Cheaper Alternatives to YouTube TV in 2026

Sling Orange is one of the plans offered by cable alternative Sling TV. It carries ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, Disney Channel, MotorTrend, and Freeform, which you won’t find in Sling’s other plan, Sling Blue. With more than 30 channels and 50 hours of DVR, it’s reasonably priced at just $46/month. If you have money to spare, you can also add premium channels like Max and Starz for an extra fee.

Sling Blue is another plan offered by Sling TV. While it is missing the Disney properties found in Sling Orange, it has plenty of exclusive channels like NFL Network, FS1, truTV, FX, and Bravo, to name a few. It also offers local affiliates of ABC, FOX, and NBC to select markets, making it a closer alternative to YouTube TV than Sling Orange. If you do get local channels, however, you’re required to pay an extra $5/month in broadcast fees.

Philo might be the farthest streaming service from YouTube TV in this list, given that it’s missing local channels and live sports. But if you’re not a big fan of either and prefer entertainment and lifestyle channels, then Philo is right up your alley. At just $28/month, you get over 60 channels, including favorites like AMC, HGTV, Lifetime, and Animal Planet.

Like Philo, Frndly TV offers a limited set of channels, primarily focusing on lifestyle and entertainment. No sports and local channels here. But with plans starting at just $8.99/month, it's not a bad way to add live channels to your streaming lineup. The basic plan doesn't offer simultaneous streams and cloud DVR, but Frndly TV gives you the option to upgrade your plan to get those features.

Now TV is the live TV plan Xfinity offers exclusively to its internet subscribers for $20/month. It offers 20 hours of DVR, up to three simultaneous streams, and a Peacock Premium subscription at no extra cost. It also offers plenty of popular channels, though it’s notably missing sports and news channels. To fill in that gap, NowTV has bundles it offers, including the Now TV StreamSaver bundle (additional $10) which throws in AppleTV+ and Netflix into the mix. Peacock, AppleTV+, and Netflix all stream live sports, making the bundle a worthy (and still cheaper!) alternative to YouTube TV. Base Xfinity internet plans start at $20/month.

Spectrum has other cable-replacement plans, but Spectrum TV Choice is what you should go for if you want to enjoy more or less the same channels and features as YouTube TV. It offers popular channels like HBO, IFC, NFL Network, and even local channels, but here’s the fun part: you get to choose 15 channels out of a pool of 60 and change them every month. Not even YouTube TV has that feature (yet). Just know that if you do local channels, you’re charged an extra $23.20 for broadcast fees. You can also only get this plan by calling or visiting your nearest Spectrum branch.

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.

With DirecTV Stream’s MyEntertainment plan, subscribers can access popular entertainment channels and services for just $35/month. Live channels like FX, Bravo, CNN, History, and HGTV cover the basics like news and lifestyle, while ad-supported services like Hulu, Disney+, and Max, which are included at no additional cost, cover nearly all your film and TV needs. Like all DirecTV Stream plans, you can try this plan free for 5 days, then cancel anytime.

With DirecTV Stream’s MyEntertainment plan, subscribers can access popular entertainment channels and services for just $35/month. Live channels like FX, Bravo, CNN, History, and HGTV cover the basics like news and lifestyle, while ad-supported services like Hulu, Disney+, and Max, which are included at no additional cost, cover nearly all your film and TV needs. Like all DirecTV Stream plans, you can try this plan free for 5 days, then cancel anytime.

If you’re looking for a lean plan focusing on news and local coverage, then DirecTV Stream’s MyNews pack just might be for you. It brings together your local ABC, NBC, and FOX (though availability varies per market) with channels like CNN, CNBC, and i24 to round up your news fix. You can choose to add premium channels a la carte, or you can pair it with DirecTV Stream’s “MyCinema” add-on for $10/month. Like all DirecTV Stream plans, you can try MyNews free for 5 days if you want to test it out first.

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.