If you are a sports fan on a budget, there is no perfect option when it comes to watching all the live sports you want on TV. Here's a breakdown of four options, with the pluses and minuses for each:
Cable/satellite subscription:
What you get: With a mid-to-upper-level package, you get access to hundreds of channels and tons of sports programming, including pretty much every game a local team plays.
Advantages: It's simple and usually reliable. You pay for it and you know you can watch what you want.
Disadvantages: Often requires a multiyear contract, and rates tend to jump after introductory offers. You end up paying for a lot of channels you don't watch.
Cost: Introductory rates are usually enticing, particularly when bundled with high-speed Internet or other services. Long-term, though, your bill for cable/satelitte plus Internet can easily reach $150/month or more.
Internet and heavy streaming:
What you get: Many leagues offer season-long packages of games streamed through devices like a Roku or Apple TV ($60-$80 one-time purchase, roughly) and onto your television. The NHL package, for instance, is $100 a year; MLB's package is $130 per year. In this case, you're getting access to more games in a specific sport than if you had cable or satellite.
