Giants vs Dodgers live stream: how to watch the MLB Opening Day game from anywhere

The wait is over and Major League Baseball is back for a shortened 2020 season that kicks off with an Opening Day double-header tonight. Read on as we've got all the details of how to watch the Giants vs Dodgers online and live stream all the MLB action today.

Giants vs Dodgers cheat sheet

Tonight’s Dodgers vs Giants game takes place in Los Angeles, California at Dodgers Stadium and starts at 10.08pm ET / 8.08pm PT. It’s being shown nationally on ESPN - available to cord cutters as part of a great value Sling TV Orange package. 

The Dodgers and Giants will play the first of a series of three games tonight at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles to help kick off the 2020 MLB season. The Blue Crew will be hoping to keep up last season’s momentum, when they finished the regular season top of the NL West before losing to the Nationals in the Division Series. Meanwhile, the Giants be looking for something of a fresh start this year, after ending the 2019 MLB season third place in the NL West.

This will be the Giant’s first game under their new manager Gabe Kapler, after Bruce Bochy retired at the end of last season, and fans hope it might be the change the team needs to turn things around. However, any surge in expectations has been tempered by the fact that the G's six-time All-Star catcher, Buster Posey, won’t be playing this year, choosing to sit the season out due to coronavirus concerns. 

The Dodgers also have a significant opt-opt this year in new pitcher David Price, but the real prize of their off-season raid on the Red Sox, star outfielder Mookie Betts, will be playing tonight. In fact, he'll be playing in LA for a very long time, with the 2018 league MVP just inking a 12-year, $365m contract extension.

Whether you’re a Dodgers fan in Los Angeles, a Giants fan in San Francisco or just want to tune in to see all the action at Opening Day, we’ll show you how to get a Giants vs Dodgers live stream from anywhere in the world.

• More sport: how to watch an F1 live stream

How to watch the Giants vs Dodgers from outside your country

If you're in the US tonight, then getting a Dodgers vs Giants live stream should be no problem, as the game is being shown on ESPN - available via both cable TV and a number of over-the-top platforms. 

Anyone out of the country might run into more difficulty, though, as geo-blocking  will stop you from watching the same services and content you normally would at home - even though you pay for them.

Fortunately, a solution exists in the form of a VPN - a handy bit of software that will let you regain access to your normal baseball live stream, no matter where you are in the world. It does this by re-routing your device's IP address back to the location you choose - in this case, probably the US, but possibly elsewhere.

This functionality also means that VPNs are great for getting around in-market black out restrictions, making them something every MLB fan should have in their bat bag. But which one should you swing for?

ExpressVPN - get 3 months FREE with this deal 
We've tested hundreds of Virtual Private Networks over the years and can confidently say that ExpressVPN is the #1 VPN in the world right now. It's easy to install, a breeze to use, offers fast speeds and robust security features - and even comes with 24/7 customer support.

Compatible with nearly anything you can imagine, a single ExpressVPN subscription will let you use the software across all your devices, including Smart TVs, Fire TV Stick, PC, Mac, iPhone, Android phones, iPads, tablets, consoles, Apple TV and more. 

Check out ExpressVPN for all your MLB streaming needs. You get the benefit of a quibble free 30-day money back guarantee to give it a whirl and the benefit of 3 months extra FREE if you commit to an annual plan - the ultimate solution for this season and beyond.View Deal

Giants vs Dodgers live stream: how to watch MLB Opening Day in the US

Tonight’s Opening Day MLB action is a double-header on ESPN with the Yankees vs National game first, followed by the Dodgers vs Giants at 10.08pm ET / 9.08pm CT/  8.08pm PT.

As tonight’s game is being shown on ESPN, this means that local coverage, which is usually provided by SportsNet LA (for the Dodgers) and KNTV (for the Giants), will not be available.

If you live in the US and have a cable subscription, you’ll be able to watch tonight’s Giants vs Dodgers game on ESPN. You can also stream the game online through the ESPN website but you will need to login with the credentials from your cable provider to do so. If you don’t have cable though, you can still watch this game on MLB.TV or with an over-the-top streaming service.

MLB.TV will let you watch every game of the 2020 season for a one-off payment of $59.99 (or $49.99 for a single team), but there's one huge catch in that it's only designed for out-of-market viewing. This means if you're local to either Los Angeles or San Francisco, you'll find the game blacked out - unless you use a VPN as per our guide above, of course.

Of the OTT options, we think Sling TV is the best fit for most people's baseball watching needs. It offers access to all the channels you need to watch prime-time games - ESPN, TBS, Fox Sports and MLB Network - and packages from just $30 a month, as well as coming with a FREE trial period so you can see if it's right for you.

Here are all of your over-the-top options in full. All prices are per month, based on the package or combination of packages that gets you access to the most MLB games.

• Sling TV $55 - All the cable channels a baseball fan needs to watch the biggest games in one place. A combined Sling Blue and Orange package for $45 covers ESPN, TBS and Fox Sports, while $10 adds Sports Extra and MLB Network (plus NHL Network, NBA TV, beIN Sports, ESPN U, Tennis Channel and more). On balance, our favorite option and you can try a FREE Sling TV trial - but note local coverage is limited.
• YouTube TV $64.99 - The best option after Sling, YouTube TV includes ESPN, ESPN2, Fox, FS1, MLB Network and TBS. Many local networks and regional networks are also covered, six accounts are included in the price, and a free trial is available.
• Hulu $54.99 - A good option, Hulu with Live TV includes ESPN, ESPN2, Fox, FS1 and TBS but does not come with the MLB Network. It does, however, offer local networks in select markets. Free trial offered.
• AT&T TV Now $55 - Another solid offering, AT&T TV Now gets you ESPN, Fox Sports and TBS but, again, not MLB Nework. Local TV coverage is available in select markets. Free trial offered.
• fuboTV $54.99 - Not necessarily worth considering for baseball fans, Unfortunately it does not have ESPN, MLB Network or TBS - though it does offer strong local coverage and offer a free trial.

Dodgers vs Giants live stream: how to watch MLB online in the UK

BT Sport has the broadcast rights to all MLB games in the UK through 2021 and all of the channels you’ll need to watch this season’s games will be available through one of BT’s many TV bundles, or as an add-on for Sky TV and Virgin Media customers.

Tonight’s Dodgers vs Giants game will be shown on BT Sport 1 beginning at 3am BST. Due to the time difference, the game will be in the early hours of Friday morning.

If you’re not a BT Sport subscriber yet, you can still get access to the network’s content without locking yourself into a lengthy contract by signing up for a Monthly Pass for £25.

It’s also worth noting that MLB.TV is also available in the UK for approximately £50 a month. You get access to the same games and content as US viewers do but you won’t have to worry about blackout rules which will no doubt make it easier to watch baseball this season.

How to watch the Giants vs Dodgers: live stream MLB in Canada

Candian baseball fans will be able to watch tonight’s Giants vs Dodgers game on TSN and the network will begin its coverage of the game at 10.08pm ET / 8.10pm PT on TSN4.

You can also stream this game live on TSN’s website but you will need to provide the credentials from your cable subscriber to watch it. Streaming the game online won’t cost you anything extra but you will have to login first.

Alternatively, cord cutters can also subscribe to TSN’s streaming service, TSN Direct for just $24.99 a month. TSN’s French language counterpart, RDS has an equivalent offering that also shows MLB live on TV and online.

Just like in the US and UK, MLB.TV is also available in Canada though Blue Jays games are subject to blackouts.

Dodgers vs Giants: series details and TV schedule

• Dodgers vs Giants game 1 on ESPN: Thursday, July 23, 10.08pm ET/8.10pm PT
• Dodgers vs Giants game 2 on SportsNet LA/KNTV: Friday, July 24, 9.40pm ET/6.40pm PT
• Dodgers vs Giants game 3 on FOX: Saturday, July 25, 4.10pm ET/1.10pm PT
• Dodgers vs Giants game 4 on ESPN: Sunday, July 26, 10.08pm ET/7.08pm PT

from TechRadar - All the latest technology news