The Major League Baseball season has reached its midpoint. The game’s brightest stars are in Atlanta for the All-Star Game on Tuesday, but up first is the Home Run Derby tonight. Eight sluggers will compete for the title of Home Run Derby champ.
The Derby gets underway tonight at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) tonight on ESPN and ESPN2. Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services to use to watch live wherever you are in the world.
Which players are participating in the Home Run Derby?
This year’s eight Home Run Derby participants are:
- Twins outfielder Byron Buxton
- Rays infielder Junior Caminero
- Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr.
- Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz
- Braves first baseman Matt Olson
- Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh
- Athletics designated hitter Brent Rooker
- Nationals outfielder James Wood
Only Matt Olson of the Braves has previous Derby experience. The other seven are making their Derby debuts tonight.
What is the format of the Home Run Derby?
The Home Run Derby features eight players and three rounds. In the first round, each player gets three minutes or 40 pitches (whichever comes first) to hit as many home runs as possible. Each player also gets a bonus period that lasts until he records three outs (any swing that doesn’t result in a home run), and if a player hits a home run of at least 425 feet within the bonus period, the period is extended until the player records a fourth out.
The four players with the most homers advance to the semis. In the event of a tie, the player who hit the longest home run during the round advances. In the semis, the players are seeded by the number of home runs they hit in the first round, with No. 1 versus No. 4 and No. 2 versus. No. 3 in a knockout round. Players get two minutes or 27 pitches in the semifinals and finals to crown the Home Run Derby champion.
Livestream the MLB Home Run Derby 2025 in the US
This year’s Home Run Derby will be broadcast in the US on ESPN and ESPN2. The main broadcast on ESPN will be anchored by Karl Ravech with analysts Eduardo Pérez and Todd Frazier and reporter Alden González.
The Home Run Derby: Statcast Edition will air on ESPN2 with Kevin Brown handling the play-by-play along analyst and Olympic Gold Medalist Jessica Mendoza and Statcast Insider Mike Petriello.
All five of the major live TV streaming services carry ESPN and ESPN2.
How to watch the MLB Home Run Derby 2025 online from anywhere using a VPN
If you find yourself unable to view the action locally, you may need a different way to watch the Home Run Derby — that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it’s 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.
With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. 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, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have 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.
Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.
Livestream the Home Run Derby 2025 in Canada
Canadian baseball fans looking to watch the 2025 derby can catch all the action live via Sportsnet.
Livestream the MLB Home Run Derby in Australia
Viewers down under can watch this year’s Home Run Derby on ESPN via Foxtel. If you’re not a Fox subscriber, your best option is to sign up to streaming service Kayo Sports.
Quick tips for streaming the MLB Home Run Derby 2025 using a VPN
- With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming the derby 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 derby 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.