Pittsburgh Pirates on TV: Simple Guide to Channels and Streams

Where Pittsburgh Pirates on TV actually air this season

Let us start with local coverage, then move to national and streaming exclusives.

In-market Pirates games on SportsNet Pittsburgh and SNP 360

If you live near Pittsburgh or around PNC Park, most in-market Pirates games are on SportsNet Pittsburgh, the regional sports network that replaced AT&T SportsNet in the market. It carries a large share of Pittsburgh Pirates games each regular season and is the default home for many weeknight and weekend events.

SportsNet Pittsburgh also runs SNP 360, a streaming option for Pirates fans in the territory that includes SportsNet Pittsburgh. With an eligible cable subscription or a direct monthly subscription you can stream Pirates games at home and on the road, catch pre and postgame events, and replay games you missed.

National Pirates games on FOX, ESPN, TBS, and MLB Network

Some matchups are too big to be streamed locally. During the season, you will see Pittsburgh Pirates games on FOX, ESPN, TBS, and MLB Network, most often on weekend or prime time windows. 

A Wednesday night showdown with the Atlanta Braves or a Monday tilt with the Baltimore Orioles is a good example. Those games are more likely to land on national TV, which means blackout restrictions apply for the local feed. In practice, it looks like SportsNet Pittsburgh going dark for that slot while the national partner carries the game.

National nights usually feel bigger, with more comprehensive MLB coverage and highlights from around the world of baseball.

Friday Night Baseball on Apple TV and other streaming exclusives

On some Fridays, Pirates fans will not find the team on cable at all. Apple’s Friday Night Baseball package on Apple TV chooses a couple of games each week and shows them only on Apple TV Plus, even inside the home market.

If the Pittsburgh Pirates on TV are listed as a Friday Night Baseball game, you will need the Apple TV app and an active subscription to watch. To avoid surprises, make a quick habit of checking the official TV schedule page and your provider app before first pitch.

How to watch Pittsburgh Pirates games without cable

Cutting the cord does not mean giving up Pirates games if you simply pick a setup that fits your market, budget, and devices.

DIRECTV Stream Choice package for Pirates fans

DIRECTV Stream is typically the best bet among Pirates fans who are looking to have a single service that acts more or less like cable but operates on apps. Choice package or Choice plan is the cheapest package that normally includes SportsNet Pittsburgh and ESPN, FOX, TBS, and other popular sports channels in the list.

DIRECTV Stream is a cloud-based DVR, which means that you can record Pirates games and other live sporting events without the fear of storing them at home. It also allows having access to watch on smart TVs, phones, and tablets on a single account, thus in case the TV in the living room is already occupied with another activity, you can still watch the game in a different room.

New users often start with a promo or seven day free trial to see how the lineup fits, testing weekday broadcasts, weekend events, and on demand entertainment before the monthly subscription begins.

Other live TV streaming options like Hulu

DIRECTV Stream is not your only option. There are Pirates fans who combine SNP 360 with Hulu plus Live TV that offers more than 90 channels such as ESPN, FOX, TBS, and NFL RedZone. Available areas are based on where you live, and this is why before you register you should use your ZIP code and ensure that there are sports in your area.

The checklist remains constant as other services come and go out of the picture. Before you purchase anything or enter any payment information, you need to make sure that you include SportsNet Pittsburgh or SNP to watch in-market games, as well as national partners who will be showing Pirates games, MLB playoffs, and World Series games.

Out of market games, MLB.TV, and blackout rules

If you moved away from Pittsburgh but still love the Pirates, you fall into the out-of-market fans category with different options and blackout rules.

For people outside the blackout zones, MLB.TV is the main way to follow Pirates games and other out-of-market games all season. It carries nearly every MLB regular season game not blocked by blackout restrictions, and works on most modern devices. Many fans keep MLB.TV for Pirates games and a small live TV package for national nights.

Blackout restrictions exist to protect regional partners. In practice, that means in-market games are blocked on MLB.TV and some national feeds when your ZIP code maps to Pittsburgh. Blackout restrictions apply even if you do not have cable subscription at home, so it is worth checking MLB’s blackout page before you make a big ticket purchase.

Big Pirates moments and why a stable stream matters

It is annoying to lose any game, but it stings more when history is in play. When Paul Skenes is chasing a strikeout record or Oneil Cruz is putting together a four hit night, the last thing you want is a frozen picture or a bad market error. A little prep before those big games keeps you tuned in instead of troubleshooting.

Why a VPN like VeePN helps when you stream Pirates games

A VPN will not replace your TV or streaming plan, but it can make watching Pittsburgh Pirates on TV less stressful, especially away from home. VeePN focuses on privacy, stable routing, and speed so you miss fewer big moments:

• Encryption on weak networks. VeePN uses strong encryption so your traffic is protected on public Wi Fi at hotels and bars. That matters when you log in to SNP 360, DIRECTV Stream, Hulu, or MLB apps from places you do not control.
• Changing IP address to tame weird region errors. When you connect to a VPN server, your traffic uses a new VPN server’s IP address. Picking a stable nearby server location can help apps see one consistent market instead of several in one week.
• Kill Switch so your data does not leak mid game. VeePN includes a Kill Switch that blocks Internet traffic if the secure tunnel drops. That way your real IP and DNS do not quietly leak while you are deep into a late inning at bat.
• DNS and leak protection for more consistent access. DNS and IPv6 leak protection routes your requests through the secure server instead of letting stray calls escape outside the VPN. This lowers the risk of a site seeing two locations at once and additionally helps keep your browsing and streaming history more private.
• Fast protocols built for live sports. VeePN supports modern VPN connection protocols tuned for streaming so you get better speed and lower delay. When providers shape Internet speeds at peak time, encrypted tunnels make it harder to single out baseball streams and slow them down.
• One account for all your devices. A single VeePN subscription covers multiple devices at once. You can protect a smart TV, a laptop, and phones without extra accounts, keeping access ready at home and on the road.

Try VeePN to keep your Pittsburgh Pirates on TV streams safer and more stable, as we offer a 30-day money back guarantee.

Written by Oliver Bennett Oliver Bennett is a dedicated cyber security content writer with a knack for breaking down intricate cyber topics into accessible and actionable insights.

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