16 Best Streaming Services for Watching Old TV Shows

With TCM being on the unfortunate end of all the cost-cutting streaming has been facing lately, viewers have understandably looked for other places to get their fix of the classics. In a separate article, we listed the streaming alternatives you can turn to for old movies, but here, we've gathered the all places you can watch old TV shows.

The good news is most classic TV can be found on smaller and more affordable sites like freevee (which has Bewitched), Pluto TV (which has All in the Family), Fubo (which has Hogan’s Heroes), and Tubi (which has Columbo). ShoutFactory and The Film Detective also get a special shoutout for streaming niche and hard-to-find TV shows from the past decade. But major streaming services carry many of the oldies too, even though they prioritize newer titles for the most part. Most notably, Paramount+ streams The Twilight Zone and I Love Lucy, Amazon Prime streams The Brady Bunch and The Andy Griffith Show, Max streams The Nanny and The West Wing, and Hulu streams Cheers, The Golden Girls, and M*A*S*H*.

From sitcoms to dramas and everything in between, these services are the best places to watch old TV shows. 

Our recommended three best streaming services for watching old tv shows:
Hulu $9.99 Watch
Fubo $79.99 Watch
Hulu with Live TV $82.99 Watch

Hulu is an on-demand service that is currently only available in US territories. You can get access to Hulu's on-demand content library for $9.99 a month with commercials, and $18.99 without. There's also an option to bundle it with Disney+ for $10.99 a month with ads.

Price: $9.99/month

Free Trial: 30 days

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Google TV Streamer, iOS, LG TV, Nintendo Switch, Roku, Samsung TV, Xbox

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FuboTV’s comprehensive Starter Plan gives YouTubeTV a run for its money. $79.99 a month gets you over 100 channels, a huge amount of DVR storage space, and since Fubo is a sports-focused live streamer, all the main sports channels are included. As an added bonus, the package includes simultaneous streams on up to three screens.

Price: $79.99 $59.99

Free Trial: 7 days

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Google TV Streamer, iOS, Roku, Xfinity Flex, Xumo

Channel lineup: A&E, ABC, ABC News Live, ACC Network, AccuWeather, Bein Sports, Big Ten Network, Bravo, CBS, CBS local channels, CBS Sports Network, CBSN, Cheddar, CMT, CNBC, Comedy Central, Comet, Court TV, Cozi TV, CW, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, E!, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, Estrella TV, FETV, FMC, FOX, Fox Business Network, Fox News Channel, FOX SOUL, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, Freeform, fubo Sports Network, FX, FXX, FYI, Galavision, GetTV, Golf Channel, GRIT, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Drama, Hallmark Mystery, History, IFC, Intravel, Local Now, MASN, MSNBC, MTV, National Geographic, NBC, NBC local channels, NBCLX, NBCSN, Newsmax, NFL Network, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, Olympic Channel, Oxygen, Paramount Network, Pop, RSNs, SEC Network, Smithsonian Channel, SYFY, Tastemade, Telemundo, Telemundo local channels, The Weather Channel, Travel Channel, TUDN, TUDNxtra, TV Land, TVG, Unimas, Unimas local channels, Universal Kids, Universo, Univision, Univision local channels, USA Network, VH1, Vice, WGN America, Willow, YES Network

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Movies, acclaimed TV shows ready for binging, your favorite current series — and more than 75 live channels at your fingertips. For $75 a month, Hulu with Live TV lets you have it all. The package’s 50 hours of DVR storage sounds smaller compared to its competitors, but with Hulu’s content library included, it’s a trade off that ensures you won’t be left wanting more.

Price: $82.99/month

Free Trial: 3 days

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Google TV Streamer, iOS, iPhone, LG TV, Nintendo Switch, Roku, Samsung TV, Xbox

Channel lineup: A&E, ABC, ABC News Live, ACC Network, Adult Swim, Animal Planet, BET, Big Ten Network, Bloomberg TV+, Bravo, Cartoon Network, CBS, CBS local channels, CBS News, CBS Sports Network, Cheddar News, CMT, CNBC, CNN, CNN International, Comedy Central, Comedy TV, Cozi TV, CW, Dabl, Discovery Channel, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, E!, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN College Extra, ESPNews, ESPNU, Food Network, FOX, Fox Business, Fox News Channel, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, Freeform, FX, FXM, FXX, FYI, Get TV, Golf Channel, Hallmark, Hallmark Mystery, HGTV, History, HLN, ID, Justice Central TV, Lifetime, Lifetime Movies, Localish, Military History Channel, Motor Trend, MSNBC, MTV, Nat Geo Wild, National Geographic, NBC, NBC local channels, NBC News Now, NBCLX, NBCSN, News Nation, NFL Network, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, OWN, Oxygen, Paramount Network, Pop, QVC, SEC Network, Smithsonian Channel, Start TV, SYFY, TBS, Telemundo, The Grio, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, truTV, Turner Classic Movies, TVLand, Universal Kids, USA Network, VH1, Vice, Weather Channel

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Paramount+ with SHOWTIME

Paramount+ with SHOWTIME (previously Paramount+ Premium) is mostly a Netflix-style streaming service, offering movies and TV shows on-demand like The Good Fight and Yellowstone.

It gives you access to Live TV from CBS: CBS local channels, CBS News (CBSN), CBS Sports, ET live, and some live sporting events like NFL on CBS Live. It also offers on-demand access to programming from Comedy Central, MTV, BET, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Paramount Pictures, and Smithsonian Channel.

As of 2023, it increased its monthly price to $11.99, but with that comes a significant upgrade: members now have access to all of Showtime's content, which includes movies and shows like Billions, Dexter, and Yellowjackets, as well as live coverage on sports including boxing, football, and MMA. Since Showtime shut down its standalone service in early 2024, this Paramount+ plan is now one of the few ways to watch Showtime without cable.

Price: $11.99/month

Free Trial: 7 days

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, LG TV, PlayStation 4, Portal TV, Roku, Samsung TV, Vizio, Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, Xfinity Flex

Channel lineup: CBS local channels, CBS Sports HQ, CBSN, ET Live

Live sports, news, and CBS round out the Paramount+ Premium package. But don’t fear — the vast Paramount streaming library of on-demand content is included as well. For the reasonable price of $9.99 a month, it’s a deal that doesn’t demand any compromises.

Price: $5.99/month

Free Trial: 7 days

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Apple TV, Chromecast, Hisense Android TV, iOS, LG TV, Playsation, Roku, Samsung TV, Sony Bravia Android TVs, TCL 3-Series Smart TV, Visio TV, Vizio TV, Xbox

Tubi

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 78 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, Bounce XL, 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, Johnny Carson TV, live now from Fox, LOL-Network, Lone Star, Masked Singer Channel, Maverick Black Cinema, MLB, Moviesphere Free, My Time Movie Network, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Nash Bridges, NBC News Now, Newsy, NFL Channel, NHRA TV, Nosey, Pac-12 Insider, Pattrn, People TV, Real Madrid TV, REELZ, Revolt Mixtape, So Real, Sports Wire, Stadium, Supermarket Sweep, The Biggest Loser, The Bob Ross Channel, The Carol Burnett Show, The Conners, 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

Peacock is a streaming service owned by NBC, with options for paid subscriptions as well as a free plan. The free plan offers about 13,000 hours of ad-supported content, with the option to upgrade to premium for more access to content. The premium options include two plans: $7.99 a month or $80 a year for ad-supported; $13.99 a month or $140 a year for ad-free. With both premium plans, you'll get access to the full catalog of 2,000 movies and shows, including every episode of the original NBC series. You'll also get next-day access to all the new episodes of ongoing NBC shows, and early access to talk shows such as Late Night with Seth Meyers and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on the air night. You can stream Peacock on Apple devices like the iPhone and Apple TV, Google devices like Android phones and Chromecast, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles. But there is still no app available for Roku or Amazon platforms.

Price: $7.99/month

Device availability: Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Google TV Streamer, iOS, LG TV, PlayStation, Roku, Visio TV, Xbox

Formerly HBO Max, Max is a subscription-based on-demand platform that is only available in the US. New subscribers can choose from three monthly tiers ranging from $9.99 (with ads) to $16.99 (no ads) to $20.99 (no ads, plus more concurrent streams, downloads, and 4K streaming). An annual subscription option is also available. When you subscribe, you'll get HBO’s world-class exclusives, such as The Wire and Game of Thrones but Max also functions as a bundle: you'll get content from Discovery, DC, Criterion Collection, Looney Tunes, Studio Ghibli, Turner Classic Movies, and Crunchyroll. And as of September 2023, you will also get a live stream of CNN. Most mobile devices that can stream video support Max, although there is yet no app for Amazon Fire TV and Roku devices.

Price: $9.99/month

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Google TV Streamer, PlayStation, Roku, Samsung TV, Xbox

The Roku Channel

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. Up to September 15th, 2024, The Roku Channel will air a weekly Sunday MLB game for free.

Price: free for 1 channels available

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Samsung TV, Website

Channel lineup: ABC News Live, Architectural Digest, Bein Sports XTRA, Binge TV, Bloomberg Quicktake, Bon Appétit, Cheddar News, Dr Phil, Euronews, Fox 11 Los Angeles, Fox Live Now, Fox Weather, Funny or Die, Just for Laughs Gags, Laugh On, Miramax Movies, MLB Sunday Leadoff, Mystery TV, Nash Bridges, NBC Comedy Vault, NBC News Now, Newsy Live, Polly Pocket, Reuters, Roku Sports Channel, Sony One Cinema, Team USA, The Comedy Shop, The Comedy Store, UEFA Champions League, UFC, WeatherNation, Wild West TV

Pluto TV Live

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/month

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Google TV Streamer, iOS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Roku, Virgin Media, Vizio SmartCast, webOS, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

Channel lineup: 60 minutes Pluto, BBC Food, BBC Home, Bein Sports XTRA, Bloomberg TV+, CBS Sports HQ, CBSN, Check with Pluto TV for the full channel lineup, Cheddar News, CNN Headlines, CNN Originals, ET Live, Family Feud, Food TV, Fox desportes, Fox Sports, Hallmark En Espanol, Hip Hop Family, Hip Hop Family VH1, Hit Sitcoms by WBtv, La Familia del Barrio, Love & Hip-Hop VH1, Major League Soccer, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, MLB, MotorTrend FAST TV, Mythbusters by WBtv, NBC News Now, Newsmax, NFL Channel, NFL Super Bowl Classics, No Reservations by WBtv, Nosey, People TV, PGA Tour, Pluto Channels, Queens of Reality, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Sky News, Smithsonian Channel, Stories AMC, TBN, Today, TV Land Drama, WeatherNation, WOW – Women Of Wrestling, WPT

Plex

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 85 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, BET Tyler Perry Comedy, Buzzer, CBS News, CBS Sports HQ, Channel With, Choppertown, CNN Originals, Comedy Dynamics, CONtv, Cooking Panda, DarkMatter TV, Deal or No Deal, Docurama, Dove Channel, DrinkTV, EDGEsport, Electric Now, Electro Anthems, ENTERTAINMENT Tonight, ESRevolution, FailArmy, FIFA Plus, 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, Kidoodle.TV, KidsFlix, KMTV, Kweli TV, Law & Crime, Like Yesterday, Love Destination, Made In Hollywood, MAV TV Select, Maverick Black Cinema, Midnight Pulp, Monster jam, Monster Kids, Neural Focused, Nosey, Only 90s Kids Will Understand, Party, Party Tyme Karaoke, People Are Awesome, PlayWorks, PLL Network, Popstar!TV, Real Nosey, RetroCrush, Reuters TV, Revry, Revry 2, RevryNow, So…Real, SportsGrid, SQAD, Startalk TV, SURF NOW TV, Tankee, Tastemade, TG Junior, That 70s Channel, That’s Hot, The Archive, The Boat Show, The Connors, The Design Network, The Film Detective, The Martha Stewart Channel, The Mr Bean Channel, The Pet Collective, Toon Goggles, Trending, TV Classics, UFC, Unidentified, Unwind, WASH TV, Wipeout Xtra, Wu Tang Collection, Yacht Rock, Yahoo! Finance, YUYU TV

freevee

Editor's note: unfortunately, Amazon has said it plans to shut down Freevee in the coming weeks. 

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 38 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, BBC Earth, Bosch, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Confess by Nosey, Court TV Live, Criminal Minds, Filmrise British TV, From Asia With Love, Hot Ones, Hunter, Judy Justice, Jury Duty, Latino Vibess, LiveNOW by Fox, MLB, NBC Comedy Vault, 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 Walking Dead Universe, The Washington Post, Top Gear, Unsolved Mysteries, Unspeakable, USA Today, USA Today Sports, Vevo, Washington Post, World's Most Evil Killers, XITE

Originally founded in 2002, Shout Factory is a long-standing leader in independent film and television distribution. They have recently started a streaming service called ShoutFactory that streams their content as well as some "live channels" - for the most part lineups of their series that play on repeat.

Price: free for channels available

Device availability: Website

FlixFling is a flexible video on-demand streaming platform available in the US.

A subscription costs $7.99 per month (or $95 per year) and includes streaming access across 5 different devices and access to movies and shows on the on-demand library.

Without a subscription, you can still access on-demand rentals/purchases that range from $0.99 to $7.99. Meanwhile, on-demand subscribers have to pay for some titles that are available only as premium rentals.

FlixFling works across devices, smart TVs and media services. 

 

Price: $7.99/month

Free Trial: 7 days

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, iOS, Roku, Samsung TV, Xbox

As the name suggests, Classix is the ultimate repository of vintage titles; from film noir and screwball comedies to westerns and cartoons, it's all here. The service is completely free of charge, a true haven for classic fans, but for a one-time charge of $3.99 (no renewal fee) users can get access to even more titles, including full seasons of shows like Bonanza and The Pink Panther. The streamer works well on most major devices, and even though the films don't have the crisp, restored resolution of their more popular contemporaries, they're still a ball to watch.

Price: free for channels available

Device availability: Android, Apple TV, iOS, Website

Cineverse

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, 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

Which are the best streaming services for watching old TV shows?

You can get streaming services for watching old TV shows with Hulu, Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, Paramount+ Essential, Tubi, Peacock, Max, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV Live, Plex, freevee, Shout! Factory TV, FlixFling, Classix, or Cineverse.

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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.