The Best Live TV Streaming Services for Deal Seekers: 2024 Cable Alternatives

Paramount+ With Showtime Streaming Service
Store: Paramount+
Price: $5 per month for 12 months

If you'd prefer to go even bigger with your Paramount+ subscription, you can do so with this deal. You'll still save 50% on the yearly price, but you'll get Paramount+ with the addition of Showtime and more for just $60. Note that you'll want to cancel before the service auto-renews in a year; otherwise, you'll have to pay the then-current rate.

The Top Live TV Streaming Services

Service	Cost	Number of channels
DirecTV Stream	From $94.98 per month	185+ channels
Fubo	From $79.99 per month	350+ channels
Hulu + Live TV	From $76.99 per month	95+ channels
Philo	$28 per month	70+ channels
Sling TV	From $40 per month	46+ channels
YouTube TV	From $72.99 per month	100+ channels

DirecTV Stream

Pros: DirecTV Stream is one of the more pricey options on our list, but it's not without its perks. For one thing, it boasts a smooth user interface that's intuitive to use, plus accurate search functions that mean you don't have to get creative when trying to find a particular title. It also features solid coverage of sports and news programming, as well as other kinds of viewing entertainment.

Cons: It can be easy to go overboard on spending and adding other features to your account only to find out that even though they sound good, you likely don't need them. Additionally, this is one of the streaming services where it's already pricey and the cost just keeps increasing. (More on that below.)

What you get: It'll depend on which DirecTV Stream plan you choose, obviously. The Entertainment package is the most affordable of the options and offers local channels where available, the ability to stream on unlimited devices in your home, and unlimited Cloud DVR storage. You'll have access to more than 90 channels, including:

• ESPN
• ESPN2
• FX
• Disney
• Cartoon Network
• CNN
• HGTV
• Fox News Channel
• Univision

You'll also get more than 60,000 On Demand movies and TV shows. That's a lot to watch!

If you're looking at the other plans, the next tier up is Choice, which offers over 125 channels to watch including the ones from the Entertainment package as well as:

• MLB Network
• NBA TV
• Cooking Channel
• Weather Channel
• Bally Sports
• NBC Sports
• ESPN U
• ESPNEWS
• Travel Channel

You'll also get more than 70,000 On Demand movies and shows.

The Ultimate tier of course offers everything in the previous two tiers, but this one has more than 160 channels available, including the following notable ones:

• CBS Sports Network
• Destination America
• STARZ Encore
• FS2
• FXM
• Magnolia Network
• NHL Network
• Oxygen True Crime
• TUDN

This tier also includes more than 80,000 On Demand movies and shows.

The last tier of DirecTV Stream plans is the Premier package, which includes more than 185 channels and 90,000 on-demand titles. You'll also get unlimited Cloud DVR recordings, regional sports networks, and it includes Max, Cinemax, Paramount Plus with Showtime, and Starz.

Deals to look for: No matter which tier you decide to try, you can get a 5-day trial to check out everything the plan offers.

However, DirecTV Stream also has a set of promotions running right now. If you choose the Entertainment, Choice, or Ultimate plans, you can take advantage of three months free of the premium channels Max, Cinemax, Starz, Paramount Plus with Showtime, and MGM+. You can also opt to save $30 when you add the DirecTV Sports Pack to the Entertainment tier. And if you choose Choice or Ultimate and add on the DirecTV Sports Pack, you'll get your first month entirely free and save $60 overall.

One thing to note is that prices will be increasing on all of DirecTV Stream's plans on October 6. At that time, the Entertainment tier will increase to $86.99 per month; the Choice tier will increase to $114.99 per month; the Ultimate package will increase to $129.99 per month; and the Premier option will increase to $169.99 per month.

Fubo

Pros: If you're looking for sports coverage, that seems to be where Fubo shines. You can automatically record your favorite teams and enjoy a clean live TV interface. Plus, most of Fubo's plans allow viewers to watch on up to 10 devices at home as well as another three on the go, which provides a lot of versatility.

Cons: It appears the FanView feature has disappeared, which was a big selling point for many users. Additionally, the DVR and VOD abilities seem to leave something to be desired.

What you get: As with any other streaming service, what you get with Fubo will be largely determined by which Fubo plan you choose. Overall they boast more than 350 "top channels" and unlimited DVR. But let's take a look at what each plan comes with.

Pro: The most affordable of the main plans, the Pro plan includes 190 channels, unlimited cloud DVR, and the ability to watch on up to 10 screens.

Elite with Sports Plus: This is the next tier up of the main plans, and offers 291 channels, includes 4K, unlimited cloud DVR, the ability to watch on up to 10 screens, and Sports Plus with NFL RedZone.

Deluxe: The highest tier of the main plans, Deluxe offers 304 channels, includes 4K, unlimited cloud DVR, the ability to watch on up to 10 screens, Sports Plus with NFL RedZone, MGM+, and International Sports Plus.

Latino: This is a specialized plan that offers a pared down package. You'll get 62 channels, unlimited cloud DVR, and the ability to watch on two screens.

Deals to look for: All of these plans come with a free trial, but note that the length may vary based on when you sign up. For instance, most of the time it should be a one week trial period, but you may find shorter periods of time if you sign up during high-demand. Anecdotally, we've seen reports from users claiming they signed up during football season and only received a trial period of one day. Others have reported signing up for a 7-day trial only to be charged one or two days in for a full month. The moral here is to be very cautious and attentive when you sign up for a Fubo trial.

Aside from the murky trial periods above, Fubo will offer special discounts and promotions on their plans. For instance, at the time of publishing, new users could expect the following prices:

Plan	Promotional Price	Regular Price
Pro	$49.99 for the first month	$79.99 per month
Elite with Sports Plus	$69.99 for the first month	$99.99 per month
Deluxe	$79.99 for the first month	$109.99 per month
Latino	$19.99 for the first month	$32.99 per month

Note that the promotional first month price is supposed to kick in as soon as the trial period ends, so you shouldn't have to pay anything until your free trial is over (as long as you could get one).

Hulu + Live TV

Pros: Get three streaming services in one with Hulu + Live TV, which includes Hulu, Disney Plus, and ESPN Plus programming. You'll also receive "unlimited" DVR (note that very old items will be purged after a certain amount of time).

Cons: Unlimited DVR isn't really unlimited, some users complain about the interface, and you have to watch for price increases (like with any other streaming service).

What you get: There's really only one Hulu + Live TV plan, which makes comparing it to other services a lot easier. You'll get Hulu (with ads), Disney Plus (with ads), and ESPN Plus (with ads). If you want to opt for a plan with no ads for Disney Plus and Hulu, that's also available for a higher price.

The Hulu + Live TV (with ads) plan offers live TV on Hulu with more than 95 channels, plus a live TV guide to navigate channels and the ability to record live TV with DVR. And if you opt for Hulu + Live TV (no ads) you'll get Hulu with no ads, Disney Plus with no ads, the ability to download and watch Hulu titles, the ability to download and watch Disney Plus titles, plus everything from the with ads tier.

Deals to look for: The Hulu with Live TV (with ads) plan comes with a free trial, but it only lasts for three days, so if you're trying it out, it's best to plan for a weekend indoors. And if you're hoping for a free trial of the Hulu + Live TV with no ads, you're sadly out of luck — Hulu doesn't offer a trial for that plan. It's also a good idea to watch for special promotions for Hulu plans around holidays like Black Friday.

It's worth noting that like other streaming services, Hulu + Live TV is going to increase in price soon. On October 17, the Hulu + Live TV with ads will increase from $76.99 to $82.99 per month. On the same day, the Hulu + Live TV (no ads) will increase from $89.99 to $95.99 per month.

Philo

Pros: Of all the streaming services offering live TV viewing, Philo is one of the most affordable. It also gets praise for having a minimal interface that's easy to navigate and an unlimited DVR allowance that lasts for an entire year.

Cons: Unfortunately, you won't get sports or local access, and you'll have limited news coverage too.

What you get: Philo is another service that fortunately has kept things simple. There's only one plan to choose from and it costs $28 per month. With that you'll get more than 70 channels to satisfy your live streaming entertainment needs.

Deals to look for: Given that Philo is already one of the more affordable services out there, it may be more difficult to find deals that offer the service for less. However, you will get a 7-day free trial of the service to thoroughly explore what Philo has up for grabs. If you like what Philo has to offer, you can also enhance the service through add-ons like AMC+, MGM+, Starz, and Movies & More. That last one is described as having "award-winning films, cult classics, celebrity stories, documentaries, and more." These add-ons start at an extra $3 per month.

Sling TV

Pros: Sling TV is one of the services that's touted as being more affordable than most, but it also offers access to ESPN through its Orange tier, and the service features packages that are more customizable than most.

Cons: The downsides are that you'll only have 50 hours of DVR to use, which can fill up fast. You also won't have access to local channels unless you're in a major metro area.

What you get: Sling offers two different plans: Orange and Blue, or you can combine the two. With Orange you'll get 35 channels including seven exclusive Sports and Family channels. You'll also be able to stream on one device at a time. This one can be good for users who are more in the sports game than other TV viewing. However, if you want more news and entertainment options, then you may want to go with the Blue plan, which features 43 total channels and allows you to stream on three devices at a time. If you can't decide, you can also bundle the two plans together for the Orange & Blue tiers so that you get everything from each plan and you don't have to decide.

Deals to look for: You can always check Sling's Deals page for the latest promotions. Often it may be in the form of add-ons for channels or other services at a reduced rate for a limited amount of time. Just remember to note when the price increase or charge will happen so you can take them off your plan if you aren't totally sold.

YouTube TV

Pros: YouTube TV wins points for being easy to navigate and having a smooth interface, plus accurate search functions to help you find exactly what you're looking for quickly. It also gets high marks for having good coverage of sports, news, and linear programming. Basically, it's the full package.

Cons: As with other streaming services, YouTube TV comes with its own range of add-ons, and that can make it easy to overspend on features you may never use. Also like other streaming services, the price continues to follow the trend of recent increases. That just means whatever deals you can find are even more important.

What you get: There are two YouTube TV plans to choose from as of this writing: the Base Plan and the YouTube TV Base Plan + NFL Sunday Ticket. The Base Plan might sound, well, basic, but it still comes with more than 100 live channels, "all the perks," unlimited DVR space, special features like Key Plays View, and the ability to have six household accounts and three streams. All of that can be yours $72.99 per month when priced normally.

The only reason you should consider the other plan is if you're very much a football fan. But you should also note that this is a bit of special situation, as four months out of the year you'll pay nearly three times what you pay for YouTube TV alone each month. That's because the NFL Sunday Ticket plan is either four payments of $158.99 per month or you can get NFL Sunday Ticket and YouTube TV for $167.74 per month for four months; after that, you'll pay $72.99 per month for just YouTube TV. If you do opt for this one, you'll get all the YouTube TV Base Plan features, as well as the ability to "watch every game, every Sunday" with no two-year contracts required.

Deals to look for: While YouTube TV offers a free trial, the lengths can vary based on a customer's status. Because of that, you'll likely have to sign in to see if you can take advantage of a free trial and then follow the prompts to sign up.

If you aren't eligible for a free trial, there may still be a promotion you can redeem. For instance, at the time of this writing, new users could get the YouTube TV Base Plan for just $64.99 per month with a promotion that cut $8 each ($32 total) off your first four months. You might not see many deals around the NFL Sunday Ticket tier, but the YouTube Base Plan is likely to offer a number of savings at any given time of year, so be sure to check regularly.

Standard Streaming Services That Let You Stream Live TV

Amazon Prime Video: If you're an Amazon Prime subscriber, you'll note that you have access to Prime Video. With that comes a live TV interface (Fire TVs also have this) of different channels and shows available to watch. This is especially useful if you like a particular type of show and Amazon has an entire channel devoted to it.

Disney Plus: Ordinarily, Disney Plus would stand out for not offering any live TV at all — that's up to the Hulu arm of the company. However, it was recently announced that Disney Plus will be launching four new live channels before the end of 2024. These channels will be Real Life, Hallowstream, Throwbacks, and Hits and Heroes. These will be "always-on" channels that show a particular type of content that viewers can turn on anytime.

Hulu: As noted above, if you want live TV with Hulu, you'll need to sign up for the premium offering that has it; that is, you want the Hulu + Live TV plan (either with or without ads). That's the only way you can enjoy live TV streaming with Hulu.

Peacock: With both plans you can get live sports and events access, and with the Premium Plus channel, you'll also be able to view your local NBC channel live, 24/7.

Paramount Plus: This is another streaming service that will deliver select live sports events in addition to 24/7 live news with CBS news. And if you opt for Paramount Plus with Showtime, then you'll receive access to even more live sports and events, and you'll be able to watch your local live CBS station, too.

Max: Unfortunately you won't receive live TV streaming with Max unless you opt for adding on the B/R Sports option, which includes select live games.

Live TV Streaming Services FAQs

Are Free Live TV Streaming Services Available?

There are certainly some free live TV streaming services available, which can be nice if you're looking for something simple like background noise. If you're looking for a flashback to the days of cable and nothing good being on TV, these are sure to tap into that nostalgia.

If you're curious, you can check out the following options for live TV streaming, but note that because they're free, you're going to be subject to a lot of ads — and probably a lot of repeats.

• Tubi
• Plex
• Sling Freestream
• Amazon Freevee
• Pluto

Is a Live TV Streaming Service Worth It Over Cable?

Only you can decide the answer to this, as it's going to be highly dependent on your individual situation. If you're simply looking for live TV to watch and don't particularly care about what your options are, then choosing one of the free live TV streaming sites noted above could very well suffice. For other things like watching sports, live TV streaming services can be worth the cash because it opens up your options for which games to view in many cases. If you're just wanting to be able to watch local channels on your smart TV, though, you could probably get away with a good HD antenna, as long as you live in a metro area and can get strong signals.

What Alternatives Are There to Live TV Streaming Services?

If you don't want any of the paid live TV options mentioned above, but still want streaming services, then the standards are a good place to start on your streaming journey. Services like Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, Peacock, Paramount Plus, and Vudu are all solid options worth investigating further.

Is an Antenna a Good Option for Live TV?

Depending on your setup — and your location — an antenna could be a viable option for picking up your local TV channels live. Do note that you'll need a TV and not a display; that is, you need a device that incorporates a tuner. But if you have that, then getting an antenna is a pretty affordable way to get live TV streaming to your home. Just beware that if you're in a rural area, you might not have much in the way of live broadcasting in your area; if you're in a metro region, you should be fine, though.

What Are the Most Popular Streaming Services?

The most popular streaming services will likely fluctuate year after year. This can be based on things like price hikes, which tend to go over pretty poorly with users, but also it can change based on which services are able to get rights to different titles.

According to one list, the ten most popular streaming sites (based on the number of subscribers) are as follows:

1. Netflix
2. Amazon Prime
3. Disney Plus
4. HBO Max
5. Pluto TV
6. Roku Channel
7. Vudu
8. Tubi
9. YouTube Premium
10. Hulu

However, looking elsewhere and you'll find a slightly different list. For instance, the following:

1. Netflix
2. Amazon Prime Video
3. Disney Plus
4. Max
5. Paramount Plus
6. Hulu
7. Peacock
8. Apple TV
9. ESPN Plus
10. Starz

This list is obviously pretty similar to the one before it, but this one was compiled in 2024. And given that Pluto hit 80 million subscribers in April of 2023, the first list might be even more outdated. But does it matter? A lot of the big players are the same, which gives you an indication of where to begin your streaming search.

If you can't decide, consider going with a bundle instead. We've already laid out the best bundle deals available, so you stretch your dollar even further and try multiple services out to see which suits your tastes best.

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