Cord cutters: Compare the best live TV streaming services
Watching TV has changed so much the past few years. You still gather around the TV set with your family, get comfy in overstuffed couches to spend quality time laughing together, crying together and shouting at the TV together.
Of course, you used to start your TV watching by clicking from one broadcast network to another, maybe starting with CBS and ending with NBC, Fox or ABC. Then, you started clicking through cable TV networks like ESPN, TNT and so on.
TV is all about streaming these days. You probably subscribe to Netflix or Amazon Prime, but you don’t use those to watch live TV, whether you want to watch sports, news or similar content.
For that, you need a cable replacement like Sling TV, YouTubeTV, DirectTV Now, Hulu with Live TV or PlayStation Vue. You’ll pay a price for each one, just like you do for cable TV or satellite TV.
Tip in a tip: If you want to know what channels are on each streaming service, we’ve got you covered. Click or tap here now for our exclusive streaming services channel lineup.
1. Sling TV
Starting at $20 a month with a 7-day FREE trial.
Where Netflix made streaming TV mainstream, Sling TV is redefining live TV. This is an a la carte package that’s comparable to signing up for a cable TV package.
The big difference is you can stream channels like CNN, ESPN and others live. In other words, you tune in as the channel is airing content, just like you would with cable TV.
Note: A la carte simply means you can choose which channels you want in your package.
Sling TV’s basic Orange plan starts with 30 channels, including AMC, ESPN and HGTV. From there, you can add on extra packages like sports, kids TV, news and so on, each one typically for $5.
So how do you watch Sling TV? Just like all the live TV streaming services we’re telling you about here, you watch it on internet-connected devices like your smart TV, a Roku box or something similar.
The nice thing about that is, you can bring your service with you. You can watch on any internet-connected device and just about anywhere – although, each service has limitations.
2. PlayStation Vue
Starting at $39.99 a month with a 5-day FREE trial.
Sony’s PlayStation Vue has four levels of service that rival your cable TV or satellite TV packages. It starts with the basic plan, Access, which includes local channels and networks like AMC and Disney.
You can pay more for additional content, all the way up to its Ultra plan for $74.99 a month. That includes dozens of channels for sports, news and premium channels such as HBO.
3. Hulu with Live TV
$39.99 a month with a FREE trial.
You probably know Hulu as a competitor to Netflix and Amazon Prime. That’s how it got started, as a platform to stream TV shows that air on ABC, NBC and other networks.
But Hulu TV has morphed into a combination of that streaming service and a live cable TV replacement. Its Live TV option costs $39.99 and includes all the streaming content it has always had, plus 50 or so live channels like CNN, Disney Channel and ESPN.
4. DirecTV Now
Starting at $35 a month with a 7-day FREE trial.
DirecTV Now offers a similar service to its satellite TV platform, DirecTV. The big difference, of course, is that DirecTV Now streams live on your internet-connected devices, like a smart TV set.
This live streaming service offers four packages. That starts with about 60 familiar channels, such as ABC, Food Network and USA Network. Prices go up to $70 a month for more than 120 live streaming TV networks.
Bonus: DirecTV Now has a promotion going on for $10 a month for the first three months.
5. YouTubeTV
$35 a month with a free trial.
YouTube TV is from Google, which owns the FREE website, YouTube. YouTubeTV is different from the site you probably visit every day.
It’s a cable TV replacement with about 50 live streaming channels. Those include familiar networks like ABC and you can add channels like Showtime for an extra fee.
7 Awesome Netflix hacks you need in your life
You love Netflix – we all do. You turn on the TV these days and everything starts with Netflix and other streaming channels.
Yet, there are Netflix tricks that only the pros know about. Psst! We’re sharing insider secrets so you can see more content and skip past the stuff you don’t want to watch.
Click here to start using Netflix like a pro!
Tags: Amazon, Google, internet, network, streaming services, YouTube
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