How to Watch Live Sports on Hulu (Step-by-Step Guide)

Do You Need Hulu + Live TV to Watch Live Sports?

When regular Hulu is enough

Regular Hulu might be enough if you aren't following sports tournaments as they air. The standard Hulu plan gives you some on-demand sports content, highlights, replays, and sports shows.

You can also get more live and replayed events using ESPN Select/Unlimited plans in Disney bundles. These streams play in the ESPN and Disney+ environment, which isn't fully integrated with Hulu sports options yet.

When Hulu + Live TV is required

The Hulu Live TV plan is required to watch all live broadcasts on Hulu, including major sports leagues such as the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and major soccer leagues. Channels such as ESPN, FOX, CBS, NBC, and regional sports networks are available on these streams.

Unfortunately, streaming services are subject to the same local rights limitations and blackout system used by cable TV. So, what you can watch on Hulu TV depends on your ZIP code, local stations, and who owns the rights in your region.

What You Need Before You Start

If you don't already have one, you need a Hulu + Live TV subscription. There are two main plans currently.

• Hulu (with ads) + Live TV for $89.99 per month. It includes 95+ live channels, Hulu (with ads), Disney+ (with ads or limited ads), and ESPN Select live sports access.
• Hulu (no ads) + Live TV $99.99 per month. Includes the same live channels and ESPN Select, but Hulu’s on‑demand library and Disney+ are ad‑free.

For a complete sports experience, you'll need the Sports Add-on that includes niche sports networks. Currently, it adds $9.99 per month to your existing subscriptions. Prices vary during promotions, such as Black Friday, and deals are based on the length of your subscription.

It's recommended to check whether your favorite sports leagues are available on Hulu in your ZIP code before subscribing. In some cases, the blackout rules for streaming services might not allow you to watch from your location.

How to Watch a Live Game on Hulu

The exact steps might vary based on your device brand. Model and operating system used. The instructions below are generalized for the most common TVs and smartphones.

On a TV or streaming device

1. Turn on your smart TV or streaming device and open the Hulu app.
2. Sign in to a profile that has Hulu + Live TV enabled.
3. Go to the Live Tab (or other icon, such as a lightning bolt, depending on the device).
4. Open the Live Guide (usually by pressing down on the remote)
5. Scroll through the guide and find the game you want.
6. Press OK/Select, and the game will start to play.

On mobile (phone or tablet)

1. Install and open the Hulu app on your device.
2. Sign in to your Hulu + Live TV account.
3. On the home screen, tap the Live Tab (or other icon, such as a lightning bolt, depending on the device).
4. Open the Live Guide (usually by rotating the device to enter landscape mode).
5. Scroll through the guide and find the game you want.
6. Select the game, and it will start to play.

Find the Right Channel Quickly

The fastest way to find the right game is to know which sports and sports leagues are broadcast on which channels. Then, simply find that channel in the Hulu Live Guide.

Major sports networks

• ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC show a mix of NFL, NBA, college football, and basketball.
• FOX and FS1 provide viewers with many NFL games, MLB, college football, and top soccer leagues.
• CBS and CBS Sports Network carry the NFL and college football.
• NBC and USA Network show Sunday Night Football, Premier League, NHL, and other national broadcasts.

College sports networks

College sports networks, such as Big Ten Network, SEC Network, and ACC Network, focus on their conference’s football and basketball as well as some Olympic sports. They complement the big major sports networks, but some more niche sports might still be missing.

Extra coverage

The Sports add-on, which currently adds $9.99 extra to your subscription, helps to watch NFL RedZone and several other niche channels on top of what Hulu sports channels are available already.

Local Sports, Blackouts & Location Rules Explained

Most streaming services lack TV and, especially, sports streaming in large part due to legal issues. Hulu enforces leagues' location-based TV rights via ZIP code restrictions, since cable TV rights are sold on designated markets using postal areas.

Hulu Live TV makes you set up a Home network within 30 days. During that time, your home address is tied to a street-level location and ZIP code, which determines what local live feeds are available. Due to legal agreements, Hulu cannot show more channels than your ZIP code allows.

The reason why most games are unavailable, even when they appear in the Live Guide, is usually due to regional blackouts. Pro leagues sell separate local and national rights. If a regional sports network or local station has exclusive rights in your area, Hulu is required to block that game on national channels.

Since Hulu can work on portable devices as well, you might want to access sports you pay for remotely. IP address restrictions are then used, but they can be bypassed with a VPN. Note that this is against Hulu’s terms and conditions, and the streaming service is quite strict on blocking VPNs.

Using CometVPNs' dedicated residential IP VPN is your best bet. Residential VPNs are less likely to be on datacenter IP blocklists, and having dedicated access will give you a consistent IP address in your home location. You’ll also need to ensure there are no DNS leaks, and if you’re using a phone, location data is turned off.

Troubleshooting: Why You Can’t Watch a Live Game

• Missing channels is the most common issue that's caused by lineup variations according to your ZIP code. Enter your ZIP code on the Hulu support page to check what channels are available.
• The game is shown in the Live Guide tab, but the issue is caused by a temporary blackout or location issues. A regional network or local station holds exclusive in‑market rights, so Hulu must block the national feed in your area.
• TV broadcasts not working usually means that your device or its operating system is not fully supporting live broadcasts. Consider updating the app or changing the devices.
• If you can’t watch while away from home, you're likely encountering home network rules. Hulu registers and enforces your home network rules based on your ZIP code and IP address. The latter can be changed while traveling with a quality VPN service, such as CometVPN.