NOW THAT THERE ARE SO MANY ON-DEMAND STREAMING SERVICES AVAILABLE, YOU CAN WATCH NEARLY ANYTHING AT ANY TIME. But now and again, it’s pleasant to flip through the channels and watch a 6-hour marathon of Property Brothers or Real Housewives. We all have our personal belongings. You may obtain that thrill by subscribing to a live-TV streaming service instead of paying for cable.
NOW THAT THERE ARE SO MANY ON-DEMAND STREAMING SERVICES AVAILABLE, YOU CAN WATCH NEARLY ANYTHING AT ANY TIME. But now and again, it’s pleasant to flip through the channels and watch a 6-hour marathon of Property Brothers or Real Housewives. We all have our personal belongings. You may obtain that thrill by subscribing to a live-TV streaming service instead of paying for cable. T-TVision Mobile’s service, which is only available to customers on the company’s phone plan, was added in February 2021. We also revised all of the prices. Jess Grey also contributed significantly to this essay.
Best Overall
Live TV + Hulu
The live-TV interface on Hulu isn’t the finest. There is a separate tab for only live channels, but the on-demand alternatives are confusingly mixed in with the live offerings if you’re looking for anything different. Plus, since we first recommended it, its price has risen by $10, making it the same as YouTube TV. Despite this, Netflix has an advantage over the competition because it delivers live TV as well as a large library of streamable material, including original productions like Castle Rock and The Handmaid’s Tale. That’s a significant benefit.
If you don’t mind going without Netflix, you can consolidate your subscriptions into a single payment of roughly $65 for the basic plan— However, this pricing includes advertisements for live broadcasts as well as on-demand content. When you consider that an ad-free Hulu subscription costs only $12, it’s not that fantastic. You can turn off advertisements for on-demand entertainment, but your monthly fee will increase to $71. You might want to seek elsewhere if you’re a sports lover. The NFL Network, NBA TV, and MLB Network are not available on Hulu. If you wish to try out the service before committing, there is a free seven-day trial available.
Watch it on: Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, Chromecast, Apple TV, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Android TV, Samsung TV, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Android TV, Samsung TV AMC, BBC America, Comedy Central, MLB Network, MTV, NBA TV, NFL Network, NFL Red Zone, Nickelodeon are among the major channels that are missing.
Runner-Up
YouTube TV
YouTube TV is easy to use and is widely available. At $65 a month, it’s quite pricy, especially considering it excludes Hulu’s library and original content. However, it allows you to have three simultaneous streams without having to pay more, and you may share your membership with up to six others (with their profiles). You also get unlimited cloud DVR storage, allowing you to catch up on movies and episodes you missed at any time. There are a few conspicuous omissions from YouTube TV’s portfolio (every streaming service has channels it doesn’t carry), but the list of missing channels is less than many others. It also includes major networks that aren’t available on Hulu’s live-TV roster, such as NBA and MLB.
Surprisingly, utilizing YouTube TV does not grant you access to YouTube Premium, a service that allows you to watch YouTube and listen to YouTube Music without interruption. You’ll have to pay extra to watch YouTube Originals, which means you’ll have to pay more.
Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Fire TV, Apple TV, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Chromecast, Roku, and some Samsung and Vizio smart TVs are all available to watch.
A&E, History, Lifetime, and NFL Network are among the major channels that are currently unavailable.
Sports and Spanish-language channels are the best.
FuboTV
Sling TV (below) and FuboTV (above) are very similar, so which one is best for you depends on your needs. Both offer a variety of options to pick from, and charges can mount up quickly, although Fubo’s starting pricing is higher. It costs around $65 to $80 per month and covers practically every major channel that our other recommendations lack. The MLB Network is not included in the base plan, but it is available as a sports add-on. Fubo’s standard plan includes multiple sports channels, including the NFL Network, ESPN, Golf Channel, and Fubo’s own Sports Network, even if baseball isn’t included. ABC, CBS, and NBC are also represented.
Even better, there are a few Spanish-language channels available, with the opportunity to upgrade to the whole selection for $20. A Spanish-language plan costs $33 per month if you solely want those channels.
Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, Chromecast, Fire TV, Apple TV, Xbox, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Android TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, Apple TV, Xbox, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Android TV MLB Network is one of the major channels that are currently unavailable.
The Most Economical (With a Good Lineup)
Sling TV
Sling TV has expanded from its basic Slingbox to become one of the most popular live-TV streaming providers. It’s also one of the most cost-effective and adaptable live-TV streaming options (beginning at $35).
There are certain disadvantages. Because you can’t create family accounts for other users, everyone on your Sling TV account has access to the same DVR and viewing history. It offers a bewildering array of channel bundles, including one for entertainment and news and another for sports and family. You can add on bundles of other channels to increase the price, but sticking to the basic plan will save you a lot of money.
Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, Chromecast, Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Xbox One, Roku, and Amazon Fire devices may all be used to watch it.
Major Missing Channels: ABC, CBS, Animal Planet, Fox News, MLB Network, Nickelodeon
If you’re a T-Mobile customer
T-Mobile TVision
Mobile customers (including legacy Sprint customers). I wouldn’t advocate switching to T-Mobile simply for this service if you aren’t currently a T-Mobile customer, however, I had a great time using it.
TVision provides live channels in addition to Netflix, Hulu, and other streaming services. It has channel plans similar to Sling and depending on the plan and add-ons you purchase, you can spend as little as $40 per month or as much as $70-plus per month.
If you can download TVision directly to your TV (or tablet or phone), but it isn’t available on Roku. T-Mobile does have a $50 TVision Hub available. The Hub is an HDMI streaming stick, similar to the ones we use to watch TV. It comes with a remote control that you can set to manage the power and volume of your TV.
Watch it on any TV that can connect to the TVision Hub via HDMI, including Android, iOS, Chromecast with Google TV, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and any TV that can connect to the TVision Hub via HDMI.
CBS, A&E, History, Lifetime, and MLB Network are among the major networks that are missing.
Alternatives
Mentions of Merit
The streaming services on this list are our favorites, but there are more options you should consider if none of the ones listed above appeal to you.
At $20 per month, Philo TV is the cheapest live-TV app we’ve found. It’s ideal for my MTV reality-show marathons. Its selection includes 61 channels and is accessible via Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, the web, iOS, and Android. However, we believe that the additional options are worth the extra money for most people. Philo’s interface is less user-friendly and lacks features (and some major channels).
NBC’s Peacock Premium ($5 per month) and CBS’s All Access ($6 per month) aren’t live-TV services, but they do include live sports and news as well as on-demand series and movies. While CBS’s service is available on many of the platforms mentioned above, Peacock has significantly fewer options. It does not, for example, support Roku or Amazon Fire TV.
If you reside within the range of certain local stations, a digital antenna can be the cheapest way to acquire a few broadcast channels. Most (if not all) of the main network TV networks, such as ABC, Fox, NBC, and CBS, can be found over the air and are completely free. The Winegard FL5500A ($44) is a good indoor antenna to start with because it offers a 50-mile range. There’s no need to climb up on your roof if you put it near a window. Make sure to check out your local stations to see whether they are broadcasting in your area.
