As much as it pains fight fans to say, combat sports have drifted from the mainstream. We’re past the days of Friday night fights on network TV. Even HBO has dropped its boxing programming. But where mainstream broadcasters have slowed their coverage, streaming has picked up the slack. This is actually good news for cable cord-cutters. DAZN, ESPN+ and Showtime are some of the biggest boxing, MMA and wrestling streamers. FITE is another streaming site to consider. If you want to watch boxing and other combat sports, you should get a FITE+ subscription. There are a few different options that we’ll break down below.
What’s is FITE?
FITE is a combat sports streaming website that features live boxing, wrestling, MMA, and various other sports. It has at least one channel streaming content 24/7, as well as special events and even pay-per-view fights. It has a wealth of pre-recorded content, such as fight replays, interviews and documentaries. FITE has found a niche in less common combat sports. For instance, if you’re a bare knuckle boxing fan, there is no better site to watch matches on that FITE. If you love professional wrestling, but WWE doesn’t scratch the itch for more local, amateur events, FITE has your back. If you’ve recently stumbled onto the craze of slap fighting, FITE is your home for watching the championships.
Is FITE TV free?
Yes, some content on FITE is free. There are several different tiers of content though. Just logging in on a free account will get you access to the FITE 24/7 free streaming channel. This is basically a cable TV channel that streams constantly. The content on FITE 24/7 is primarily replays of events that previously aired on a FITE+ special or PPV. They also occasionally air free countdown shows to the paid events.
If you’re just craving some kind — any kind — of fighting content, FITE 24/7 will sake your thirst for free. It’s also a good way to check out the style and quality of FITE content to see if you want a full subscription. A FITE+ subscription is how you access the real, quality content on FITE. That is a paid subscription. More about that below.
FITE+ prices
FITE+ is the service that gives you access to a majority of the content on FITE — everything besides the occasional pay-per-view event. FITE+ costs $8 per month, or $70 per year if you buy it all at once. That makes it the cheapest combat sports streaming subscription currently available. ESPN+ is $10 per month, Showtime is $11, and DAZN is $25. With this cheap subscription you’ll get access to tons of live events, over 4,000 hours of on-demand content, and zero ads. There is also a FITE+ free trial that will let you test out the service for seven days.
Supported Devices
The good news for cord-cutters and mobile streamers is that FITE is supported by pretty much all modern devices and streaming platforms. This includes your computer via the FITE.TV website and browsers including Firefox, Safari, Opera, and Chrome; your phone or tablet via the FITE app for iOS, Android, and Amazon Fire; streaming devices like Google Chromecast, Roku, Apple TV, and Fire TV; and the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles. With an Xbox One or Chromecast device, you can download the FITE app for your phone or tablet, connect it to the same Wi-Fi network as your Xbox or Chromecast, and the app will automatically detect those platforms and stream to them from your mobile device.
If you have a smart TV, that makes things even simpler. You can also stream FITE from your mobile device to a Samsung, LG, Sharp, Bravia, Sony, Panasonic, or Viera smart television, as well as any unit with built-in Chromecast. Alternatively, you can simply install the FITE Android app on any television with Android TV and get streaming that way. For more info, you can see a detailed list of supported streaming platforms (as well as some how-to’s) here
Other streaming platforms
On the other hand, if you’re only now cutting the cord and are looking for a streaming TV package — particularly ones where you’ll be able to watch sports — then you’ve got a few options. All of these premium streaming services work on Android, iOS, Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, and Roku devices, as well as modern computer web browsers unless otherwise noted:
- DAZN is another streaming fight primarily offering contact sports. DAZN hosts a lot of boxing from two of the biggest promoters: Matchroom and Golden Boy. That means you’ll get to see some of the biggest starts in boxing like Canelo Alvarez and Anthony Joshua. DAZN also has other niche sports like snooker, pool and darts.
- Hulu with Live TV includes ESPN as part of its $65-per-month plan. You can also add premium channels like HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, and Starz, for an extra fee. If all you want is ESPN+, then a more economical might be this $13/month bundle that comes with Hulu, ESPN+, and Disney+. Hulu can be used on your Xbox console, Samsung smart TV, and Vizio SmartCast TV as well as the devices listed above.
- Sling TV has two packages which include ESPN channels: The $30 per month Orange plan and the $50 per month Blue + Orange plan. Premium channels cost extra, although HBO and Cinemax are not available with Sling. Sling is now available on Roku devices and it can be used with LG and Samsung smart TVs as well as the Xbox One.
- YouTube TV, available for $65 per month with additional premium channel subscriptions on offer, comes with ESPN, and it now also supports HBO and Cinemax as add-ons. You get unlimited DVR cloud storage, however. YouTube TV can also now be streamed on Fire devices, and it is available on the Xbox One.
