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An illustration of a man sitting cross-legged with a computer in his lap. Floating above his head are logos of different (fake) streaming services, he's trying to decide which one to use to watch sports
Illustration: Elana Emer
All Sports

Sports streaming services for students on a budget

By Joseph Casciaro

Here at The Eyeopener, we know how hard it is for everyone to keep up with all the sports happening in the world while balancing your busy university course load.

This list has you covered with all the best sports streaming services available for you to watch live or catch up on as you’re perfecting your grade point average. Now, you’ll have enough time to start your long-distance relationship with Kawhi Leonard by streaming his games in Los Angeles.

Reddit

Okay don’t worry, we’re starting with one for us broke students trying to keep up with sports. 

We got all of you with that illegal hookup over on Reddit, but you gotta promise to keep this lowkey. 

Reddit is as simple as searching the game you are looking for. Typically the first link is your best bet, but try out a few and you’re bound to find one that’s worth bookmarking.  But careful—several links will pop up, so make sure you quickly exit out to avoid any viruses.

This is for all the Toronto mans who are short on the coins but still want to watch the Raptors raise their championship banner on opening night. 

Hulu

Quickly becoming one of the best streaming services out there, Hulu is home to almost every sporting event imaginable. 

With over 60 live and on-demand channels for sports, including ESPN, FS1 and ABC, Hulu allows users to personalize their own experience. Users can input their favourite teams, sports and leagues with a click of a button. 

The other benefit of Hulu is that games can be watched on the go from your phone, so all you Toronto Maple Leafs fans can watch your team lose Game 7 to the Boston Bruins wherever you like. 

A membership includes live TV and on-demand, which costs you $44.99 per month. Worth it? Your call. 

ESPN+

ESPN+ is another great way to stream all the major sports you could think of. 

With options to stream live games from the MLB, the Italian Serie A and the NHL, you will never miss a thing. 

ESPN+ also includes UFC fight nights, top rank boxing cards and all major tennis tournaments, which most streaming services don’t offer. 

ESPN+ does have its downsides though. It doesn’t include NFL or NBA content, and you’ll also need a VPN to watch it here in Canada (damn geo-locking). But it’s one of the cheapest memberships, costing only $4.99 per month. For all those on a happy meal salary from McDonald’s, you can enjoy sports too.

YouTube TV

Relatively new to the streaming world, YouTube TV released in April 2019. At your disposal are all professional, major and international sports, from soccer to martial arts. 

Members also get access to exclusive live regional and local sporting event broadcasts while cable-free live TV is also included with over 60 top networks. 

The digital video recorder is also a part of the account that comes with unlimited storage. A membership for YouTube TV will cost you a bit higher than Hulu at $49.99 a month, and you might also have to sit through a 30-second ad before the game begins. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

NBA League Pass

The perfect purchase for every NBA superfan out there, this streaming service provides you with access to the entire NBA season.

There are three different membership options, one that goes for $89.99, where you can stream 82 games for one specific team of your choosing. 

Another option includes $26.99 a month, where you can select three games to watch per month. And for the rich kids, $139.99 a month that features access to every single game for the entire season. 

If you’re not balling from the Forest Hill area in Toronto, hit up a couple of your friends who love basketball as much as you and split the prices. 

You could even start a group chat and keep each other updated on what games they must stop studying to tune into.  

Each membership can be watched from a television or a mobile device. This means all you New York Knicks fans can be anywhere imaginable watching your team lose every single game.

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