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 of course the free ones, like Pluto and Tubi. There are also affordable live TV streaming services that include some premium channels like Frndly TV ($6.99), Philo ($28), DirecTV's genre packages ($35/month), and Sling TV ($45).
Below, we list affordable streaming TV options to help you decide which one is for you.
| Sling Orange ESPN & 32 channels included
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| Sling Blue FOX & 39 channels included
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| Philo Lifetime & 86 channels included
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As Sling’s most bare-bones live TV package, Sling TV Orange still provides a pretty sweet deal. For $45.99 a month you get more than 30 channels, 50 hours of DVR storage, and the option to customize your channel lineup with “Extras,” additional channel packages catered to your specific interests.
Price: $45.99 $25.99
Channels for every dollar spent: 0.7
Device availability: AirTV, Amazon Fire TV, Android Phones, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Cox, Google TV Streamer, iOS, LG TV, Mi Box, Roku, Samsung TV, TiVo, Vizio, Windows 10, Windows 11, Xbox, Xbox One
Channel lineup: A&E, AMC, AXS TV, BBC America, BET, Bloomberg TV+, Cartoon Network, Charge!, CNN, Comedy Central, Comet, Disney Channel, EPIX Drive-In, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, Food Network, Freeform, Fuse, HGTV, History, IFC, Investigation Discovery, Lifetime, Local Now, MGM+, MotorTrend, Nick Jr., QVC, Sling Scapes, TBS, TNT, Travel Channel, Vice
Sling TV Blue lets you be in control of your TV. With a base package of more than 40 channels, you can stream their live and on-demand content whenever you’d like for just $45.99 a month. Plus, you have the option to customize your package and subscribe to curated add-on channel bundles if the baseline isn’t cutting it.
Price: $45.99 $25.99
Channels for every dollar spent: 1
Device availability: AirTV, Amazon Fire TV, Android Phones, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Google TV Streamer, iOS, LG TV, Roku, Samsung TV, Xbox
Channel lineup: A&E, ABC, AMC, AXS TV, BBC America, BET, Bloomberg TV+, Bravo, Cartoon Network, Charge!, CNN, Comedy Central, Comet, Discovery Channel, E!, EPIX Drive-In, Food Network, FOX, Fox News Channel, Fox Sports 1, FS1 4K, Fuse, FX, HGTV, History, HLN, IFC, Investigation Discovery, Lifetime, Local Now, MGM+, MSNBC, National Geographic, NBC, NBC local channels, NFL Network, Nick Jr., QVC, Sling Scapes, SYFY, TBS, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, truTV, USA Network, Vice
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, 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
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.
Price: $39.99/month
Channels for every dollar spent: 0.3
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Google TV, iOS, Roku, Samsung Smart TV
TV and film fans are well catered to with DirecTV MyEntertainment. You get A&E, Fox channels, MSNBC, CNBC, TLC, and more for less than the price of Sling TV. Cord-cutting services have been looking more like cable lately, but this new option from DirecTV is a welcome change.
Price: $34.99/month
Channels for every dollar spent: 1.2
Free Trial: 5 days
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android Phones, Android TV, Apple TV, iOS, Roku, Samsung TV
Peacock is a streaming service owned by NBC, with options to choose two plans: $7.99/month ($80/year) for ad-supported, or $13.99/month ($140/ year) for ad-free. It used to offer a free plan, but that went away amid the Great Streaming Price Hikes the previous year. Still, with both premium plans, you'll get access to the full catalog of 2,000 movies and shows, including every episode of original NBC favorites like Brooklyn 99, The Office, and Parks and Recreation. You'll also get next-day and early access to all the new episodes of live NBC shows like Late Night with Seth Meyers and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. 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.
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
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
Channels for every dollar spent: 85 (free)
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android Phones, 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, ION, 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, NASCAR Channel, 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
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
Channels for every dollar spent: 32 (free)
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
Now TV is the new cable alternative from Comcast (owner of Xfinity). It's 40 live channels, 20 hours of DVR, and watch on up to three devices. It also doubles as a bundle since you get Peacock Premium included at no additional cost. To get it, you have to first subscribe or already be a subscriber to Xfinity Internet or Xfinity Internet Essentials. You can then add it at checkout.
Price: $60/month
Channels for every dollar spent: 1.9
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 Channel, 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
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.
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
Channels for every dollar spent: 54 (free)
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, DAZN Ringside, 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, NBA Fast Channel, NBC News Now, Newsmax, NFL Channel, NFL Super Bowl Classics, No Reservations by WBtv, Nosey, People TV, PGA Tour, Pluto Channels, Queens of Reality, Real Disaster, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Sky News, Smithsonian Channel, Stories AMC, TBN, The Twilight Zone, Today, TuDiscovery, TuWarner, TV Land Drama, WeatherNation, WOW – Women Of Wrestling, WPT
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
Channels for every dollar spent: 101 (free)
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android Phones, 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, Friends, fubo Sports Network, Game Show Central, Garfield, 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
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
Channels for every dollar spent: 13 (free)
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
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 little-known cord-cutting offer from Spectrum includes 90 channels for $39.99, without any additional fees like a local channels surcharge. That's because, well, there are simply no local channels included.
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 hey, it's always nice to have another somewhat affordable option.
Price: Varies depending on your location and account history.
In response to the growing popularity of free streaming services like Tubi, Xumo, and Pluto, Sling TV has come up with Sling TV Freestream, an ad-supported version of its live TV and on-demand streaming service. Compared to its paid tier, Freestream has fewer channels and premium titles, but with more than 200 live channels and on-demand content to boot, it's certainly worth giving a try—you don't even need to sign up for an account to start watching. Sling TV has been at the forefront of live TV for years, but it breaks new ground with Freestream, a platform designed to both entertain and entice users to upgrade to their meatier packages. Recently, Freestream also added free DVR.
Price: free for 43 channels available
Channels for every dollar spent: 75 (free)
Device availability: AirTV, Amazon Fire TV, Android Phones, Apple TV, Chromecast, Cox, Google TV, iOS, LG TV, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Samsung TV, TiVo, Vizio, Website, Xbox, Xfinity Flex
Channel lineup: AajTak International, ABC News Live, Al Arabiya, Al Jazeera English, All Reality by WEtv, Always funny, Anthony Bourdain A Cook's Tour, Architectural Digest: Open Door, ARY News, Asian Crunch, BBC Comedy, BBC Earth, BBC Game Shows, BBC Top Gear, Bein Sports XTRA, Bizarre Foods with Anthony Bourdain on WBtv, Buzzr: Family Feud, CBS News, Cheddar News, Christmas Plus, Court TV, Craftsey TV, Crunchyroll, Defiance, Dilemma, Documentary Plus, Drag Race Universe, Electric Now, EntrepreneurTV, ESPN On Demand, ESR, FailArmy, Fear Factor, FilmRise: Hell's Kitchen, Forensic Files, Formula TV channel, Fox Weather, France24, Fubo Sports, Glewed TV, GoTraveler, Grit extra, Heartland, ION, ION Mystery, ION Plus, Just for Laughs Gags, Just for Laughs TV, Life OK, Maverick Black Cinema: Boxed In, Military Times, Nash Bridge Channels, National Lampoon, Noticias Univision 24/7, Real Wild, Rick Steves Europe, Rig TV, Scripps News, Shout TV, SonyKal, SportsGrid, TD Ameritrade Network, Teen Vee, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Pet Collective, The Price Is Right: The Barker Era, The Walking Dead Universe, Travel and Adventure, TVP World, Unsolved Mysteries, USA Today, VH1 I Love Reality, Willow Channel, World Poker Tour, Zona TUDN
Philo Free is a completely free live TV streaming platform that carries more than 70 channels, including AMC Thrillers, BBC News, The Walking Dead Universe, and beIN Sports Extra, on top of on-demand films and TV shows. Like Philo's paid plan, Philo Free also offers DVR storage, though here it's limited to 30 days, as opposed to a year, and you can still create up to 10 custom profiles. You'll need an account to start watching Philo for free, as well as a compatible device, but you notably do not need to provide credit card information. In case you want more live channels or DVR storage, you can always upgrade your account to Philo Core, which is $25/month.
Price: free for channels available
Channels for every dollar spent: 84 (free)
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android Phones, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, iPhone, Roku, Samsung TV
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
Sling Orange: Sling Orange used to be more expensive than Sling Blue but they now both cost $45.99 each, or $60.99 if you get both of them.
Sling Blue: Sling Blue used to be cheaper than Sling Orange, but they now cost the same - $45.99 per month. If you get both of them, they cost $55 for the bundle, so around $27.5 each.
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.
DirecTV MyNews: 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.
DirecTV MyEntertainment: 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 (forthcoming), 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.
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.
Tubi: Still true to its mission, Tubi has been offering free content since its inception in 2014. It was bought by the Fox Corporation in 2020.
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.
NOW TV: Now TV is the new cable alternative from Comcast (owner of Xfinity). It's 40 live channels, 20 hours of DVR, and watch on up to three devices. It also doubles as a bundle since you get Peacock Premium included at no additional cost. To get it, you have to first subscribe or already be a subscriber to Xfinity Internet or Xfinity Internet Essentials. You can then add it at checkout.
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 around $45.99/month and only $60.99 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 extra for the sports bundle and add up to 11 more sports channels in your lineup.
For news, Sling still offers a pretty good deal with the $45.99 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 $83, it's understandable to look at alternatives. The cheapest YouTube TV alternatives are Sling TV ($45.99), Philo ($28), 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 18 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.