How to watch MLB Wildcard series 2025: live stream games from anywhere

Brett Harris #11 of the Athletics safely steals second base against Trevor Story #10 of the Boston Red Sox in the fourth inning at Fenway Park on September 17, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts.

(Image credit: Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images)

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The MLB Wildcard Series is treating us to a triple-header of Game 3 deciders today, with only the defending champion Dodgers managing to advance to the Division Series in two. The winner of the opening leg has gone 18-2 in previous best-of-three Wild Card Series, which is a good omen for the Tigers, Cubs and Red Sox.

You can watch MLB Wildcard Series 2025 from anywhere with a VPN and potentially for free.

MLB Wildcard Series 2025 live streams: TV schedule, dates

The 2025 MLB Wildcard Series concludes today (Thursday, October 2). Full schedule below.
• U.S. — ABC, ESPN, FOX, FS1, TBS, TNT and TruTV via Sling TV
• Watch anywhere — Try NordVPN 100% risk free

AL Central foes Detroit and Cleveland share a perfect 1,167-1,167 record with 12 ties, but the Guardians have home advantage and a potential psychological edge. Stephen Vogt's men went 8-5 against the Tigers during the regular season, and came from behind to win their Division Series encounter last year. As they were down the stretch, however, Detroit were their own worst enemy in Game 2, squandering run after run. The winning team will face the Seattle Mariners next.

We expected things to be tight between San Diego and Chicago, after they went 3-3 in the regular season, and so they've proven. The series has, however, made Mason Miller a star. The winning team will face the Milwaukee Brewers, the No.1 seed in the National League, next.

AL East rivals the Red Sox and Yankees have handed the keys to youngsters Connelly Early and Cam Schlittler. New York finished the regular season with a flourish, winning eight straight games, but that came to an end in the opener. Boston have now gone 10-5 against the Evil Empire this season, a record that includes six wins at Yankee Stadium. The winning team will face the AL East champion Toronto Blue Jays, the No. 1 seed in the Atlantic League, next.

Check out all of the TV and streaming details below to find out how to watch MLB Wildcard Series 2025 from anywhere, including free options. Scroll down for the full schedule.

Watch MLB Wildcard Series from anywhere

Away from home at the moment and blocked from watching the baseball on your usual subscription?

You can still watch MLB Wildcard Series live thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The software allows your devices to appear to be back in your home country regardless of where in the world you are, making it ideal for viewers away on vacation or on business. Our favorite is NordVPN — we explain why in our NordVPN review.

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How to watch MLB Wildcard Series live streams in the U.S.

The MLB Wildcard Series games are split between ESPN and ABC, with live streaming available via ESPN Unlimited.

However, with postseason games also being televised on FOX, FS1, TBS, TNT and TruTV, the most cost-efficient way of watching the MLB Playoffs as a whole is via one of the best cable TV alternatives.

Sling will give you the most bang for your buck. Sling Blue includes FS1, TBS, TNT and TruTV, plus local network affiliates from ABC, FOX and NBC (availability varies by market). Sling Orange carries ESPN, TBS and TNT. Both plans start at $46/month, but you can combine them for $61/month and get 50% off your first month.

YouTube TV, Hulu With Live TV, and the DirecTV Stream MySports Genre Pack will also get you comprehensive postseason coverage, while Fubo carries ABC, ESPN, FOX and FS1 on its Sports + News plan.

FOX simulcasts its coverage on FOX One, which costs $19.99/month or $199.99/year after a 7-day FREE trial.

ESPN simulcasts its coverage on ESPN Unlimited, which carries ESPN Select and all ESPN channels, and costs $29.99/month or $299.99/year, but for a limited time you can bundle it with Disney Plus and Hulu for $29.99/month for 12 months.

TBS, TNT and TruTV simulcast their games on Max, which starts at $16.99/month for a plan that includes live sports.

How to watch MLB Wildcard Series live streams in the U.K.

British flag — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Select MLB games are being shown free-of-charge on BBC iPlayer in the U.K.. It showed Game 2 of both the Tigers vs Guardians and Padres vs Cubs series, for instance, and will provide free coverage of another double-header this weekend.

At the time of publication, however, the BBC is yet to reveal its Game 3 plans.

Comprehensive MLB postseason coverage is, meanwhile, being provided by TNT Sports, across multiple channels.

You can stream TNT Sports live online by subscribing to the Discovery Plus Premium plan for £30.99/month, or you can add TNT Sports through Sky, BT, EE or Virgin Media to watch via your television provider.

If you're on holiday outside the U.K., you can still tap into your free MLB stream by using one of the best VPN services, such as NordVPN.

How to watch MLB Wildcard Series live streams in Canada

Canadian flag — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

In Canada, MLB coverage is exclusive to Sportsnet.

You can stream MLB Wildcard Series games live on Sportsnet Plus, which starts at CA$29.99/month. Both Standard and Premium plans let you watch MLB.

If you live in Canada but aren't at home right now, you can still watch MLB live streams by using a quality VPN like NordVPN to unlock your usual service.

How to watch MLB Wildcard Series live streams in Australia

Australia flag — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Aussies will find MLB Wildcard Series live streams on ESPN via Foxtel.

Don't have Foxtel and don't want to subscribe? The games will also be shown on Kayo Sports, with its affordable, commitment-free plans starting from just AU$30/month, and hosting plenty of NFL, cricket, AFL, rugby, F1 and loads of other live sports besides.

Anybody who hasn't used the service before can choose between a 7-day FREE trial and 1 month for AU$1.

Not in Australia right now? You can simply use a VPN like NordVPN to watch all the action on your account as if you were back home.

MLB Wildcard Series schedule 2025

Tuesday, September 30
1:08 p.m. — Tigers 2-1 Guardians Game 1 (ESPN, ESPN Unlimited)
3:08 p.m. — Padres 1-3 Cubs Game 1 (ABC, ESPN3, ESPN Unlimited)
6:08 p.m. — Red Sox 3-1 Yankees Game 1 (ESPN, ESPN Unlimited)
9:08 p.m. — Reds 5-10 Dodgers Game 1 (ESPN, ESPN Unlimited)

Wednesday, October 1
1:08 p.m. — Tigers 1-6 Guardians Game 2 (ESPN, ESPN Unlimited)
3:08 p.m. — Padres 3-0 Cubs Game 2 (ABC, ESPN Unlimited)
6:08 p.m. — Red Sox 3-4 Yankees Game 2 (ESPN, ESPN Unlimited)
9:08 p.m. — Reds 4-8 Dodgers Game 2 (ESPN, ESPN Unlimited)

Thursday, October 2
3 p.m. — Tigers vs Guardians Game 3 (ABC, ESPN Unlimited)
5 p.m. — Padres vs Cubs Game 3 (ESPN, ESPN Unlimited)
8 p.m. — Red Sox vs Yankees Game 3 (ESPN, ESPN Unlimited)

(All times ET)

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Aatif is a freelance journalist and copywriter based in the UK. He’s written about technology, sport and politics for a wide range of publications including TechRadar, What Hi-Fi?, The Independent, Trusted Reviews, and Newsweek. These days, he focuses mainly on streaming at Future, an arrangement that combines two of his greatest passions: live TV and penny-pinching. When he's not attending a top-flight English soccer match, you can find him perfecting his table tennis skills.

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