The best live TV streaming services for cord cutters

Sling TV | Best live TV streaming service overall

Sling TV

Best live TV streaming service overall

View at Sling TV

Hulu Plus Live TV | Best streaming service that combines live TV with VoD

Hulu Plus Live TV

Best streaming service that combines live TV with VoD

View at Hulu

YouTube TV | Best live TV streaming service for channel selection

YouTube TV

Best live TV streaming service for channel selection

View at YouTube TV

DirecTV Stream | Best live TV streaming service that feels like cable

DirecTV Stream

Best live TV streaming service that feels like cable

View at DirecTV

FuboTV | Best live TV streaming service for sports

FuboTV

Best live TV streaming service for sports

View at FuboTV

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table of contents

The best live TV streaming services of 2024Sling TVHulu Plus Live TVYouTube TVDirecTV StreamFuboTVPhiloWhat is the best live TV streaming service?

1. Comparision Chart for the best TV service?

2. Make your decision on what your looking for?

3. How did we select our Pay TV providers?

4. WhichTV streaming service covers sports?

5. Which steaming service has coverage of the  NFL?

6. What streaming service has the best quality of video?

7.Which is cheaper streaming or cable? 

8.What live stream service is the most similar to cable?

9. What is the least cost TV streaming service?

10. Which streaming services offer live coverage of TV?

11. What internet speed is required  to stream live TV?

12. Which streaming device is best for you to use?

13. What are the alternative live TV streaming services to consider?

 Such as PeacockPluto TVPBS Livestream

The best live TV streaming services let you forgo pricey cable contracts and equipment and save money, while at the same time making it easier to watch the shows and sports you love on your tablet, laptop, phone, or TV. 

Streaming services fall into two main categories: Video-on-demand (VoD) streaming from providers like Netflix and Amazon Prime, and live TV streaming from platforms like Sling TV and YouTube TV.

Here are some the best online streaming packages below.

Also: The best TV antennas

The best live TV streaming services of 2024

Sling TV

Best live TV streaming service overall

Sling TV

pros & cons

pros

• Affordable price

• Customizable package options

• Great language options

cons

• Only 50 hours of DVR storage included

• Few local channels

more details

Sling TV features: Channels: 30+ | Plan options: 3 | Video storage: 50 hours | Price: Starts at $40 per month

Sling TV is my pick for best live TV streaming service thanks  to its affordable price and options that help you tailor the service to the channels you actually want to watch. 

You can choose from two plans: Orange ($40 a month), which exclusively includes seven channels like ESPN orDisney Channel, or Blue ($45 a month), which exclusively includes a few local channels like NBC, Fox, ABC, as well as 14 more premium cable channels like Bravo, FX, NFL Network, and FS1. Both plans include 25 base channels like CNN, AMC, Comedy Central, TBS, and TNT. You also have the option to combine both plans for $60 a month. 

You get a discount of half off you your first month of any plan when you sign up. You can also add on premium channels like Showtime, Starz, AMC+, and MGM+ for additional monthly fees. Right now, there's also a deal to prepay for six months of Sling Orange plus NBA League Pass at a discounted rate.

Sling TV also has non English channels such as numerous Asian, European, Arabic, Brazilian, and Portuguese options. 

Sling TV falls short compared to other services in its DVR offering: Which includes 50 hours of DVR storage, unless you pay extra. Sling also doesn't come with many local channels, though the platform suggests adding on an antenna for that.

Conclusion: If you're looking for a basic and affordable live TV streaming service that still gets you a good number of channels and an easy-to-use interface, Sling TV is a great choice. 

View now at Sling TV

Hulu Plus Live TV

Best streaming service that combines live TV with VoD

Hulu

pros & cons

pros

• Includes live TV, Hulu VoD, Disney+, and ESPN+ (with ads) for one price

• Local channel access

• Unlimited DVR

cons

• Expensive

• VoD streaming platforms include ads

more details

Hulu Plus Live TV features: Channels: 90+ | Plan options: 2 | Video storage: Unlimited | Price: Starts at $77 per month

Hula is for for those looking to take advantage of both live TV streaming and premium VoD streaming, Hulu Plus Live TV is a good pick and gets you good value for moey. For $77 a month, you get 90+ channels of live TV, plus Hulu's VoD catalog (with original shows like Only Murders In the Building and The Bear), plus access to ESPN and Disney. 

Hulu Plus Live TV's live channels include your local Fox, NBC, ABC, CBS stations in most areas, as well as the ESPN and Fox sports networks. You'll also get popular channels like Comedy Central, TNT, HGTV, TLC, USA, Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon. Plus you can add on Max, Showtime, Starz, Cinemax, NFL RedZone, and more for an extra fee.

Hulu Plus Live TV includes unlimited DVR storage, and two simultaneous streams (though you can add on more). One of the cons of this plan is that Hulu, Disney, and ESPN content has ads, however you can upgrade to the $90 a month plan to get ad-free content and downloads.

View now at Hulu

 Netflix

YouTube TV

Best live TV streaming service for channel selection

YouTube

pros & cons

pros

• 100+ channels

• Unlimited DVR

• Exclusive home to NFL Sunday Ticket

cons

• Expensive

• Many sports and 4K content costs extra

more details

YouTube TV features: Channels: 100+ | Plan options: 1 | Video storage: Unlimited | Price: Starts at $73 per month

This is the only streaming service that offers NFL Sunday Ticket, for watching out-of-market Sunday afternoon football games, for an additional cost. 

YouTube TV offers lots of perks, including more channels than its competitors (like Bravo, Comedy Central, AMC, FX, NBA TV, TLC, TNT, US, Disney Channel, and Nickelodeon), plus unlimited DVR. You can add on Max, Starz, Showtime, and more sports networks for an additional fee. For an additional $10 a month, the ability to watch recorded content offline, you can add 4K viewing to certain content, and unlimited simultaneous streams at home.. 

However the cost of this service is $65 a month to $73 a month. (In comparison, Hulu TV costs just $5 more per month, and also includes access to Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+.) 

If you're looking for the widest selection of channels (and/or NFL Sunday ticket) and don't mind the price tag, YouTube TV is a great live TV streaming service. 

View now at YouTube TV

Netflix

DirecTV Stream

Best live TV streaming service that feels like cable

CNET

pros & cons

pros

• Mimics channel flipping experience with swiping

• Strong sports offerings

• Unlimited DVR storage

cons

• Is comparison is quite expensive

more details

DirecTV Stream features: Channels: 75+ | Plan options: 3 | Video storage: Unlimited | Price: Starts at $80 per month

DirecTV Stream is the live TV streaming service that is similar to cable, both in terms of the user experience and its cost. Its base offer costs $80 a month for 75+ channels. The next two tiers go up to $109 a month (for 105+ channels) and $120 a month (for 140+ channels). You have the option of adding a sports pack to each of these plans for an extra $15 a month, which includes ESPN, NFL Network, MLB Network, plus more regional sports networks than many others on this list. (There are deals to bundle each package with the sports pack for a discounted price.)

The base Entertainment package includes 75+ live channels (including AMC, FX, HGTV, TBS, TCL, and Nickelodeon) and local news channels (like Fox,NBC, NBC, and CBS) in most areas. Add-on channels include Max, Showtime, Starz, MGM+, and Cinemax are included free for the first three months, and then for extra fees. 

DirecTV Stream also offers unlimited DVR storage and unlimited in-home streams (and three maximum out-of-home streams).

DirecTV Stream has the ability to swipe left and right to change channels, similar to cable tv.

View now at DirecTV

Netflix

FuboTV

Best live TV streaming service for sports

CNET

pros & cons

pros

• Large network of sports available, including NFL, NBA, and MLB

• 175+ channels

• 1,000 hours of DVR storage

cons

• No access to local sports broadcasts

• Expensive

more details

Fubo TV features: Channels: 175+ | Plan options: 3 | Video storage: 1,000 hours | Price: Starts at $75 per month

If you're primarily looking for a live TV streaming service to watch sports, Fubo is a good choice for you. Watch FS1, FS2, ESPN, BeIN Sports, the Big 10, and the Golf channel, along with most local networks like CBS, ABC, NBC, and Fox. You can access everything from NFL, NBA, and MLB games to English Premier League soccer games, boxing, NASCAR races, and more. Check Fubo TV's website below to see what specific local channels are available for your zip code.

Beside sports, Fubo TV also includes live channels like Bravo, Food network, FX, E!, HGTV, Disney Channel, Hallmark, Fox, and MSNBC. You can add on Starz, Showtime, or MGM+ for extra monthly fees. You get 1,000 hours of DVR storage, so you're not likely to run out of space for a while. You can stream on up to three devices at the same time.

Choose from three different plan tiers, ranging from $75 to $95 per month. All plans offer local ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC channels in many regions. However, Fubo TV doesn't include TNT and TBS, both of which show a lot of sports. It also doesn't include the Fox regional sports networks. And if you want to watch league-specific channels, like MLB TV or NHL Network, you'll have to either upgrade your plan or add them on. 

View now at FuboTV

Philo

Best budget live TV streaming service

Philo

pros & cons

pros

• 70+ live TV channels

• Unlimited DVR storage

• Affordable price

cons

• Limited sports programming

• No local channels

more details

Philo features: Channels: 115+ | Plan options: 1 | Video storage: Unlimited | Price: Starts at $25 per month

Philo is a good option if your looking for cheaper live TV streaming option not focusing  interested in sports or local programming: For $25 a month, you can stream more than 70 channels live, and access an on-demand library of over 70,000 titles.

Philo's live TV channels include Nickelodeon, HGTV, Comedy Central, AMC, Discovery, TLC, Discovery, BET, Lifetime, and Food Network. You can add on MGM+ for $6 a month or Starz for $10 a month to access their content as well. 

A major plus: Philo offers unlimited DVR, so you can rewind and fast forward through commercials as you like. Even without the DVR, most of the platform's shows and movies remain available on demand for a few days after their first live airing, too.

Stream on up to three devices at once,and create up to 10 user profiles. If you do want to try to access some local channels and sports, you can add a TV antenna with Philo. 

View now at Philo

Comparison chart for the best TV Service?

Here is an overview of the best live TV streaming services.

 Make your decision on what your looking for?

It's possible that each of these services could change their pricing, channel lineup, DVR capabilities, and number of available streams at any time, so make sure you check their websites before you subscribe.

How did we select our pay TV providers?

The factors that were considered in choosing the best live TV streaming services include: 

• Price: So plans could be compared on which offers the best value for money.

• Channel options: While most of the live TV streaming services on this list include similar cable channels there are plenty of variations. For example, some don't include local channels or sports channels, and all require additional fees to access premium cable channels like Starz,Max, and Showtime. You'll want to consider what shows you want access to when choosing a service.

• DVR storage: All of the live TV streaming services on this list include some form of digital video recording (DVR) storage, which offers certain benefits such as you can record live shows to watch at your convenience (and fast forward through commercials). However, they range widely, from just 50 hours of storage to unlimited storage. 

• User experience: If you're making the switch from cable, you'll want to have a user-friendly live TV streaming service that's easy to use and provides you with the content your looking for. Many of these services offer free trials, so if you're interested in testing them out, you can.

Which TV streaming service covers sports?

The best live TV streaming service is probably FuboTV, since it features both mainstream sports like football and hockey and non-mainstream sports like F1 racing and cricket. There are also several sports channel add-ons to choose from, including an NBA League Pass channel and International Sports Plus, so you'll find something for every sports fan.

Which streaming service has coverage for NFL?

There are a number of different streaming services that you can use to watch NFL games, but there is a lot of variability in how they offer it. For example, YouTube TV is where you'll find NFL Sunday Ticket, this lets you watch all out-of-market games. The NFL Plus streaming service also includes RedZone and the NFL network, though you'll only be able to watch local and primetime games on your phone, not your TV or computer.

What live TV streaming service has the best quality of video?

Hulu Plus Live and Youtube TV support 1080p/60fps live streams on their platforms, so if picture quality is something that's important to you, these are both good options. 

Which is cheaper streaming or cable?

Internet streaming service bills have crept up closer to cable TV levels. However, if you're savvy about which services you subscribe and be selective  (and if you can share subscriptions at times), it's still possible to save.

What live stream service is most similar to cable?

If you're looking for the closest thing to cable in terms of number of channels and user experience, then  DirecTV Stream is the closest.

Which is the least cost TV streaming service?

The cheapest live TV streaming service is Philo TV which carries 115+ channels, and includes Discovery, A&E, Comedy Central, and more, for a price of $25 per month.

Which streaming services offer live coverageTV?

Netlifx, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video are the only two that offer any kind of live TV streaming at the moment. Amazon Prime Video has rights to Thursday Night NFL games, which allows Prime members to stream live football games from the Prime Video app.Hulu has a partnership with ESPN+, so that certain live sports events can be streamed through the basic Hulu plan without any additional cost.

What internet speed is required to stream live TV?

You'll need broadband internet and if  you are by yourself you could get by on10Mbp. If you're sharing your home with others and/or you want to watch 4K videos, we recommend you have at least a 25Mbps internet connection. You can run the Ookla Speedtest to check your speed..

If you are switching from a cable box to a Roku or Amazon Fire TV 4K stick, then one difference between conventional cable and internet TV is that live streaming sports lag 15 seconds to a minute behind live broadcasts.

Which streaming device is best for you to use?

For the most part, all of these support the most popular streaming devices. For example, no matter which service you subscribe to, an Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV Cube, Roku Express, or Google Chromecast will almost certainly support it. But if you're using a more obscure streaming gadget, such as an Nvidia Shield TV Pro, it might not work with your preferred service. Sometimes Smart TVs also frequently don't support newer streaming offerings. In short, make sure the service will work with your hardware before subscribing to anything.

What are the alternative live TV streaming services to consider?

There are services like PBS Livestream that are dedicated to offering quality news and educational content as well as services like PlutoTV that are geared towards general entertainment. Here are a few other options to look into:

Best alternative for NBC content

Peacock

Peacock has live TV, with 24/7 broadcasts of popular NBC shows. Its Premium Plus tier includes live TV from all local NBC stations. Plans start at $6/month.

View at Peacock

Best alternative for Paramount movies and TV shows

Pluto TV

Paramount Global's Pluto TV has more than 250 channels of free live TV and thousands of on-demand movies TV programs and movies. 

View at Pluto TV

Best alternative for live streaming PBS

PBS Livestream

You can  choose your local station to start streaming PBS live for free. You can take a look at the full day's schedule in advance to see the lineup.

View at PBS