Today there are so many ways to cut the cord while keeping access to Live TV, perhaps too many. They all are at different prices: from $5.99 to $74.99, offer different channels, and different features: some have unlimited DVR, some none at all, some will be available on your Roku or Fire Stick, some not.
So how can you pick? Here we have ranked the best Live TV streaming services based on their value: how many channels each dollar you pay gets you?
Haystack TV is an independently-run streaming service that delivers live and on-demand news, 24/7. It's ad-supported so it's somewhat free, but if you want to get rid of the commercials and dive straight into the latest news, you can subscribe to Haystack Premium for $4.99/month or try it for free for 30 days.
The convenient thing about Haystack is that it allows you to navigate not just by channels but by topics as well. It also picks up news from more than a hundred TV stations around the US (check if they cover your area here) which saves you the trouble of switching services when looking for local news.
Price: free for 12 channels available
Free Trial: 30 days
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, Roku, Roku TV, Website
Channel lineup: ABC News, Al Jazeera, Bloomberg, Bloomberg Quicktake, CBS News, Cheddar, Deutsche Welle, Euronews, Local news channels, Newsmax, Newsy, Yahoo! Finance
Glewed TV is a free, ad-supported streaming channel that provides an extensive lineup of movies, series, and documentaries. It also has its own exclusive set of titles and podcasts, with genres spanning travel, sports, comedy, action, and more, plus it's available on a plethora of platforms. If you're still on the fence about going completely cordless, Glewed TV is one of many easy and accessible streaming options to choose from.
Price: free for 1 channels available
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Vizio
Channel lineup:
Cord-cutters only interested in Spanish-language content will find much to like in Fubo Latino. Instead of the usual lineup, the Latino plan carries more than 65 channels in Spanish, including Unimas, Univision, BeinSports, Nat Geo Mundo, Sony Cine, and Discovery en Español. And since Fubo started as a soccer streaming service, it also has live sporting events featuring leagues like the UEFA Champions League, Bundesliga, and MLS.
At only $33/month, it's Fubo's most affordable plan yet, but it still has base features like 250 hours worth of cloud DVR and two simultaneous streams. If you already have a Fubo base plan, Fubo also offers these channels as an add-on for $20/month.
Price: $32.99/month
Free Trial: 7 days
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, Roku
Channel lineup: Bein Sports, beIN SPORTS. beIN SPORTS XTRA, Canela Cinema, Canela Clasiocos, Canela Deportes, Canela Telenovelas, Canela.TV, CATV, Cine Estrella TV, Cine Latino, Discovery en Español, Discovery Familia, ESPN HD Deportes, Estrella Games, Estrella News, Estrella TV, Euronews Espanol, Fox Deportes, Fubo Latino Network, Galavision, GolTV Spanish, Hogar HGTV, Nat Geo Mundo, NTN24, Nuestra Tele, Pasiones, Sony Cine, Tastemade en Español, Telefe, Televisión Dominicana, TG en Espanol, The Weather Channel en Espanol, Tigo Sports, Tr3s, TUDN, TUDNxtra 1, TUDNxtra 10, TUDNxtra 11, TUDNxtra 2, TUDNxtra 3, TUDNxtra 4, TUDNxtra 5, TUDNxtra 6, TUDNxtra 7, TUDNxtra 8, TUDNxtra 9, TyC Sports, Unimas, Univision, WAPA América, Zona Futbol
For the diehard soccer fan, Fanatiz is a streaming service dedicated to Latin American and Spanish soccer. Here, you'll get access to live and on-demand matches held by La Liga and Copa Libertadores, as well as complete coverage of Brazil's intense local competition Brasileirão. It's available in most countries worldwide, but North American viewers, in particular, will be glad to know that Fanatiz carries beIN and TyC Sports—vital channels that have exclusive rights to stream select leagues.
Fanatiz has an $8 and $10 monthly tier, the latter of which gives you access to even more leagues and hours of VOD content. But we suggest you try the platform first (free for a week) to really test its quality and see how it stacks up to other similarly inclined services, like FuboTV.
Price: $7.99/month
Device availability: Airplay, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Chromecast, Hisense, iOS, Roku, Website
Channel lineup: Bein Sports, beIN SPORTS Connect, BeIN SPORTS Español, Bein Sports XTRA, CentroAméricaTV, For The Fans, GolTV, GolTV en Español, NuestraTele, Real Madrid TV, Sevilla TV, Todo Noticias, TyC Sports International, XTF
For no-brainer shows like The Drew Barrymore Show, Extra, and The Voice, check out ET Live. You can also find clips and segments from these shows on the app. Sometimes it's called "ET Online" (the website is etonline.com), sometimes just ET; as its name indicates, it's the equivalent of a Youtube channel for ET.
One important thing to know: ESPN+ will not allow you to watch ESPN channels live. However, it has a lot of on-demand content that has aired on the channels and is a good way to watch some sports live. Namely: UFC events, many soccer leagues (such as LaLiga and Bundesliga), golf, tennis, and MLB. For the price, ESPN+ is worth at least a try if you are a fan of any of these sports.
Distro TV is a free streaming service that features free shows, movies, documentaries, news, concerts, and more from all around the world. It specializes in global content, drawing from the US, UK, and Canada, as well as from other parts of Europe, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. It has both live and on-demand content, plus it's easy to stream from many devices, making it an easy and affordable option for cord-cutters.
Price: free for 1 channels available
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, iOS, LG, Roku, Samsung Smart TV
Channel lineup:
Cineverse is a free streaming service that has both on-demand content and live channels, all of which feature a broad range of content. The new streaming service's mission is to offer as many titles as it can, so you won't find a lot of blockbusters or big studio productions here (unless they're available for rent on ROW8), but you will have access to a ton of vintage, international, and niche films and TV shows. Our personal favorites include Howard's End, Mustang, and The Little Shop of Horrors.
Since the streaming service is free, you'll encounter a lot of ads, but you can always subscribe to Cineverse's premium version, which costs $2.99/month, to get rid of the commercials and get access to even more content.
Price: free for 24 channels available
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Comecast Xfinity, Google TV, iOS, LG, Roku, Roku TV, Tizen Samsung, Vizio, Website
Channel lineup: Asian Crush, AsianCrush, Bloody Disgusting, CONtv, CONtv Anime, Crime Hunters, Docurama, El Ray Network, Fandor, GustoTV, Lodestar, Maverick Black Cinema, Midnight Pulp, Retro Crush, RetroCrush, Row8, Screambox, So…Dramatic, So…Real, The Bob Ross Channel, The Country Channel, The Dove Channel, The Elvis Presley Channel, The Film Detective
The Amazon Prime Video and Paramount+ Bundle is for those looking to boost their streaming subscription with even more original shows, popular films, and live broadcasts of news and sports. Under the Paramount tent, you get ongoing franchises like Star Trek and Yellowstone, kids' TV shows like Spongebob Squarepants and Dora the Explorer, and blockbusters like Top Gun and Everything, Everywhere, All at Once—not to mention local CBS stations that stream news, sports, and other live events. And now that Paramount+ has merged with Showtime, you also get the latter network's enviable lineup of documentaries, series, and sporting coverages.
Since the merger is fairly new, Amazon Prime will occasionally offer the bundle at discounted rates, but generally, it still costs $11.99/month on top of Amazon's $14.99/month subscription. That's not a bad deal for a bundle packed with popular movies, original shows, and live TV.
Price: $26.98/month
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Apple TV, Changhong, Chromecast, Haier, Hisense, iOS, LG, Nvidia SHIELD, Panasonic, Philips, PlayStation, Roku, Samsung, Sharp, Skyworth, Sony, TiVo, Vestel, Vizio, Website, Wii, Xbox
Channel lineup: CBS local channels
If you have an Air TV streaming device, you'll automatically have free access to 1oo local channels from affiliates like ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, and PBS all in HD. To be clear, the local channels are free in the sense that you don't have to pay a monthly bill to watch them, as you would on a cable or live TV subscription, but you do have to pay a one-time fee that sets you up with an Air TV device and an HD antenna. Depending on the bundle you pick, that can cost you anywhere from $150 to $250. It seems like a lot, but it makes sense when you consider that it comes with DVR, the ability to watch local channels anywhere, and for Sling TV subscribers, seamless integration in all your devices.
Although you don't need to be a Sling TV subscriber to start using Air TV, the two are perfect complements that save you a lot of money, in the long run. Sling TV has live TV channels equipped for sports, entertainment, and nationwide news, while the one-time-payment Air TV gives you constant and uninterrupted access to your local channels. If you do combine them, Sling takes care of any overlaps to ensure you're getting the best of both streaming worlds in all compatible devices.
Price: free for 3 channels available
Device availability: AirTV Mini, AirTV Player, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, iOS, Roku
Channel lineup: CBS local channels, NBC local channels, PBS local channels
Ready to cut the cord? Here are the 14 live TV streaming services that offer a free trial.
The streaming services on this page were chosen by our editors. If you choose to subscribe to a streaming service we recommend as a result of our research, analysis, and curation, our work is sometimes (but not always) supported by an affiliate commission from the streaming service when you make a purchase.