CrackStreams was a popular sports streaming website that allowed users to watch live sports events for free. However, the original CrackStreams website went offline several years ago due to legal issues.
Since then, many mirror and fake CrackStreams sites have popped up, but most sports fans have moved on to safer and more reliable alternatives.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about CrackStreams, including:
- Is CrackStreams legal and safe to use?
- What are the best CrackStreams alternatives in 2022?
- Detailed reviews of 9 top CrackStreams replacement sites
- Live sports streaming tips and recommendations
- Frequently asked questions about CrackStreams and its alternatives
Let’s get started!
Is CrackStreams Legal and Safe to Use?
The original CrackStreams website distributed copyrighted content without proper licensing. Streaming pirated content is illegal, which is why the site was taken down.
However, various mirror and fake CrackStreams sites still exist. We scanned one popular mirror site using VirusTotal and found malicious files, as shown below:
This indicates potential security risks in using the site. CrackStreams may also log and sell your streaming data.
To stay safe, we recommend using a trustworthy VPN like Surfshark to protect your privacy. The VPN encrypts your traffic, hides your IP address, and secures your online identity.
Overall, we don‘t recommend using CrackStreams mirrors due to questionable legality and safety. Instead, rely on legal streaming options covered later in this guide.
Best CrackStreams Alternatives in 2022
Here are the top 9 alternatives to CrackStreams for legally and safely streaming live sports in 2022:
1. SportSurge
SportSurge is our top pick as the best CrackStreams alternative. This sports streaming site has categories for football, hockey, motorsports, MMA, boxing, basketball, and much more.
Unlike CrackStreams, SportSurge is ad-light and easy to navigate. There are minimal ads on the main interface, although you may get some during live streams.
Monthly Visitors: 1.3 million
Ad Annoyance: 2
VPN Friendly: Yes
Alternative URLs: sportsurge.net, sportsurge.club
2. fuboTV
fuboTV is a popular live TV streaming service with a focus on sports. It offers over 100 channels, including many national and regional sports networks.
New users can try fuboTV free for 7 days. It‘s a safer alternative to CrackStreams for cord-cutters who want to watch sports legally.
Monthly Visitors: 874,000
Ad Annoyance: 0 (Paid service)
VPN Friendly: Yes, with split tunneling
3. VIPRow Sports
VIPRow Sports is a free sports streaming site covering football, wrestling, boxing, basketball, soccer, motorsports, golf, tennis, and more. It has an extensive selection of live events across different sports.
The site is ad-heavy, so having an ad blocker helps. But it‘s nonetheless a great CrackStreams replacement.
Monthly Visitors: 523,000
Ad Annoyance: 4
VPN Friendly: Yes
Alternative URLs: viprow.me, vipbox.lc
4. YouTube TV
YouTube TV is a live TV streaming service with 85+ channels, including ESPN, Fox Sports, NBC Sports, and more. It offers an extensive lineup of national and regional sports networks.
At $64.99/month, YouTube TV is pricier than CrackStreams but provides legal access to tons of live sports.
Monthly Visitors: 950,000
Ad Annoyance: 0 (Paid service)
VPN Friendly: Yes
5. FirstRow Sports
FirstRow Sports specializes in football and soccer streaming but also covers other sports like baseball, basketball, motorsports, boxing, and more.
This ad-heavy site instantly provides free access to live sports streams as soon as you load the homepage.
Monthly Visitors: 312,000
Ad Annoyance: 6
VPN Friendly: Yes
Alternative URLs: firstrowsports.eu, firstrowsportes.top
6. FootyBite
FootyBite started out streaming football (soccer) games but now covers multiple sports including NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, motorsports, rugby, and more.
This site has excellent navigation but doesbombard you with ads. Using an ad blocker is recommended.
Monthly Visitors: 120,000
Ad Annoyance: 5
VPN Friendly: Yes
7. VIPLeague
VIPLeague is another long-running sports streaming site operating since 2008. It lets you watch NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, soccer, motorsports, boxing, MMA, and other live sporting events for free.
Just be prepared to deal with lots of clunky ads when streaming.
Monthly Visitors: 113,000
Ad Annoyance: 6
VPN Friendly: Yes
8. CricHD
As the name suggests, CricHD started as a cricket streaming site but has expanded to cover other live sports including football, tennis, motorsports, golf, and basketball.
CricHD has decent navigation and a good selection of streams, although ads can be intrusive. An ad blocker helps greatly.
Monthly Visitors: 48,000
Ad Annoyance: 6
VPN Friendly: Yes
Alternative URLs: webcric.com, smartcric.com
9. LiveTV
Rounding out our list is LiveTV, a website providing live streams for football, basketball, baseball, tennis, boxing, and other global sporting events.
LiveTV works internationally, so you can access streams regardless of your location. Just be prepared for lots of ads.
Monthly Visitors: 93,000
Ad Annoyance: 7
VPN Friendly: Yes
Alternative URLs: livetv.sx, livetv.ru
Based on popularity, stream quality, and safety, SportSurge, YouTube TV, and fuboTV are likely your best bets for replacing CrackStreams in 2022. But all the sites above will give you free and legal access to live sports streaming.
What Exactly is CrackStreams?
CrackStreams was a free sports streaming site that offered links to live broadcasts of sporting events. It covered sports including NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, soccer, MMA, boxing, motorsports, and more.
The site did not host any content but aggregated streams from various online sources. This model generally falls into a legal grey area.
CrackStreams gained notoriety among sports fans as a go-to destination for free live sports streaming. But eventually, the official site went dark due to copyright violations.
Numerous imitation CrackStreams sites have popped up since but they are much riskier to use. Stick to safer alternatives like the options covered earlier.
Is CrackStreams Legal?
Streaming copyrighted content without the right licenses is generally illegal. That‘s why the original CrackStreams website was taken down through legal action.
CrackStreams offered streams from various unverified sources, many likely unauthorized. Users accessing those illegal streams could face penalties too.
While the legality of merely linking to streams is debatable, we recommend avoiding CrackStreams mirrors altogether. Use legal options like free trials of fuboTV or YouTube TV instead.
If you do choose to stream from unverified sites, protect yourself with a secure VPN like Surfshark or NordVPN. This will encrypt your streaming activities from your ISP, copyright enforcers, and any prying eyes.
On public Wi-Fi and torrenting are other instances when using a VPN becomes essential.
More Live Sports Streaming Options
Here are a few more 100% legal options for streaming live sports if you want to move on fully from CrackStreams:
Free Options
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Pluto TV – This free live TV streaming service has multiple sports channels like Fox Sports, Stadium, beIN Sports, and more.
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Locast – A non-profit service offering local sports from ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, and other broadcast stations in select US markets.
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Xumo – Has a few live sports channels like Fox Sports, Stadium, beIN Sports, among other entertainment offerings.
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Plex – Includes free live TV channels with various sports and non-sports content.
Paid Options
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Hulu + Live TV – $69.99/month for 75+ channels including ESPN, TNT, TBS and many regional sports networks.
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Sling TV – Starts at $35/month for 30+ channels. Get sports add-ons like NFL RedZone.
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DIRECTV Stream – $69.99/month for 65+ channels. Great choice for regional sports networks.
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Vidgo – $59.95/month for over 85 channels including ESPN, FS1, NFL Network, and more.
For the most robust and reliable live sports streaming, we recommend paid services like YouTube TV, fuboTV, DIRECTV Stream, Hulu + Live TV, and Sling TV.
But free options like Pluto TV and Locast give you a taste of live sports without any costs.
CrackStreams Alternatives – FAQs
What are the best alternatives to CrackStreams?
The best CrackStreams alternatives are SportSurge, fuboTV, YouTube TV, VIPRow, FirstRow Sports, FootyBite, VIPLeague, CricHD, and LiveTV.
Are CrackStreams alternatives legal?
Some sites like YouTube TV and fuboTV are 100% legal. Others may fall into a legal grey area, so stream at your own risk. Using a VPN is recommended.
Do you need a VPN for CrackStreams alternatives?
We recommend using a VPN whenever streaming from free sports sites. This protects your privacy and security. Surfshark and NordVPN are good options.
Can you get in trouble for using CrackStreams alternatives?
Streaming pirated content is illegal. While the odds of getting caught are low, use free streaming sites cautiously. Paid services like fuboTV and Hulu + Live TV let you stream safely and legally.
What sites can I watch sports on without creating an account?
SportSurge, VIPRow, FirstRow Sports, FootyBite, and CricHD do not require registration to start watching. Create accounts only on reputable paid services.
The Bottom Line
We hope this guide has given you ample CrackStreams alternatives to safely enjoy live sports streaming. Although the original CrackStreams is gone, many replacements carry on its legacy legally.
For the best experience, we recommend paid services like YouTube TV and fuboTV. But free options like SportSurge and VIPRow give you plenty of free sports streams if you‘re on a budget.
Just remember to use a VPN for privacy and security when streaming. Enjoy the big game!
