The Big Bang Theory ended in 2018, but the Big Bang Universe is alive and well. That’s thanks to Young Sheldon, a sitcom that started airing in 2017. It’s a prequel of sorts to The Big Bang Theory that focuses on the childhood of Sheldon Cooper. Sheldon eventually ended up in California working as a theoretical physicist, but his origin story starts in rural East Texas, where Young Sheldon is set.
It turns out that viewers like Young Sheldon almost as much as they liked The Big Bang Theory: The hit spin-off was one of the top-rated scripted shows of 2020. But what if you want to watch Young Sheldon without cable? You can do that, and you don’t need to be a scientific genius to pull it off. Scroll down to find out all the information you’ll need to catch episodes of Young Sheldon without cable.
How to Watch Young Sheldon Online or Over the Air Without Cable
The first order of business is knowing where, exactly, Young Sheldon airs. Once you’ve got that, you’ll have a better idea of just what kind of options you have for watching Young Sheldon without cable.
The show airs on CBS, which is a broadcast station. Broadcast stations like CBS differ slightly from cable networks like CNN and ESPN. We’ll get into why a little later, but rest assured that you can still watch either kind of channel without cable thanks to live TV streaming services.
A live TV streaming service, or “skinny bundle,” is just a new way of getting the same old TV. You won’t have to deal with contracts or cable companies, but you’ll still get bundles of live TV channels like CBS. All you really need is to start watching shows like Young Sheldon without cable is a home internet connection.
Live TV streaming services dominate our list below, but we’ll also talk about some other options, including free over-the-air TV.
Formerly known as CBS All Access, Paramount Plus is the best place to catch CBS shows like Young Sheldon. This service includes lots of episodes of Young Sheldon for your on-demand viewing pleasure, but that’s not all: Paramount Plus also includes a live stream of your local CBS station, meaning that you can actually catch “Young Sheldon” live when it airs.
Hulu was not content with being just an on-demand streaming service. Sure, it’s a place where you can watch shows like The Handmaid’s Tale, but the Hulu executives wanted more. That’s where Hulu + Live TV came in. It gives you all the standard Hulu content as well as a live TV streaming service. The live TV streaming service comes at an extra cost, but it allows you to stream Young Sheldon online.
fuboTV is a live TV streaming service that’s packed with popular channels. It’s a particularly good fit for sports fans, but there’s much more to watch besides football and soccer: fuboTV includes a CBS live stream, which means you can watch CBS shows like Young Sheldon without a cable connection.
YouTube TV
The brand names may be similar, but YouTube TV offers a much different experience than regular old YouTube. You’ll get a complete live TV streaming service when you sign up for YouTubeTV, and that gives you the freedom to watch Young Sheldon online in many markets.
Free Over-the-Air TV
Antenna TV may not have the coolest reputation, but rest assured that the modern version is very cool. Let’s start with the picture quality: If your TV is HD, you can watch shows like Young Sheldon in HD with an over-the-air antenna. As if that’s not enough, setting up an antenna isn’t as hard as you might fear.
The biggest thing you need is the right antenna. Before you can get the right antenna, you’ll need to know how close you are to the nearest CBS broadcast tower. Once you’ve got that, you’ll be well on your way to viewing Young Sheldon over-the-air.
Can I Watch Young Sheldon on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, and Chromecast?
Some people prefer watching TV shows on, well, a TV. Curling up on the couch and watching TV the old-school way is pretty great, but it’s not your only option for catching Young Sheldon. There are limits: you obviously shouldn’t watch it while doing things like driving a car or performing surgery, but you can watch it in a lot of other contexts and on a lot of other devices. The chart below will give you the scoop.
| Roku | Fire TV | Apple TV | Chromecast | iOS | Android | Web/ browser |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hulu + Live TV | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| fuboTV | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| YouTube TV | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Watch What You Want, Young Sheldon Fans!
Young Sheldon is a bit of a rarity in today’s sitcom landscape: In general, it’s a family-friendly show that you can watch with the kids, grandparents, and just about anyone else. But what should you watch when you’re out of Young Sheldon episodes?
We’d suggest giving Disney+ a look. If you don’t already know, Disney+ is the home of everything from the Star Wars movies and TV shows to Marvel movies to animated classics like Aladdin. There’s nothing R-rated on the service, as everything is rated PG-13 at most. Whether you’re there for The Mandalorian or Mickey, our Disney+ review will help you get started.
Why aren’t the streamed Sheldon shows (new season 5) on CBS put on Paramont + after they’re shown “live”? Is CBS (or whatever they call themselves ) that greedy?