16 Best Streaming Services for News

cord-cutting › best streaming services for news • December 27, 2024 • The Staff

The closure of CNN+ doesn't mean that it got any harder to stream news without cable. There are so many news channels out there and many cord-cutting services that will allow you to watch them.

The best streaming services for news are Sling TV, Philo, Hulu with Live TV, and Direct Stream.

Sling TV, for which you can get a News Extra for $6/month will have almost every major news channel out there. Hulu with Live TV has CNBC, CNN, Bloomberg, CBSN, ABC News, Fox News, NBC, NBCSN. Philo offers BBC World News, Bloomberg, Newsy, and Vice.

Our recommended three best streaming services for news:

DirecTV Stream 80 channels included	$86.99	Watch

Philo 86 channels included	$28	Watch

Sling TV + News Extra Bundle 15 channels included	$46	Watch

DirecTV Stream

For those hesitant to trust new cord-cutting companies, DirecTV Stream is a good middle ground. You get live local and national channels, and there’s no annual contract, but you're still with a staple of live TV. The basic package is comparable with other cable companies, and you have the option to bundle the service with other streamers to maximize your content access.

Go to DirecTV Stream

Price: $86.99/month

Free Trial: 5 days

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

Channel lineup: ABC, ACC Digital Network, AccuWeather, Alien Nation, AMC, Anger Management, Animal Planet, Are We There Yet?, Ax Men, AXS TV, Baby First, BabyTV, BBC America, BET, Big 12, Bloomberg TV, Bob Ross, Boomerang, Bravo, C-SPAN, C-SPAN2, Cartoon Network, CBS, CBS local channels, Cheddar News, Cleo TV, CMT, C NBC, CNN, CNN en Espanol, CNN International, Comedy Central, Comedy Dynamics, Court TV, Crime 360, CW, Daystar HD, Declassified, Discovery Channel, Duck Dynasty, E! Entertainment, EarthxTV, Ebony TV, El Rey Rebel, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, FMC, Food Network, FOX, Fox Business Network, Fox News Channel, FOX SOUL, Fox Sports 1, Fox Weather, Freeform, FUEL TV, Fuse Music, FX, FXX, Galavision, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Mystery, HerSphere, HGTV, HLN, Home Shopping Network, HSN, IFC, Investigation Discovery, ION, ion Television, Jewelry Television, MeatEater TV, MotorTrend, MovieSphere, MSNBC, MTV Classic, MTV2, NBA TV, NBC, NBC local channels, News Nation, Nick Jr., One America News, Ovation, Oxygen True Crime, Paramount Network, PBS, PBS Kids, PBS local channels, Poker GO, Pursuit Channel, QVC, QVC2, QVC3, Racing America, REELZ, REVOLT, RFD-TV, RSNs, Scientology Network, Scripps News, Shop LC, Somos Novelas, SportsGrid, Start TV, SundanceTV, SYFY, Tastemade Home, Tastemade Travel, TBS, TCM, TeenNick, Telemundo local channels, The First, theGrio, TLC, TNT, truTV, TV Land, TV One, Univision, Up TV, USA Network, VH1, WE tv, Women’s Sports Network

There are more and more options to cut the cord and keep your live TV channels w...

Philo

News and sports junkies, look away. Everyone else, listen up! Philo TV offers a cord-cutting live TV package that includes 62 live channels, unlimited DVR space, and simultaneous screening capabilities for the low, low price of $25 a month. Philo doesn’t carry sports channels, but if you can go without, a better deal is hard to find.

Go to Philo

Price: $28/month

Free Trial: 7 days

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android Phones, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Google TV Streamer, iOS, iPhone, LG Smart TV, Roku, Samsung TV

Channel lineup: A&E, AccuWeather Network, AMC, AMC Plus, American Heroes Channel, Animal Planet, aspireTV, AXS TV, Baywatch, BBC America, BBC News, BET, BET Her, Catchy Comedy, Cheddar News, Cleo TV, CMT, Comedy Central, Cook’s Country, Cooking Channel, Crackle, Crime-Investigation, Dabl, Deck the Hallmark, Destination America, Discovery Channel, Discovery Family, Discovery Life, FETV, Food Network, FYI, Game Show Network, GetTV, Great American Family, Great American Living, Gusto TV, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Drama, Hallmark Mystery, Heroes & Icons, HGTV, History, IFC, INSP, Investigation Discovery, KIN, Law&Crime, Lifetime, LMN, Logo, Magnolia Network, MeTV, MeTV Toons, Motor Trend, MSG SportsZone, MTV, MTV Classic, MTV Live, MTV2, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, Nicktoons, Oprah Winfrey Network, Overtime, Paramount Network, Perform by LIFETIME, PlayersTV, pocket.watch, Pop TV, RetroCrush, REVOLT, Revry, Ryan and Friends, Scares by Shudder, Science Channel, Smithsonian Channel, Start TV, Story Television, Sundance TV, Tastemade, TeenNick, TLC, Travel Channel, TV Land, TV One, UPtv, Vevo 80s, Vevo 90s, Vevo Country, Vevo Hip-Hop, Vevo Holiday, Vevo Pop, VH1, Vice, WE tv, Xtreme Outdoor by HISTORY

Sports enthusiasts get their daily dose of the NFL, NBA, Tennis Open, Formula 1,...

Sling TV + News Extra Bundle

Sling TV has two offers: Blue, which includes over 45 channels like CNN and MSNBC, and Orange, which includes ESPN and Disney Channels. Each plan costs $40. You can combine them for $55. If you get either Sling Blue or Sling Orange+Blue, you can get a news extra which gives you access to 10 news channels plus CNBC, Fox Business, NDTV24x7, France24. If you get only Sling Orange, you get the 10 news channels plus HLN. The 10 news channels in every news extra are NewsNation, NewsMaxTV, Science Channel, BBC World News, Weather Nation, Euronews, News18, RT America, CGTN, and Law & Crime Trial Network.

Go to Sling TV + News Extra Bundle

Price: $46/month

Device availability: AirTV, Amazon Fire TV, Android Phones, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, LG TV, Roku, Samsung TV, Xbox

Channel lineup: BBC World News, CGTN, C NBC, Euronews, Fox Business, Fox Business Network, France 24, Law & Crime Trial Network, NDTV 24x7, News18, NewsmaxTV, NewsNation, RT America, Science Channel, Weather Nation

Channel lineup with Sling Blue ($45 / month) : A&E, AMC, AXS TV, BBC America, BET, Bloomberg Television, Bravo, Cartoon Network, Cheddar, Cheddar Big News, CNN, Comedy Central, EPIX Drive-In, Food Network, Fox News, Fuse, FX, HGTV, History, HLN, IFC, Lifetime, MSNBC, National Geographic, NBC, NBC Sports Network, Newsy, NFL Network, Nick Jr., SYFY, TBS, TNT, Travel Channel, Tribeca Shortlist, truTV, USA, Viceland

Channel lineup with Sling Orange ($40 / month) : A&E, AMC, AXS TV, BBC America, Bloomberg Television, Cartoon Network, Cheddar, Cheddar Big News, CNN, Comedy Central, Disney Channel, EPIX Drive-In, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, Food Network, Freeform, Fuse, HGTV, History, IFC, Lifetime, Newsy, TBS, TNT, Travel Channel, Tribeca Shortlist, Viceland

Live sports coverage, game highlights, and in-depth commentaries on NFL, NBA, an...

Hulu with Live TV

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.

Go to Hulu with Live TV

Price: $82.99/month

Free Trial: 3 days

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android Phones, 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, C NBC, 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

YouTube TV

Looking to keep your favorite shows at your fingertips, preserve access to live sports and news broadcasts, but still want to cut the cord? YouTube TV is the answer. At $73 a month it skews more expensive than other live streamers, you won’t be able to find a more extensive, all-inclusive package anywhere else.

Go to YouTube TV

Price: $82.99/month

Free Trial: 7 days

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android Phones, Android TV, Apple TV, Google TV Streamer, iOS, LG TV, PlayStation, Roku, Samsung TV, Sharp, Vizio, Xbox

Channel lineup: ABC, ABC News, ACCN, Adult Swim, AMC, Animal Planet, BBC America, BBC World News, BET, BET Her, Big Ten Network, Bounce, Bravo, Cartoon Network, CBS, CBS local channels, CBS Sports Network, Charge!, Cheddar, Cheddar News, CMT, C NBC, C NBC World, CNN, Comedy Central, Comedy TV, Comet, Court TV, Cozi TV, Dabl, Discovery Channel, Disney, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Docurama, Dove Channel, E!, ESPN, ESPN U, ESPN2, ESPNews, Food Network, FOX, Fox Business, Fox News, FOX SOUL, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, Fox Weather, Freeform, FX, FXM, FXX, Galavision, Game Show Network, Get TV, Golf Channel, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Drama, Hallmark Mystery, HGTV, HLN, HSN, IFC, Investigation Discovery, ION, Justice Central TV, LAFC Channel, Law & Crime, Live Now, Local Now, Localish, MotorTrend, MSNBC, MTV, MTV 2, MTV Classic, My TV, Nat Geo Wild, National Geographic, NBA TV, NBC, NBC local channels, NBC News Now, NBC Universo, NBCLX, NBCSN, NECN, Neon, News Nation, Newsmax, NFL Network, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, Nicktoons, Orlando City Channel, OWN, Oxygen, Oxygen True Crime, Paramount, PBS, PBS Kids, PBS local channels, PC Mag, Pop, QVC, Recipe.TV, Scripps News, SEC Network, Smithsonian Channel, SNY, Start TV, Sundance TV, SYFY, Tastemade, TBD, TBS, Teen Nick, TeleHit, Telemundo local channels, Tennis 2, The CW, The Great Courses, The Walking Dead Universe, The Weather Channel, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, Tru TV, Turner Classic Movies, TV Land, TYT, Unimas, Unimas local channels, Universal Kids, Univision, Univision local channels, USA Network, VH1, WE tv, YouTube Originals, Zen channel

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. It has a nice mix of free on-demand movies (ad-supported of course) that range from indie hidden gems to blockbuster classics. And thanks to a multi-year deal, The Roku Channel will air a weekly Sunday MLB game for free, indefinitely.

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; 50 Cent Action Channel

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 for 33 channels available

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android Phones, 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+, Bodas+, CBS Sports HQ, CBSN, Check with Pluto TV for the full channel lineup, Cheddar News, CNN Headlines, CNN Originals, Crimen, 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, TuDiscovery, TuWarner, TV Land Drama, WeatherNation, WOW – Women Of Wrestling, WPT

Xumo Play

With people overwhelmed by the onslaught of mammoth streaming services, companies like Xumo are having a moment. A free, ad-supported hub for both live and on-demand content, Xumo is gaining ground in the streaming landscape.

Price: free for 13 channels available

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android Phones, Android TV, Google TV Streamer, iOS, Panasonic, Roku, Samsung TV, Visio TV, webOS, Xfinity Flex

Channel lineup: ABC News Live, AccuWeather Now, Bloomberg, CBC News, CBSN, Cheddar News, Fox Sports, ION, NBC Comedy Vault, NBC News Now, NBCLX, PGA Tour, Today, USA Today

Xfinity Choice TV

Choice TV with Xfinity Flex is for people looking to stay connected to big-name live networks, without getting bogged down by a slew of niche channels. Xfinity Choice TV customers keep things light with HD live TV and 20 hours of DVR storage, but still have the opportunity to add genre channel bundles for more variety.

Price: Varies depending on your location and account history.

Vidgo

With Vidgo, your live TV channel access is vast. Whether you opt for a Spanish or English language plan, you get 95 live channels for just $70 a month. Prioritizing channel selection, Vidgo doesn’t offer on-demand content or DVR capabilities. But if you’re just looking to add a live option to your streaming portfolio, it’s all upside. In recent months, however, Vidgo has suffered many outages, some due to missed payments.

Price: $69.99/month

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android Phones, Android TV, Apple TV, iOS, Roku

Channel lineup: A&E Network, ABC, ABC News Live, ACC Network, Aspire, AWE, Baby TV US, Bandamax, BET, Big Ten Network, Bloomberg TV, BYUtv, Cheddar News, CineLife, Classic Reruns TV, CMT, Comedy Central, Curiosity Stream, Disney Channel, Disney Junior US, Disney XD, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, Family Movie Classics, FETV, ForoTV, Fox, Fox Business, Fox Deportes, Fox News Channel, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, Fox Weather, Freeform, FX, FX Movie Channel, FXX, FYI Channel, Galavision, Game Show Network, Get TV, Great American Family, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Drama, Hallmark Mystery, History, i24 News English, Impact Network, INSP, Lifetime, Lifetime Movies, Longhorn Network, MavTV, MLB Network, Motor Trend, MTV - Music Television, National Geographic, National Geographic Wild, Newsmax, NewsNation, NFL Network, NHL, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, OAN, Paramount Network, QVC, SEC Network, Sony Movies, Sports Grid, Teen Nick, TeleHit, Telehit Musica, Telenovelas, Tennis Channel, TUDN, TV Land, TVOne, Unimas, Univision, UPtv, VH1, Viceland

Spectrum TV Choice

Spectrum TV Choice allows you to completely curate your live TV package. For around $53 a month, you trim the fat and select your 15 channels of choice — no distractions, no cable box, and no annual contract. The catch: it’s only available to Spectrum internet customers.

Price: Varies depending on your location and account history.

NewsOn

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 Phones, Apple TV, iOS, Roku, Website

Channel lineup: CBS local channels, Local news channels, NBC local channels

Local Now

Local Now is a free streaming service from The Weather Channel that offers localized content geared to where you're using it. 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 Phones, Fubo TV, iOS, Roku, Sling TV

Channel lineup: BBC Food, BBC Travel, Dog Whisperer by Cesar Milan, ENTERTAINMENT Tonight, Local news channels, Locked on NFL, Popular Science, Tennis Channel 2, USA Today, Vice

KlowdTV

Similar to Xumo or Pluto TV, KlowdTV is a streaming service that offers users a free way to watch Live TV. The selection is limited to news channels like France24 and right-wing channels, but you can pay a monthly or yearly fee to get even more channels.

Price: free for channels available

Device availability: Roku, Website

Haystack News

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 Phones, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Google TV Streamer, iOS, Roku, Website

Channel lineup: ABC News, Al Jazeera, Bloomberg, Bloomberg Quicktake, CBS News, Cheddar, Deutsche Welle, Euronews, Local news channels, Newsmax, Newsy, Yahoo! Finance

Which are the best streaming services for news?

You can get streaming services for news with DirecTV Stream, Philo, Sling TV + News Extra Bundle, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV Live, Xumo Play, Xfinity Choice TV, Vidgo, Spectrum TV Choice, NewsOn, Local Now, KlowdTV, or Haystack News.