Technologies

World Baseball Classic 2023: Schedule, Format, How to Watch and Stream From Anywhere

The WBC tournament is in full swing, with a packed slate of games all day on Saturday.

Spring training games have begun, but many Major League baseball players have entered a two-week break from practices and practice games in Arizona and Florida to play for their countries in the World Baseball Classic.

With a roster of 30 MLB players, Team USA enters the tournament as the defending champion. The Dominican Republic (winner in 2013) and Japan (two-time champ, in 2009 and 2006) loom as the biggest obstacles to an American repeat. Team USA kicks off its title defense against Great Britain at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT) on Fox.

The tournament started on March 7 and runs to March 21. Games are being shown on Fox, FS1, FS2 and Fox Deportes. Here’s everything you need to know to watch the WBC, with or without cable.

Mookie Betts adjusts his Dodgers hat — Mookie Betts is trading Dodger blue for red, white and blue while he suits up for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.

Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

What is the schedule and format of the WBC?

Twenty teams will play in this year’s tournament, up from 16 teams in past years. There are four different pools of five teams each. The top two teams in each pool will advance to the quarterfinals, at which point it becomes an eight-team, single-elimination tournament.

Pool play: March 7 to 15

Quarterfinals: March 15 to 18

Semifinals: March 19 and 20

Championship: March 21

Where are the WBC games being played?

The tournament will be held in four locations, two in the US and two in Asia:

LoanDepot Park (home of the Miami Marlins) in Miami
Chase Field (home of the Arizona Diamondbacks) in Phoenix
Tokyo Dome in Tokyo
Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium in Taichung, Taiwan

Which countries are playing in the World Baseball Classic?

Here’s how the 20 teams are arranged in the four pools:

Pool A

Cuba
Netherlands
Italy
Chinese Taipei
Panama

Pool A will play its games in Taiwan.

Pool B

Japan
South Korea
Australia
China
Czech Republic

Pool B will play its games in Japan.

Pool C

United States
Mexico
Canada
Colombia
Great Britain

Pool C will play its games in Phoenix.

Pool D

Dominican Republic
Venezuela
Puerto Rico
Israel
Nicaragua

Pool D will play its games in Miami.

Pool A and B quarterfinals will be played in Japan. Pool C and D quarterfinals will be played in Miami. The semifinals and championship game will be played in Miami.

Who are the biggest MLB stars playing in the WBC?

USA: Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, Trea Turner, Pete Alonso, Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado

Dominican Republic: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Manny Machado, Rafael Devers, Juan Soto, Wander Franco, Julio Rodríguez, Sandy Alcantara

Japan: Shohei Ohtani, Yu Darvish

Venezuela: Ronald Acuña Jr., Jose Altuve

Netherlands: Xander Bogaerts

Puerto Rico: Francisco Lindor

Canada: Freddie Freeman

You can see the full roster for each WBC team here.

When does Team USA play?

Here’s the schedule for the US team’s four games in Pool C:

Game 1 vs. Great Britain: March 11 at 6 p.m. PT (9 p.m. ET) on Fox
Game 2 vs. Mexico: March 12 at 7 p.m. PT (10 p.m. ET) on FS1
Game 3 vs. Canada: March 13 at 7 p.m. PT (10 p.m. ET) on FS1
Game 4 vs. Colombia: March 15 at 7 p.m. PT (10 p.m. ET) on FS1

The tournament starts at 11 p.m. ET (8 p.m. PT) on March 7 with the first game between Cuba and the Netherlands. You can see the full WBC schedule here.

How can I watch the World Baseball Classic?

You can watch the WBC on Fox, FS1, FS2 and Fox Deportes with a live TV streaming service, but keep in mind that not every service carries every local network, so check each one using the links below to make sure it carries Fox in your area. The key channel for the WBC is FS1, which will not only show three of Team USA’s first four games but will also show both semifinal games and the title game.

Games can also be streamed live online through FoxSports.com or the Fox Sports app, but you’ll need to authenticate with a cable, streaming or satellite login. You don’t need an account to watch the three games on the free, ad-supported Tubi streaming service.

Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Fox Sports App

Free with authentication

You can watch WBC games live at FoxSports.com or the Fox Sports app, but you need to authenticate with a cable, streaming or satellite login. Fox Sports has apps for iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Google TV and Xbox.

See at Fox Sports

Sling/CNET

Sling TV

Carries Fox, FS1 and FS2 for $51 a month

Sling’s $40-a-month Blue package includes Fox and FS1, but it carries Fox only in a handful of areas. It does not offer Fox Deportes. You can add FS2 for an extra $11 a month. Read our Sling TV review.

See at Sling TV

YouTube TV

Carries Fox, FS1 and FS2 for $65 a month

YouTube TV costs $65 a month and includes Fox, FS1 and FS2 but not Fox Deportes. Plug in your ZIP code on its welcome page to see which local networks are available in your area. Read our YouTube TV review.

See at YouTube TV

Fubo TV

FuboTV

Carries Fox, FS1 and FS2 for $70 a month

FuboTV’s basic plan costs $75 a month and includes Fox, FS1 and FS2. To watch Spanish-language broadcasts on Fox Deportes, you will need to spring for FuboTV’s $86-a-month plan. Click here to see which local channels you get. Read our FuboTV review.

See at FuboTV

Hulu

Hulu with Live TV

Carries Fox, FS1 and FS2 for $70 a month

Hulu with Live TV costs $70 a month and includes Fox. Click the «View channels in your area» link on its welcome page to see which local channels are offered in your ZIP code. Read our Hulu with Live TV review.

See at Hulu with Live TV

Directv stream

DirecTV Stream

Carries Fox and FS1 for $75 a month

DirecTV Stream’s basic, $75-a-month package includes Fox and FS1. You need to spend $110 to also get FS2. Fox Deportes is not offered. You can use its channel lookup tool to see which local channels are available where you live. Read our DirecTV Stream review.

See at DirecTV Stream

How to use a VPN to watch the WBC from anywhere

If you’re traveling outside your home country and want to watch the WBC, or just want an added layer of privacy for streaming, there is an option that doesn’t require searching the internet for a sketchy website: You can use a VPN, or virtual private network.

With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to WBC broadcasts, which comes in handy if you find yourself unable to view the games locally. A VPN is the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds by encrypting your traffic. Using a VPN is also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.

If you can’t find a convenient opportunity to watch the WBC where you live, using a VPN with a US-based server should provide access to some or all of the streaming options listed below. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.

Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, as long as you’ve got a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions. See our list of best VPNs for more and check out other great VPN deals taking place right now.

Sarah Tew/CNET

ExpressVPN

Best VPN for streaming

ExpressVPN is our current best VPN pick for people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It’s normally $13 per month, and you can sign up for ExpressVPN and save 49% plus get three months of access for free — the equivalent of $6.67 per month — if you get an annual subscription. Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

See at ExpressVPN

Quick tips for streaming the WBC using a VPN

With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — experience and success may vary.
If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the «search for city or country» option.
If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.

Technologies

Pope Francis’ Funeral: How to Stream Live or Watch the Replay

Here’s how to stream the pope’s funeral very early Saturday, and what you can expect to see during the service.

After a week of global mourning for Pope Francis, who died on Monday at age 88, the pope’s funeral will be celebrated on Saturday . Francis’ funeral will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. local time at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City (which is very, very early if you’re tuning in from the US or Canada), and he will be laid to rest at the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome.

The Vatican will be livestreaming the papal funeral and procession, though not the burial, on its YouTube channel as it happens. The funeral will also be televised live on CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox, as well as on streaming services like Disney Plus, Hulu, Peacock and Paramount Plus. Due to the time difference, it seems likely that many interested North American viewers will catch it when it’s replayed later on Saturday. Numerous networks will rebroadcast the service later that day.

If you choose to stay up, or get up early, here’s when the live broadcast of the pope’s funeral will air in your time zone in the continental US on April 26:

ET: 4 a.m.
CT: 3 a.m.
MT: 2 a.m.
PT: 1 a.m.

The papacy of Pope Francis was notable for the progressive reforms he brought to the Roman Catholic Church. He appointed more than half of the current College of Cardinals and attempted to foster more positive attitudes toward members of the LGBT community and migrants worldwide.

What to expect from the funeral

The funeral will follow many rituals, though not all traditional protocols will be followed. Most popes are buried in St. Peter’s Basilica or its grottoes, but the AP reports Francis chose the St. Mary Major Basilica to reflect his veneration of an icon of the Virgin Mary that is located there, the Salus Populi Romani (Salvation of the People of Rome).

His funeral will be less elaborate than those of other popes per his own wishes. Francis simplified papal funeral rites last year, permitting his burial outside the Vatican, and emphasizing his role as a bishop rather than as pope (the pope is also the Bishop of Rome).

Previous popes were buried in three coffins: one of cypress, one of lead and one of oak. Francis requested to be buried in a single wooden, zinc-lined coffin and not to be placed in an elevated bier as other popes were.

The coffin will be taken from St Peter’s Basilica and placed on a dais in St Peter’s Square, where Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re will lead the service. After the service, the coffin will return to St Peter’s Basilica before it is carried across the River Tiber and to the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major for burial. The ceremony is estimated to end around 2 p.m. local time, or four hours after it begins.

Pope Francis’ funeral Mass will be the first of nine Masses held daily at St. Peter’s until May 4. This is an ancient tradition of the Catholic Church that observes nine days of consecutive mourning. According to Vatican News, a different group of mourners will participate each day, though the Eucharistic celebrations are open to everyone.

Who will attend Pope Francis’ funeral?

Hundreds of people, including world leaders and royals, are expected to attend Pope Francis’ funeral.

US president Donald Trump confirmed on his Truth Social Platform that he and first lady Melania Trump will be at the funeral. This will be Trump’s first foreign trip in his second term. He is expected to have a seat in the third row, though the Vatican has yet to release an official seating chart. It is tradition for the first row of seats to go to Catholic royalty, and the second row to non-Catholic royals.

Prince William, who is attending on behalf of King Charles, will sit in the second row, which is reserved for non-Catholic royals. Former president Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden, devout Catholics, will also attend the funeral.

Conclave: What happens next to choose the new pope

After Pope Francis’ funeral, the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church will vote on his successor in an assembly of cardinals known as a conclave.

There are many matters for the cardinals to settle before the conclave begins, but once it does, it can take days or even weeks to conclude. Two-thirds of the cardinals’ votes are required to elect the next pope. The conclave occurs behind closed doors and the vote tally is never made public.

Read more: Where to Watch Conclave, the Vatican Thriller About Electing a New Pope

Look for the white smoke

The ballots are burned after each round, and chemicals are added to the flames to produce black smoke if there’s no majority. When a new pope has been selected, the chemicals will be added to the flames so they produce white smoke. Crowds gather in St. Peter’s Square to watch for the results.

If you’re fascinated by the process, you can watch a dramatized version of the events in 2024 film Conclave.

In the movie, Ralph Fiennes stars as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence, who spearheads the election of the next pope while investigating rumors about potential candidates. The film is based on the 2016 novel by Robert Harris and is completely fictional — though it does represent some of the events of how actual papal conclaves take place. In March, the film won the Academy Award for best adapted screenplay.

You can stream Conclave on Amazon Prime Video, or rent it for $6 on Apple TV, Fandango at Home, YouTube or Google Play Movies.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for April 26, #685

Hints and answers for Connections for April 26, #685.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections puzzle features a lot of short words, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. That purple category requires a lot of thinking — probably most people will solve it only by solving the other three and having four words left over. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Rainbow.

Green group hint: San Fernando ____.

Blue group hint: Think Robert.

Purple group hint: Mixed-up hue words.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Tint.

Green group: Valley.

Blue group: Bobs.

Purple group: Color anagrams.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is tint. The four answers are color, hue, shade and tone.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is valley. The four answers are dale, dell, glen and hollow.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is Bobs. The four answers are Dole, Hope, Marley and Ross.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is color anagrams. The four answers are Dre (red), Gary (gray), genre (green) and lube (blue).

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for April 26, #215

Hints and answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, No. 215, for Saturday, April 26.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Connections: Sports Edition is tough today. The purple category theme threw me because of one phrase I didn’t know. And let’s hope you’re familiar with college coach surnames. Read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Try to achieve.

Green group hint: Move through it.

Blue group hint: Sideline bosses.

Purple group hint: Like a carton.