Every night someone asks the same question: what channel is the game on? In 2026 the answer depends on three things: the league, whether the game was picked for national TV, and where you live.
1. Check whether it's a national game
National games air on the same channel everywhere: ESPN/ABC, NBC/Peacock, Prime Video, TNT/truTV, FOX/FS1, CBS. Our tonight page lists each game's national channel first.
2. If it isn't national, it's local
Most NBA, NHL and MLB regular-season games are local broadcasts. They air on a regional sports network, a local over-the-air station, or the team's own streaming app, and only inside the team's home territory. Each team page (for example the Cavaliers or the Bruins) shows the local broadcaster listed for every game.
For the NFL, Sunday afternoon games are on your local CBS or FOX station. Which game you get depends on your market.
3. Out of market? Use the league package
| League | Out-of-market option |
|---|---|
| NFL | NFL Sunday Ticket (Sunday afternoon games) |
| NBA | NBA League Pass |
| NHL | ESPN+ (US) |
| MLB | MLB.TV |
All of these black out games that are local to you.
4. Watching without cable
Live TV streaming services carry most national channels and some regional networks. YouTube TV, Fubo, Sling TV, DIRECTV Stream and Hulu + Live TV all offer local channels or sports networks, but lineups differ by ZIP code. For free local CBS, FOX, NBC and ABC games, an antenna is the cheapest option.
We only list legal, licensed ways to watch.