8 Best Services to Watch Cartoon Network Live Without Cable

cord-cutting › cartoon network • March 19, 2025 • The Staff

Animation may be a saturated market, but no one can do it quite like Cartoon Network. Home to entertainment that defies age-group classification like Adventure Time, Teen Titans Go!, and The Amazing World of Gumball, it's proven itself to be the go-to channel for TV and animation fans alike.

You can watch Cartoon Network without cable on Sling Orange, Sling Blue, DirecTV Stream, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, Spectrum TV Choice, Spectrum TV Stream, or DirecTV Stream Premier.

The cheapest option to watch Cartoon Network is Spectrum TV Stream for $40/month. Unfortunately, you cannot watch Cartoon Network with Philo, and Fubo.

Below, we count down the best ways to watch Cartoon Network that cord-cutters use. We made this ranking based on each service's value: how many other channels each dollar of subscription will get you.

Our top three ways to watch Cartoon Network:

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

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

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

Cartoon Network on Sling Orange

No commitment

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.

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

Cartoon Network on Sling Blue

Second cheapest option for Cartoon Network

Sling Blue has one of the best price-quality ratios for cord-cutters. For only $45.99, 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.

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

Cartoon Network on DirecTV Stream

Free trial includes Cartoon Network

DirecTV Stream 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 Stream 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.

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, BBC America, BET, Big 12, Bloomberg TV, Bob Ross, Boomerang, Bravo, BUZZR, 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, Curiosity Now, 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, MTV2, NBA TV, NBC, NBC local channels, News Nation, Newsmax, 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, TNA, TNT, truTV, TV Land, TV One, Univision, Up TV, USA Network, VH1, Waypoint TV, WE tv, Women’s Sports Network, Yahoo! Finance

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

Cartoon Network on Hulu with Live TV

Free trial includes Cartoon Network

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.

Go to Hulu with Live TV

Price: $82.99/month

Free Trial: 3 days

Channel lineup: A&E, ABC, ABC News Live, ACC Network, Adult Swim, Animal Planet, BET, Big Ten Network, Bloomberg TV+, Bravo, Cartoon Network, CBS, CBS local channels, CBS News, CBS Sports Network, Cheddar News, CMT, C NBC, CNN, CNN International, Comedy Central, Comedy TV, Cozi TV, CW, Dabl, Discovery Channel, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, E!, ESPN, ESPN College Extra, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, Food Network, FOX, Fox Business, Fox News Channel, FOX SOUL, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, Fox Weather, Freeform, FX, FXM, FXX, FYI, Game Show Network, Get TV, Golf Channel, Hallmark, Hallmark Mystery, HGTV, History, HLN, ID, Justice Central TV, Lifetime, Lifetime Movies, LiveNOW, Localish, Military History Channel, Motor Trend, MSNBC, MTV, Nat Geo Wild, National Geographic, NBC, NBC local channels, NBC News Now, NBCLX, NBCSN, News Nation, NFL Network, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, OWN, Oxygen, Paramount Network, Pop, QVC, SEC Network, Smithsonian Channel, Start TV, SYFY, TBS, Telemundo, The Grio, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, truTV, Turner Classic Movies, TVLand, Universal Kids, USA Network, Vevo '80s, Vevo '90s, Vevo Country, Vevo Features, Vevo Hip-Hop, Vevo Pop, VH1, Vice, Weather Channel

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

Cartoon Network on YouTube TV

Longest free trial for Cartoon Network

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.

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

Cartoon Network on Spectrum TV Choice

Longest free trial for Cartoon Network

You need to already be subscribed to Charter Spectrum internet services in order to access Spectrum TV Choice and other services under Spectrum TV umbrella. That includes broadcasts and on-demand content from over 60 major channels networks including Viacom, Discovery, A&E, AMC and Hallmark.

On the other hand, you won’t be able to custom add any extra channels, and you can’t access other major TV broadcasters like ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX and NBC, nor the many ESPN and Fox Sports channels––the absence of which helps keep the cost of the service down. Note: ESPN is back on Spectrum!

Go to Spectrum TV Choice

Price: Varies depending on your location and account history.

Cartoon Network on Spectrum TV Stream

No commitment

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.

Cartoon Network on DirecTV Stream Premier

Free trial includes Cartoon Network

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

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Let's recap the streaming services that allow you to watch Cartoon Network without cable.

What is the cheapest way to watch Cartoon Network?

The most cost-efficient way to watch Cartoon Network content is to get a subscription to Spectrum TV Stream for $40/month.

How to get a free trial to Cartoon Network?

You can get a limited time free trial to Cartoon Network by subscribing to DirecTV Stream, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, Spectrum TV Choice, or DirecTV Stream Premier.

How to watch Cartoon Network for free?

Unfortunately there are no streaming services that offer Cartoon Network 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)
DirecTV Stream Premier (5 days free)
DirecTV Stream (5 days free)
Hulu with Live TV (3 days free)

How to get a Cartoon Network live stream?

The platforms that will get you a Cartoon Network live stream right now are: Sling Orange, Sling Blue, DirecTV Stream, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, Spectrum TV Stream, Spectrum TV Choice, or DirecTV Stream Premier.

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How to watch Cartoon Network outside the US?

You can watch Cartoon Network abroad by combining NordVPN and one of the streaming services above like Sling Orange, Sling Blue, DirecTV Stream, Hulu with Live TV, or YouTube TV.

How to watch Cartoon Network on Roku?

You can watch Cartoon Network on your Roku device by subscribing to Sling Orange, Sling Blue, DirecTV Stream, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, Spectrum TV Choice, or DirecTV Stream Premier.

How to watch Cartoon Network on an Amazon Fire TV?

Cartoon Network can be accessed on an Amazon Fire TV device by subscribing to Sling Orange, Sling Blue, DirecTV Stream, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, or DirecTV Stream Premier.

How to watch Cartoon Network on an Apple TV device?

The streaming services that include Cartoon Network and are available on Apple TV are Sling Orange, Sling Blue, DirecTV Stream, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, Spectrum TV Choice, and DirecTV Stream Premier.

How to watch Cartoon Network on a computer?

On a web browser head to the websites of Sling Orange, Sling Blue, DirecTV Stream, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, Spectrum TV Choice, or DirecTV Stream Premier to start watching Cartoon Network.

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How to watch Cartoon Network on iOS (iPhone or iPad)?

You can watch Cartoon Network on an iPhone or iPad by subscribing to Sling Orange, Sling Blue, DirecTV Stream, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, Spectrum TV Choice, or DirecTV Stream Premier.

How to watch Cartoon Network on an Android phone?

You can watch Cartoon Network on an Android device such as Samsung or Google Pixel by subscribing to Sling Orange, Sling Blue, DirecTV Stream, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, Spectrum TV Choice, or DirecTV Stream Premier.

How to watch Cartoon Network on an Android TV?

You can watch Cartoon Network on a Smart TV that runs on Android by getting a subscription to Sling Orange, Sling Blue, DirecTV Stream, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, Spectrum TV Choice, or DirecTV Stream Premier.

How to watch Cartoon Network on an Xbox?

You can watch Cartoon Network on an Xbox console through Sling Orange, Sling Blue, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, or Spectrum TV Choice.

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How to pay for a Cartoon Network subscription with Paypal?

The services that accept Paypal and carry Cartoon Network are: Sling Orange, Sling Blue, DirecTV Stream, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, Spectrum TV Stream, Spectrum TV Choice, and DirecTV Stream Premier.

How to pay for a Cartoon Network subscription with Apple Pay?

The services that accept Paypal and carry Cartoon Network are: Sling Orange, and Sling Blue.

How to pay for a Cartoon Network subscription with Google Pay?

The services that accept Paypal and carry Cartoon Network are: Sling Orange, Sling Blue, and YouTube TV.