2021 World Series: How to watch the Houston Astros vs. the Altanta Braves

At the end of July, oddsmakers gave the Atlanta Braves just a 2% chance of making it to the World Series.

But after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers last week, the Braves will face the Houston Astros for the MLB championship. And the Astros have something of their own to prove. Despite making it to the league championship for the fifth straight year, the Astros are still MLB’s bad seed following 2019’s cheating scandal. This is their third World Series in five years, but there are scores of people who scoff when they see the team there. Houston wants to show the baseball nation that they belong in The Show.

Fans, of course, have their own predictions, but the oddsmakers in Las Vegas are heavily favoring Houston. That said, the Braves have been on a tear lately. So grab your Cracker Jacks and a cold beer and settle in. It’s shaping up to be one heck of a series. And if you can’t be at home or your favorite watering hole when the games are played? We’ve got you covered.

When and where is the 2021 World Series being played?

Game 1 (Houston): Tues., Oct 26, 8:09 p.m. ET on Fox

Game 2 (Houston): Wed., Oct. 27, 8:09 p.m. ET on Fox

Game 3 (Atlanta): Fri., Oct. 29, 8:09 p.m. ET on Fox

Game 4 (Atlanta): Sat., Oct. 30, 8:09 p.m. ET on Fox

Game 5 (Atlanta, if necessary): Sun., Oct. 31, 8:09 p.m. ET on Fox

Game 6 (Houston, if necessary): Tues., Nov. 2, 8:09 p.m. ET on Fox

Game 7 (Houston, if necessary): Wed., Nov. 3, 8:09 p.m. ET on Fox

How can I watch the 2021 World Series for free—even if I don’t have cable?

The best way to watch any sort of network programming for free on a big screen is with a good HD antenna. This year, the World Series is being broadcast on Fox, meaning you’ve got a good chance of capturing the game over the air, which costs nothing beyond the equipment prices. To ensure you’re getting the most reliable signal, you’ll want to test the antenna in multiple locations in your home.

Can I stream the 2021 World Series live online if I don’t have a cable subscription?

You’ve got lots of online choices if you won’t be near a TV set before the first pitch. First, if you do have a cable subscription, the game is being streamed live on the Fox Sports Go app. (You can also try logging into Fox.com or use the Fox Now app.)

If you’re a cord cutter and don’t have a cable or satellite subscription, there are several other ways to tune in. Here are a few suggestions:

Hulu with Live TV

You can try the service free for a week. Once that’s up, you’ll pay $65 per month.

YouTubeTV

After a two-week trial, you can expect monthly charges of $65.

Sling TV

Dish Network’s Sling lower-tiered Orange plan will run you $35 per month. Adding the more comprehensive Blue plan bumps the cost to $50 per month. You’ll have a seven-day free trial first, and right now, the cord-cutting service is dropping the first month’s bill to $10.

AT&T TV

Formerly known as DirecTV Now and AT&T TVNow, AT&T’s streaming service will run you $70 per month and up. There is no longer a free trial option.

Fubo TV

This sports-focused cord-cutting service carries broadcast networks in most markets. There’s a seven-day free trial, followed by monthly charges of $65-$80, depending on the channels you choose.

Does Major League Baseball offer any viewing options to watch the World Series?

Kind of.

MLB.TV offers every postseason game, including archived broadcasts of the playoffs. There’s no free trial, but for $24.99, you can watch (or listen to) the World Series games. Sign up and you’ll also get all of the 2022 spring training games for free. If you’d like to subscribe to the full regular season, that will run you $115.99 (or $24.99 per month).

Here’s the hiccup, though: Even with that $25 fee, you’ll need a subscription to a Pay TV provider to stream the games live.