Portland Thorns · Free TV Guide
How to watch for free — no cable required
12 of 30 games this season are free to watch: 7 on ION, 4 on Victory+, 1 on NWSL+. The 7 OTA games are watchable with a basic antenna. Here are three ways to watch.
TV Antenna
~$25–50 one-timeThe simplest option. Plug a flat antenna into your TV's coaxial port, run a channel scan, and you'll get free HD broadcasts from every major network in your area: ION, CBS, and ABC. No monthly fee, ever.
The downside: it works on one TV at a time, and you can't stream to your phone or record. But if you mostly watch at home on one screen, it's hard to argue with free.
Recommended: Mohu Leaf 50 Amplified
Wired's top pick for most homes. Flat, reversible (paintable), amplified up to 60 miles from broadcast towers. Around $25–50 depending on where you buy.
Before you buy: check your reception
OTA signal quality depends on where you live. Visit antennaweb.org and enter your address to see which channels and signal strengths are available at your location.
Tablo DVR
$129.95 one-time, no subscriptionTablo sits between your antenna and your screens. You still use a TV antenna to pull in free over-the-air channels, but instead of plugging it directly into your TV, you plug it into the Tablo box. Tablo then streams those channels over your home WiFi to any TV, phone, or tablet.
So you get genuinely free broadcast channels, watchable on any screen in your house, with a built-in DVR to record games and watch later. No monthly subscription required.
- ✓ Watch free OTA channels on any TV, phone, or tablet in your home
- ✓ Record games and watch on your schedule
- ✓ No monthly fee, just the one-time hardware cost
- ✓ Works with Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, and web browser
- ✓ 4th Gen model: $129.95 new, or from $69.95 refurbished
Live TV Streaming
$83–90+/moIf you don't want any hardware at all, live TV streaming services carry local broadcast channels over the internet, including local NBC affiliates. They're not cheap, and they're really built for people cutting cable entirely, not just chasing a few free games.
YouTube TV
$82.99/moCarries local NBC affiliates, ION, CBS, and ABC. Clean interface, unlimited DVR storage included.
See plans at tv.youtube.com →Hulu + Live TV
$89.99/moCarries local broadcast channels in most markets. Includes Disney+ and ESPN Select in the base plan.
See plans at hulu.com →Local channel availability varies by market. Confirm local channel availability before subscribing - both services offer free trials.
Quick take
If you want free games on one TV: get an antenna. If you want free games on every screen with DVR: get a Tablo. If you want to cut cable entirely and don't mind paying for it: YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV. The antenna + Tablo combo is the best value if you watch at home a lot.