As a sports fan, few things are more frustrating than wanting to support your local teams only to run into the dreaded blackout restriction on broadcasts. These blocked games on TV tend to be some of the most significant too – rivalries, championships, playoffs.
Fortunately, with the right sports streaming service, you can bypass the blackout blues. And that‘s where Bally Sports comes in…
What is Bally Sports?
Bally Sports is a specialized live TV streaming platform focused squarely on regional sports coverage. That means access to broadcast games and commentary for your closest professional teams across MLB, NBA, NHL and NFL.
Top college athletics also feature prominently with content deals spanning 30 conferences and rights to 250 teams nationally.
This hyperlocal sports coverage fills a much-needed gap that national mainstream broadcasters simply can‘t consistently provide. But signing up is just the first step to unlocking the action.
You also need to activate Bally Sports across the devices you want to stream from – whether that‘s your living room TV, tablet or phone on the go.
And getting set up can trip up even seasoned streamers. That‘s what this guide is for! I‘ll explain exactly how to activate the Bally Sports app or website on any compatible device you own.
By the end, watching your home teams compete won‘t be a chore but an absolute pleasure!
Why We Need Services Like Bally Sports
First, let‘s address the elephant in the stadium…blackouts.
These restrictive policies dictate that local MLB, NBA and NHL games can‘t be televised in the same area where tickets could potentially still be sold.
So even if you pay for an NBA League Pass for example, you‘d still miss your home team‘s matches. Frustrating doesn‘t even begin to cover it!
According to recent consumer analysis from J.D. Power, a worrisome 61% of survey respondents reported regularly experiencing sports blackouts.
The worst impacted leagues were:
- MLB – 79% found baseball broadcasts blacked out
- NBA – 62% faced basketball game restrictions
- NHL – 56% dealt with hockey coverage being blocked
Source: J.D. Power 2022 Streaming Satisfaction Study
And which teams get blacked out the most? Whichever ones are closest to you!
Regional sports networks like Bally Sports solve this by owning local broadcast rights. They negotiate directly with leagues, clubs and conferences to show games without blackout rules applying.
Some of the perks this provides sports fans include:
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No Fear of Missing Key Games: Never miss the big playoff matchup or intense rivalry again! If your local team features, you can watch it on Bally.
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Shoulder Content Access: Get coverage beyond just matches like interviews, press conferences, analysis shows and documentaries focusing on your favorite clubs and players.
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Flexibility Across Devices: Stream sports from your living room TV, office computer, tablet on the train or phone on the go. Bally Sports lets you take the action anywhere.
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Cost Savings: Paying for a targeted regional network is cheaper than bigger general sports packages where you still encounter blackouts.
And the growth numbers show fans are responding positively to these specialized offerings.
Bally Sports parent company Sinclair Broadcasting reported the network reaching 11.7 million total subscribers in their latest financial quarter. That‘s an impressive 10% subscriber increase year-over-year.
The time is clearly right to board the regional sports train!
Now…what do you need to start streaming?
Activating Bally Sports: Prerequisites
Before we get into the step-by-step activation process, let‘s cover the prerequisites:
1. Bally Sports Account
Naturally, you need a Bally Sports subscription to access the streaming service. Sign up on their website for $19.99 per month.
If you‘re not sure it‘s worth committing yet, take the 7-day free trial for a spin first.
Do check regional availability in your zip code too prior to subscribing.
2. The Bally Sports App
To activate streaming, you‘ll need the official Bally Sports app installed on whichever devices you want to view on:
- Smart TVs: Samsung/LG WebOS, Android TV, Fire TV, Roku TV
- Media Streamers: Roku, Firestick (Fire TV), Apple TV
- Gaming Consoles: Xbox One/Series X/S, Playstation 4/5
- Mobile: Android and iOS smartphones and tablets.
Find the app on your platform‘s store and download it – Apple App Store, Google Play Store, Microsoft Store, Roku Channel Store etc.
3. A Web Browser
Alternatively, you can activate Bally Sports through a web browser on a computer, mobile or tablet connected to the internet.
Just visit BallySports.com and have your login credentials or TV provider details ready.
Speaking of login details…
4. Account Credentials
To complete activation, you will need:
- Your Bally Sports email and password if you subscribed directly as a standalone streaming customer.
OR
- Your TV provider account credentials if Bally Sports is part of your cable, satellite or live TV bundle.
Ensure you have the correct details on hand!
Right, now that the prerequisites are covered, let‘s unlock this streaming service!
Activating the Bally Sports Standalone Subscription
If you signed up independently for a Bally Sports streaming subscription (rather than getting it through your TV provider), follow these steps:
Bally Sports Standalone Activation Process Flowchart
Step 1: Install the Bally Sports App
Pull up the app store on your streaming or mobile device and download the Bally Sports app:
Downloading Bally Sports App on an iPhone
Give the app the necessary permissions when prompted.
If you need help finding or installing apps on your particular gadget, I‘d recommend checking the official support documentation from Apple, Roku, Amazon Fire TV etc. But most devices make adding apps very intuitive nowadays.
Step 2: Locate & Select the "Sign In" Button
Once Bally Sports finishes installing, open it up.
Use your remote, controller or touch input to navigate to and select the "Sign In" button:
Bally Sports App Sign In screen
This will prompt the login screen to appear.
Step 3: Input Your Account Credentials
Now comes the mildly tedious part – entering your subscription details using the on-screen virtual keyboard.
Slowly click/tap to select each letter and symbol in your registered Bally Sports email and password:
Logging in with Bally Sports account details
I recommend double-checking the typed values carefully before proceeding. But don‘t stress too much – incorrect credentials simply produce an error to try again.
And a pro tip is to toggle the eye icon next to the password field. This temporarily reveals the password characters you‘ve entered so far for easy visual confirmation.
Once fully filled out, submit by choosing the Login button.
Step 4: Repeat on Additional Devices
To activate your Bally Sports subscription across all your media players, mobiles and computers, repeat Steps 1-3 on each one.
Every gadget requires its own individual app authorization. But now that you know the process, setting up extras is breeze.
And there we have it! Your devices should now show your Bally Sports account successfully activated for streaming regional sports.
Time to sit down and enjoy all the thrills and spills of local pro games without annoying blackout restrictions!
Next up, we‘ll cover activating through a TV provider login for readers with Bally Sports bundled.
Activating Bally Sports Through Cable/Satellite/Live TV Provider
If your cable, satellite or internet TV package includes a Bally Sports subscription, activation works a little differently.
The main steps are:
Bally Sports Provider Login Activation Process Flowchart
As you can see, an extra authorization stage via the BallySports.com website is required when using a TV provider account.
Let‘s get into the specifics:
Step 1: Install the Bally Sports App
As before, download the Bally Sports app from your chosen device‘s app store and install it.
Step 2: Open the App and Select "Connect TV Provider"
On opening the newly set up Bally Sports app, choose the "Connect TV Provider" button instead of "Sign In".
Choosing TV provider login
This will trigger an activation code to display on your TV screen, which we‘ll need to input online in Step 4.
Note: This registration code generally expires after a minute or so. If you miss the window, don‘t panic – you can easily request a fresh code.
Step 3: Visit the BallySports.com/Activate Website
Now grab your laptop, tablet or mobile phone to access the handy Bally Sports activation portal:
BallySports.com/activate If your TV provider account happens to already be logged into the browser, Bally‘s site will automatically pick that up. This really smooths out the process!
If you aren‘t actively signed into your provider yet, the portal will first prompt you to input credentials – much like the standalone method.
Bally Sports provider activation portal
So enter your cable/satellite/live streaming username and password when asked.
Step 4: Input the Activation Code
Finally, take the numeric code generated on your TV way back in Step 2 and punch it into the activation portal:
Inputting code to link device with TV provider account
As long as you signed in correctly, submitting that code successfully associates your Bally Sports subscription with the streaming device or mobile app.
The app icon may quickly flash to confirm activation, so keep an eye out.
And that ties up access for another gadget! Rinse and repeat on other TVs, phones and tablets in the household.
Activating More Devices Through Cable/Satellite/Streaming Accounts
The process of adding extra devices like kids‘ tablets or the bedroom TV works just the same way when using a TV provider account:
- Install Bally Sports app
- Choose "Connect TV Provider"
- Visit BallySports.com/activate
- Sign into cable/satellite/streaming provider
- Input device activation code
So long as your overall TV package subscriptions supports it, you can authorize Bally on up to 5 devices in total.
If hitting that limit already, simply de-register an older device first at BallySports.com/account. This frees up room to onboard another.
Managing devices is under Account Settings > Registered Devices tab.
And that sums up getting set up across the board!
Let‘s recap the key steps in a comparison table:
| Step | Standalone Subscription | TV Provider Login |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Download & install Bally Sports app | Download & install Bally Sports app |
| 2 | Open app & select Sign In | Open app & select Connect TV Provider |
| 3 | Input Bally Sports email & password | Visit BallySports.com/activate portal |
| 4 | Repeat on more devices | Input activation code & provider login |
Simple enough once you know which path suits your account type!
Over 11 million sports fans have taken these steps to unlock local team access. So what are you waiting for?
Troubleshooting Bally Sports Activation Issues
Hopefully you are now excitedly streaming your state‘s championship playoffs or favorite basketball team‘s run at finals glory!
But I want to quickly cover troubleshooting guidance too in case any activation issues popped up:
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Can‘t Login: Double check you are using the correct login method – standalone or TV provider. Try your credentials again carefully too.
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Max Devices Reached Error: Bally Sports allows up to 5 activated devices per account. You‘ll need to deregister an existing one to add a new gadget. Do this under Account Settings on their website.
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Code Expired Message: No worries if your registration code timed out before entering. Just head back to the Bally Sports app on that device and request another fresh code to input.
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Device Not Registered: Similarly, expired codes can sometimes cause a device registration error even when correctly entered. Start the activation process again to generate and submit a new valid code.
If any other technical difficulties arise or error messages display during sign up, I recommend getting in touch with Bally Sports Customer Support directly for troubleshooting.
And with that, you have all the tools and motivation needed to unlock region-restricted local sports coverage across your phones, tablets, computers and TVs!
I hope this guide served you well on the journey to becoming a streaming pro. Now grab your jersey & snacks because your favorite teams are waiting!
Image credits: Bally Sports app screenshots via Bally Sports press kit. Hardware images via Apple, Roku & Amazon. Infographic created with elements from Flaticon.com. Sports fan image via contrastwerkstatt/Depositphotos
