11 Best Services to Watch BBC America Without Cable

cord-cutting › bbc america • December 27, 2024 • The Staff

BBC America is a mix of highlights from the old country like David Attenborough's nature shows and local hits such as the American version of Top Gear or the show Orphan Black which they co-produced. The good news is you can watch these shows on cord-cutting services.

You can watch BBC America without cable on Sling Orange, DirecTV Stream, Sling Blue, Philo, Sling Orange + Blue, YouTube TV, NOW TV, Spectrum TV Choice, Spectrum TV Stream, DirecTV Stream Premier, or Optimum Entertainment TV.

The cheapest option to watch BBC America is NOW TV for $20/month. Unfortunately, you cannot watch BBC America with Hulu with Live TV, and Fubo.

Our top three ways to watch BBC America:

Sling Orange $22.99 off your first month.	~~$45.99~~ $23	Watch

DirecTV Stream 5-day free trial.	$86.99/month	Watch

Sling Blue $22.99 off your first month.	~~$45.99~~ $23	Watch

BBC America on Sling Orange

Sling TV Orange is perfect for the live TV minimalist: $45.99 a month, a lean array of 32 channels, and the ability to stream on only a single screen at once. You can add small channel bundles to the package as well if you’d like, leaving you in control and ensuring that you’re not going overboard paying for stuff you don’t need.

Go to Sling Orange

Price: ~~$45.99~~ $23

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

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

BBC America on DirecTV Stream

For those hesitant to trust new cord-cutting companies, DirecTV Stream is a good middle ground. You get live local and national channels, and there’s no annual contract, but you're still with a staple of live TV. The basic package is comparable with other cable companies, and you have the option to bundle the service with other streamers to maximize your content access.

Go to DirecTV Stream

Price: $86.99/month

Free Trial: 5 days

Channel lineup: ABC, ACC Digital Network, AccuWeather, Alien Nation, AMC, Anger Management, Animal Planet, Are We There Yet?, Ax Men, AXS TV, Baby First, BabyTV, BBC America, BET, Big 12, Bloomberg TV, Bob Ross, Boomerang, Bravo, C-SPAN, C-SPAN2, Cartoon Network, CBS, CBS local channels, Cheddar News, Cleo TV, CMT, C NBC, CNN, CNN en Espanol, CNN International, Comedy Central, Comedy Dynamics, Court TV, Crime 360, CW, Daystar HD, Declassified, Discovery Channel, Duck Dynasty, E! Entertainment, EarthxTV, Ebony TV, El Rey Rebel, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, FMC, Food Network, FOX, Fox Business Network, Fox News Channel, FOX SOUL, Fox Sports 1, Fox Weather, Freeform, FUEL TV, Fuse Music, FX, FXX, Galavision, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Mystery, HerSphere, HGTV, HLN, Home Shopping Network, HSN, IFC, Investigation Discovery, ION, ion Television, Jewelry Television, MeatEater TV, MotorTrend, MovieSphere, MSNBC, MTV Classic, MTV2, NBA TV, NBC, NBC local channels, News Nation, Nick Jr., One America News, Ovation, Oxygen True Crime, Paramount Network, PBS, PBS Kids, PBS local channels, Poker GO, Pursuit Channel, QVC, QVC2, QVC3, Racing America, REELZ, REVOLT, RFD-TV, RSNs, Scientology Network, Scripps News, Shop LC, Somos Novelas, SportsGrid, Start TV, SundanceTV, SYFY, Tastemade Home, Tastemade Travel, TBS, TCM, TeenNick, Telemundo local channels, The First, theGrio, TLC, TNT, truTV, TV Land, TV One, Univision, Up TV, USA Network, VH1, WE tv, Women’s Sports Network

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android Phones, Android TV, Apple TV, iOS, Roku, Samsung TV

BBC America on Sling Blue

If you’re in the market for a live TV service to add to your streamer collection, Sling TV Blue is a competitive choice. For $45.99 a month, you get access to over 40 channels and their on-demand content, plus 50 hours of DVR storage — a cost-effective option that blows traditional cable out of the water.

Go to Sling Blue

Price: ~~$45.99~~ $23

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

Device availability: AirTV, Amazon Fire TV, Android Phones, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Google TV Streamer, iOS, LG TV, Roku, Samsung TV, Xbox

BBC America on Philo

News and sports junkies, look away. Everyone else, listen up! Philo TV offers a cord-cutting live TV package that includes 62 live channels, unlimited DVR space, and simultaneous screening capabilities for the low, low price of $25 a month. Philo doesn’t carry sports channels, but if you can go without, a better deal is hard to find.

Go to Philo

Price: $28/month

Free Trial: 7 days

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

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android Phones, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Google TV Streamer, iOS, iPhone, LG Smart TV, Roku, Samsung TV

BBC America on Sling Orange + Blue

At $60 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.

Go to Sling Orange + Blue

Price: ~~$60.99~~ $30.5

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, 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, NBC local channels, NFL Network, Nick Jr., QVC, Sling Scapes, SYFY, TBS, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, truTV, USA Network, Vice

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

BBC America on YouTube TV

Looking to keep your favorite shows at your fingertips, preserve access to live sports and news broadcasts, but still want to cut the cord? YouTube TV is the answer. At $73 a month it skews more expensive than other live streamers, you won’t be able to find a more extensive, all-inclusive package anywhere else.

Go to YouTube TV

Price: $82.99/month

Free Trial: 7 days

Channel lineup: ABC, ABC News, ACCN, Adult Swim, AMC, Animal Planet, BBC America, BBC World News, BET, BET Her, Big Ten Network, Bounce, Bravo, Cartoon Network, CBS, CBS local channels, CBS Sports Network, Charge!, Cheddar, Cheddar News, CMT, C NBC, C NBC World, CNN, Comedy Central, Comedy TV, Comet, Court TV, Cozi TV, Dabl, Discovery Channel, Disney, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Docurama, Dove Channel, E!, ESPN, ESPN U, ESPN2, ESPNews, Food Network, FOX, Fox Business, Fox News, FOX SOUL, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, Fox Weather, Freeform, FX, FXM, FXX, Galavision, Game Show Network, Get TV, Golf Channel, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Drama, Hallmark Mystery, HGTV, HLN, HSN, IFC, Investigation Discovery, ION, Justice Central TV, LAFC Channel, Law & Crime, Live Now, Local Now, Localish, MotorTrend, MSNBC, MTV, MTV 2, MTV Classic, My TV, Nat Geo Wild, National Geographic, NBA TV, NBC, NBC local channels, NBC News Now, NBC Universo, NBCLX, NBCSN, NECN, Neon, News Nation, Newsmax, NFL Network, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, Nicktoons, Orlando City Channel, OWN, Oxygen, Oxygen True Crime, Paramount, PBS, PBS Kids, PBS local channels, PC Mag, Pop, QVC, Recipe.TV, Scripps News, SEC Network, Smithsonian Channel, SNY, Start TV, Sundance TV, SYFY, Tastemade, TBD, TBS, Teen Nick, TeleHit, Telemundo local channels, Tennis 2, The CW, The Great Courses, The Walking Dead Universe, The Weather Channel, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, Tru TV, Turner Classic Movies, TV Land, TYT, Unimas, Unimas local channels, Universal Kids, Univision, Univision local channels, USA Network, VH1, WE tv, YouTube Originals, Zen channel

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android Phones, Android TV, Apple TV, Google TV Streamer, iOS, LG TV, PlayStation, Roku, Samsung TV, Sharp, Vizio, Xbox

BBC America on 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. It also doubles as a bundle since you get Peacock Premium included at no additional cost. No need to pay an extra $8/month. 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. It's also one of the few services that offers Netflix in some of its bundles (for more on that, you can check this link).

Go to NOW TV

Price: $20/month

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

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android Phones, iOS

BBC America on Spectrum TV Choice

Spectrum TV Choice allows you to completely curate your live TV package. For around $53 a month, you trim the fat and select your 15 channels of choice — no distractions, no cable box, and no annual contract. The catch: it’s only available to Spectrum internet customers.

Go to Spectrum TV Choice

Price: Varies depending on your location and account history.

BBC America on Spectrum TV Stream

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.

Go to Spectrum TV Stream

Price: Varies depending on your location and account history.

BBC America on DirecTV Stream Premier

The most cable-like live TV package to date, DirecTV Stream Premier carries every possible channel you can think of. The sports department has ESPN and Fox Sports, to name a few, plus all the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB specialty channels. Meanwhile, the entertainment department has premium networks like HBO, Starz, Cinemax, and Showtime. It even has RSNs and local channels, all of which total more than 150 channels, so if you want your subscription to cover multiple bases, this is as comprehensive as it gets. All this comes to a hefty $160/month, which seems like a lot for a cord-cutting service, but with features like unlimited screens and DVR, it's worth considering if you have the budget to spare.

Go to DirecTV Stream Premier

Price: $169.99/month

Free Trial: 5 days

Channel lineup: A&E, ABC, ACC Network, AMC, American Heroes Channel HD, Animal Planet, Aspire, AXS TV, Baby First TV, BBC America, BBC News, BET, BET Her, Big Ten Network, Bloomberg TV+, Boomerang, Bounce, Bravo, C-SPAN, C-SPAN2, Cartoon Network, CBS local channels, CBS Sports Network, Cheddar News, CMT, C NBC, C NBC World, CNN, CNN en Espanol, Comedy Central, Comedy TV, Cooking Channel, Cozi TV, Destination America, Discovery Channel, Discovery Family, Discovery Life, Disney Channel, Disney Jr, Disney XD, E! Entertainment, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNews, ESPNU, Fanduel TV, FMC, Food Network, FOX, Fox Business Network, Fox News Channel, FOX SOUL, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports FS2, Freeform, Fuse, Fuse Music, FX, FXM, FXX, FYI, Galavision, Game Show Network, Gem Shopping Network, GetTV, Golf Channel, Great American Family, GRIT, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Mystery, Heroes & Icons, HGTV, History, HLN, Home Shopping Network, Investigation Discovery, Lifetime, LMN, Logo, Magnolia Network, MeTV, MLB Network, MotorTrend, MSNBC, MTV, MTV Classic, MTV2, National Geographic Wild, NBA TV, NBC, NBC local channels, NFL Network, NHL Network, Nick Jr., Nicktoons, One America News, Ovation, OWN, Oxygen, Paramount Network, PBS local channels, Pop TV, Pursuit Channel, QVC, QVC2, ReelzChannel, REVOLT, RFD-TV, RSNs, Showtime BET, Sportsman Channel, Start TV, SundanceTV, SYFY, TBS, TCM, TeenNick, Telemundo local channels, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, truTV, TV Land, Universal Kids, Univision East, Up TV, USA Network, VH1, Vice, WE tv

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android Phones, Android TV, Apple TV, iOS, Roku, Samsung TV

BBC America on Optimum Entertainment 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.

Go to Optimum Entertainment TV

Price: $30/month

Device availability: Optimum Stream

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Let's recap the streaming services that allow you to watch BBC America without cable.

What is the cheapest way to watch BBC America?

The most cost-efficient way to watch BBC America content is to get a subscription to NOW TV for $20/month.

How to get a free trial to BBC America?

You can get a limited time free trial to BBC America by subscribing to DirecTV Stream, Philo, YouTube TV, Spectrum TV Choice, or DirecTV Stream Premier.

How to watch BBC America for free?

Unfortunately there are no streaming services that offer BBC America completely for free. That said, as we mentioned above you can get it for free for a limited time by subscribing to a service with a free trial. Here they are, this time ranked by which one offers the longest free trial:

YouTube TV (7 days free)
Spectrum TV Choice (7 days free)
Philo (7 days free)
DirecTV Stream Premier (5 days free)
DirecTV Stream (5 days free)

How to get a BBC America live stream?

The platforms that will get you a BBC America live stream right now are: Sling Orange, DirecTV Stream, Sling Blue, Philo, Sling Orange + Blue, YouTube TV, NOW TV, Spectrum TV Stream, Spectrum TV Choice, Optimum Entertainment TV, or DirecTV Stream Premier.

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How to watch BBC America outside the US?

You can watch BBC America abroad by combining NordVPN and one of the streaming services above like DirecTV Stream, or YouTube TV.

How to watch BBC America on Roku?

You can watch BBC America on your Roku device by subscribing to Sling Orange, DirecTV Stream, Sling Blue, Philo, Sling Orange + Blue, YouTube TV, Spectrum TV Choice, or DirecTV Stream Premier.

How to watch BBC America on an Amazon Fire TV?

BBC America can be accessed on an Amazon Fire TV device by subscribing to Sling Orange, DirecTV Stream, Sling Blue, Philo, Sling Orange + Blue, YouTube TV, NOW TV, or DirecTV Stream Premier.

How to watch BBC America on an Apple TV device?

The streaming services that include BBC America and are available on Apple TV are Sling Orange, DirecTV Stream, Sling Blue, Philo, Sling Orange + Blue, YouTube TV, Spectrum TV Choice, and DirecTV Stream Premier.

How to watch BBC America on a computer?

On a web browser head to the websites of Sling Orange, DirecTV Stream, Sling Blue, Philo, Sling Orange + Blue, YouTube TV, Spectrum TV Choice, or DirecTV Stream Premier to start watching BBC America.

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How to watch BBC America on iOS (iPhone or iPad)?

You can watch BBC America on an iPhone or iPad by subscribing to Sling Orange, DirecTV Stream, Sling Blue, Philo, Sling Orange + Blue, YouTube TV, NOW TV, Spectrum TV Choice, or DirecTV Stream Premier.

How to watch BBC America on an Android phone?

You can watch BBC America on an Android device such as Samsung or Google Pixel by subscribing to Sling Orange, DirecTV Stream, Sling Blue, Philo, Sling Orange + Blue, YouTube TV, NOW TV, Spectrum TV Choice, or DirecTV Stream Premier.

How to watch BBC America on an Android TV?

You can watch BBC America on a Smart TV that runs on Android by getting a subscription to Sling Orange, DirecTV Stream, Sling Blue, Philo, Sling Orange + Blue, YouTube TV, Spectrum TV Choice, or DirecTV Stream Premier.

How to watch BBC America on an Xbox?

You can watch BBC America on an Xbox console through Sling Orange, Sling Blue, Sling Orange + Blue, YouTube TV, or Spectrum TV Choice.

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How to pay for a BBC America subscription with Paypal?

The services that accept Paypal and carry BBC America are: Sling Orange, DirecTV Stream, Sling Blue, Philo, Sling Orange + Blue, YouTube TV, NOW TV, Spectrum TV Stream, Spectrum TV Choice, and DirecTV Stream Premier.

How to pay for a BBC America subscription with Apple Pay?

The services that accept Paypal and carry BBC America are: Sling Orange, Sling Blue, Philo, and Sling Orange + Blue.

How to pay for a BBC America subscription with Google Pay?

The services that accept Paypal and carry BBC America are: Sling Orange, Sling Blue, Philo, Sling Orange + Blue, and YouTube TV.