How to Watch AEW Wrestling without Cable

Named the "best all-around streaming service for cord-cutters" by Rolling Stone, DirecTV Stream tries to be all the good things about cable without any of the hassle. It has a big selection of channels, possibly the best stream quality in the market, and great DVR capability. For example, unlike with competitor Youtube TV, your DVR recordings on DirecTV will be the same quality as the live stream (often in 4K). The service also comes with a decent monthly price tag, and Netflix-style practicality that allows 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 is a great option if you want to cut the cord but keep access to many channels. If you don't watch sports, you don't have to get the package for them.

In 2020, Hulu updated their interface to a much neater version, allowing for one of the easiest and most intuitive Live navigation systems around.

Youtube TV boasts a wide offering of almost every major channel, unlimited DVR, six accounts, and up to three simultaneous streams. It's the perfect option for families. The cost is a little steep, and there are cheaper options out there, but with a great interface (Live TV services are not known to always have the most intuitive interfaces) and wide availability across devices, it's fair to say that you'll get your dollar's worth.

Xtream powered by Mediacom has three TV plans it offers exclusively to existing Mediacom internet customers: Local TV, which requires you to add $10/month to your internet plan; Essential TV, which requires an additional $50/month; and Variety TV, which requires an extra $70/month. Local gives you about 50+ local channels, including ABC, PBS, and FOX; Essential has 125+ popular channels like AMC, Nickelodeon, and FX; while Variety, the most worthwhile of the bunch, has about 170+ channels including sports channels like ESPN and DisneyXD. There are no contracts here, and Mediacom's internet speed and prices, which range from $35 to $55/month, are relatively decent. But unless you're perfectly fine with basic or repetitive channels, you might find more to like in other packages and, further,  get your money's worth in cordless services like YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream.

Verizon Fios is typical of most cable packages, offering at least 60 channels with plans that range from $80 to $130 per month. But what sets it apart is that it operates on a speedy fiber-optic network and offers plenty of mobile and internet bundles. Its most basic plan, Your Fios TV, which goes at $80/month, lets you choose the first five channels. Based on your choices, Fios then decides the rest of the hundred channels you're entitled to. Their most popular plan, however, is More Fios TV, which goes for $109/month. Here, you get more than 300 cable, local, and regional sports channels plus basic DVR and a free set-top box. While some users like the fast speeds and the 4k quality on some live sports events, others prefer the ease, breadth of options, and affordability of cordless alternatives like YouTube TV or Hulu with Live TV, both of which are cheaper than Fios' most basic plan.

Low price: Priced at $53.19, Spectrum TV is good value for money compared to other internet TV services (like, for example, Youtube TV which starts at $64.99).

Non-live programming: If you love sitcoms, dramas and other pre-recorded programming and are not so interested in live broadcasts, Spectrum TV offers a great array of choices.  Note: ESPN is back on Spectrum! 

Spectrum TV's cable plans are some of the most popular out there, and for good reason. Its cheapest plan, Spectrum TV Select Signature, offers more than 150 channels (all in HD) for just $65/month. That price stays constant for a year, then it's subject to change as much as $25/month more. If that seems like a lot, then you should note that it comes with a free ad-supported Disney+ subscription and on-the-go (but not offline) viewing. For $10 more, you could upgrade to the Spectrum TV Select Plus Plan, which has RSNs and a complimentary ESPN+ subscription. All Spectrum plans carry local channels like ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC where available, as well as the usual channels like ESPN, CNN, Disney Channel, HGTV, and AMC. You can also add premium channels like Max and Starz for an additional fee. If you don't care for local channels and live sports, however, you can consider Spectrum's cord-cutting alternative, Spectrum TV Stream, priced at $40/month.

Optimum is an internet provider that also happens to offer cable TV plans. If you're not subscribed to the former, then you can't access the latter. And if you are interested, Optimum has four main TV plans to choose from: Core TV ($120/month for 200+ channels); Value TV ($125/month for 300 channels); Select TV ($140/month for 340 channels); and Premier TV ($164/month for more than 400 channels). Only Premier TV comes with premium services like Max, Showtime, and Starz, while the rest require an extra fee. Some pros about Optimum are that it also has a budget TV plan (Basic TV) that only costs $50/month for 50 channels and it has a wide array of packages that focus on specific interests and nationalities. Another plus? Optimum is contract-free. The cons, however, are plenty too: some customers have complained about hidden fees and expensive device equipment, as well as limited coverage and DVR storage.

The Max + B/R Sports add-on combines Max's arsenal of on-demand titles from Warner Bros., HBO, DC, and Cartoon Network with The Bleacher Report's wide coverage of live sporting events, including March Madness, the NBA Playoffs, The Stanley Cup Playoffs, and various MLB matches. You could say it's an extension of TBS, TNT, and truTV sports as it airs select (not all) games from those channels, but it also covers so much more, including other sports like golf, cycling, and MMA. Since October 2023, B/R Sports has been added to all Max plans completely free of charge, but once the promo ends, you'll have to pay $10/month on top of your Max subscription to enjoy B/R content. And of course, blackout restrictions apply.

Generally, Dish Network's TV plans are pretty similar to most cable packages out there, but many things still set them apart. For one, Dish is available in more parts of the country, and for another, it has a great DVR unit in Hopper 3, which can record up to 2,000 hours and 16 shows at the same time. And when it comes to prices, Dish guarantees it won't hike prices up for at least two years, and quite uniquely, it gives you the option to remove local channels from your plan, which will effectively reduce the price by $12/month. Speaking of price, the cheapest Dish plan costs $85/month and carries channels like CNN, Disney Channel, ESPN, and National Geographic. As of this writing, it also comes with Starz, Paramount+ with Showtime, and Dish's movie add-on free for three months--after that, they will cost $30/month. Now, from what we could gather, it seems like Dish isn't exempt from dodgy customer service and wily hidden fees (mostly in the equipment). It also doesn't offer a lot of bundling opportunities. But if you don't mind these snags, plus the satellite, then Dish is a great, accessible TV option.

Like most live TV streaming services, DirecTV Stream has a dedicated plan for Latino live channels: this one is called Óptimo Más, currently priced at $86.99/month. It offers all the same perks as other DirecTV Stream plans, including a 5-day free trial, unlimited simultaneous streams, and unlimited DVR, but its 100-channel lineup is more or less split into two, English and Spanish. Among the English channels are CNN, Nickelodeon, USA, Disney Channel, and AMC, while some notable Spanish channels include Univision, TUDN, Cine Estelar, De Pelicula, Antena 3, and TyC Sports. If you prefer DirecTV Stream's other plans, like Choice or Ultimate, you can opt for DirecTV Stream's Spanish add-on—the sports-oriented Deportes, which costs $5/month, and the entertainment-focused Español, which costs $15/month.

Sure, DirecTV Stream has a sports add-on, but if you don't want to bother with entertainment and lifestyle channels, the live TV streaming service has come up with a dedicated plan called DirecTV Stream MySports. The plan is packed with more than 25 sports channels including TBS, TNT, USA, and TruTV for major games; MLB Network, NBA TV, NFL Network, and NHL Network for exclusive major league content; and ABC, FOX, and NBC (where available) for local content. It also has the usual channels, like all the ESPN and Fox Sports iterations to make sure all bases are covered. Since the plan is pretty new, DirecTV Stream offers the plan at a $20 discount on your first three months—and that’s after a 5-day free trial. After that, you’ll have to pay the regular monthly price of $69.99/month. Do note that, for now, DirecTV Stream MySports is only available in select markets.

DirecTV's cable packages are some of the most comprehensive you'll find on the market. The cheapest plan, known as the Entertainment package, starts at $85/month and comes with 200 hours of HD DVR (unlimited on cloud). As for channels, some of the more notable ones include CNN, ESPN, The Food Network, TBS, The Disney Channel, and local networks where available. During your first three months, you'll also have access to premium channels like HBO and Showtime. DirecTV's other packages are Choice (which has RSNs), Ultimate (which has even more sports and entertainment), and Premier (which has everything plus premium channels). It may not be explicit about it, but DirecTV does have a 2-year contract, the early termination of which will cost you $20 for each of the remaining months. If this is a deal-breaker, you might want to consider DirecTV Stream, which is the provider's cordless and contractless alternative.

Centurylink"}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":769,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0}">Centurylink doesn't offer its own set of TV packages. However, it lets you bundle its internet plans with two TV services: Dish, whose prices start at $85/month, and DirecTV, whose prices start at $70/month. All in, Centurylink's internet and TV bundles start at $125/month, which is a fair price for the speeds Centurylink offers, though you could also get Dish and DirecTV directly from the source for more or less the same price. Better yet, cordless alternatives, like DirecTV Stream, offer much of the same for reduced costs. You won't find a lot of discounts by Centurylink, but it does make billing easier. Currently, Centurylink is available in 16 states, namely, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South, Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Armstrong may be more known for its internet services, but it does provide a solid TV plan if you're covered and can afford it. In terms of coverage, it's only offered in six states, namely (and in order of availability) Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Maryland, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Its sole TV plan, Television Plus, costs $115.95/month for 100 channels (DVR is extra), but it's not available as a standalone. You'll have to bundle it in with one of Armstrong's internet plans, which start at $34.95/month. You're looking at a potential final price of $151/month, but that can always go higher or lower depending on the deals Armstrong is offering at any given moment. Still, for that price, there are plenty of cheaper alternatives with more channels, not to mention DVR storage and faster internet. But it's popular in the Northeast for a reason: being a small and local business means it provides great and personalized customer service. Unlike other cable providers, Armstrong also doesn't require you to sign long-term contracts.