Disclosure: Your support helps keep our site running! We earn referral fees for some of the products & services we recommend. Learn more

Bally Sports Southwest Without Cable: What Sports, Teams & Areas Are Covered?

Last Updated:

If you are a big fan of one of the many professional sports teams in the Texas area, you will want access to Bally Sports Southwest. It is the go-to channel for most Rangers, Mavericks, Spurs, and Stars games.

In a hurry? There are two excellent choices to stream Bally Sports Southwest:

  • Fubo: Get over 150 channels including a great selection of RSNs starting at $91.98/mo. Fubo allows you to try out its service with a free trial.
  • DIRECTV STREAM: Sets you up with every regional channel in your area and 100+ others for $108.99/mo. A 5-day free trial is now available for DIRECTV STREAM.

If you can’t watch your favorite sports because of your location, get ExpressVPN to access the content you deserve.

In a hurry? Unfortunately, we don’t know a streaming service in that offers this TV channel/sport. But if you’ve already paid for the right service, and just can’t watch because of your location, there is an easy way to get the sports, movies, and TV you deserve. You need a VPN, like one of the following.

ExpressVPN

1. ExpressVPN: Established VPN provider in 105 countries. Smart DNS, a built-in ad-blocker, and unlimited bandwidth. Try it with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Private Internet Access

3. Private Internet Access: The only no-logs VPN with a location for every US state. Get 82% off + 2 months free.

If you’re overwhelmed and not sure where to begin, you’ll find all the answers in our full VPN guide.

Streaming Bally Sports Southwest

There was a time when all the Bally RSNs were widely supported by live TV streaming services. But since the spring of 2020, negotiations broke down between Bally Sports’ parent company, Diamond Sports Group, and the two biggest live TV streaming services: Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV.

Get Bally Sports SW With Fubo

fubotv logo

Fubo (formerly FuboTV) is a sports-first streaming service. That means that although it is a great general streaming service with a ton of entertainment, news, and family channels, its focus is on sports.

The only major RSNs that it does not offer are Spectrum SportsNet, Spectrum SportsNet LA, and YES Network. So if you live in Maryland, Los Angeles, or New York, you might be better off with DIRECTV STREAM. Otherwise, you’ll save a lot of money and get more with Fubo.

Out-of-market fans can get MLB.TV and NBA League Pass with Fubo.

Apart from the Bally Sports Southwest and other RSNs, Fubo’s base (Pro) plan comes with 35+ other sports channels. These include hard-to-find channels like beIN Sports and TUDN. And, of course, you get all your local channels and a selection of about 100 general channels like USA, FX, and SyFy.

All plans come with 1,000 hours of cloud DVR storage with no time limit. And you can stream on up to 10 devices at once, so it’s great for large households.

The pricing for Fubo is a bit confusing, however. It consists of a base plan price plus an RSN fee. It’s like this:

  • Plan Cost: $79.99/mo
  • RSN Fee:
    • One RSN: $11.99/mo — total: $91.98/mo
    • Two or More RSNs: $14.99/mo — total: $94.98/mo

For more information, see our Fubo review.

Sign Up for a Free Fubo Trial

Stream Bally Sports Southwest With DIRECTV STREAM

DIRECTV STREAM

DIRECTV STREAM (formerly AT&T TV) does not provided Bally Sports with the base (Entertainment) plan. Instead, you need to sign up for the Choice Plan for $108.99/mo. But this does come with a great overall package.

Perhaps even more important is that the plan comes with other RSNs. In most areas, this includes Space City Home Network (formerly AT&T SportsNet Southwest), which is the home of the Houston Astros and the Houston Rockets. Bally Sports Oklahoma is also often provided.

The Choice Plan provides you with over 100 channels. These include roughly 20 sports channels like ESPN, ESPNU, FS1, MLB Network, and NBA TV.

All DIRECTV STREAM plans come with unlimited cloud DVR and streaming on unlimited devices at once. This makes DIRECTV STREAM a particularly good service for large households.

For more information about DIRECTV STREAM, read our detailed review.

Get DIRECTV STREAM Free for 5 Days

Bally Sports+

Note: At this point, Bally Sports+ has secured rights for the games of all covered NBA and NHL teams. But it has not secured rights to most MLB team games. Make sure that your teams will be available before signing up. Or go with Fubo.

Bally Sports+ is the direct-to-consumer streaming service that offers all the Bally Sports channels. Those in Bally Sports Southwest’s broadcast area can get it with the service. There is only one plan but two payment structures:

Bally Sports+ supports the following devices: Amazon Fire TV, Android mobile, Android TV-compatible TVs, iOS (eg, iPhone) tvOS, and web browsers (via BallySports.com). Bally Sports says it is working to expand its device support.

Note that Bally Sports+ is limited in terms of its channels. If you want national channels, you will need to combine it with another streaming service like Sling TV.

And if you are a Houston Astros fan, you will want Space City Home Network (formerly AT&T SportsNet Southwest). You have two options:

  • Fubo: standalone gives you all the channels for $94.98/mo.
  • DIRECTV STREAM: standalone gives you all the channels for $108.99/mo.

Try Bally Sports+ Now!

Alternatives to Bally Sports Southwest

There is only one way to get Bally Sports Southwest and that is by getting Bally Sports Southwest. But if you just want to watch live games of your favorite NHL, NBA, and MLB teams, there are other streaming options.

If you do not live in the blackout area of Bally Sports Southwest, these services should help you:

  • ESPN+: For $10.99/mo or $109.99/yr, you get access to a wide variety of sports. Specifically, ESPN+ streams a lot of NHL and MLB games.
  • MLB.TV: For $24.99 per month or $149.99 for the season, you can watch any regular season MLB game live. The catch is that there is a blackout of all games in the Bally Sports Southwest’s area. So if you are a Rangers fan up in El Paso, you are out of luck. But if you are a Rangers fan in Madison, you’re set!
  • NBA League Pass: This is the same deal as for MLB.TV. You get all the NBA games that are not blacked out in your area for $14.99 per month or $99.99 for the whole season. They also offer team-specific, no commercial, and NBA TV versions of the plan.

Sign up for MLB.TV on Fubo for FREE today!

The other option is to stick with nationally televised games. Several league games will be broadcast nationally, though you will still need to deal with blackouts. But these services will provide you with good sports coverage:

Get Bally Sports With Fubo!

TVs and Devices to Watch Bally Sports Southwest

DIRECTV STREAM and Fubo support most streaming devices that are in use these days. They support all the standard TV “sticks”: Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, and Roku. They also support Chromecast devices. And they support all smartphones that run iOS and Android.

They also support recent Andoird TV and Samsung smart TVs. And, of course, they support most web browsers like Chrome, Edge, and Safari.

You can also use your DIRECTV STREAM account via the Bally Sports App. This allows you to stream on devices like the Xbox One gaming console.

Fubo supports all these streaming devices and more. Find out more in our Fubo Devices Guide.

Superpower Your Live TV Streaming With a VPN

You can’t beat a VPN for privacy, security, and access. We have used them for years as an important part of our streaming toolkit and we recommend ExpressVPN. Other brands worth checking out include Hotspot Shield and CyberGhost.

i See our VPN Buyer’s Guide for complete information on how to choose the best VPN for your needs.

What Is Bally Sports Southwest?

Bally Sports Southwest is a regional sports network (RSN). It operates only in a defined geographical area. So, even though it is streamed, it is only available to subscribers in its market of operation. If you live in Portland, you can’t get Bally Sports Southwest.

Where Is Bally Sports Southwest Available?

The channel is available throughout Texas. It is also available in most of Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. And it is available in eastern New Mexico. The dividing lines are dictated by state lines most of the time. For example, Osceola, AR gets Bally Sports Southwest but Fort Pillow, TN (less than 8 miles away) does not.

Bally Sports Southwest is the largest RSN among the Bally affiliates. As such, it is divided into four regions, which will determine exactly what games you see. These regions are largely defined by the local NBA teams‘ television territories and agreements.

  • Dallas-Fort Worth: Northern and north-central Texas and northern Louisiana
  • Houston: Southeast Texas
  • San Antonio: Austin, El Paso, southern Texas, eastern New Mexico
  • Arkansas

Because of all the details about exactly where Bally Sports Southwest is available, you must contact your provider and confirm that it is available to you.

Sign Up for a Free Fubo Trial

What Sports Does Bally Sports Southwest Cover?

The main focus of Bally Sports Southwest is Major League Baseball and NHL hockey. They also provide extensive NBA coverage, as well as WNBA, wrestling, Big 12 Conference NCAA events, and larger high school games (Conference 6A).

Along with these professional games, Bally Sports Southwest features pregame and postgame shows and associated analysis. They also feature other sports-related shows like Texas Insider Fishing Report.

The notable exception regarding what Bally Sports Southwest covers is NFL. This is typical for RSNs, however. The networks (ABC/ESPN, CBS, Fox, NBC) have the NFL all to themselves.

It also no longer carries Major League Soccer games from any of Texas’s three MLS teams: Austin FC, FC Dallas, and Houston Dynamo FC. All MLS is now exclusively through Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass.

What Teams Does Bally Sports Cover?

As mentioned, Bally Sports Southwest is huge, and is divided into four broadcasting zones. All the broadcast areas carry Texas Rangers baseball, Dallas Stars hockey, and Dallas Wings women’s basketball. Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs basketball is regional to their respective areas.

Each area may also simulcast games from neighboring Bally Sports channels. For example, the Dallas-Fort Worth area may show Oklahoma City Thunder games (from Bally Sports Oklahoma) and St. Louis Cardinals games (Bally Sports Midwest), Houston may broadcast New Orleans Pelicans matchups, or the Memphis Grizzlies (Bally Sports Southeast) in Arkansas.

What Teams Does Bally Sports Not Cover?

The Houston Rockets and Houston Astros are not covered (they’re on Space City Home Network, formerly AT&T SportsNet Southwest). You also won’t see any pro football teams because the NFL doesn’t use regional sports networks at all.

Also note that Bally Sports+ (see above) does not have agreements in place with most baseball teams, so, as explained above, you won’t see Texas Rangers games on Bally Sports+.

What Is Bally Sports Southwest Extra?

Bally Sports Southwest Extra (formerly Bally Sports Southwest Plus) is a substation of Bally Sports Southwest. It features some other sports programming but exists mostly as a place to put overflow programming when too many sporting events are happening at once.

Get Bally Sports With Fubo!

Who Are the Bally Sports Southwest Commentators?

Dave Raymond serves as the Texas Rangers’ play-by-play commentator for most of the team’s Bally Sports Southwest-broadcast games. David Murphy and Dave Valle provide analysis. Emily Jones is a field reporter. And Mike Bacsik is in the studio.

Describing the action at Dallas Mavericks games are Mark Followill (play-by-play), Derek Harper (analyst), Lesley McCaslin (courtside reporter), and Jeff Wade (courtside reporter). In the studio are Dana Larson and Brian Dameris.

Courtside for San Antonio Spurs games are Bill Land (play-by-play) and Sean Elliott (analyst), who both have at least 20 years of experience with the team in their respective positions, Elliott with a little more at 23. Dan Weiss hosts the pregame and postgame shows.

The duo calling the action for Dallas Stars games are Josh Bogorad and Daryl Reaugh. The former has six years experience as play-by-play announcer for the Stars, 11 with the team overall, and the latter has had 25 campaigns as color analyst, 27 overall. Also on the team are Brien Rea and Brent Severyn.

Unblock Your Favorite Movies and Shows With a VPN

If you can’t watch your favorite movies and shows because of your location, a VPN will allow you to get the access you are entitled to, plus extra security and unequalled privacy. Check out our VPN Guide for everything you need to know, including our top pick ExpressVPN.

Get ExpressVPN Today

Other brands worth checking out include Hotspot Shield and CyberGhost.

Today’s Bally Sports Southwest Schedule

Here is today’s schedule in Eastern Time:

Athletes Unlimited Pro BasketballGame 24 - Team Sims (Orange) vs. Team Gray (Gold)

From Fair Park Coliseum in Dallas.

Sports Stars of Tomorrow

Profiles of the top rookie, college and high-school talent in sports; current athletes share their experiences, advice and personal impressions of the road to stardom.

Reduce swelling in your legs, ankles and feet

LegXercise is the easy-to-use, automatic leg mover that uses continuous movement to soothe pain and promote healthy circulation the natural drug-free way! It's Walking Simulator Technology moves your feet back and forth along its motion track.

Paid Programming

Paid programming.

Epic TrailsOutdoor Eats: Arizona

Chef Corso cooks up gourmet backpacking meals while hiking Arizona trails.

Reduce swelling in your legs, ankles and feet

LegXercise is the easy-to-use, automatic leg mover that uses continuous movement to soothe pain and promote healthy circulation the natural drug-free way! It's Walking Simulator Technology moves your feet back and forth along its motion track.

Nick's Wild Ride With Nick HoffmanThe Michitoba Connection

Nick travels to Manitoba in search of two things he has never hunted before, reconnects with old friends, and makes new ones in camp.

Adventure CitiesDallas & Pensacola

Seasoned travel writer Jonathan Thompson sets out to explore the adventurous sides of Dallas, Texas, and Pensacola, Fla.

Snow Motion

Coverage of skiing and winter sports, plus interviews with world-class athletes and winter sports enthusiasts, ski and fitness tips and the latest action from the slopes.

Facing WavesKayaking Ontario's Highlands

Ken Whiting and other top athletes demonstrate spectacular paddling during kayaking adventures in stunning locations around the world, featuring paddling, sea kayaking, canoeing, whitewater paddling and stand up paddling.

UIL Championship SpotlightBasketball

The champions of Texas football.

The Icons With Rick HorrowMinor League Baseball

Profiling the stories behind the positive impact of sports.

Sports Stars of Tomorrow

Profiles of the top rookie, college and high-school talent in sports; current athletes share their experiences, advice and personal impressions of the road to stardom.

Pelicans Insider

Jennifer Hale takes you behind the scenes with player profiles and off-the-court information.

The Card LifeSpring Training

Matt Strahm is at Spring Training in Florida to get ready for the 2024 season; Matt attempts to pull a Patrick Mahomes rookie card from a 2017 box; meeting a young influencer; a collector who has researched the identity of over 18,000 players.

Golf LifeViva Las LIV Golf

Featuring the latest trends, tours of the finest courses and tips from golf experts.

Breaking Par

A look at the game of golf through a different lens.

NASCAR Race Rewind2023 Toyota Owners 400

From April 2, 2023 from Richmond Raceway.

Live on the Line

Interactive betting program that informs and entertains while delivering expert analysis and betting advice, including the best bets, props, lines, fantasy plays and bargains, as well as trending topics across sports that impact betting.

In the SpotlightTom Glavine

Featuring legends of the sports world in their own words, hosted by former Major League Baseball player and longtime broadcaster Fran Healy.

FocusedKevin Youkilis

A glimpse into compelling sports stars and iconic athletic institutions. Visual storytelling propels a deep dive into each story, as the true essence of each subject is revealed.

The Card LifeSpring Training

Matt Strahm is at Spring Training in Florida to get ready for the 2024 season; Matt attempts to pull a Patrick Mahomes rookie card from a 2017 box; meeting a young influencer; a collector who has researched the identity of over 18,000 players.

Live on the Line

Interactive betting program that informs and entertains while delivering expert analysis and betting advice, including the best bets, props, lines, fantasy plays and bargains, as well as trending topics across sports that impact betting.

Adventure CitiesDallas & Pensacola

Seasoned travel writer Jonathan Thompson sets out to explore the adventurous sides of Dallas, Texas, and Pensacola, Fla.

Unbeatable: British Basketball League

World Poker Tour: Season 20WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas - Part 3

British Basketball LeagueNewcastle Eagles vs. Caledonia Gladiators

From Vertu Motors Arena in Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.

World Poker Tour: Season 20Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown - Part 1

NASCAR Race Rewind2023 Toyota Owners 400

From April 2, 2023 from Richmond Raceway.

The Card LifeSpring Training

Matt Strahm is at Spring Training in Florida to get ready for the 2024 season; Matt attempts to pull a Patrick Mahomes rookie card from a 2017 box; meeting a young influencer; a collector who has researched the identity of over 18,000 players.

Golf LifeViva Las LIV Golf

Featuring the latest trends, tours of the finest courses and tips from golf experts.

Let's Fish Southwest

Breaking Par

A look at the game of golf through a different lens.

Rangers Insider

Behind the scenes with insights on the players, broadcasters, staff members, and even fans of the Texas Rangers.

Sports Stars of Tomorrow

Profiles of the top rookie, college and high-school talent in sports; current athletes share their experiences, advice and personal impressions of the road to stardom.

The Card LifeSpring Training

Matt Strahm is at Spring Training in Florida to get ready for the 2024 season; Matt attempts to pull a Patrick Mahomes rookie card from a 2017 box; meeting a young influencer; a collector who has researched the identity of over 18,000 players.

In the SpotlightTom Glavine

Featuring legends of the sports world in their own words, hosted by former Major League Baseball player and longtime broadcaster Fran Healy.

FocusedKevin Youkilis

A glimpse into compelling sports stars and iconic athletic institutions. Visual storytelling propels a deep dive into each story, as the true essence of each subject is revealed.

Sports Stars of Tomorrow

Profiles of the top rookie, college and high-school talent in sports; current athletes share their experiences, advice and personal impressions of the road to stardom.

Lights Out Xtreme FightingLXF 14

Live fights are back at LXF 14 with the return of Shawne Merriman's Lights Out Xtreme Fighting.

Stars Live Pregame

Preview of the Dallas Stars game.

NHL HockeyDallas Stars at Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks near the end of an extended homestand when they host the Stars. Dallas snapped a seven-game series skid versus Vancouver with an overtime victory earlier this season. Matt Duchene (DAL) netted the OT winner in that 4-3 decision.

World Poker Tour: Season 20Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown - Part 1

Athletes Unlimited Pro BasketballGame 24 - Team Sims (Orange) vs. Team Gray (Gold)

From Fair Park Coliseum in Dallas.

Stars Live Postgame

Review of the Dallas Stars game.

NHL HockeyDallas Stars at Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks near the end of an extended homestand when they host the Stars. Dallas snapped a seven-game series skid versus Vancouver with an overtime victory earlier this season. Matt Duchene (DAL) netted the OT winner in that 4-3 decision.

NASCAR Race Rewind2023 Toyota Owners 400

From April 2, 2023 from Richmond Raceway.

Stars Live Postgame

Review of the Dallas Stars game.

Adventure CitiesDallas & Pensacola

Seasoned travel writer Jonathan Thompson sets out to explore the adventurous sides of Dallas, Texas, and Pensacola, Fla.

United Fight AllianceUFA 363 - Up Next Fighting 11 Flyweight Championship, Part 1

United Fight Alliance features top-ranked fighters, up and coming fighters, intense action and footage from some of the biggest names in combat sports and exclusive content spanning MMA, boxing, kickboxing, bare knuckle boxing, muay thai and more.

Snow Motion

Coverage of skiing and winter sports, plus interviews with world-class athletes and winter sports enthusiasts, ski and fitness tips and the latest action from the slopes.

United Fight AllianceUFA 363 - Up Next Fighting 11 Flyweight Championship, Part 1

United Fight Alliance features top-ranked fighters, up and coming fighters, intense action and footage from some of the biggest names in combat sports and exclusive content spanning MMA, boxing, kickboxing, bare knuckle boxing, muay thai and more.

United Fight AllianceUFA 364 - Bare Knuckle Boxing 34, Part 1

United Fight Alliance features top-ranked fighters, up and coming fighters, intense action and footage from some of the biggest names in combat sports and exclusive content spanning MMA, boxing, kickboxing, bare knuckle boxing, muay thai and more.

United Fight AllianceUFA 364 - Bare Knuckle Boxing 34, Part 1

United Fight Alliance features top-ranked fighters, up and coming fighters, intense action and footage from some of the biggest names in combat sports and exclusive content spanning MMA, boxing, kickboxing, bare knuckle boxing, muay thai and more.

Wrapping Up

Bally Sports Southwest is an essential channel for local NBA, MLB, WNBA, and NHL fans in Texas and the surrounding areas.

We recommend Fubo for it and other local channels. Fubo allows you to try out its service with a free trial.

Bally Sports Southwest Screen Capture
Bally Sports Southwest webpage.

FAQs

What is the cheapest way to stream Bally Sports Southwest?

The cheapest way to get Bally Sports Southwest is to sign up with Bally Sports+. But this may be a false economy since you will not get any channels outside the Bally Sports network — in particular, Space City Home Network (formerly AT&T SportsNet Southwest). If you want these channels, the cheapest option is Fubo for $94.98/mo, which will give you all the RSNs you qualify for as well as 150+ others.

Why can’t I get Bally Sports Southwest if I’m outside its coverage area?

Bally Sports Southwest has exclusive deals with sports leagues that limit their broadcast reach to specific areas. This allows the leagues to still sell some games to national providers who understand that baseball fans in Portland may enjoy a few Rangers games each year but they won’t be willing to pay for 160+ of them.

Why are some Mavericks games blacked out?

This is due to the deal Bally Sports Southwest has made with the NBA. When a Mavericks game is broadcasted on a national channel like ESPN or FS1, it is not available to watch in the area that Bally Sports Southwest operates — these are “in-market” games. The blackout gives local fans an incentive to sign-up with Bally Sports Southwest.

Sign Up for a Free Fubo Trial

Can I subscribe to Bally Sports Southwest directly?

The content on Bally Sports Southwest (specifically, Texas Rangers and Dallas Mavericks games) are available through Bally Sports+. It costs $19.99/mo or $189.99/yr ($15.83/mo). Depending on your exact location, you may get access to content from other Bally Sports channels. But it does limit you to the Bally Sports network and you will not get access to many national games (including all playoff contests).

Does Hulu come with Bally Sports Southwest?

You can’t get any of the Bally Sports channels with Hulu + Live TV — including Bally Sports Southwest. This is also true of YouTube TV. Neither of them have had any Bally Sports channels since 2020. You need either Fubo or DIRECTV STREAM for Bally Sports Southwest.

What can I do if I’m not in Bally Sports Southwest’s coverage area?

If you aren’t in Bally Sports Southwest’s coverage area, you can’t get it. But you might have better options. Rangers fans who live outside the Texas area can sign up for MLB.TV ($139.99/yr) and watch all the games live. And if they are Mavericks fans, they can sign up for NBA League Pass ($99.99/yr). You can also get League Pass through Fubo and DIRECTV STREAM. There used to be a similar service for NHL but it has been folded into ESPN+.

What happened to Fox Sports Southwest?

Fox Sports Southwest has been rebranded as Bally Sports Southwest. When 21st Century Fox merged with Walt Disney, the US Justice Department forced the sale of the Fox Sports RSN because of an antitrust conflict because of Disney’s ownership of ESPN. Sinclair Broadcast Group and Entertainment Studios (as Diamond Holdings) bought all the Fox RSNs and made a deal with Bally’s Corporation to use its name. Hence Fox Sports Southwest became Bally Sports Southwest.

How can I watch the Rangers’ divisional rivals?

The following articles provide all the information you need to watch the other American League West teams:

How can I watch the Stars’ divisional rivals?

For information about the other teams in the Central Division, see these articles:

How can I watch the other Southwest division rivals?

For information about the other teams in the SouthWest Division except Mavericks, and Spurs, see these articles:

Ditch “Big Cable” Now – 3 Simple Steps to Cut the Cord

  1. Pick the right streaming service
  2. Get the content you deserve with the best VPN.
  3. Supercharge your internet provider

That’s it — you’ll save money, take back control, and enjoy TV more!

Page Updates

  1. Added links to streaming services. Added links. Image changes. Pricing updates.

  2. Added a few links. Reworded some things.

  3. Added VPN info. Added buttons for streaming services. Added links to streaming services. Pricing updates. More links.

  4. Added links to streaming services. Updated some sub-sections. Linking. Mentioned offers.

  5. Linking. Image changes. Formatting changes.

  6. Added sub-section. Pricing updates. Cross linking. Mentioned offers.

  7. Updated some sub-sections. Updated some section headings. Mentioned offers.

  8. Updated one section.

Frank Moraes
Follow me
Share via
Copy link
Powered by Social Snap