CBS is one of the “Big Three” cable networks that has had impressive longevity and ratings, along with NBC and ABC. One of the oldest icons of American media, CBS has offered news, sitcoms, reality TV, and drama series for decades. From its first cable broadcast in the 1940s to pioneering color television in the ’50s, CBS is an American favorite that remains one of the most-watched networks on TV today.
You wouldn’t want to miss shows like “Blue Bloods” and “Survivor” after you’ve cut the cord, and the good news is that you don’t have to! CBS is available on several skinny bundle streaming services, making it easy to access outside of traditional cable. Antenna viewers will be happy to hear that CBS is also broadcast for free over the air in many areas. Let’s look at all of the options to watch CBS without a cable subscription.
How to Watch CBS Online Without Cable
CBS offers informative, fun, and highly entertaining programming, whether you’re a rerun junkie looking for “I Love Lucy” and “M*A*S*H*” or want neutral and reliable updates from “CBS Evening News.”. Luckily, cord-cutters can still watch their favorite shows such as “How I Met Your Mother” and “Criminal Minds” without a cable subscription.
It’s important to note that CBS coverage varies by region, and unfortunately, not every local CBS affiliate is on board with every streaming service. That means that those in restricted regions may not see CBS as a channel option on their chosen platform.
The first way to watch is through skinny bundle streaming services like Hulu + Live TV or fuboTV, both of which offer CBS as a channel option. These services give you the best of both worlds between an on-demand streaming library and a cable TV experience. Subscribers can access the streaming library and choose from a list of cable TV channels to add to their subscriptions. This is cheaper and leaner than cable, and you still get to watch all the programs you love.
CBS is broadcast from local TV towers across the country, which means you can also watch with a quality TV antenna. Availability and clarity can vary depending on your region. Check out our guides on how to set up free over-the-air TV and choose an HD TV antenna.
Here is the full list of every way to watch CBS without cable:
Can I Watch CBS on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, or Chromecast?
If you’re watching CBS on a skinny bundle streaming service, you have the added advantage of being able to use your favorite streaming device to watch on any screen. Just pair your chosen streaming service to a device like Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Chromecast, iOS/Android, or your web browser. You won't have this option if you access CBS via free over-the-air TV.
More to Love for CBS Fans
When you’re not watching CBS, you may want to check out the other networks in the “Big Three.” These channels are the most popular on TV and offer a wide range of programming for mixed audiences.
Like CBS, ABC offers diverse programming, from “ABC World News Tonight” to popular TV shows like “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Bachelor in Paradise.” ABC attracts a slightly younger audience than CBS, so it's great if you love CBS but are looking for fresh and fun content. Check out our guide to watch ABC without a cable subscription.
NBC is another great source of daily news, offering prime-time news segments in the morning and evening. They also have beloved shows like “Friends,” “Parks and Recreation,” and “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” Check out our guide to watch “NBC Nightly News” without cable.
Ok I am completely confused. I used to get CBS TV shows over the air. Recently, the local TV station did something and I was told to rescan. That did not work. I cannot change the direction of the antenna in the attic, I am too old to get back up there. I have internet and a decent monitor and a “smart tv” and I have subscribe to Netflix. I don’t think I can put an app on the TV. So I will watch my morning CBS news and Survivor on my computer. My question. What is the least costly way to do this. Please, please make it simple.
CBS is free however is the hardest free channel to get. I get most clear but also if you have tree’s and know that there can be several antenna’s in different directions even Omi will not get them for they lie there not true 360 and when you buy another and another you could of get a year cable. HULU is live at 60+ for local free not worth paying for it, you might need to move the antenna like me 3 times and am tired of trying another one at a cost.
Whew! Faint gray font on white background is just too hard to see! Moving on to other cord cutting info sites…
Agree totally! Light fonts don’t help anyone. Now if TV shows would stop playing music over the dialogue I might be tempted to watch TV again.
CBS has disappeared from OTA channel in at least four different antenna setups I have, I rent mobile homes. It’s local channel 10 in the Tampa market. Can you get an explanation? Cannot find any information on the web about it.
Ya’ll suck. I can download NBC and ABC apps and watch their shows for free a week after broad cast. I am disabled and can no longer afford paying to watch TV and I can’t get reception even with an antenna. I would never watch you again, even if I could afford it.
I’m not paying for free TV and if CBS took their stuff off free antenna TV then they don’t deserve for anybody to watch them
This sucks, because I used to get Paramount TV Free. Now I can’t get CBS sports unless I pay another charge. Direct TV always wants to try and charge me for every channel that I would like to watch. What a freaking drag.
This sucks, because I used to get Paramount TV Free. Now I can’t get CBS sports unless I pay another charge. Direct TV always wants to try and charge me for every channel that I would like to watch. What a freaking drag.
I long for the days of getting free TV on my 13” B+W. We had a hanger for an antenna, and a pliers to change the channel, but I didn’t have to pay, or remember a password, or be on hold for an hour with a cable company to figure out how an app works. I like the new show The Unicorn, I watched Season 1 on Netflix. Now I won’t be able to see season 2. Annoying.
We haven’t had CBS in Boston over the air in a couple of years. They claim it’s channel 10, which doesn’t exist. Too bad. I’d like to watch the Olympics, but they’re on CBS.
woops. I should never write while I’m still asleep.
I wrote about CBS when I meant NBC, which we haven’t had in Boston in a couple of years.
Sling is garbage, you do not get access to local channels, which they advertise that you do.
Here is a great secret! Buy an OMNI DIRECTION FM antenna on line for about $25.00. It picks up ALL TV signals with out having to move the antenna. About 20″ diameter & easy to install.
Guess what? The Tampa affiliate still will black out content. Right now, CBS is showing one football game, and the free local the air CBS is blocking that out and showing a breast cancer special. WHY?
This article does not address the ways local CBS tower providers STILL block and black out what should be the natioal live free OTA content.
OTA antenna do not work in my area. I am too far from the tower. Is there any way to watch CBS and local channels free?. I live in Lake Elsinore, CA.
I want to cut the cord, picked up a Roku, but in oder to watch cbs NCIS live I got to sign into a cable providers, why have Roku if I got to have cable to watch. Plus I live in a mobile home what kind of antenna do I need to watch free tv.
The irony is that the major networks were all free (with commercials) and accessible to anyone with an Antennae. The further away you lived, the bigger or higher your antennae had to be. Then came along Cable TV that gave you the same without the commercials or the antennae. No commercials was the clincher to subscribe to Cable TV. Once cable got their hooks into everyone, the commericals started to slowly appear again. Later, we were paying for commerical free cable but with commercials. By that time, everyone was hooked on Cable since it gave a clear reception without the free air wave snow. Now we are all dependant on Cable or Streaming. The free antennae connection for major networks has become a thing of the past and no one in todays world has the understanding of how to reconnect “Old School”. Even most Deed Restricted Neighborhoods do not allow an antennae visible from the street view which keeps most people from getting good enough reception. It seems free TV is a thing of the past.
I cut the cable years ago. I hooked up a LEAF antenna indoors from Walmart that I paid around $40 for and I got about 20 network stations aka local broadcast tv and close by. The best part is the picture is far superior to that with the cable. You switch your tv input to antenna and auto tune the channels every now and then. Switch to HDMI for streaming netflix, Hulu and Amazon etc. I have a Roku on one tv and a fire stick on another. I finally bought a smart tv and that one is set up to switch between live tv and whatever app I want to use. You will get CBS if there is a local affiliate or one not too far.
CBS is not viewer friendly. I can watch the CW online without paying for a streaming service. Sure, there are commercials, but not as many as if I was watching the CW over broadcast TV. I should be able to do the same with CBS but I can’t.
CBS sucks I pay for it, and it works rarely if I upgrade they tell me it will work better i think they are a lousy rip-off company I hope all these greedy stations implode