month) and fubo Extra ($49.99 per month, $44.99 for the first month), so you have a bit of wiggle room to pick the best one for you if you haven't done that yet.
You can also enjoy the content over on FOX Deportes, and that's a channel that's available in even more bundles - fubo, fubo Extra, and fubo Latino ($17.99 per month). So go ahead and sign up for fuboTV after picking your favorite bundle. Also, if you're going to miss any of the games, you can DVR them on fuboTV. The platform features 30 hours of storage space, but you can expand to 500 hours.
Check out our fuboTV review to figure out if this is the right platform for you.
2. Sling TV
Another awesome platform is Sling TV, which gives users the chance to pick one of three bundles in the beginning - Orange, Blue, and Orange + Blue. You can find FOX and FOX Deportes in the Blue ($25 per month) and Orange + Blue ($40 per month) bundles, so you have a little room to pick a bundle that fits your budget.
There is also a Sports Extra channel pack that costs $5 for Orange subscribers and $10 for Blue and Orange + Blue customers, but the MLB International channel is missing from the list. At the very least, you can enjoy channels like Motorsport.tv, Olympic Channel, beIN Sports, Stadium, and so on. We're sure you'll find loads of stuff to add when you customize the subscription once you sign up for Sling TV. If you'll miss any of the games for any reason, you can DVR the content on Sling TV, as you can get 50 hours storage space via the Cloud DVR feature for $5 per month.
Read our Sling TV review to make sure you have all the details before making a decision.
3. YouTube TV
YouTube TV is actually the sponsor of the 2018 World Series, so it's only natural that you're also going to see the games here. YouTube TV is home to a single bundle of channels and it costs $40 per month to get it. The list of channels includes FOX, but also FOX Deportes and MLB International. That means you've got quite a lot of room to pick which channel you want to watch on. Signing up for YouTube TV is a very easy experience and you won't have any issues from one end to the next. You can also record the games if you're going to miss them, as you have unlimited space on YouTube TV.
Make sure to check out our YouTube TV review to get all the info on this platform.
4. Hulu
Next up we have Hulu, which is a great platform from start to finish. The live TV feature is actually an additional plan you can get, so there's only one pack of channels you can pick here. The best part about it is that FOX is included on the list of channels, so you'll be able to watch your World Series games whenever you want. Plus, you'll get access to the full video-on-demand library while you sign up for the $39.99 per month bundle. Hulu offers some DVR space too if you don't want to miss any of the games, namely 50 hours. You can add the Enhanced Cloud DVR feature to upgrade to 200 hours.
Give our Hulu review a read before picking a platform.
5. DirecTV Now
Our next platform, DirecTV Now, features the most bundles we've seen in an over-the-top platform, namely five of them. These are Live a Little ($40 per month), Just Right ($55 per month), Go Big ($65 per month), Gotta Have It ($75 per month), and Todo y Mas ($45 per month).
FOX is present in all five bundles, so you have loads of freedom to choose. FOX Deportes, however, is only present in the Todo y Mas bundle. On the other hand, you can get any of the two extra bundles featuring Spanish-language channels - DirecTV Now Deportes ($5 per month) or DirecTV Now Espanol ($10 per month) and get it through there if you want one of the first four bundles.
MLB International is also present on the list of channels broadcast by DirecTV Now, making an appearance in the Just Right, Go Big, or Gotta Have It bundles. So, when you sign up for DirecTV Now, you have lots of room to pick. If you know you're going to miss out on any of the games, DirecTV Now offers 20 hours of DVR space.
Also, make sure to read our DirecTV Now review to make sure you have all the details.
6. PlayStation Vue
Finally, we have PlayStation Vue, which is a great platform. There are four bundles you can pick from here - Access ($44.99 per month), Core ($49.99 per month), Elite ($59.99 per month), and Ultra ($79.99 per month). All four bundles feature FOX. If you want FOX Deportes, you can get that in the Elite and Ultra bundles, as well as via the Espanol Pack ($4.99 per month, $3.99 per month for PlayStation Plus members).
Additionally, if you want access to MLB International, you can get that via the Core, Elite, and Ultra bundles. So, in the end, when you sign up for PlayStation Vue, it just depends on what channels you want and how much you're willing to pay. PlayStation Vue also offers some DVR space if you're going to miss any of the games, namely 500 programs.
Give our PlayStation review a read-through before picking out the perfect platform for you and your family.
Other ways
You can also watch the games by getting MLB.TV Postseason access for $24.99. Of course, since this is the World Series, you kind of missed out on a month of content. You will get, however, access to the 2019 Spring Training games for free. What you'll need to create an account is the credentials provided by a cable provider - Arvig, AT&T/DirecTV, Buckeye, Charter Spectrum, Cox, DirecTV Now, Dish, Frontier Communications, Optimum, Suddenlink, Verizon FiOS, or Wow.
The platform works on Xbox One, PS4, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Panasonic, Samsung and LG smart TVs, Sony Blu-Ray, TiVO, Android TV, and Chromecast.
Final Thoughts
The World Series is knocking on our door and we should just prepare to welcome it with open arms. So, ahead of Tuesday's game, make sure you pick the right platform for you.
We'd love to hear which platform you picked in the comments section below, and please share the article online if possible. Come chat with TechNadu on Facebook and Twitter.