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Cable TV died only to return as live TV streaming services. Some familiar names are still around, like DirecTV, but even more have popped up as wholly unique entities. TV looks a lot different than it did a decade ago, with cord-cutting going mainstream, and TV giants ditching the proprietary boxes and hardware leases in favor of streaming over the internet.
Although the best live TV streaming services make it easier to watch live TV (often for cheaper), the internet has introduced its own problems. A large roster of brands has fragmented channel lineups, and ongoing negotiations with streaming platforms have meant channels disappear from some networks overnight. So what's the best? I went on a deep dive into channels, DVR, sports, on-demand videos, and increasingly confusing add-ons and pricing to understand where the live TV streaming market is at, and which service you should spend your money on.
Be sure to check out our Best Indoor TV Antennas and Best TVs guides for more.
How You Can Stream Live TV for Free
Most live TV streaming services will cost you money, and they aren't cheap, with the going price sitting above $80 per month. However, a new model for streaming live TV has been growing in popularity over the last several years known as FAST, or free ad-supported television.
There are several FAST services available, with some of the more popular options being Tubi, Roku TV, Pluto, and Peacock. The channels you find on FAST services don't mirror those of a traditional live TV provider, so you shouldn't expect to see major networks like Discovery, at least in the same form you find them on cable. There are thousands of FAST channels, and most of them focus on a specific genre or even a specific series.
For instance, Tubi has dedicated channels for Johnny Carson, The Carol Burnett Show, and Baywatch, while Pluto TV includes dozens of channels dedicated to sitcom re-runs, as well as a channel dedicated solely to Dateline re-runs. You won't find much in the way of live sports or new, live premieres, but FAST services are great if you just want TV for TV's sake.
How You Can Stream ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox Live
ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox are all broadcast through local affiliates, so you'll need a live TV streaming service that can deliver local affiliates. YouTube TV, Hulu Live TV, Fubo, and DirecTV support all four, but some services are different. Sling, for instance, includes NBC, ABC, and Fox, but it doesn't have CBS. And Philo doesn't offer any local affiliates.
Half of the battle with live TV streaming services is even understanding what you're getting. Although some of the confusion of cable's past is gone, a lot of it remains. Sling Orange & Blue, for instance, includes local affiliates, but unlike other services I looked it, it doesn't comes with CBS. There are dozens of examples just like this if you go through all of the channel lineups.
That's where I started. I created a grid of the top 100 channels according to Nielsen to better understand what each service offers. That helps contextualize how much you're paying. DirecTV is expensive, for instance, but it doesn't have major holes in the channels lineup like Sling TV, which you have to make up with paid add-ons.
I used these services for about three weeks, cycling between them each time I sat down to watch TV. I never experienced any outage problems, so my focus shifted to usability in the app. The goal is to have a modernized app with the features of a streaming platform (like user profiles) while maintaining the familiarity of a traditional cable service with a robust guide and easy channel switching.
Beyond usability and channel selection, I focused in on a few other key elements. Chief among them was DVR. Most live TV streaming services offer unlimited cloud DVR, but some do it better than others. DirecTV, for instance, allows you to record DVR up to 72 hours in the past. Sling, on the other hand, charges for unlimited DVR.
Best Live TV Streaming Service for Most People
Photograph: Jacob Roach
If there's an easy sell in the world of live TV streaming services, it's Hulu Live TV. Hulu and Disney+ are subscriptions you probably want anyway, and adding live TV with a comprehensive lineup of plans and ESPN Unlimited just makes sense, especially when Hulu is charging around the same price as YouTube TV.
Hulu has just a slightly less comprehensive lineup of channels compared to YouTube TV, but it still covers all the bases. You get ESPN channels, along with regional sports networks like FanDuel and local affiliates like ABC, NBC, and CBS.
You get the major channels, including big networks like Discovery, and a full roster of national news stations, including Fox, CNN, and MSNBC. The only place Hulu loses out is with secondary channels. Channels like Science, Hallmark Family, and MTV 2 are paid add-ons, even though the main channels on these networks are included with the base plan.
My big gripe with Hulu is its frustrating interface. Even before introducing Live TV, Hulu had a rough app, and that hasn't changed. It's cluttered and clunky, and although there's still a guide with useful category sorting, the app still feels like it's fighting with itself. Unlike YouTube, which separates YouTube and YouTube TV into separate apps, there's only one Hulu app. Further, the future of Live TV isn't clear. Disney has said it will phase out the Hulu app, integrating it into Disney+. That includes Live TV, and it's unclear how it'll work when that happens.
Still, the thing that makes Hulu Live TV so attractive hasn't changed. You get an awful lot for your money, combining go-to streaming apps between Hulu and Disney+, a solid channel lineup of live TV, and ESPN Unlimited to create a package that's hard for most services to contend with.
WIRED
- Excellent channel lineup
- Includes ESPN Unlimited, Hulu, and Disney+
- Local affiliates and regional sports networks
TIRED
- Frustrating interface
- Expensive
A Close Second
Photograph: Jacob Roach
What I love about YouTube TV is that it's easy. There's one plan that comes with a complete roster of channels for a reasonable price, and only a handful of add-ons that truly feel like add-ons (i.e., Spanish-speaking channels and movie channels). You don't need a spreadsheet to understand what you're getting with YouTube TV. With all the major channels you want and unlimited DVR, everything is built into the base plan.
Along with broad national channel coverage, YouTube TV includes local channels in most areas. Even in Missouri, where I live, YouTube TV has all of my local channels, including ABC, Fox, NBC, and CBS. You'd be shocked at how few live TV streaming services include all of your local affiliates. However, while affiliate inclusion is great, YouTube TV is spotty when it comes to regional sports networks.
YouTube TV has a simple lineup of offerings, so it makes sense that it has an equally straightforward app. It's my favorite app out of any of the streaming services I tested. It's lightning fast without even a hint of lag, and it's available everywhere, from smart TVs like those from Hisense, Samsung, Vizio, LG, and Roku, to streaming devices from Amazon and Apple, not to mention game consoles.
Although YouTube TV has a comprehensive lineup of channels, apps, and features, it's also one of the most expensive live TV streaming services around, and there aren't any ways to save money with a smaller channel lineup. In addition, it doesn't include any extras like you get with Hulu Live TV. It would be great to have, for instance, YouTube Premium included to unlock ad-free YouTube videos and YouTube Music.
YouTube TV recently removed Disney from its offerings, cutting ESPN, ABC, and Disney proper. The company says these channels may come back in the future, but that seems unlikely immediately. Still, it's clear why YouTube TV is such a popular option. It's easy, and if you can float the monthly price, you won't have to worry much about random channels falling through the cracks because of renewal deals or add-ons to pick up a single extra channel.
WIRED
- Dead-simple user interface
- Smooth DVR experience
- Local affiliates and regional sports networks
TIRED
- Lacks Disney, ABC, and ESPN
- Expensive without any monthly extras
Cheapest Live TV Streaming Service
Photograph: Jacob Roach
I won't mince words: Sling TV is confusing. It has, by far, the most confusing lineup of plans and add-ons out of any of the live TV streaming services I tested. There are a handful of core plans, none of which encompass the scale of Hulu Live TV, YouTube TV, or DirecTV, as well as about half a dozen add-ons to bring the channel roster up to par. This modular approach is annoying while shopping, though it also means you can save quite a bit of money by only picking up what you need.
The core of Sling is Blue and Orange. The Blue plan focuses on news and entertainment, while the Orange plan cuts news like MSNBC and CNN in favor of an array of ESPN channels. It's clear Sling wants folks to pick up the Orange & Blue plan that combines these channel lineups. It's about 30 percent cheaper getting them together than it is purchasing them separately (and about $30 cheaper than most other providers).
The Orange & Blue plan, which I recommend for most people, covers the major bases, but it loses out on some of the secondary channels available elsewhere. For instance, you get ESPN channels and Fox Sports 1, but not Fox Sports 2 or the Big Ten Network. You'll need an add-on for those.
Most of Sling's add-ons are $6 extra per month, minus the sports add-on, which is $15. The add-ons fill in the gaps depending on what you're most interested in. The entertainment add-on includes Cartoon Network and MTV, for instance, while the movies add-on comes with Grit, TCM, and FXX. You can pick up all of the extras for $27 per month with Blue & Orange or $21 per month with other plans. Even with the full package, however, Sling comes in a few dollars below YouTube TV and Hulu Live TV, and there are opportunities to get your monthly price even lower by cutting some packages.
For apps, Sling has just about everything you could want. Roku, Samsung, LG, Apple, and Google TV are all supported, as are boxes from Cox, Xfinity, and even TiVo Stream. Mobile apps are available, and there's an app for the Xbox (though not the PlayStation 5).
Although not as responsive as YouTube TV, the app felt smooth on my TCL QM8K. You can create profiles, see upcoming games, and favorite channels in the guide so they're easy to find.
WIRED
- Can save a lot of money
- Solid smart TV app
TIRED
- Missing several channels
- Confusing plan and add-on lineup
Best Cable Replacement
Photograph: Jacob Roach
If you want cable without the box, DirecTV is what you're after. It's only fitting that the only familiar satellite service on this list is the best cable replacement, and DirecTV lives up to its name—for better and worse. On the plus side, there's a massive channel selection, particularly on the Choice plan and above. DirecTV includes most of the top 100 channels I looked at, along with major regional sports networks like FanDuel and NBC Sports.
And just like the satellite plans of yore, DirecTV charges a pretty penny. Plans climb all the way to $170 per month if you want movie channels like Starz and Showtime, and even DirecTV's cheaper Choice and Entertainment plans come in $10 to $15 more than Hulu Live TV and YouTube TV.
Still, you get quite a bit for your money. In addition to a broad channel lineup, DirecTV includes ESPN Unlimited with every plan, along with ad-supported versions of Disney+ and Hulu with the Choice plan and above. Unlimited DVR also comes standard, as does unlimited streams at home (and up to three outside of your home).
You can build your own plan with DirecTV's Genre Packs, though the cost ends up being more expensive than just picking up one of the full plans from the get-go. For most people, the Choice plan is the best option. It includes quite a few more channels than the cheaper Entertainment plan, including the NFL and MLB Networks, along with truTV, Pop, and Science. The more expensive Ultimate plan has more channels, but they're mainly secondary channels like Disney Junior and Nat Geo Wild.
The DirecTV app is available on Fire TV, Google TV, Apple TV, Roku, and Samsung TVs (2017 and newer), and you'll also find apps on mobile devices and in your browser. Notably, there aren't any apps for game consoles, which is a shame because DirecTV's app feels sluggish. It's great in the browser, but testing on my TCL QM8K TV, there was always a bit of a hang as I navigated through channels. I suspect this will only be exaggerated on less powerful devices, like a cheaper Roku Streaming Stick.
I don't love the interface, but there are solid features. You can favorite channels and sports teams to easily find them, as well as turn on live scores. The most frustrating aspect is the home screen. It's useful for seeing your favorite channels, but leaving a channel will return you to this home screen rather than the guide.
WIRED
- Massive channel lineup
- Unlimited local streams
- Full local affiliate and regional sports network coverage
TIRED
- The most expensive option
- Sluggish app
Best for Sports
Photograph: Jacob Roach
Fubo makes a big deal about the number of channels it carries, and by the numbers, it has a ton of channels indeed. It's missing a lot of the important ones—TBS, Discovery, CNN, and Univision chief among them—but if you want both The Weather Channel and AccuWeather, Fubo has your back. Fubo may not have all the channels that Hulu Live TV or YouTube TV have, but it goes deep in one area: sports.
ESPN Unlimited is included with every plan. Fubo has the most comprehensive list of regional sports networks out of any of the live TV streaming services I tested. FanDuel and NBC Sports take center stage, but Fubo also carries smaller regional networks, from MASN and MSG in the northeast to Space City in Houston. You'd suspect that the cheapest Fubo Sports plan is all you need, and if you just want a few local affiliates and ESPN Unlimited, you can get by with that plan. I wouldn't recommend anything less than Fubo TV Pro for most people, though, which carries the regional sports networks.
If you jump up to the most expensive plan (Elite with Sports Plus), you also get access to NFL Red Zone, plus a free Apple TV 4K and 4K streaming. Red Zone and 4K upgrades are available elsewhere, but it's great to see both included as a package, especially for such a sports-focused service.
Fubo's app is solid, too. Testing on a Google TV system, it felt responsive without much in the way of lag as I was flipping through the guide. It's not as clean as YouTube TV's interface, particularly with the sports emphasis, but an app that feels responsive is all I can really ask for.
It's available on most devices, including Fire TV, Google TV, Apple TV, and Roku, as well as TVs from Vizio, Samsung, LG, and Hisense. There's also an Xbox app (though no PlayStation app) and native apps for Android and iOS.
WIRED
- Reasonable pricing
- Excellent sports network coverage
TIRED
- Missing important channels like CNN
Compare Live TV Streaming Services
Other Live TV Streaming Services We Tested
Philo: This almost made the main list, though I decided against it due to the limitations. It's, by far, the cheapest option out of any of the live TV services I tested, with its only plan (Core) coming in at just $33 per month. It's just extremely limited. You have a far smaller channel roster compared to the other services I tested, mainly due to the fact that Philo doesn't include any local affiliates like NBC or ABC, nor any regional sports networks. You might not care about local news or sports, though, and Philo is excellent if you fall in that camp. The channel lineup hits all the highlights, including the massive Discovery network, drama channels like AMC and TNT, and reality-focused channels like MTV and Lifetime. Philo also throws in over 100 ad-supported free channels, along with ad-supported versions of AMC+, HBO Max, and Discovery+. And to better support this entertainment and reality TV focus, it has the best DVR out of any service I tested. Unlimited cloud DVR comes standard with your plan, and Philo retains your recordings for a full year—just about every other service tops out at nine months.
What About a TV Antenna?
One of the draws of live TV streaming is that it doesn't require an antenna, instead leveraging your internet connection to deliver live television. However, a TV antenna can help fill in the gaps of cheaper live TV services like Sling or Fubo, particularly when it comes to local affiliates.
Our favorite indoor TV antenna is the Mohu Leaf 50 Amplified, which you can pick up for about $50. It covers up to 60 miles, which should reach most local affiliates, assuming you live within an hour of a major city. If you want to see your local channels, you can enter your address at AntennaWeb.
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