New Season,
New Ways to Watch the Blues

August 25, 2026
by Aaron Mateer

All eyes were on Chelsea yesterday, after Arsenal and Man City were the only other teams in the "Big Six" to snag a win in the opening round of games. In a 38-game season, the opening fixture serves to show each team's intention, but not a lot more than that.

There's plenty to get excited about as a Chelsea fan. It's as if there's a grown-up in charge again with Alonso and his team bringing a stability and maturity we've been craving. Hopes are as high as ever, but will Sanchez in goal be our undoing? I definitely think so. It's crazy to think a goalie who wasn't good enough to be in Spain's World Cup winning squad, even as a reserve, is who we're trusting between the sticks.

Pricey Programming

While a lot has changed at Chelsea this season, my watching experience has changed this year too. For the last three years, I've had access to DirecTV - the full, old-school cable version. This year, the cord was cut and I'm chasing the cheapest way to stream the Blues. 

I looked at everything from Fubo to YouTube, and it seems there weren't many options to stream NBC/USA/NBCSN below $50 per month. Add that those options don't cover any of the games on Peacock, which is around $11 per month, and the price of fandom from afar is looking pretty steep. 

Sling TV is a great option that I've used many years ago. However, even though Sling Blue includes USA network, in my area (Reno-Tahoe) it does NOT include the NBC local network. So at $45 per month Sling Blue still doesn't cover everything.

¡Hola!

Then, I looked at the Spanish language options. I noticed that most games that are broadcast on USA network also seem to be broadcast on NBC's Universo. I found the Sling Latino plan for $10 per month. 

I signed up and watched the game at Fulham yesterday on Universo. My Spanish is pretty poor, but the best part about the broadcast is you'll never miss when a goal is scored. I loved hearing the "GOOOOOOOOOOL" for all three of Chelsea's goals. Even if I don't follow everything the commentators are saying, it was very enjoyable.

Sling Latino at $10 per month is a great deal. However, it also doesn't include the local NBC network. 

So what to do when a Chelsea game is on NBC, and not on Universo? 

I haven't crossed that bridge just yet, but I'm looking at antenna options to use the over-the-air broadcast option. If I find a good option, I'll let you know.