"Freestream" is a Tubi-style free live TV streaming service from Dish, the owner of Sling TV. If you're looking to keep your cord-cutting spend at exactly $0, this is a decent app to get and combine with The Roku Channel or Pluto TV. I say that because it's a new service and the lineup is still slowly expanding, so for the time being this is probably not a service that's enough on its own. Also interesting: free DVR comes included.
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
More on the streaming services featured in this list
Sling Orange: Sling TV 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.
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.
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.
Pluto TV Live: Pluto TV launched in 2013, and has had a steady, successful path of growth, currently boasting over 50 million global viewers. It was purchased by ViacomCBS in 2019, so it now hosts all the content under that corporate umbrella.
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.
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!
Sling TV Freestream: 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.
Notable channels in Freestream include AMC+, Comedy Central, Discovery, TBS, Cartoon Network & Adult Swim, and major news broadcasters like CBS and ABC.
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.
What is the cheapest live TV streaming service for sports channels?
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.
What is the cheapest live TV streaming service for news channels?
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.
What is the cheapest live TV streaming service with local channels?
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.
What is the cheapest Youtube TV Alternative?
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).
What are the cheapest cord-cutting bundles?
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.
Which live TV streaming services are completely free?
Plenty of live TV streaming services are completely, wholly, and no-strings-attached free. The most popular three are Tubi and PlutoTV.