How to Watch Local Channels on Android

Our mobile phones and tablets are powerful little streaming devices. There's a good chance that you've used your Android phone or tablet to view Netflix, or perhaps even live streaming video. But what about local channels — the local news and weather reports, live sporting events, and other local TV coverage that you don't want to live without? Well, as it turns out, you can watch local channels on Android, too. You don't need cable to stream local sports or news, and if you learn how to do so on your Android mobile device, you can always have the local content you need no matter where you are. Let us show you how to watch local channels on Android.

Here are a few of our favorite ways to stream local channels on Android:

	Price	Channels	Free Trial
#1	$5.99 – $85.96	68 – 88	7 or 30 days	See Offer
#2	$54.99 – $86.96	100+	7 days	See Offer

How to Watch Local Channels on Android

There are a few different methods that you can use to watch live local channels on Android devices. The first few we'll run through on our list below have some thing in common, though, so to save time we'll address that here.

Our list begins with a series of live TV streaming services, which are also sometimes called “skinny bundles.” The “skinny bundle” nickname comes from the tendency these services have to strip down the bulky channel bundles cable is known for and to instead offer slimmer, more affordable live TV packages. But that's not the only innovation these services are making: the most important thing is that live TV streaming services are delivered over the internet, which means they can be viewed anywhere and on all sorts of devices — including Android devices like the ones that Google makes.

The live TV streaming services on our list include live local feeds of major networks like NBC and FOX. They also often include regional sports networks. The trick is that these streams are not available in all markets, so you may have to do some checking on the services' websites (or just sign up for the free trial) to find out if you can use them to watch local channels on Android.

You've almost certainly already heard of Hulu, which also operates a popular on-demand streaming service. Hulu's live TV streaming service, creatively dubbed Hulu + Live TV, is a great way to get local channels on Android. Hulu + Live TV has major networks, regional sports networks, music channels, national sports channels, and so much more. We reviewed Hulu + Live TV here on Cordcutting.com, so you can read more of our thoughts here. You can also, of course, just sign up for the free trial, grab the Android app, and start watching local channels on Android. To sign up for that free trial offer, just click on the link in this section.

fuboTV began life as a soccer-focused streaming service, and its sports focus remains in the form of its strong selection of regional sports networks. Truly local TV is here, too, as well as lots of national network television channels. You can read our review of fuboTV to learn more, but don't take our word for it — click the link in this section to sign up for fuboTV's free trial and start watching local TV on Android devices.

AT& T TV Now

AT&T TV Now is a live TV streaming service that offers a wide range of channels, including local affiliates of major networks and some RSNs. That makes it a great way to watch local channels on Android mobile devices. You can read our review of DirecTV Now to learn more or can check it out for yourself by clicking on the link in this section and signing up for the service's free trial offer.

YouTube TV

YouTube has been a presence in the streaming market for ages, but YouTube TV is something different. This is a true live TV streaming “skinny bundle” service backed by Google. You'll get the live network TV that you'd expect from any quality skinny bundle, plus a selection of local and regional channels. You can watch it all on Android devices. As always, live local streams are available in select markets. You can read our YouTube TV review to learn more. You can also test-drive YouTube TV for free for a week by clicking on the link below and signing up for the service's free trial offer.

Free Over-the-Air TV (With Additional Hardware and Apps)

You can't plug an antenna into your Android phone or tablet — or, at least, you can't really do so easily, and it would be a kind of ridiculous thing to do. But you can turn live over-the-air TV into digital content, which you can then stream to your Android device, turning OTA content into a way to get local channels on Android.

One way to do this is to invest in an OTA DVR. These devices allow you to schedule recordings and to stream live and recorded content using the relevant OTA DVR app on your streaming device. In this case, you streaming device is your phone or tablet, and that means you can get live local channels on Android using an antenna and an OTA DVR. Tablo devices are among your excellent options.

You can also use the live TV and DVR features available through Plex, the popular media server app. Just attach an antenna to whatever device you're running your Plex server on (for instance, you could use a PC TV tuner to add an antenna to a computer running Plex), set it up within Plex, and watch local channels on Android using Plex's Android app.

CBS All Access

CBS All Access is a standalone streaming service from CBS. The content here is all CBS, all the time. There's a lot of on-demand stuff available here, but the part that's relevant to us right now is the live TV. In select markets, CBS fans can watch a live feed of their local CBS station. CBS All Access has an app for Android, so this is a perfectly good way to watch local channels on Android — or, that is, one local channel, at least.

NewsON

If local news is what you're craving, good news: you can watch news on live local channels on Android using NewsON, an app that's all about news. NewsON identifies your nearest participating station (not ever local news station is on NewsON, of course) and delivers live streaming and on-demand clips. You can also manually select a different local news station, meaning you can watch local channels on Android even when you're not local!