Check Today's Cubs Schedule and Start Time

Before you set up a stream, confirm the Cubs are playing today and check the exact start time. Games shift for weather postponements, doubleheaders, and nationally televised rescheduling throughout the season.

1. Visit the official Cubs schedule at mlb.com/cubs/schedule. The page highlights today's game at the top when one is scheduled, and lists the broadcast channel next to each matchup.
2. Open the MLB app — free on iOS and Android. Tap Scores, then filter by team. You'll see today's matchup, first pitch time, and the broadcast channel in one view.
3. Note the time zone. Home games at Wrigley Field usually start at 1:20 PM or 7:05 PM Central Time. Away games follow the host city's schedule, so confirm the time in your local zone before making plans.
4. Check for postponements. Cubs games at Wrigley are sometimes delayed by Chicago weather in April and May. If the schedule shows a postponement, the MLB app will list the rescheduled makeup date.

Taking 30 seconds to confirm the schedule prevents the frustration of firing up a streaming service only to find no game is scheduled for today.

Watch on Cable or Satellite: Marquee, ESPN, and More

If you have a cable or satellite subscription, finding the Cubs is usually straightforward. These are the main channels to check, in order of how often Cubs games appear on each:

• Marquee Sports Network — the Cubs' exclusive regional home since 2020, carrying the large majority of regular-season games. Check your provider's channel guide for the exact number, which varies by market and package tier.
• ESPN and ESPN2 — nationally televised games on Monday nights and select weekend slots. These are blacked out on MLB.TV for all viewers regardless of location, so cable is the right choice here.
• Apple TV+ — Friday Night Baseball games are streamed on Apple TV+. Subscribers pay $9.99/month; some marquee Friday matchups are free to all viewers with no subscription required.
• Peacock — NBC's streaming service ($7.99/month or $79.99/year) carries select Sunday Leadoff games each week during the MLB season.
• TBS — Wild Card round and select playoff games in October air on TBS with standard cable or satellite access.

To find Marquee's channel number on your cable system, use your provider's online channel finder (Comcast Xfinity, DIRECTV, Dish) or press Guide on your remote and search for Marquee.

Best Streaming Bundles for Cord-Cutters

If you've cancelled cable, a live TV streaming bundle is the most reliable way to watch Cubs games without interruption. All of the following carry Marquee Sports Network in the Chicago market and most surrounding areas:

• YouTube TV ($72.99/month) — includes Marquee in the Chicago DMA, ESPN, FS1, unlimited DVR cloud storage, and up to six concurrent streams. Works on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, web browsers, and mobile. Free trial available for new subscribers.
• FuboTV ($79.99/month) — sports-focused bundle with Marquee, ESPN, FS1, and MLB Network. Includes 1,000 hours of cloud DVR. The Pro plan covers the full Cubs broadcast schedule in the Chicago market.
• DirecTV Stream — the Choice plan (around $84.99/month) includes regional sports networks including Marquee in supported markets. Confirm your zip code at directv.com/stream before subscribing, as RSN availability varies.
• Hulu + Live TV ($82.99/month) — bundles Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ with live TV channels. Marquee is available in the Chicago market. Verify your address before subscribing since channel lineups vary.

All four services work on smart TVs, streaming sticks, phones, and tablets — you do not need a cable box or satellite dish. Month-to-month contracts mean you can cancel at any time.

How to Use MLB.TV for Out-of-Market Games

MLB.TV is Major League Baseball's official streaming service. A single-team subscription (Cubs only) costs $29.99 for the full season; the All Teams pass is $149.99/season. It is the right tool only if you live outside the Cubs' blackout zone.

1. Create an account at mlb.com/tv or through the MLB app on Roku, Fire TV, or Apple TV. A credit card is required to subscribe.
2. Confirm your blackout status. MLB.TV automatically detects your location. If you live in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, or parts of Missouri and Michigan, you will see a blackout notice on every Cubs game. This is a league-wide policy — a VPN that misrepresents your location violates MLB's terms of service.
3. Select today's game. In the app, tap the Cubs logo or navigate to the Scores section and find today's matchup. Tap the game tile to open the stream.
4. Choose your broadcast feed. MLB.TV offers home (Marquee announcers) and away (opponent's local crew) audio options. Select Home for the Cubs broadcast team.
5. Use Start Over. If you join the game late, tap Start Over in the in-game controls to watch from the first pitch. This feature is available on live games as long as the game is still in progress.

MLB.TV also includes condensed game replays posted about 90 minutes after the final out — useful for catching up quickly on a full game you missed.

Free Trials and Low-Cost Ways to Watch One Game

You don't need a full-season subscription to catch a single Cubs game. These options minimize cost for casual viewers:

• YouTube TV free trial — new subscribers get a trial period (check current availability at tv.youtube.com since promotional lengths change). Full access to Marquee and all other channels during the trial.
• FuboTV free trial — 7-day trial for new subscribers. Cancel before day 7 to avoid the first monthly charge. Works on any streaming device.
• DirecTV Stream free trial — 5-day trial with full channel access including Marquee in supported markets. Requires a credit card but no annual contract.
• Apple TV+ Friday Night Baseball — select Friday matchups, sometimes including Cubs games, are designated as free to all viewers with no subscription required. Check the Apple TV app or mlb.com/live-stream-games on game day to see if today qualifies.
• MLB Free Game of the Day — MLB occasionally designates one game per day as free to all viewers during the regular season. Check mlb.com on game day; the free game is listed at the top of the scores section.

The free trial route works best when you set a calendar reminder to cancel before the billing date. All four major streaming services allow cancellation through the app or website — no phone call required.

Radio and Audio Alternatives When You Can't Stream

When video streaming isn't practical — you're driving, in a dead zone, or on a slow connection — audio options keep you in the game without a data-heavy stream:

• 670 AM The Score (WSCR) — Chicago's flagship Cubs radio station. Stream it free at 670thescore.com or through the iHeartRadio app (search for "670 The Score"). Available nationwide via the app with no account required.
• MLB Audio — included with any MLB.TV subscription, or available separately at $29.99/year. Audio of every game with home and away broadcast options. Crucially, there are no geographic audio blackouts — Chicago-area fans can hear Cubs games on MLB Audio even when video is blacked out.
• SiriusXM — MLB Network Radio (channel 89) carries select Cubs games during the season. A standard SiriusXM subscription includes this channel on the app and in-car satellite radio.
• ESPN App — if today's Cubs game is an ESPN broadcast, the ESPN app streams it live on mobile with a cable login or a live TV streaming service authentication (YouTube TV, FuboTV, etc.).

The radio stream on 670 AM is a reliable fallback that works even on 3G connections where video buffering would be frustrating. The Cubs radio broadcast team provides full play-by-play with the same depth as the TV broadcast.

Understanding MLB Blackout Restrictions

Blackouts are the most confusing part of streaming Cubs games. Here is how they work in plain terms so you know what to expect before signing up for any service:

• Local MLB.TV blackouts — if you live in the Cubs' home TV territory (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, and parts of Missouri and Michigan), every Cubs game is blacked out on MLB.TV. This is a league-wide licensing rule, not a technical glitch. Moving your location in a VPN violates MLB's terms of service and can result in account suspension.
• National game blackouts on MLB.TV — games broadcast on ESPN, Fox, FS1, or TBS are blacked out on MLB.TV for all viewers across the country, not just local markets. You must watch those games on the originating national channel through cable or a streaming bundle.
• Apple TV+ and Peacock — these exclusive games are also blacked out on MLB.TV, but available to anyone with the respective subscription. There is no geographic restriction for Apple TV+ or Peacock game access.
• How to check quickly — in the MLB app, open today's game page. If you see a lock icon labeled Blacked Out, your location is in a blackout zone for that broadcast. The app will usually suggest the channel where the game is available instead.

The practical solution for fans in Illinois and neighboring states is a live TV streaming bundle (YouTube TV, FuboTV, DirecTV Stream) that carries Marquee Sports Network directly. These services license the channel from the broadcaster and are completely separate from MLB.TV's blackout system — there is no blackout when you watch Marquee directly through a streaming bundle.