For some, the best way to watch sports in Canada is to head down to your local sports pub for a brew and a good time.
But there are some nights when you just want to watch live sports from your couch – without the high price tag of a cable subscription.
According to recent studies, 77% of Canadians follow professional sports. One-third of Canadians watch sports every single day.
But cable subscription prices have never been higher, meaning it’s become more attractive to find free live-streaming websites.
This guide will cover 20 of the best live sports streaming websites. And the best part is, none of them will cost you a dime.
Get ready to sit back, relax, and open up a bag of chips – all of the matches you want to watch are available to you for free online.
Best Free Live Sports Streaming Sites in Canada
1. ESPN
One of North America’s top sources for sports, ESPN has a free website where you can watch many of your favourite sports live. They also have a large selection of clips and highlights videos, and you’ll be able to check live scores for many sports.
What you can watch: Football, basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer, boxing, and more
How to watch: Visit ESPN’s free website to explore their offerings
Pros:
- Professional-quality HD video
- Limited disruptive ads
Cons:
- Some matches require ESPN+ subscription
- More scores and highlights than full-matches
2. Facebook Watch
A hub on Facebook that’s focused on video content, Facebook Watch is a great place to find clips and highlights of recent games. Occasionally, you’ll be able to find a full-length match on Facebook Watch, but it does take some looking.
What you can watch: Baseball, hockey, basketball, Olympics, football, soccer, and more
How to watch: Log in to Facebook and check out the Facebook Watch hub
Pros:
- Many sports available
- Free with a Facebook account
Cons:
- Limited full-length matches
- Better for clips and highlights
3. SportRAR.TV
SportRAR is a streaming service that’s supported by ads. It doesn’t host live content, but it’s one of the few sites that allows you to stream full games 100% for free. And it’s not an illegal streaming site either; SportRAR is totally above board.
What you can watch: Baseball, basketball, cricket, rugby, boxing, hockey, football, and more
How to watch: Go to SportRAR and find your game by either date or sports categories
Pros:
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- Full-length matches
- Wide selection of sports
Cons:
- Ad-supported
- No live content, only pretaped games
4. Stream2Watch
While it’s full of ads, Stream2Watch does offer a robust selection of sports. Like SportRAR, it doesn’t host live content, but you can download and watch matches that have already happened. Installing an ad-blocker can make this site much more manageable.
What you can watch: Basketball, football, hockey, handball, soccer, tennis, and more
How to watch: Visit the Stream2Watch site and click on your category
Pros:
- Full-length matches with downloads
- Wide selection of sports
Cons:
- Lots of ads
- No live content is available
5. Bosscast
Although its user interface may look a bit outdated, Bosscast has a strong selection of sports and hosts the day’s live games.
It doesn’t offer playback, and you can only watch matches that are currently going on, but you can find most live sports available. It also has a chat to interact with other users.
What you can watch: Football, baseball, tennis, hockey, soccer, boxing, and more
How to watch: Go to Bosscast’s website to stream live games
Pros:
- Live matches
- Full-length matches
Cons:
- No playback
- Schedule not posted in advance
6. Cricfree
Cricfree offers a large selection of sports, and it lists the live matches for the week. You can’t go back to watch matches that have already happened, but you can look ahead five days in advance to see upcoming games.
It’s an especially good spot to watch full-length NHL games live in real-time. Plus, you don’t need to sign up for an account
What you can watch: Football, hockey, basketball, soccer, tennis, rugby, cricket, and more
How to watch: Go to the Cricfree site to browse matches for the week
Pros:
- Live, full-length matches
- Wide selection of sports
Cons:
- No playback options
- Limited advance schedule
7. NFL Streams
This streaming platform is focused exclusively on football and has a wide range of football offerings, including NFL, CFL, NCAA and CFB games.
It allows for live streaming of these games on a range of devices, and its clean interface isn’t full of ads.
What you can watch: Football
How to watch: Choose the game you’re interested in from the NFL Streams website
Pros:
- HD video streams
- Wide variety of football games
- Limited ads
Cons:
- Focused only on football, no other sports
- Slower loading on mobile
8. 123TV
With channels that aren’t limited to sports, 123TV provides sports streaming options and so much more. It offers mainly U.S. channels like Fox, ESPN, ABC, and HBO, so it’s best for watching big-ticket U.S. sports like football and hockey. It allows for live streaming.
What you can watch: Football, baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, and more
How to watch: Go to the 123TV website to explore their channels
Pros:
- Live streaming in real time
- Supports mobile playback
Cons:
- Ad-supported
- More difficult to navigate
9. SportLemons
With a simple, easy-to-use interface, SportLemons is a great spot to find live, full-length matches without a lot of ad clutter.
It offers live matches only; you cannot watch matches that have already happened. Its broad selection of sports makes it an attractive option.
What you can watch: Hockey, baseball, football, tennis, basketball, soccer, and more
How to watch: Go to the SportLemons site and select your match
Pros:
- No account needed
- Live, full-length matches
Cons:
- No playback
- Schedule not posted ahead of time
10. CTV Sports
CTV offers a streaming service that’s 100% free for all Canadian residents. You don’t need to be subscribed to satellite or cable TV services to stream for free.
While it doesn’t offer as much variety as a paid subscription, it’s a great place to watch local matches live – and catch up on any you might have missed.
What you can watch: Basketball, hockey, baseball, soccer, football
How to watch: Go to CTV’s On-Air site and allow it to use your location in Canada
Pros:
- 100% free in Canada
- Watch matches in real-time
Cons:
- Ad-supported
- Limited variety of matches
11. Twitch TV
Twitch is a streaming website that’s most commonly frequented by gamers, but as it’s expanded, it’s gained more fringe live sports offerings too. For instance, the NWHL (National Women’s Hockey League) streams its games on Twitch.
What you can watch: Hockey, e-sports, gaming
How to watch: Check out any of Twitch’s many channels
Pros:
- Live sports
- Not ad-supported
Cons:
- Limited sports available
- Can be difficult to navigate
12. CBC Gem Sports
Like CTV, CBC offers streaming services 100% free to all Canadian residents. If you can’t find a game on CTV, it’s worth checking CBC Gem as well. It’s especially good for watching rugby matches and has a wide selection for that sport.
What you can watch: Baseball, soccer, hockey, boxing, football, basketball, rugby
How to watch: Go to CBC Gem’s site and choose Live TV
Pros:
- Wider selection
- High-quality and fast-loading videos
Cons:
- Ad-supported
- Some matches require a premium subscription
13. Reddit Live Sports Streaming
Known for its tight-knit community and strong fanbases, Reddit often plays host to sports clips and highlights. Like Facebook Watch, it’s not always the best place to watch full-length matches, but it offers a wide range of sports and matches due to its global membership.
What you can watch: Baseball, hockey, basketball, UFC, soccer, football, and more
How to watch: Go to Reddit’s r/sports feed and explore videos
Pros:
- Global community
- Wide range of sports available
Cons:
- Limited full-length matches
- Not well sorted
14. Sportsnet NOW Canada
Sportsnet is Canada’s top-tier sports streaming platform and is home to content that is similar to ESPN’s. Although the best variety of matches is available for only those with a paid subscription, you can still watch some videos for free just by creating an account.
What you can watch: Hockey, football, soccer, boxing, UFC, basketball, and more
How to watch: Sign in to Sportsnet – you will need to create an account to watch
Pros:
- Professional-quality HD video
- Limited disruptive ads
Cons:
- Better for checking highlights and scores
- Some videos require paid tier
15. Hotstar
Hotstar is a streaming favourite in India, and it’s available only in India, Canada, and the U.S. While it offers a limited selection of sports, it’s great for watching Cricket, and it does offer full-length matches and playback.
What you can watch: Cricket, kabaddi, e-sports
How to watch: Go to the Hotstar Canada site to browse sports options
Pros:
- Full-length matches
- Great for watching Cricket
Cons:
- Limited sports selection
- Cluttered by non-sports content
16. FuboTV
Designed to replace a traditional cable subscription, Fubo offers plans starting at $70/month to watch any game you’d normally be able to see on a major TV network.
But since we’re looking at free streaming, here’s the loophole: Fubo offers a 7-day free trial, which you can time to line up with that match you’re dying to watch.
What you can watch: Soccer, football, basketball, boxing, baseball, rugby, racing, and more
How to watch: Go to Fubo’s website and choose “Start Free Trial”
Pros:
- Large selection of matches
- Many sports available
Cons:
- The free trial is just seven (7) days
- Will switch to a paid plan after the trial expires
17. NFL WebCast
While it offers only a particular niche of sports streaming, NFL WebCast is a great place to watch NFL games, no matter which team you follow.
You can sort games by team or by date, and you can stream on any device. NFL WebCast basically just compiles other streams and finds the best ones, but it’s a great resource, so you don’t have to do that legwork.
What you can watch: American Football
How to watch: Go to NFL WebCast to explore upcoming games
Pros:
- High-quality streaming feeds
- No account needed
Cons:
- Limited to American football
- Sometimes loads slowly on mobile devices
18. LiveScore
A website that was initially made to keep sports fans updated on live scores (as the name suggests), LiveScore has developed over the years to offer streaming services as well.
It offers live streaming, but like some other sites on this list, it doesn’t have playback options.
What you can watch: Soccer, hockey, baseball, tennis, and cricket
How to watch: Go to LiveScore to browse matches by sport or by country
Pros:
- Live, full-length matches
- Limited ads
Cons:
- Relatively limited sports selection
- No playback options
19. Footybite
Footybite’s specialty is soccer streaming, but it offers a number of other sports streaming options as well. It also has a convenient search function so that you can look up your favourite team – and Footybite will tell you if there are any upcoming matches that day.
It also provides a forward-looking calendar so you can plan ahead.
What you can watch: Soccer, football, hockey, boxing, Formula 1, MMA
How to watch: Go to Footybite’s website to explore available streams
Pros:
- Lists current and future matches
- Easy-to-use search function
Cons:
- Some ad content
- Links can be hit or miss
20. YouTube
With over 2.3 billion monthly users, YouTube is one of the world’s most popular streaming platforms.
As a free user, there are some games, fights, and races you’ll be able to watch, but for the greatest variety of full-length matches, you may want to subscribe to YouTubeTV. YouTube is best for watching highlights of games that have already aired.
What you can watch: Basketball, football, soccer, UFC, boxing, racing, and more
How to watch: Log in to YouTube with your Google account
Pros:
- 100% free
- High-quality videos
Cons:
- Best for highlights
- Better for games that have already aired
- Limited full-length matches
Conclusion
More and more, cable TV seems like a dated subscription model that only your grandparents are still using. In the digital age, live streaming options have become much more popular – and sports are transitioning to streaming.
Why would you want to pay for a cable subscription that could set you back around $70/month when you can stream sports for free? So sit back on your couch, crack open a cold beer, and find the match you’re looking for with the sites on our comprehensive guide.
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