Whenever you're in the mood for something to learn, Discovery Channel is there with everything from “Shark Week” to “Naked and Afraid” — and you don't even need cable to watch it. We’ve unearthed everything you need to know about streaming Discovery Channel without cable or satellite below. Check out these cord-cutter friendly options of watching the Discovery Channel:
How to Watch Discovery Channel Online Without Cable
You can watch the Discovery Channel by investing in a skinny bundle. While similar to a cable package, two significant changes make skinny bundles appealing to cord-cutters:
- Skinny bundles stream “over the top” or through the internet. Some examples are Netflix and Hulu.
- Skinny bundles trim the fat from giant cable bundles and offer streamlined packages that cost far less than bulky pay-TV deals.
Skinny bundles offer numerous benefits, including avoiding costly cable services and access to shows and channels you want without the extra baggage. These packages are open doors to budget-friendly services for cord-cutters who still want to watch live TV. You can also stream on multiple devices, including phones and tablets, for when you're on the go.
Not every skinny bundle on the market includes Discovery Channel, so let's get more specific. These skinny bundles offer Discovery Channel options for streaming Discovery content on demand.
Philo is an excellent option for watching Discovery Channel online. Philo's channel lineup includes Discovery Channel, which isn't the only quality network in Philo's offerings. The big appeal of Philo is its pricing. Since Philo excludes expensive networks like sports and news, it gives viewers a cheap alternative to streaming live TV. In addition, Philo's free trial gives you a chance to test the services and see if it has the channels you want before subscribing. You can learn even more about Philo in our review of Philo.
Hulu + Live TV is Hulu's live streaming arm, and it includes a Discovery Channel live stream. On top of that, Hulu's on-demand service includes tons of Discovery Channel content: Hulu has the streaming rights to a bunch of popular Discovery Channel shows, including shows that are no longer on the air. Hulu has “Mythbusters,” “Deadliest Catch,” “Naked and Afraid,” and much more. And because Hulu offers “Shark Week” programming on demand, you can truly live every week like it's Shark Week. Hulu offers a free trial, too! Find out more about Hulu in our complete Hulu review.
Want to stream Discovery Channel live? Then you should consider fuboTV, a skinny bundle service with a lot to offer. Discovery Channel fans will discover their favorite channel in fuboTV's lineup of networks, and prospective customers can check out the service for free by taking advantage of fuboTV's free trial offer.
Sling TV is an ideal choice for streamers with distinctive taste. Its pricing system features add-on bundles called “Extras” that make it easy to add niche channels without having to upgrade to bloated, overpriced bundles. Sling TV subscribers start with a base bundle and can tack on affordable Extras from there. Building a bundle that includes Discovery Channel is easy. For more, read our Sling TV review
YouTube TV
Google's live TV streaming service is a great choice for those who enjoy user-friendly apps and want to watch Discovery Channel without cable. You can sign up for a free trial to see if YouTube TV fits your needs, or you can check out our YouTube TV review to learn more.
Discovery Plus
Discovery unveiled its own streaming channel in early 2021 called Discovery Plus. It gives you thousands of hours of programming from the Discovery Channel as well as other channels like HGTV and TLC (hence the “plus” in the name). It doesn’t include a livestream of the traditional Discovery Channel, but it’s still a good way to watch Discovery Channel programming online without cable.
Can I Watch Discovery Channel on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, or Chromecast?
There’s a lot to discover on the Discovery Channel, and you’ve got your pick of devices to use while you do. You can watch at home or on the go, so reference this chart to figure out all your options for streaming the Discovery Channel:
| Roku | Fire TV | Apple TV | Android TV | Chromecast | iOS | Android | Web browser | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philo | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hulu + Live TV | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| fuboTV | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sling TV | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| YouTube TV | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Discovery Plus | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Popular Shows to Stream on Discovery Channel
The Discovery Channel has exciting shows to either help you learn how to survive in the wild with nothing or that will keep you on the edge of your seat. True to its name, you’ll get the opportunity to discover something new while watching the Discovery Channel. Here are current fan favorites trending on the Discovery Channel:
- “Naked and Afraid”
- “Expedition Unknown”
- “Dirty Jobs”
- “Alaskan Bush People”
- “Homestead Rescue”
Other Channels Discovery Channel Fans Enjoy
Discovery Channel is just one channel in a whole slew of different imaginative and exciting channels in the Discovery portfolio of channels. Here are just a few of the different channels owned by Discovery where you can find high-quality programming, insightful documentaries, and knowledge on everything from food and houses to sharks and cars:
You cannot watch many “Go Channels” unless you pay for cable TV (or pay via Hulu, PlayStation, etc.). Go to discoverygo.com and click on “Watch Live” and you’ll be prompted to sign in through your cable provider.
You’re right. You can only watch a limited amount of on-demand content for free.
If you don’t transmit ABC, NBC, and CBS live programs, how do I get the programs?
Please see Rogue’s answer below.
Discovery GO does not work on U-verse unless you have a TV subscription. You should update the article to reflect this fact.
I agree with Austin. There appears to be several apps that you download and then when you go to watch programming it wants your cable provider. This does not support something you can get as a cord cutter unless I’m missing something. Please update the article for us newbies.
Hi Melody,
Discovery GO only offers a limited amount of on-demand content for free. It doesn’t offer a free Discovery Channel live stream, unfortunately.
I did a Google search to watch Shark Week 2019 for free. A list came up but they’re not free. Yes they offer free trials but then you have to still pay for it, so it’s not free! I am very low income and cannot afford to pay for anything like cable or the offers this site recommends. Extremely disappointing. I love shark week so much.
Someone wrote: “If you don’t transmit ABC, NBC, and CBS live programs, how do I get the programs?” You can get them live just by putting up a TV antenna and connecting it to a converter box or to most newer flat screen TVs. After connecting the antenna to the TV’s coax (antenna) input, go into the TV’s menu and have it do a channel search. Most channels you will get will be through the DTV (digital TV) part of the scan. I have a large outdoor antenna that pulls in over 40 channels and I live 60 miles from the city. If one lives in a town with transmission towers then an indoor or attic antenna will pull in many channels. The channels you pick up will be digital channels but you don’t need a so called digital antenna. Any TV antenna will pull them to a certain extent but the farther away you are from a transmitter the larger the antenna you need. You can even buy a OTA (over the air) DVR and record the programs for future viewing.
If you don’t mind waiting a week after a program airs on Discovery Channel you can often stream it from the programs website. But unfortunately, the best I can tell is that you can’t stream a Discovery show live unless you already subscribe to a network that airs the program live on TV such as DirecTV. Hope this is helpful to some.
Also, Locast.org is an android and roku (and maybe others) app that rebroadcasts local broadcast TV…I live in an area that doesn’t receive good transmission, so this discovery has been really cool.
Discovery GO does not work with DirecTV Now.
You’re right. While Discovery GO offers some clips and episodes for free, you can only unlock a Discovery Channel live stream, etc., with a cable subscription.
Why has Foxs News changed its name on Mobdro. ?
I watch it and it is still Fox News
If I unlock a channel’s streaming app on my Roku with my DirecTV credentials, then I quit DirecTV, will those apps keep working or will I be booted from them?
I’ve been thinking of cutting my cable TV and just keep the internet part with my current company Spectrum/Time Warner or get high speed through AT&T and then maybe use Sling or similar. We also have Roku now. There are several shows I would like to keep, the 3 local channels/networks ABC, NBC, CBS, and Discovery and History channels and CNN. Can I do all this with Sling and Roku? Thanks, John.
John, I have Sling and have an antenna for local such as NBC, ABC, CBS. You can get History and CNN, but not Discovery or any of its channels like TLC, etc. That’s why I’m here, trying to find how to get Discovery.
Thanks for the info on Philo… I’ve been using Sling TV for over a year now, and for the most part really love it, but I’ve missed having Discovery and the Science channel. To be able to access those for only $16/month? That’ll work.
It’s a bummer that no ONE streaming service has all the channels I want but it’s nice to know that combining a few services will fill in the missing channels. Still… between Sling TV, Philo, and probably fuboTV so I can get the MSG channels for my favorite hockey team this winter, I’m exceeding the cost of a DirecTV package, especially when they offer credits to keep a long-time customer on the hook. Hopefully in other year or 2, I can take my satellite dish down. 🙂
Many of the new content on Discovery are not available for Hulu. What sevice contains all new Discovery content on demand or live?
AT&T Now just announced their cheapest product will be $60 starting in December. Also, Live A Little is no longer a plan and the new ones have less for the same or more. Another good option ruined.
Nearly all channels [including discovery] are available without paying a lot of dollars {$ }or pounds {£ } for cable & other providers.Any of the leading tv streaming devices such as Roku or Amazon fire stick can give you live-stream & although youtube don’t do live stream many of it’s videos are fairly recent. Personally there’s more than enough in all category for me. If I’m seeing a wild-life video from Africa or a recorded movie on youtube for the first time, it is new to me it matters not, if someone has seen it before me & it’s not costing me the earth.
What does iOS stand for?
iOS is the operating system that iPhones use
Used to be you turn on the TV and watch your show. Now you need a college degree, digital TV, smart device, fast connection, and a willingness to keep upgrading as the content reduces and the prices rise as soon as you have been a customer for a while. Then the provider drops your favorite show and you need to find another connection, with associated requirements specific to that provider, fight with all the technology to get a good picture. Isn’t a little much just to watch the News? Please stop complicating everything. Complicating things is not progress.