The Best Live TV Services for Samsung Smart TVs

Sling Blue has one of the best price-quality ratios for cord-cutters. For only $50.99, you get access to big networks like AMC, Bravo, TBS, National Geographic, and NBC. This package from Sling makes the most sense for cord-cutters who don't watch ESPN or the Disney Channel, which are included in the "Sling Orange" offer.

Hulu with Live TV is an obvious choice if you already have Hulu On-Demand, as you'll get to keep all your payment information and history, interact with a similar interface, and get a Live TV service without much effort.

DirecTV is a Live TV streaming platform with a twist: you can download the app on any of your existing devices, or for a $120, you can get a box with a custom remote control for the service. But without the box, DirecTV functions like a Netflix or Hulu, allowing you to stream Live TV from anywhere by downloading the app. Within your home, you can stream on up to 20 devices (!), and from outside your home you can stream on up to three devices.

Sling Orange is for all cord-cutters who wish to save money, but it's especially for sports fans who watch ESPN channels as well as households that watch the Disney Channel.

If you already have other streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, Philo is the perfect option to get access to Live TV without spending too much money. At $25, it has an offer that beats much more expensive services. Plus, in terms of the channel lineup, it has a little bit for everyone, from news channels like BBC World News to the Discovery Channel, to Nickelodeon and Vice. If you're looking for more on-demand, their Bundle+ plan comes with Max and Discovery+ included.

If you're a Sling TV subscriber looking to fortify your channel line-up, you might want to consider the Hollywood extra package—perfect if you're a movie fan and lover. It has eight channels dedicated to cinema, including SundanceTV (a treasure trove of indie gems) and Turner Classic Movies (endless classics for history film buffs). Sling Blue subscribers also get two additional channels: FXX and the FX Movie Channel, which are both subsidiaries of the Walt Disney company. Both libraries include films from 20th Century Studios, Twentieth Century Pictures, and Fox Film.

When you add the Entertainment Extra to one of Sling's plans, you make sure that you get your comedy channels on top of many basics. Also important to note that Paramount Network, home to the hit Yellowstone, comes included.

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 $52 (unless you choose to get other extras).

Sling TV has two main offers: Blue, which includes over 45 channels like CNN and MSNBC, and Orange, which includes ESPN and Disney Channels.

Each plan costs $46. You can combine them for $61. 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. You can also add News Extra to Sling Select, a slimmer, more budget-friendly plan.

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.

Paramount Plus is a video-on-demand service that replaced its predecessor, CBS All Access. It's available in the US, Canada, Latin America, the UK and Ireland, Australia, South Korea, and much of Europe. The service comes in two tiers: Essential at $8.99/month, and Premium at $13.99/month, which drops the ads, adds Showtime content, and includes your live CBS station. Standalone Paramount+ has 40,000 episodes and movies to its name, plus live feeds on NFL on CBS and the UEFA Champions League.

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.

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.

With YouTube TV's entertainment bundle, you get three premium services for $29.99. Bought separately, HBO Max (without ads), Paramount+ Premium, and Starz run roughly $44.50 a month, so the bundle saves you about $14.50. It may seem pricey, especially since you'll be paying it on top of YouTube TV's already costly subscription, but it could be worth it if you're looking to get a first-rate entertainment package. HBO Max alone gives you access to HBO's critically acclaimed shows, Warner Bros.'s blockbusters, and Discovery's many wildlife features. But coupled with Paramount+ Premium and Starz, you get prestige dramas, trendy comedies, and insightful documentaries on top of all that, not to mention YouTube TV's unrivaled DVR storage feature and lengthy live channel list. It's a bundle tailor-fit for TV and film enthusiasts.

If you enjoy using the DVR option, Youtube TV is arguably the best option in the market for you: it gives you unlimited DVR storage on the Cloud (accessible from any of your devices), and it saves each of your recordings for 9 months. Also, you can share Youtube TV with up to six accounts, so if you have a big family, this is a much better option than getting a bunch of cheaper Live TV subscriptions. Youtube TV allows up to three accounts of the six to watch at the same time.

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.

Sling TV may be an affordable live TV streaming option, but because of its limited local channel offerings, it tends to be ignored by hardcore sports fans (especially football fans) hoping to cheer for their team. Thankfully, Sling's Sports Extra bundle, which costs $11/month, adds about 10-20 more channels depending on your plan. Popular channels include NHL Network, MLB Network, NBA TV, and of course, NFL Redzone. Redzone requires the NFL Network, so it's not available with Sling Orange, but it is available with Sling Blue, Orange & Blue, and Select. If you want even more concentrated content, Sling TV also has a football season pass that allows users to pre-pay $219 for Sling TV Orange and Blue + Sports Extra, which lets you watch all the major league games on ESPN, ABC, NBC, and Fox (though notably no CBS).

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.

Whether you're a Korean expat living in North America or a true-blue Hallyu fan, you'll find much to like in OnDemandKorea, also sometimes known as Korea on Demand. The streaming service has both live TV and on-demand content, which it makes available in three tiers. The basic plan is ad-supported and free, the premium plan costs $13.99/month and gives you exclusive ad-free content, while the premium + box plan costs $19.99/month and gives you all the benefits of the previous plans plus five simultaneous viewings and 100 live channels. Korea on Demand also gives you the option to pay yearly to help you save up to $200 in costs. In terms of content, the platform has an impressively wide range. On the on-demand side, it has more than 500 films that range from mainstream to indie, while on the live TV side, it has multiple channels that cover news, entertainment, variety, and sports. It's important to note, however, that the entire site is in Korean and not all titles have English subtitles, making it most suited to native or advanced speakers of the language.

If you're looking to upgrade your ad-supported Max plan, you have two plans to choose from: Standard or Premium. Standard, currently $18.49/month, lets you watch on 2 devices and download up to 30 titles, while Premium, currently $22.99/month, lets you watch on up to 4 devices and has virtually unlimited downloads. Both Standard and Premium feature live sports. So, along with Max Originals and content from HBO, Discovery, and CNN, expect to see live coverage of MLB, NBA, NHL, and NASCAR games too. Max also has a dedicated section featuring March Madness every year.