Free cord-cutting services are multiplying, but that doesn't mean they're all worth your time. Many in fact create their own "channels"—TV shows that they have rights for and which they play on repeat.
The leading free live TV services are Pluto TV and to a lesser extent Xumo TV. In this list, we count the best free live TV services.
| Sling TV Freestream 43 channels included
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free | Watch | |
| Tubi 80 channels included
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free | Watch | |
| Plex 86 channels included
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free | Watch | |
In response to the growing popularity of free streaming services like Tubi, Xumo, and Pluto, Sling TV has come up with Sling TV Freestream, an ad-supported version of its live TV and on-demand streaming service. Compared to its paid tier, Freestream has fewer channels and premium titles, but with more than 200 live channels and on-demand content to boot, it's certainly worth giving a try—you don't even need to sign up for an account to start watching.
Sling TV has been at the forefront of live TV for years, but it breaks new ground with Freestream, a platform designed to both entertain and entice users to upgrade to their meatier packages. Recently, Freestream also added free DVR.
Price: free for 43 channels available
Device availability: AirTV, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Apple TV, Chromecast, Cox, Google TV, iOS, LG TV, Roku, Roku TV, Samsung Smart TV, Samsung TV, TiVo, Vizio, Website, Xbox, Xfinity Flex
Channel lineup: AajTak International, ABC News Live, Al Arabiya, Al Jazeera English, Always funny, Anthony Bourdain A Cook's Tour, Architectural Digest: Open Door, ARY News, Bein Sports XTRA, Buzzr: Family Feud, CBS News, Cheddar News, Defiance, Dilemma, Documentary Plus, Electric Now, ESPN On Demand, ESR, FailArmy, Fear Factor, FilmRise: Hell's Kitchen, Forensic Files, Fox Weather, France24, Fubo Sports, Glewed TV, GoTraveler, Heartland, Life OK, Maverick Black Cinema: Boxed In, Noticias Univision 24/7, Rick Steves Europe, Scripps News, SonyKal, TD Ameritrade Network, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Pet Collective, The Walking Dead Universe, TVP World, USA Today, VH1 I Love Reality, World Poker Tour, Zona TUDN
Dubbed "The Free Netflix," Tubi is one of the best options for streaming quality movies and TV shows online. The completely free, ad-supported service has one of the most extensive title lineups, plus it's compatible with most devices, making it an extremely popular option for cord-cutters. Though it has been noted to have a less than stellar resolution, most viewers don't mind due to its easy interface, constantly updated library, and of course free titles. Parents will also be glad to know that the service has parental control features.
Price: free for 80 channels available
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Google TV Streamer, iOS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Sony, TiVo, Vizio, Website, Xbox One
Channel lineup: 21 Jump Street, ABC Localish, ABC News, ACC Digital Network, AFV Family, All Real, Baywatch, Bein Sports XTRA, bein Sports Xtra en Espanol, Bloomberg, Bloomberg Quicktake, Brat TV, BUZZR, Caught in Providence, CBC News, Cheddar, CINEVAULT: 80's, CINEVAULT: Classics, CINEVAULT: Westerns, Circle, Comedy Dynamics, Cosmos, Deal or No Deal, Dove Channel, El Rey, Estrella News, EuroNews English, Fear Factor, FilmRise Classic TV, FilmRise Westerns, Forensic Files, FOX, Fox Deportes, FOX SOUL, Fox Sports, Fox Weather, fubo Sports Network, Game Show Central, Gordon Ramsay, Heartland, ION, ION Mystery, Johnny Carson TV, live now from Fox, Lone Star, Masked Singer Channel, MLB, Moviesphere Free, My Time Movie Network, Mystery Science Theater 3000, NBC News Now, Newsy, NFL Channel, NHRA TV, Nosey, Pac-12 Insider, Pattrn, People TV, Real Madrid TV, REELZ Famous & Infamous, So Real, Sports Wire, Stadium, Supermarket Sweep, The Biggest Loser, The Bob Ross Channel, The Carol Burnett Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Grio, the NFL Channel, The Only Way is Essex, TMZ, TODAY All Day, Tubi Originals, Unsolved Mysteries, USA Today, Vice, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Weather Nation, Wipeout Xtra
The Roku Channel can't replace Netflix or a cord-cutting service like Sling, but it's a nice added bonus if you already have a Roku device. The selection of live channels is limited, but there's something for everyone, including news, sports, and entertainment.
Price: free for 2 channels available
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Roku TV, Samsung TV, Website
Channel lineup: ABC News Live, ION Mystery
Pluto TV is a modern take on traditional cable: it has hundreds of channels streaming live, a huge library of on demand content, and it’s supported by ads. But the key difference from the competition? It’s totally free.
Price: free for 34 channels available
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Roku, Shareplay supported, Virgin Media, Vizio SmartCast, webOS, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Channel lineup: BBC Food, BBC Home, Bein Sports XTRA, Bloomberg Television, CBS Sports HQ, CBSN, Check with Pluto TV for the full channel lineup, Cheddar News, CNN, ET Live, Food TV, Fox Sports, Hallmark En Espanol, Hip Hop Family VH1, Love & Hip-Hop VH1, Major League Soccer, MLB, MotorTrend FAST TV, NBC News Now, Newsmax, NFL Channel, NFL Super Bowl Classics, Nosey, People TV, PGA Tour, Pluto Channels, Sky News, Smithsonian Channel, Stories AMC, TBN, Today, TV Land Drama, WeatherNation, WPT
Plex is a media management software that doubles as a free streaming service. Its main function is to organize your own library of content—that is, your own video, photo, or sound files—and make it streamable alongside Plex's offerings of 200+ live TV channels and 50,000+ on-demand movies and shows. Plex's basic package comes at no cost, but it also has a premium package starting at $4.99/month that boasts additional features, such as the ability to download content and watch them offline, among other things.
Price: free for 86 channels available
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Google Daydream, iOS, LG Smart TV, Nvidia SHIELD, Oculus, PlayStation, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Website, Xbox
Channel lineup: 80s Party, AFV Espanol, AFV Family, AsianCrush, BAMBU, Beast Mode, Bedroom Beats, Channel With, Choppertown, Comedy Dynamics, CONtv, Cooking Panda, DarkMatter TV, Deal or No Deal, Docurama, Dove Channel, DrinkTV, EDGEsport, Electric Now, Electro Anthems, ESRevolution, FailArmy, Footballers Live, Friday Feels, fubo Sports Network, Game Show Central, Glewed TV, Gravitas Movies, Hip Hop Bangers, Hollywire, Hollywood Classics, Hometalk TV, Hot R&B, Hottest of the Hot, IGN TV, ION Mystery, Kidoodle.TV, KidsFlix, KMTV, Law & Crime, Like Yesterday, Love Destination, Made In Hollywood, MAV TV Select, Maverick Black Cinema, Midnight Pulp, Monster Kids, Neural Focused, Nosey, Only 90s Kids Will Understand, Party, Party Tyme Karaoke, People Are Awesome, PlayWorks, Popstar!TV, Real Nosey, RetroCrush, Reuters TV, Revry, Revry 2, RevryNow, So…Real, SportsGrid, SQAD, SURF NOW TV, Tankee, Tastemade, TG Junior, That 70s Channel, That’s Hot, The Archive, The Boat Show, The Design Network, The Film Detective, The Pet Collective, Toon Goggles, Trending, TV Classics, Unidentified, Unwind, WASH TV, Wipeout Xtra, Wu Tang Collection, Yacht Rock, Yahoo! Finance, YUYU TV
Amazon Freevee, or simply freevee, is a free, ad-supported streaming service powered by Amazon. It has a notable library of licensed titles and original shows, not to mention 24/7 live channels, plus it's easy to access since it runs on most if not all available devices. Although other free streamers have it beat in terms of range and variety, freevee is still a great option for newbie cord-cutters, especially since it already comes on most Amazon platforms.
Price: free for 40 channels available
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Echo Show, Google TV, Google TV Streamer, LG, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Xbox, Xfinity Flex
Channel lineup: ABC News Live, Amazon Originals, Bosch, Confess by Nosey, Court TV Live, Criminal Minds, Filmrise British TV, From Asia With Love, Hot Ones, Hunter, ION Mystery, Judy Justice, Jury Duty, Latino Vibess, LiveNOW by Fox, MLB, Neighbours, NHL FAST, OUTtv Proud, PGA Tour, Project Runway, QVC, Real Crime, Swerve Sports, Tastemade en Español, Teen Wolf, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Price Is Right: The Barker Era, The TED Channel, The Washington Post, Top Gear, Unsolved Mysteries, Unspeakable, USA Today, USA Today Sports, Vevo, Washington Post, World's Most Evil Killers, XITE, Zona TUDN
Known formerly as VUIt, Zeam is a live TV streaming service that specializes in local channels. Zeam has agreements with 300 local stations across the country, including ABC, NBC, FOX, and ABC affiliates, so the exact channel lineup varies depending on where you live. However, most users will be able to access content from at least one of the major networks. The content in question is mostly news, though, since Zeam doesn't stream primetime shows and live sports just yet. It can seem bare to some, but it's a nifty service to tune into if you want to stay on top of community news and weather updates. It's also completely free, and you don't even have to create an account to start watching.
Price: free for 4 channels available
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Apple TV, iOS, Roku, Roku TV, Website
Channel lineup: Always Funny TV, CBS News, TEGNA Locked On Sports, TEGNA True Crime Network
ViX is an ad-supported streaming service by Univision, the largest Spanish-language content provider in the US. Spanning the usual movies, series, and telenovelas, the ViX library also boasts live TV, news, and sports programs. The latter, in particular, comes as a strong suit since the streamer covers events in conjunction with TUDN, Univision's sports arm, as well as hosts football events in many parts of South America. The free-to-watch service also has an on-demand section, meaning you can easily search for a title you want to watch instead of scrolling from the multiple channels available.
Price: free for 1 channels available
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, iOS, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Website
Channel lineup:
TCL is one of the leading TV brands out there, so it makes sense the company would come up with a flagship streaming service. TCLtv+ is a streaming app that features more than 300 FAST channels and a couple of on-demand movies and TV shows, all for free. It's easy to get overwhelmed when a service has that many to offer, but there are some notable channels on TCLtv+, including ION (which has NCIS, FBI, Chicago Fire, and countless other procedurals), Dateline 24/7, Cinevault Westerns, Waypoint TV, Estrella TV, Canela.TV, NBC Sports, and Fox Sports. TCLtv+ is, of course, available on most TCL TVs, but you can also download it on iOS and Android-powered streaming devices. Thanks to an agreement with Roku, it can also be found on the homepage of newer Roku devices.
Price: free for 49 channels available
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Google TV, iOS, Roku, Roku TV, TCL
Channel lineup: America Ninja Warrior, BET x Tyler Perry Comedy, BET x Tyler Perry Drama, Beyond Paranormal, Bloomberg Originals, Bloomberg TV, Bounce XL, Bravo Vault, Canela.TV, CINEVAULT: Westerns, Court TV, Craftsy TV, Crime 360, Dateline 24/7, Deal or No Deal, Deal Zone by History, E! Keeping Up, Estrella TV, Fox Sports, Fox Weather, GOLFPASS, ION, ION Mystery, Judge Faith, Little House on the Prairie, Live Now Fox, MAV TV Select, Miramax, Murder She Wrote, NBC News Now, NBC Sports, Newsmax, NFL Channel, Nolly Africa, Nosey, Noticias Telemundo Ahora, PBS Nature, Pursuit UP, Scripps News, Sky News, SNL Vault, TCL Horror, Time, TMZ, TYT, Universal Action, Watch Mojo, Waypoint TV, Xtreme Outdoor by History
Stirr is an American ad-supported streaming service owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group. It was launched in 2019. Not only is it free, but it provides access to live local news, 120+ TV shows, and 8,000+ hours of on-demand movies. This service is for viewers who don’t want to commit to a cable fee and don’t mind intermittent ads when watching their favorite movies and shows.
All Samsung Smart TVs come with a free Samsung TV Plus app, the company's own streaming service that offers more than 200 live TV channels and on-demand content to users around the globe. There's no need to subscribe or even sign up for an account to access the app.
Aside from its TVs (specifically those released from 2016 onwards), Samsung makes its streaming platform available to all Galaxy Devices, mobile and tablet, as long as their operating systems are updated to Android 8.0 or higher. It's a worthy option for cord-cutters, especially if you want a fuss-free and cost-efficient way to watch your favorite channels.
Price: free for 216 channels available
Device availability: Android, Samsung Smart TV
Channel lineup: 21 Jump Street, 80s Flashback, 90s Throwback, ABC News Live, ACC Digital Network, ALL ACTION, All Reality WE TV, All Weddings WE TV, All-Out Reality, ALTER, Always Funny Videos, America's Test Kitchen, Anime All day, Antiques Roadshow, Are We There Yet?, Asian Crush, Backstage, BBC Food, BBC Hom, Bein Sports XTRA, Bloomberg Quicktake, Bon Appétit, Bounce XL, Brat TV, BUZZR, Canela.TV, Cars, CBS News, Cheddar News, Chicken Soup for the Soul, CHIVE TV, Cine Romántico, CINEVAULT: 80's, CINEVAULT: Classics, CINEVAULT: Westerns, Circle, CJ ENM, Clarity 4K, Classic Doctor Who, CNN Replay, CNN RESUMEN, Comedy All Day, Comedy Dynamics, Court TV, Crime 360, Crime Zone, Dallas Cowboys Cheer, Danger TV, Deal or No Deal, Degrassi, Documentary+, Dove Channel, Dr. G: Medical Examiner, Drama Life, Dry Bar Comedy, DUST, EDGEsport, ElectricNOW, Estrella News, Estrella TV, ET Live, Fail Army, Family Ties, Fear Factor, FilmRise Action, FilmRise Free Movies, FilmRise Western, Forensic Files, FOX SOUL, FTF, fubo Sports Network, FUEL TV, Game Show Central, GOLFPASS, Gravitas Movies, Grit Xtra, Gusto TV, Hallmark Movies & More, Halloween Movies, Heartland, Hell’s Kitchen, Hollywire, Home Refresh, Home.Made.Nation, HSN, Hungry, IGN, IMPACT Wrestling, INSIGHT TV, InWonder, ION, ION Mystery, ION Plus, Journy, Kidoodle.TV, Kitchen Nightmares, Law & Crime, LiveNOW from FOX, Loupe 4K, Love & Hip Hop, Love Nature 4K, Lucky Dog, Magellan TV Now, Maverick Black Cinema, MAVTV Select, MHz Now, Midnight Pulp, Midsomer Murders, Million Dollar Listing, MinecrafTV, Moonbug Kids, MOTORVISION.TV, MovieSphere, MTV Pluto TV, NBC News Now, NBCLX, NEW KMOVIES, NEW KPOP, Newsmax, Newsy, NHRA TV, Nick Pluto TV, Nosey, Operation Repo, Origin Sports, Outdoor America, Outside, Pac-12 Insider, Paramount Movie Channel, PBS Digital Studios, PBS Kids, People Are Awesome, People TV, Plated, Pluto TV Fantastic, Pluto TV Westerns, pocket.watch, Portlandia, PowerNation, PrendeTV Lo mejor de Liga MX, PrendeTV Novelas de Oro, PrendeTV Novelas de romance, PrendeTV Novelas en familia, Project Runway, Pursuit UP, QVC, Real America’s Voice, REELZ Famous & Infamous, Revry, Ride or Drive, RiffTrax, Rock On, Rotten Tomatoes, Shades of Black, Shout! Factory, Skills + Thrills, Sony Canal Comedias, Sony Canal Competencias, Sony Canal Novelas, SportsGrid, Stadium, Stingray Naturescape, Stories by AMC, SURF NOW TV, T2, Tastemade, Tastemade Travel, TED, Telemundo Al Día, TG Junior, That Girl, The Asylum, The Bob Ross Channel, The Challenge, The Design Network, The Hotel Inspector, The Jack Hanna Channel, The LEGO Channel, The Movie Hub, The New Detectives, The Pet Collective, The Preview Channel, The Walking Dead Universe, This Old House, This Old House Makers, Tiny House Nation, TODAY All Day, Toon Goggles, Top Gear, Tu Cine, TV Land Drama, TV Land Sitcoms, TYT Network, Unsolved Mysteries, USA Today, Vevo 2K, Vevo Country, Vevo Hip-Hop, Vevo Latino, Vevo Pop, Vevo R&B, Vice, ViX Grandes Parejas, ViX JaJaJa, ViX Villanos de Novela, Waypoint TV, WeatherNation, WeatherSpy, Whistle TV, Wild 'N Out, Wipeout Xtra, World Poker Tour, XITE Just Chill, Xplore, Yahoo! Finance, ZooMoo
Philo Free is a completely free live TV streaming platform that carries more than 70 channels, including AMC Thrillers, BBC News, The Walking Dead Universe, and beIN Sports Extra, on top of on-demand films and TV shows. Like Philo's paid plan, Philo Free also offers DVR storage, though here it's limited to 30 days, as opposed to a year, and you can still create up to 10 custom profiles. You'll need an account to start watching Philo for free, as well as a compatible device, but you notably do not need to provide credit card information. In case you want more live channels or DVR storage, you can always upgrade your account to Philo Core, which is $25/month.
Price: free for 82 channels available
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, iPhone, Roku, Samsung TV
Channel lineup: 4UV, All Reality WE TV, All Weddings WE TV, AllBlk Gems, AMC Thrillers, America's Test Kitchen, Anger Management, ANIME x HIDIVE, Are We There Yet?, BBC News, Bein Sports XTRA, Cheddar News, Chicken Soup for the Soul, CINEVAULT, CINEVAULT: Classics, CINEVAULT: Westerns, Cold Case Files, Comedy Dynamics, Confess by Nosey, Cowboy Way, Crackle, Crime 360, Crime Cults Killers by A&E, Crime ThrillHer, Dance Moms, Deal Zone, Drag Race Universe, Duck Dynasty, Ebony TV by Lionsgate, FailArmy, Game Show Central, GET Comedy, Growing Up Hip Hop WE tv, Gusto TV, HerSphere, Home.Made.Nation, Ice Road Truckers, IFC Films Picks, INFAST, INTROUBLE, InWonder, KIN, Love Nature, MagellanTV Now, Matched Married Meet, Modern Marvels, Movie Favorites by Lifetime, MovieSphere by Lionsgate, MSG SportsZone, Mythical 24/7, Nashville, OuterSphere by Lionsgate, Outside TV+, Overtime, People Are Awesome, PlayersTV, pocket.watch, Portlandia, RetroCrush, Revry, Ryan and Friends, Scares by Shudder, Screambox TV, Slightly Off IFC, Space Science Now, Stories by AMC, Tastemade Home, Tastemade Travel, The Bob Ross Channel, The Pet Collective, The Walking Dead Universe, Tiny House Nation, TV One Crime & Justice, UnXplained Zone, USA Today, Vevo 80s, Vevo 90s, Vevo Country, Vevo Features, Vevo Hip-Hop, Vevo Pop, Wild Oceans
PBS channels around the country are free on television, and thanks to the PBS app, they're now free to stream as well. The PBS app gives you on-demand access to many of the network's famously educational shows, including Nova and PBS News Hour, as well as the nearest local station in your area. You don't need an account to start watching on the PBS app, although you might have to activate it beforehand. Again, PBS is free, but if you want to support your local PBS station and gain extended access to even more films and TV shows, then you can purchase a PBS Passport membership, which costs around $5/month or $60/year.
Price: free for 2 channels available
Device availability: Amazon Fire Tablet, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Comcast, iOS, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Vizio
Channel lineup: PBS, PBS local channels
NewsOn is a free streaming service that lets you access live TV newscasts from over 200 local stations around the United States. According to the platform, it has partnered with ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX and their respective local affiliates to cover up to 91% of the country (a full list of their local channels can be seen here).
You can also watch previous news, sports, and weather reports on NewsOn from up to 48 hours ago and select your favorite stations so that they appear first on the homepage. No registration is required, and it allows you to watch local channels wherever in the country you may be.
Price: free for 3 channels available
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Apple TV, iOS, Roku, Roku TV, Website
Channel lineup: CBS local channels, Local news channels, NBC local channels
DirecTV is known for its comprehensive but pricey live TV packages, but now it's offering something a little more accessible in the form of MyFree DirecTV. DirecTV's newest service is completely free (they don't even ask for your credit card details) and airs channels like Dove TV, Tastemade, Moviesphere, Live Tennis, Sports Grid, Design TV, Court TV, and more. You don't have to be a DirecTV customer to access it, but you do need to create an account using an email address and download the DirecTV app on your preferred device. The app works fine on major streaming devices, including mobiles and TVs powered by Android and Apple. For now, MyFree DirecTV has a total of 70 free channels, but it's announced more channels are on the way as it finalizes partnerships with studios like A&E, Fox, and Lionsgate.
Price: free for 89 channels available
Device availability: Amazon Fire, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple, iOS, Roku
Channel lineup: ACC Digital Network, Alien Nation, America's Test Kitchen, Anger Management, Are We There Yet?, At Home with Family Handyman, Ax Men, Bob Ross Channel, BUZZR, Cheddar News, Cold Case Files, Comedy Dynamics, Court TV, Crime 360, CuriosityStream, Dance Moms by Lifetime, DAZN Ringside, Deal Zone, Declassified, Documentary+, Dog Whisperer, Dove Channel, Duck Dynasty, Ebony TV, El Rey Rebel, FailArmy, Fight Network, Fox Weather, FoxSoul, FUEL TV, Go Traveler, Great American Adventures, HerSphere, HIPSTR, History & Warfare Now, Horror by ALTER, Ice Road Truckers, INFAST, InWonder, Jamie Oliver, Joel Ostend Network, Let’s Make a Deal, Love Nature, Magellan TV Now, MeatEater, Military Heroes, Modern Marvels, Movie Favorites by Lifetime, MovieSphere, Nosey, Origin Sports, OZ TV, PickleballTV, Players TV, PokerGO+, PowerNation, Pureflix TV, Racing America, Rig TV, RVTV, Somos Novelas, Space Science Now, Speedvision, SportsGrid, Stadium Stream, Supermarket Sweep, Surfer TV, Swerve Combat, T2, Tastemade, Tastemade Home, Tastemade Travel, The Design Network, The First TV, The Jim Rome Show, The Pet Collective, The Price is Right, The Three Stooges, Tiny House Nation, TNA Wrestling, Torque by History, Total Crime, True Crime Now, Unexplained Zone, Urban Edge Network, Waypoint TV, Women’s Sports Network, Yahoo! Finance, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Remember those thrashy (but fascinating!) films that would air on TV late into the night, long after the proper programs had their run? Those titles have found a new home in Midnight Pulp, a free streaming service that lets you watch films and TV shows on-demand and live. It specializes in the weirdest content you can imagine; whether that's a 1960s Star Trek knockoff, a B-movie erotica, or a laughable monster flick, they likely have it here. Midnight Pulp also offers a live TV stream that's active 24/7 with channels that offer much of the same—with the exception, perhaps, of RetroCrush and AsianCrush, which have solid lineups of anime and dramas. Midnight Pulp also offers more titles (many of which are adult-themed) and ad-free content if you pay for their premium $5.99/month tier, which you can try free for 14 days.
Price: $4.99/month
Free Trial: 14 days
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Apple TV, Chromecast, Hisense, iOS, LG, LG TV, Plex, Roku, Roku TV, Samsung, Vizio, Website
Channel lineup: Asian Crush, AsianCrush, Crime Hunters, Midnight Pulp, Retro Crush, RetroCrush, Screambox TV, Tokushoutsu
LocalBTV is a streaming service that delivers live feeds from local TV stations around the United States. Free of charge and offering cloud DVR with up to 1 TB of storage, it's an accessible resource for those looking to cut the cord without having to cut ties with their community. As of this writing, LocalBTV has yet to stream major news networks like ABC or CBS, but it is working toward that goal. It's set to set up a paid premium version that carries nationwide networks and doubles the number of available local stations. For now, it's still a handy live TV service that covers 52 areas in the US.
Price: free for 24 channels available
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, Roku, Samsung Smart TV
Channel lineup: Ace, BEKSports, CMC, CMC-USA, Cozi TV, Diya, France24, GetTV, ISciFi, Kpop, Local news channels, NewsNet, Nostalgia, NTD, Quili, QVC, RightNow, ShopLC, Sidewalks, Sportsnews, TCN, TCT, TeleXitos, The Country Network
Local Now is a free streaming service from The Weather Channel that offers up localized content geared to where you're using it from. That means you can get local news, weather updates, and even restaurant reviews that are specific to where you, the user, are from. Aside from the convenience of getting local coverage, Local Now also provides thousands of movies and live TV channels to choose from, perfect for when you're relaxing or on the go.
Price: free for 1 channels available
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Fubo TV, iOS, Roku, Sling TV
Channel lineup: Local news channels
Whether you're a Korean expat living in North America or a true-blue Hallyu fan, you'll find much to like in OnDemandKorea, also sometimes known as Korea on Demand. The streaming service has both live TV and on-demand content, which it makes available in three tiers. The basic plan is ad-supported and free, the premium plan costs $10.99/month and gives you exclusive ad-free content, while the premium + box plan costs $19.99/month and gives you all the benefits of the previous plans plus five simultaneous viewings and 100 live channels. Korea on Demand also gives you the option to pay yearly to help you save up to $200 in costs. In terms of content, the platform has an impressively wide range. On the on-demand side, it has more than 500 films that range from mainstream to indie, while on the live TV side, it has multiple channels that cover news, entertainment, variety, and sports. It's important to note, however, that the entire site is in Korean and not all titles have English subtitles, making it most suited to native or advanced speakers of the language.
Price: free for 9 channels available
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Apple TV, Google TV, Hisense, iOS, LG, LG Smart TV, Philips, Roku, Roku TV, Samsung, Samsung Smart TV, Samsung TV, Sony, TCL, Website
Channel lineup: Channel A, JTBC, K Movie, MBN, News 1, News 2, TV Chosun, Yonhap News, YTN
Haystack News (formerly 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, Google TV Streamer, 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:
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
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
7 Plus is a free, ad-supported streaming service that gives viewers the very best from Network Seven, one of Australia's major broadcasters. It has entire seasons of popular shows, movies, live coverages, and old and new content alike as the service's library is constantly updated. Because Network Seven is comprised of many channels, including those entirely dedicated to news, films, and sports, 7 Plus also has one of the most extensive catalogs of content out there. It's also fairly easy to use and available on a number of devices.
Price: free for 1 channels available
Device availability: Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, LG, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Samsung Smart TV
Channel lineup:
You can get free live TV streaming services with Sling TV Freestream, Tubi, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV Live, Plex, freevee, Zeam, ViX, TCLtv+, STIRR, Samsung TV Plus, Philo Free TV, PBS App, NewsOn, MyFree DIRECTV, Midnight Pulp, LocalBTV, Local Now, Korea On Demand, Haystack News, Glewed TV, Distro TV, Cineverse, Air TV, or 7 Plus.
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.