Can’t live without sports? Here’s who’s got you covered
It has been two weeks since the NBA cancelled its season, due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The move, while justified and appropriate, spiraled the sports world effectively into a global offseason and left fans feeling cheated out of the most exciting stretch of the year.
Instead of watching March Madness, the NBA and NHL playoffs or MLB’s opening pitch, we are glued to our TVs and devices, looking desperately for news of any leagues resuming play. For those still wondering what to do in this time of uncertainty, have no fear — streaming services are here.
As a sort of consolation prize, each major American league, as well as several others, are offering free temporary access to their streaming subscriptions. This includes replays of games played before the shutdown and, in certain services, archived classic games. The only stipulation is that you sign up for an account, through the respective league’s website.
The following is a sample of available services:
The NBA’s League Pass is providing a free preview, allowing fans to revisit their favorite teams’ games and relive iconic moments such as “The Shot” by Michael Jordan, or Kobe Bryant’s 81-point performance against Toronto in 2006. The number of classic games is limited, but the entire 2019-2020 library will more than make up for it.
Hockey fans can also watch every game from this season, as well as their “NHL Pause Binge” page, showcasing classic Stanley Cup games, highlights and documentaries. Whether you want to want watch the countless highlight-reel goals by Wayne “The Great One” Gretzky’s, or catch Alexander Ovechkin’s 700th goal, they’ve got you covered.
Even though baseball season was scrapped before spring training ended, MLB.TV isn’t leaving fans hanging, as the 2018 and 2019 season archives have been made available for free. Unfortunately, the site does not give access to classic games, but YouTube has an MLB Vault to help fans get their fill.
Football has also gotten in on the action, opening up its NFL Game Pass catalog going as far back as 2009. As of yet, there are no such promotions for NASCAR, Major League Soccer or Formula 1.
For those who are diehard fans of the NBA, NHL and racing, an unexpected option has emerged to get viewers as close to a real-game experience as possible. Many teams have resorted to live streaming events, with some featuring play-by-play from actual announcers. To add to the joyous absurdity, websites for teams such as The Washington Capitals and Wizards are broadcasting previously scheduled games via their Monumental Sports Network, using NBA 2K20 and EA’s NHL 20 video game simulations. Both NASCAR and Formula 1 are using iRacing, an online-based game, to replace their cancelled races. Furthermore, several professional racers compete on the platform already, adding to the legitimacy of the medium.
With all these opportunities, literally at your fingertips, there aren’t enough hours in the day to ask when sports will be back. So stream on and enjoy the classics while we all await the future of sports as we know it.
— swfroehlich@gmail.com
@froehlich.scott