Live TV streaming services offer bundles of live channels, but they’re not the same thing as cable. They can still deliver channels like ESPN and FX, but the best live TV streaming services also offer more flexibility, lower prices, and more user-friendly features than you’d get from a cable TV service. We’ve spent hundreds of hours testing live TV streaming services, and these are our top picks.
The Best Overall Live TV Streaming Service
We considered channel selection, user experience, and value as we selected the overall best streaming service in the live TV streaming category. We asked ourselves, “Which service would you be happiest with if you cut the cord today?”
DIRECTV
- Price Range: $64.99 - $154.99 per month
- Channels: 140+
- Free Trial: 5 days
Why DIRECTV via Internet? DIRECTV via Internet delivers on DIRECTV’s amazing history of live TV programming for a reasonable price. Not only does it have a streaming guide, DVR, and all the features we look for in a live TV streaming service, but it’s easy to use, affordable, and customizable. We think it’s the best all-around fit for a typical cord-cutter.
The Best Live TV Streaming Service for Sports
One of the most popular reasons to get a live TV streaming service is to follow sports teams. The best live TV streaming services for sports come with access to both national sports channels and regional sports networks (RSNs).
fuboTV
- Price Range: $74.99 - $94.99 per month
- Channels: 220+
- Free Trial: 7 days
Why fuboTV? Ever since its beginning, fuboTV has focused on streaming sports content, including soccer, football, and everything in between. Whether you want to watch the NFL, NBA, or MLB, you can find your favorite teams with fuboTV.
The Best Live TV Streaming Service for Local News
Not all live TV streaming services provide the same access to local news networks. The best services have deals with the major networks (ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC), as well as the companies that own specific local stations (such as Sinclair).
DIRECTV
- Price Range: $64.99 - $154.99 per month
- Channels: 140+
- Free Trial: 5 days
Why DIRECTV via Internet? When it comes to live channels and local news selection, our testing shows that DIRECTV via Internet brings home the scoop. If you’re looking for major news channels and all the current happenings, you’ll be able to find it on DIRECTV via Internet.
The Best Live TV Streaming Service on a Budget
When live TV streaming services first emerged in the mid-2010s, they were often called “skinny bundles” after their slimmed-down approach to pay TV. Most live TV streaming services aren’t too “skinny” these days, but a few have stayed slim — and cheap. Here’s our top pick for the most affordable live TV streaming service.
Philo
- Price Range: $25 per month
- Channels: 60+
- Free Trial: 7 days
Why Philo? Philo’s relatively trim channel bundle — the service omits most sports- and news-related networks — allows it to deliver live TV for a whole lot less. Philo is the cheapest live TV streaming service on the market, and it’s not particularly close.
The Best Live TV Streaming Service for Customized Bundles
Why pay for channels you don’t watch? The most customizable live TV streaming services allow subscribers to choose from and combine small groups of channels to build the perfect personalized TV bundle.
Sling TV
- Price Range: $40 - $60 per month
- Channels: 30+ - 130+
- Free Trial: 3 days
Why Sling TV? The original live TV streaming service is still the best option when it comes to customization. Sling TV’s myriad “extras” are just the right size for efficient bundle-building, and they make it much more affordable to subscribe to relatively niche networks.
The Best Live TV Streaming Service for On-Demand Content and Original Series
The main appeal of live TV streaming services is, of course, all the live TV. But services like these also come with on-demand content, and the best services make that perk feel like a core part of their offerings.
Hulu + Live TV
- Price Range: $69.99 - $82.99 per month
- Channels: 85+
- Free Trial: none
Why Hulu + Live TV? Hulu + Live TV easily beats the field when it comes to on-demand content. The service comes with complete access to Hulu’s on-demand library, including all of Hulu’s original TV and movie content.
I tried them all and they all have problems. It’s not quite there yet but will be once they do the hardware and app upgrades. Google/YouTube has the potential to take over once they get the channel lineups like cable. One thing is for sure, the picture quality is true HD and you don’t have to pay $200 a month for upscaled crappy video.
I have had Direct TV NOW. Canceled it after a few months. Had Spectrum streaming, and their cable. Charged more for streaming local channels. Cable TV was charging me $120 for TV alone plus internet and phone also increased in price. Canceled both of those too. I’ve had Hulu twice. Still have it. Like all the features except I don’t like fact that programs in my stuff can’t be removed or deleted. These are TV series that have ended. Also when you record a program, watch it and then delete it. That should be the end of it. (Right ). No, every time It comes on again, it records again. It’s ridiculous. But I do get local channels and even Fox News channel. Talk about your good and bad. And it wii record stuff you didn’t want. Again ridiculous.
I had that problem in Hulu too – then found out that apparently I had just 1 episode of the show saved so it kept showing up in my saved list. Go into the saved and see if you can find that episode, then delete that episode and it should go away.
Couldn’t give a review without injecting a little of your politics? As if that has anything to do with a streaming service! 🙄
Where is the politics? Because he mentioned FoxNews? Check your sensitivity meter
Ooh fah!
😩
It seems as if with sling and philo you have to have both cause you want what the other do not offer but then I looked up fubo tv and it has all I want but extreemly little for my twins eaither way unless you have two companies no one is happy So with that in mind I need to get somthing I am satisfied with and get somthing else for the kids but it still cheaper then my cable provider and with it all if you dont have an smart tv what good is any of it so for those who need an roku stick that is an one time buy then you have your sign up and to make it worse companies grow so they are all fighting for bragging rights
Pricing information is outdated. Also sling now offers fox news channel.
Very good. The U-100 plan of U-Verse doesn’t carry the Fox News Channel.
We offer this, but not that, and the buffering……buffering. Internet television services have a ways to go before they can really compete with satellite and cable. I have tried them all Fubo has been on for 5 months but no ABC ESPN /Fox sports north.
hopefully someone will offer all at a reasonable price and better technology soon.
I have been impressed with Fubo with several exceptions. No ABC and Pricing. While they offer 100+ channels for the price, many people aren’t interested in most of them. With the exception of not being able to get a financial (CNBC, Bloomberg) and local channels. Philo provides many popular channels at 1/3 the cost. Local channels can be gotten with Locast for $5 and if not, with an HD antenna. I would prefer Fubo if they offered less unwanted channels or limited sports for around $30-35. I’d jump on it
The commercials on Philo are driving me crazy though. They’ve finally gotten their grid (at the very beginning, it was a hunt and find thing) and the recording option is great. But now the majority of their channels/shows are VOD instead of DVR. That means I’m forced to watch commercials (VOD) or hunt for just the shows or episodes that are listed as DVR so I can skip the commercials. I’ll watch 3 to 5 minutes of the show (if I’m lucky) then watch 5 minutes of commercials. Does any of the streaming services have true commercial-free packages?
Hulu advertises commercial free tv. I don’t pay for it since it’s more expensive. I Use Hulu’s DVR for everything I watch weekly. Other than that, I watch non-live tv on Hulu and Netflix mostly
Although I don’t have either currently (although I am accessing through my sister’s account, until she can set-up for me to drop, xfinity cable, again, the former), I’m surprising not mentioned was pairing YouTube tv live (which is supposed soon get the Viacom/CBS network channels, plus I suspect more of the Discovery channels; and yes I do believe YouTube tv live has the superior video picture quality and the best buffering quality) with the skinny bundle: frndlyTV that has the Hallmark Network of channels, UPtv, CuriosityStream (@ no extra cost), PiXL (also @ no extra cost) and nine other family friendly channels for only $5.99/mo. To me that pairing would probably the best in pricing available for what you get, and what we will probably soon get.
I am looking for a streaming service that has ME TV, Antenna TV, HGTV, Food Network plus the 3 network channels. I haven’t come across it yet. Anyone know of one?
What does it mean when a price is given$ then the number of channels you will get. Then a price per channel exp .80 per. Do you pay the price exp $39.99 then .80 cent per say 50 channels. That is high
Your live streaming channel comparison is so badly out of date, it is useless. Just using Fubo as an example, they carry a great number of the channels which you claim they don’t, and even more if you upgrade to the Elite package.
I am looking for a cord cutting service and have been researching. What I have found is the big corporations that own all the content will not allow for a true cord cutting service. The streaming live tv landscape is looking just like regular old cable tv. The price is also in the same ballpark. Since the big corps own several networks, example like Disney which owns abc espn, fx, and A&E networks it is near impossible to have an ala cart service. Having the ability to pick and choose what channels we want for a base price is what’s really needed, not the same old take this 120 channel package to get the 10-15 channels you will actually watch. Along with it comes terrible customer service and outdated user interfaces (Spectrum). Corporations are buying all the content like Amazon buying MGM portfolio is the big problem here. A handful of big corporations who own 75%+ of the all the networks will never allow the consumer to choose and pay for the channels they actually watch. Cable model is here to stay whether its a streaming service or the traditional cable model.
Update to the chart – Fubo recently dropped A&E, History, Lifetime, FYI, Vice, Lifetime Movies from its lineup.
You get what you pay for. Too many key channels missing in the Fubo/YouTube TV/Hulu arena for now. Directv Stream has all of them and I’m paying less than I did with Directv Satellite or Comcast. It has its hiccups like all services, but the review here at 3.5 stars is light. There is some comfort knowing you RSN (NESN in my case), network TV channel or, say ABC, will be on when you turn your TV on vs. the others services that seem like there is a carriage dispute every 6 months. And that may be fine for some. But if I want to watch the Rookie on ABC or the Boston Bruins on NESN, I know I’m going to get them. The review says it feels like cable or satellite. That’s not necessarily bad. Last channel buttons etc. beat the heck over jumping in and out of apps.
I need ATT SportsNet. Hulu doesn’t have it. Where else can I get it? Fubo, I think. Not YouTube TV. Any place else?