In the age of streaming price hikes and expensive bundled packages, there are still some havens of affordability.
The cheapest live TV services for cord-cutting are the Philo, Sling TV, and Frndly TV.
Below, we list affordable streaming TV options to help you decide which one is for you.
| Philo TLC & 86 channels included
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$28/month | Watch | |
| Frndly TV Lifetime & 43 channels included
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$6.99/month | Watch | |
| Sling Orange + Blue ESPN & 47 channels included
|
Watch | ||
| Paramount+ with SHOWTIME 4 channels included
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$12.99/month | Watch | |
| Peacock No contract, cancel anytime
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$7.99/month | Watch | |
More than 60 live channels, unlimited DVR storage, and streaming on multiple devices for $28 a month? It’s hard to find a sweeter cord-cutting deal. As good as it is, you do go without some cable mainstays: Philo doesn’t carry any sports channels. But if you get that content elsewhere and you’re fine without it, Philo’s deal is unbeatable.
Price: $28/month
Channels for every dollar spent: 3.4
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, 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
Frndly TV is a streaming platform focused on family-friendly live TV channels, with an attractive price starting at $6.99. There are three plans, Basic, Classic and Premium, which respectively cost the $6.99 starting price, $8.99, and $10.99. The Basic plan only allows for SD streaming, but both other plans allow for HD. The basic plan doesn't allow for DVR recordings, but the other plans allow for 3 months and 9 months respectively. And lastly, the basic plans allows for only one simultanious stream, but the Classic allows for 2 and the Premium allows for 4.
Price: $6.99/month
Channels for every dollar spent: 7.3
Free Trial: 7 days
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android Phones, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Vizio
Channel lineup: A&E, ASPiRE TV, BabyFirst, Bounce, BYUtv, Catchy Comedy, Circle, Court TV, Cowboy Way Channel, Crime-Investigation, Dabl, Dove Channel, Dove Family Movies, Dove Kids, FETV, FMC, FYI, Game Show Network, GetTV, Great American Family, Great American Living, GRIT, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Drama, Hallmark Movies Now, Hallmark Mystery, Heartland TV, Heroes & Icons, Holiday Scapes, INSP, ION, ION Mystery, JusticeCENTRAL.TV, Laff, Lifetime, Lifetime Movie Network, Local Now, MeTV, MeTV Toons, Military HISTORY, Movies!, Outdoor Channel, PixL, QVC, Recipe.TV, Sportsman Channel, Start TV, StoryTV, The History Channel, The Weather Channel, UPtv, VICE TV
When you combine Sling’s two basic packages, you get the perks of both. The $55 a month price tag gets you 51 channels, 50 hours of DVR storage, and simultaneous use on up to three screens. You don’t have to make any sacrifices on which channels you receive, and you’re still paying less than you would be for cable.
Price: $60 $40
Channels for every dollar spent: 0.8
Device availability: AirTV, Amazon Fire TV, Android Phones, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Cox, Google TV Streamer, iOS, iPhone, LG TV, Mi Box, Roku, Samsung TV, TiVo, Vizio, Windows 10, Windows 11, Xbox, Xbox One
Channel lineup: A&E, ABC, AMC, AXS TV, BBC America, BET, Bloomberg TV+, Bravo, Cartoon Network, Charge!, CNN, Comedy Central, Comet, Discovery Channel, Disney Channel, E!, EPIX Drive-In, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, Food Network, Fox News Channel, Fox Sports 1, Freeform, FS1 4K, Fuse, FX, HGTV, History, HLN, IFC, Investigation Discovery, Lifetime, Local Now, MGM+, MotorTrend, MSNBC, National Geographic, NBC local channels, NFL Network, Nick Jr., QVC, Sling Scapes, SYFY, TBS, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, truTV, USA Network, Vice
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: $12.99/month
Channels for every dollar spent: 0.2
Free Trial: 7 days
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android Phones, 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
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.
Now TV is the new cable alternative from Comcast (owner of Xfinity). For $20/month, you get over 40 live channels, 20 hours of DVR, and watch on up to three devices. You also get Peacock Premium included. And of course, no minimum commitment and you can cancel anytime. To get it, you have to first subscribe or already be a subscriber to Xfinity internet. You can then add it at checkout. At $20, it is one of the cheapest cord-cutting services out there, especially considering the channels that it offers.
Price: $20/month
Channels for every dollar spent: 5.7
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android Phones, iOS
Channel lineup: A&E, AccuWeather Now, ACL Cornhole TV, Afro, AMC, America’s Test Kitchen, American Crimes, AméricaTevé, Animal, Are We There Yet?, Aspire, At Home with Family Handyman, BBC America, BBC World, Billiard TV, Bravo Vault, Buzzr Let’s Play, Cine Romántico, Circle TV, Cleo TV, Comedy TV, Cooking, Crime + Invest., Dateline 24/7, Discovery, Discovery Life, E! Keeping Up, Ebony TV by Lionsgate, Estrella News, EstrellaTV, FILMEX Clasico, Food Network, FYI, GAC Family, GAC Living, Get TV, GSN, Hallmark, Hallmark Drama, Hallmark Movies, HGTV, History, ID, IFC, Justice Central, Kevin Hart’s LOL! Network, Kevin Hart’s LOL! Standup, Latino Vibes, Lifetime, LMN, Love Nature, Magnolia, Military HISTORY, Million Dollar Listing, MotorTrend, MovieSphere by Lionsgate, Murder, NBC local channels, NBC News Bay Area, NBC News Boston, NBC News Chicago, NBC News Connecticut, NBC News Dallas Fort Worth, NBC News local channels, NBC News Los Angeles, NBC News New York, NBC News Now, NBC News Philadelphia, NBC News San Diego, NBC News South Florida, NBC News Washington D.C., NBC Sports, Noticias Telemundo Ahora, OuterSphere by Lionsgate, OUTtv Proud, OWN, Oxygen True Crime Archives, PBS | Antiques Roadshow, PGA Tour, PowerNation, Pursuit, Real Housewives Vault, Recipe.TV, Science, Shades of Black, She Wrote, Sky News, SNL Vault, Sony Movies, Stingray Holidayscapes, Sundance, Tastemade in Espanol, Telemundo Acción, Telemundo Al Día, Telemundo local channels, Telemundo Noticias California, Telemundo Noticias Florida, Telemundo Noticias Noreste, Telemundo Noticias Texas, Telemundo Romance, The Jamie Oliver Channel, The Weather Channel, The Weather Channel en Espanol, TLC, TODAY All Day, Travel, TV One, Universal Crime, Unsolved Mysteries, Up TV, Vice, WE tv, World Poker Tour, Xumo Free Channels
If you’re a Spectrum internet customer, Spectrum offers a unique deal with its TV Choice package, now with ESPN back after the dispute has been resolved. You take your pick of 15 must-haves from a list of 65 channels, completely customizing your own mini live TV lineup. It’s around $53 a month with no cable box and no annual contract, so if you have very streamlined TV interests, it’s a cost-effective move. Most of the price goes to local channels, which it also comes with.
Price: Varies depending on your location and account history.
SportsLive is a streaming platform that covers both pro and amateur sporting events. This means you're able to stay updated on your favorite teams whether they're from the big leagues or high school. And aside from featuring nearly 20,000 live events, it also boasts a catalog of exclusive programming, interviews, and press conferences. This platform, powered by CBS Sports Digital, comes at a reasonable price and will surely satisfy even the most niche sports fan.
Price: $9.95/month
Channels for every dollar spent: 0
Device availability: Android Phones, iOS, Website
Channel lineup: CBS Sports Network
This newcomer to cord-cutting quietly launched in April 2024. It's about 90 channels for $39.99, without any additional fees like a local channels surcharge, because there are simply no local channels. What you won't find either are sports channels. And some of the channels are Spectrum channels like Spectrum Originals and Spectrum News.
With Philo having a similar channel lineup but costing $15 less, you probably need a very good reason to go for Spectrum TV Stream. But, it's always nice to have another option.
Price: Varies depending on your location and account history.
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.
Price: $46/month
Channels for every dollar spent: 0.3
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, CNBC, 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
The Sling Lifestyle extra includes reality TV and lifestyle channels like We TV, DIY Network, VH1, and the Cooking Channel. When you add this extra to the Orange Plan, your total subscription will cost $41 (unless you choose to get other extras).
Price: $46/month
Channels for every dollar spent: 0.2
Device availability: AirTV, Amazon Fire TV, Android Phones, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, LG TV, Roku, Samsung TV, Xbox
Channel lineup: Cooking Channel, DIY, FYI, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Drama, Hallmark Mystery, LMN, VH1, WE tv
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
Unlike other streaming services, Sling doesn't have just one but six Spanish-language plans that you can choose from. The base Sling Latino plan just costs $10/month and includes more than 20 channels, including BeinSports so you can tune into soccer games live. When you combine that with another regional Latino plan, like Sling Mexico (11 channels), Sling Sudamérica (11 channels), Sling Caribe (9 channels), Sling España (4 channels), or Sling Centroamérica (3 channels), you only have to pay $5 more on top of your existing plan. On their own, however, they also cost $10/month each. Following the same logic, combining any of these Latino plans with either Sling Orange (which has the Disney networks) or Blue (which has more news and sports channels) will cost you $45/month.
That's one thing about Sling: the options may get overwhelming, but at least you know you can customize your plan to your specific liking. Needless to say, every single one of these plans comes with the usual Sling TV features like 50 hours of cloud DVR (which you can upgrade for a fee) and three simultaneous streams.
Price: $10 $-10
Channels for every dollar spent: 2.1
Free Trial: 7 days
Device availability: AirTV, Amazon Fire TV, Android Phones, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Cox, iOS, LG TV, Mi Box, Roku, Samsung TV, TiVo, Vizio, Windows 10, Windows 11, Xbox, Xbox One
Channel lineup: ¡Hola! TV, Azteca, BabyTV Español, beIN Sports en Español, CBeebies, Cine Latino, Clan, Discovery en Español, Discovery Familia, Estrella TV, France 24 Espanol, History en Español, Nat Geo Mundo, NTN24.com, Nuestra Vision, Pasiones, PX Sports, QVC, Sony Cine, Universo, Zee Familia, Zee Mundo
Optimum Entertainment TV is a live TV plan that offers about 80 live channels for $30/month. It's only available to those using Optimum Internet, which starts at $40/month, and an Optimum Stream device, which costs $5/month. Its lineup has yet to feature sports channels and local networks, though it does cover news for the New York tri-state area via its very own News 12 channel. Other notable channels include HGTV, Discovery, History, AMC, Nickelodeon, Hallmark, and Lifetime. For now, Optimum Entertainment TV is only available in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Arkansas, Arizona, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Texas. Unlike their cable service, there is no commitment so you can cancel anytime. The only catch is that you can't cancel online and have to get on the phone with Optimum to do so.
Price: $30/month
Channels for every dollar spent: 3
Device availability: Optimum Stream
NFL+ is the league's official streaming service that gives you access to live and local regular season and postseason games, on-demand programs, and even tools for your next fantasy football game. As of 2023, NFL+ also offers the NFL Network and NFL Redzone channels in its plans, making it a solid option for true-blue football fans hoping to finally cut the cord. A regular subscription costs $6.99/month and includes everything in the above, except for NFL Redzone and replays of full games, highlights, and all-22 coaches films, which are only available in NFL+'s premium subscription, priced at $14.99/month. Both plans offer free trials and are available on most major streaming devices, with the exception of live local and primetime regular season and postseason games, which can only be viewed on phones and tables.
Price: $6.99/month
Channels for every dollar spent: 0.1
Free Trial: 7 days
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android Phones, Android TV, Apple TV, iOS, Roku, Xbox
Channel lineup: NFL Network, NFL Redzone
One important thing to know: ESPN+ will not allow you to watch ESPN channels live. However, it has a lot of on-demand content that has aired on the channels and is a good way to watch some sports live. Namely: UFC events, many soccer leagues (such as LaLiga and Bundesliga), golf, tennis, and MLB. For the price, ESPN+ is worth at least a try if you are a fan of any of these sports.
Criterion Channel is a curated movie-streaming service that offers ad-free and on-demand access to films from The Criterion Collection in HD. It is currently only available in the US and Canada. The subscription costs $10.99 per month or $99.99 per year. Like Netflix, the Criterion Channel also offers a physical rental service. The number of movies you can rent each month, for a flat monthly rate, depends on how quickly you can return them. You don't need to subscribe to The Criterion Channel to buy or rent physical media on DVD and Blu-ray, but subscribers may get discounts. With the introduction of Criterion24/7, Criterion Channel also entered the Live TV world, offering a great alternative to channels like Turner Classic Movies.
Price: $10.99/month
Channels for every dollar spent: 0
Free Trial: 7 days
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android Phones, Apple TV, iOS, Roku, Samsung TV, Xbox
Philo: Once called Tivli, Philo is a streaming service that was first started in Harvard University by a Facebook co-founder. In August 2020, they announced that they reached the milestone of 750,000 subscribers.
Frndly TV: Frndly was launched by a former executive of the popular Live TV platform Sling TV. The idea was to offer a Live TV streaming service that doesn't require parental control, with the main draw being the three Hallmark channels.
Sling Orange + Blue: At $55 a month, subscribers to Sling TV Orange and Blue treat themselves to the best of both worlds. You can live in the moment with 51 live channels, or tune in whenever you want, choosing from a host of on-demand content. If you’re hesitant to cut the cord completely, this package definitely eases the transition.
Paramount+ with SHOWTIME: Paramount Plus started out as CBS All Access in 2014, making its big hit with the lawyer drama The Good Fight. When CBS and Viacom merged, the service rebranded to its current name, offering content from both companies. From its first day, the new service offered live TV from local CBS affiliates. In 2023, it merged with Showtime and made the latter accessible to all of its Premium subscribers.
Comcast’s NOW TV: Now TV is the new cable alternative from Comcast (owner of Xfinity). For $20/month, you get over 40 live channels, 20 hours of DVR, and watch on up to three devices. You also get Peacock Premium included. And of course, no minimum commitment and you can cancel anytime.
Spectrum TV Choice: Spectrum is a cable TV, internet, telephone and wireless company based in the US. In 2019, Spectrum launched its TV Essentials services to target customers who prefer online viewing. As CEO Tom Routeledge describes it, Spectrum TV Essentials is a “low-priced, entertainment-only bundle unencumbered by the high cost of broadcast retransmission consent fees and expensive sports programming.” Spectrum TV Choice is an evolution of TV Essentials. Note: ESPN is back on Spectrum!
SportsLive: SportsLive is a live-streaming and on-demand platform covering both pro and amateur sporting events. Fans are able to stay updated on their favorite teams, whether they're from big leagues, college, or even high school. Apart from featuring nearly 20,000 live events, it also boasts a catalog of exclusive programming, interviews, press conferences, and more. This platform, powered by CBS Sports Digital, comes at a relatively hefty price, but it will surely satisfy sports fans everywhere.
Spectrum TV Stream: Cable goliath Specturm has been trying to lure cord-cutting customers for many years now, starting with Spectrum TV Choice, which allows a selection of 15 channels from a list of big names like ESPN. Spectrum TV Stream is their more budget-oriented offering, featuring 90 channels for $39.99.
Sling TV + News Extra Bundle: The Sling news add-on is part of many extras offered by the cord-cutting service Sling, ike the Kids extra, the Lifestyle extra, the Hollywood extra, the Heartland extra, AMC plus, Showtime, Epix, Starz, and Spanish language add-ons.
The most affordable streaming service for sports viewing is Sling TV. Out of its two available plans, Sling Orange has the most coverage since it carries ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3, but Sling Blue is also a formidable option as it carries NFL Network and FS1. Each costs $40/month (or $20 on your first month) and only $55 together as Sling Orange + Blue. These channels may be enough for casual sports fans, but if you're looking for more, you can always pay an extra $11/month for the sports bundle and add up to 11 more sports channels in your lineup, and $29/month if you want dedicated NBA coverage.
For news, Sling still offers a pretty good deal with the $40 Blue, which has MSNBC, CNN, Bloomberg Television, and Fox News. You can also pay an extra $6 for the news bundle, which gives you access to nine more channels including BBC World News and CNBC. But if you're looking for an even cheaper option, Philo should do. For $25/month, it gives you access to BBC America, BBC World News, and Cheddar News.
While YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream have great offers in this regard, the cheapest live TV streamer with local channels is Paramount+, which offers CBS affiliate channels in most markets for only $9.99. If you want more information on accessing local channels on live TV, we wrote a dedicated article on the topic.
Again, YouTube TV is a great and comprehensive option for cord-cutters, but with the monthly price now at $73, it's understandable to look at alternatives. The cheapest YouTube TV alternatives are Sling TV ($40), Philo ($25), and Frndly TV ($6).
The cheapest streaming bundle is probably the Disney+ Bundle Trio (Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+) for $14.99. Another option is the new the Xfinity Now TV "Streamsaver" bundle for $55.
Plenty of live TV streaming services are completely, wholly, and no-strings-attached free. The most popular three are Tubi and PlutoTV.
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.