How to Watch ABC Local Channels Without Cable in 2026

By Renee Cuisia

Sling is establishing itself as a viable cheap alternative to cable, with many local as well national channels available at as little as $60.99. Sling allows to manage packages, so for example if you don't watch a lot of sports you can remove that package and save a good amount of money. Getting Sling when you're trying to cut the cord is the closest thing to an "à la carte" service, you only pay for what you use.

By Renee Cuisia

The "Hulu + Live TV" plan mixes Hulu's exclusive offering of Originals with around 90 TV channels (the channels available depend on where you live). If you already have Hulu, getting the Live TV addition is usually cheaper than subscribing to another Live TV service. And if when you want to cancel the Live TV plan, you can click "cancel" on Hulu which will give you the option to keep the On-Demand part while canceling the Live TV.

By Renee Cuisia

Youtube TV has quickly grown into one of the best choices for Live TV, offering both local and national channels like ESPN, CNN, Comedy Central, and others. Youtube TV's marketing claims that by getting the platform, you could save up to $500 a year on cable. One major draw of the platform is unlimited cloud DVR storage that's included in the $82.99 plan.

It's also one of the most widely available Live TV streaming services, as you can get it on virtually every device from Fire TV to XBOX to Smart TV brands like LG.

By Renee Cuisia

Named the "best all-around streaming service for cord-cutters" by Rolling Stone, DIRECTV tries to be all the good things about cable without any of the hassle. It has a big selection of channels, possibly the best stream quality in the market, and great DVR capability. For example, unlike with competitor Youtube TV, your DVR recordings on DirecTV will be the same quality as the live stream (often in 4K). The service also comes with a decent monthly price tag, and Netflix-style practicality that allows you to stream Live TV from anywhere by downloading the app. Within your home, you can stream on up to 20 devices (!), and from outside your home you can stream on up to three devices.

By Renee Cuisia

Fubo is a live TV and on-demand streaming service. The platform had it beginning as a soccer stream service, but it quickly became popular as a viable alternative to expensive cable subscriptions in the U.S, offering an attractive bundle of more than 100 live channels as well as an endless array of on-demand movies.

By Renee Cuisia

At first glance, Sling Select looks like a stripped-down Sling Blue, and for the most part, it is. For $19.99 a month you get NFL Network, Fox Sports 1, Fox News, and National Geographic, plus Lifetime Movie Network and a cozy run of nostalgia (MeTV, Heroes & Icons, GRIT). But the price moves with your ZIP code: where Sling carries local ABC, NBC, or Fox, it climbs to $24.99 for one or two stations and $29.99 for all three. It's easy to read this as Sling's answer to cable creep, a small bundle for people who only ever watched a handful of channels anyway. There's no ESPN here (that lives on Sling Essentials, and the pair costs $34.99 together). For football fans and Fox viewers on a budget, it's as narrow as it is useful.

By Renee Cuisia

The "MySports" package from DirecTV is the cheapest way to combine ESPN, ESPN+, Fox Sports, ABC, TNT, and NBC. It's the sports bundle that we could have only dreamed of in the past, especially considering that DirecTV is widely considered to have the best picture quality out of every cord-cutting service.