Never miss the latest breaking story with CNN, including news commentary and investigative reports in the fields of business, culture and much more.
Here is the full list of how to watch CNN without cable:
The cheapest option to watch CNN live is Max for $9.99/month.
Below, we list their prices, channel line-ups, and trial offerings to help you choose the best one for your needs.
As Sling’s most bare-bones live TV package, Sling TV Orange still provides a pretty sweet deal. For $45.99 a month you get more than 30 channels, 50 hours of DVR storage, and the option to customize your channel lineup with “Extras,” additional channel packages catered to your specific interests.
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
DirecTV Stream MySports is a new sports-only package currently available in 122 markets around the US. You can find out if you're city is included here. MySports with the essential sports channels including like ESPN, Fox Sports, 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 locally-aired matches. 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. Sure, DirecTV Stream has a sports add-on, but if you don't want to bother with entertainment and lifestyle channels or a hefty bill, this is for you.
Price: $69.99/month
Free Trial: 5 days
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Google TV, Hisense, iOS, LG TV, Samsung Smart TV, TiVo, Vizio
DirecTV Stream differentiates itself from other cable-streaming hybrids like Hulu + Live and Sling in two key ways: it carries more regional sports networks than any other streaming service, and it has unlimited hours of Cloud DVR storage. You also have the choice to receive the DirecTV Stream device (called Gemini Air), or continue using your own.
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, CNBC, 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
Hulu with Live TV ties up its subscribers’ streaming needs in one tidy bow. You get access to all the movies and shows in Hulu’s library, plus over 75 local, regional, and national live channels for $83 a month. Since several other streamers offer add-on premium content packages for a fee, with this plan you cut out the middleman and have everything under one roof.
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, CNBC, 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
Formerly HBO Max, Max is a subscription-based on-demand platform that is only available in the US. New subscribers can choose from three monthly tiers ranging from $9.99 (with ads) to $16.99 (no ads) to $20.99 (no ads, plus more concurrent streams, downloads, and 4K streaming). An annual subscription option is also available. When you subscribe, you'll get HBO’s world-class exclusives, such as The Wire and Game of Thrones but Max also functions as a bundle: you'll get content from Discovery, DC, Criterion Collection, Looney Tunes, Studio Ghibli, Turner Classic Movies, and Crunchyroll. And as of September 2023, you will also get a live stream of CNN. It's not a direct 24/7 simulcast of the channel, but many segments of it are broadcast live. Most mobile devices that can stream video support Max, although there is yet no app for Amazon Fire TV and Roku devices.
Price: $9.99/month
Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Google TV Streamer, PlayStation, Roku, Samsung TV, Xbox
YouTube TV is the most extensive live TV streamer available today. 85 channels, multiple simultaneous streams, and unlimited DVR storage, all for $$83 a month. You don’t have to sacrifice live sports or local channels either, as is the case with some other live streamers. Basically, it’s cable without the hassle of cable.
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, CNBC, CNBC 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
If you’re a Spectrum internet customer, Spectrum offers a unique deal with its TV Choice package, now with ESPN back after the dispute has been resolved. You take your pick of 15 must-haves from a list of 65 channels, completely customizing your own mini live TV lineup. It’s around $53 a month with no cable box and no annual contract, so if you have very streamlined TV interests, it’s a cost-effective move. Most of the price goes to local channels, which it also comes with.
Price: Varies depending on your location and account history.
You can watch CNN with a free trial on:
The least expensive way to watch CNN is to get a subscription to Max for $9.99/month.
The streaming services on this page were chosen by our editors. If you choose to subscribe to a streaming service we recommend as a result of our research, analysis, and curation, our work is sometimes (but not always) supported by an affiliate commission from the streaming service when you make a purchase.