Ah, the sweet relief of late March: the weather is getting warmer, flowers are starting to bloom, but, most importantly - and those reading this I'm sure will agree - late March signifies but one momentous occasion: Opening Day.
Come this time on Thursday, the crowds at Citizens Bank Park will begin to gather as the sweet relief of freshly cut outfield grass, afternoon baseball, and another year with anxiety in the pit of their stomachs begins. The Philadelphia Phillies will try to do what they've sought to do since 2022 (and 2008...), which is bring the World Series trophy back to the South Philadelphia Sports Complex.
While not every fan will be able to attend all 162 games of this Phillies season live from the belly of the beast, also known as Bull's BBQ out in left field, many fans, this New York transplant included, will have to scour any and all channels and streaming services to ensure we never miss a pitch. Let's break down every which way you'll be able to see each Phillies at-bat this season as they attempt to clinch their third consecutive National League East division title.
How to watch the Phillies on cable in 2026
The luckiest few reading this will be those living in the greater Philadelphia area, the same crew who hopefully have access to NBC Sports Philadelphia's channel to watch all in-market games. While this is the easiest option, especially for those from the area, it still won't let you access all 162 games, but you will get just about every home game that isn't a national broadcast, as well as a good chunk of away games. In addition to the channel itself, fans can take the NBC Sports app on the go and stream all games there or in the MyTeams app.
Fans interested in the newer "MyTeams" app can also access Phillies Pregame Live and Postgame Live, plus receive additional Phillies coverage from the NBC Sports Philadelphia team that goes beyond the basic clips and articles found on the NBC Sports Philadelphia website.
How to watch the Phillies without cable in 2026
With prices for just about everything being astronomically high, any service needed to catch the Phillies is no exception. For people in-market (in the Philadelphia area), there are a few decent options for you to catch a game. You will still need access to NBC Sports Philadelphia, but several streaming alternatives will still give you access to the channel:
- Hulu + Live TV: They offer NBC Sports Philadelphia and national channels for $89.99-$99.99/month
- FuboTV ($84.99/month) and YouTube TV ($82.99/month) are alternative streaming services that allow you to add the NBC Sports Philadelphia channel
- Peacock: Of course, owned by NBC itself, Peacock should allow you not only to access the games from the NBC Sports Philadelphia, but will also ensure you can catch the new "MLB Sunday Leadoff" games only streaming on the service for the 2026 season
For those who have moved away from the Philadelphia/South Jersey area, I feel your pain, and regret to inform you that the best option for us out-of-market viewers is still MLB TV. Other than if the Phillies are playing a team in your area, or are on a national broadcast, you will be able to catch a game through MLB.TV. However, be wary that as of this year, MLB's partnership with ESPN has added an ESPN+ subscription to this feature.
MLB.TV allows fans to catch every out-of-market game live or on demand, plus stream MLB Network, MLB Big Inning, MiLB games, and audio for all MLB teams. Another move this offseason was a partnership with NBC Sports Philadelphia that created Phillies.TV, which allows fans both in-market and out to stream games in the Phillies' home television territory.
How to watch the Phillies out-of-market games in 2026
All fans are going to suffer from having a few out-of-market games, as the Phillies are set to play 17 games on national television this year. If you look at the broadcast schedule, you'll see that almost all will be found on NBC Sports Philadelphia, with a good select few also airing on Peacock for us streamers.
There are six different streaming services fans will need to ensure they don't miss a game, but if the resounding dread of too many streaming commitments or apps is a concern, the breakdown below can help you decide which games are vital to your 2026 season viewing:
*While there's just one game listed on Netflix, it will be a great one. The Phillies will meet the Minnesota Twins in Dyersville, Iowa, to come out of the cornfields and play at 7:00 pm on August 13, 2026, for MLB's Field of Dreams game.
In this age of mass digital media, you'd think that it would be easier to find and keep tabs on the Phillies, assuming there could even be one place to stream all of these games, and more (looking at you MLB.TV). Alas, the art of taking an average person for every dollar they have has become the norm in this country of ours. Even with Apple TV+ and Peacock bundling, in which you could subscribe to both services through an Apple TV+ subscription, you're still looking at at least 10 games that won't be accessible unless you're already linked to the other services mentioned.
In any rate, the Phillies will be casting out the first pitch at 4:15 pm in the Mecca that is Citizens Bank Park on Thursday, as they host the Texas Rangers for a three-game set before welcoming the Washington Nationals into town to ring in the month of April.