The Cheapest Streaming Services with Local Channels

Getting local channels with a cord-cutting service is not always straightforward, easy, or cheap. 

The cheapest streaming service that offers local channels is Sling. It costs $40/month and offers a lineup of NBC and FOX in select markets. 

The next best thing is Paramount+, which offers CBS affiliate channels. 

As a general rule, you should check with each service to see what they offer depending on your area.  

DirecTV: NBC, PBS, ABC, FOX, Telemundo, and CBS

Streaming service

At $75.99, DirecTV is not exactly cheap but they do offer the most extensive local channel lineup.  DirecTV's local channels include NBC, PBS, ABC, FOX, Telemundo, and CBS. 

If you're looking for the most comprehensive cord-cutting solution, DirecTV is probably your best bet. 

Price: $75.99/month

Free Trial: 5 days

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, iOS, RokuRoku TV, Samsung TV

Channel lineup: A&E, ABC, AMC, Animal Planet, AXS TV, Baby First TV, BBC America, BET, Bloomberg Television, Boomerang, Bravo, C-SPAN, C-SPAN2, Cartoon Network, CMT, CNBCCNNCNN en Espanol, Comedy Central, Discovery, Disney Channel, Disney Jr, Disney XD, E! Entertainment, ESPNESPN2ESPN3, Food Network, Fox Business Network, Fox News Channel, Fox Sports 1, Freeform, FX, FXX, Galavision, Gem Shopping Network, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, HGTV, History, HLN, Home Shopping Network, Investigation Discovery, Lifetime, MotorTrend, MSNBC, MTV, MTV2, One America News, Ovation, Paramount Network, QVC, QVC2, ReelzChannel, REVOLT, RFD-TV, SundanceTV, SYFY, TBS, TCM, TeenNick, TLCTNT, truTV, TV Land, Univision East, USA Network, VH1, Vice, WE tv

Sling TV: NBC and FOX in select markets

As one of the cheapest cable alternatives,  Sling TV is a great bang for your buck. This is especially true if you're looking to watch national channels like ESPN, A&E, Lifetime, and so on

For local TV, Sling offers  NBC and FOX in select markets. 

Price: $40/month

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

Channel lineup: A&E, AMC, Android, AXS TV, BBC America, BET, Bloomberg Television, Bravo, Cartoon Network, Cheddar, Cheddar Big News, CNN, Comedy Central, Cox, Discovery Channel, EPIX Drive-In, Food Network, Fox News, Fuse, FX, HGTV, History, HLN, IFC, Lifetime, Mi Box, MSNBC, National Geographic, NBC, NBC Sports Network, Newsy, NFL Network, Nick Jr., SYFY, TBS, TiVo, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, Tribeca Shortlist, truTV, USA

Paramount+: CBS

Paramount+, costing only 9.99/month, offers CBS affiliate  channels in most markets. However, there are some areas where you may not get a local CBS station. 

For example, my area only offers On Demand content from the network. 

In addition to that, the service also offers CBS Sports HQ, CBSN, ET Live, and a big on-demand library. 

Price: $9.99/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

Hulu with Live TV: ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC

At $64.99, Hulu with Live TV costs $5 less than most of the competition (Youtube TV, DirecTV Stream). 

That $5 might not sound like much but it could get you a whole other streaming service. Check out our guide to the best streaming services under $10. 

Hulu's live TV offering carries the four major local networks. You'll get access to other channels like A&E, ESPN, and Bravo with your subscription. 

Price: $75.99/month

Free Trial: 7 days

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

Channel lineup: A&E, ABC, ABC News Live, ACC Network (ACCN), Adult Swim, Animal Planet, Big Ten Network (BTN), Bloomberg, Boomerang, Bravo, Cartoon Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, CBSN, Cheddar, CNBC, CNN, CNN International, Cozi TV, CW, Dabl, Discovery Channel, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, E!, ESPN, ESPN College Extra, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNews, ESPNU, Food Network, FOX, Fox Business Network, Fox News Channel, Fox Sports 1 (FS1), Fox Sports 2 (FS2), Freeform, FX, FXM, FXX, FYI, Golf Channel, HGTV, History, HLN, Investigation Discovery (ID), Lifetime, Lifetime Movie Network (LMN), MotorTrend, MSNBC, Nat Geo Wild, National Geographic, NBC, NBCSN, Olympic Channel, Oxygen, Pop, QVC, SEC Network, Smithsonian Channel, Start TV, SYFY, TBS, TCM (Turner Classic Movies), Telemundo, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, truTV, Universal Kids, USA, Vice, WGN America

 

Spectrum TV Choice: local channels depending on your area

Spectrum TV can either be cheap or expensive: there is no way to know unless you call them. Not so cord-cut-y of them, but it is a cable company after all. 

This is their cable alternative option: and it usually runs cheaper than cable. 

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.