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There are many ways to get your news these days. You could turn to print journalism, or the never-ending news cycles of cable channels such as CNN and Fox News. You could check out online outlets — or even Facebook and YouTube, although you should be wary of the disinformation that proliferates on those platforms. But there’s a reason so many Americans still tune in to evening news programs on major networks: You know you can trust professional programs such as “NBC Nightly News With Lester Holt.” But here’s something you may not know: You can watch “NBC Nightly News” without cable. Below, we have the scoop on how to watch NBC’s “Nightly News” online or for free with an antenna.

Here are a few of our favorite ways to stream NBC Nightly News:

  Price Channels Free Trial  
$5.99 – $85.96 85+ 7 or 30 days

See Offer

$74.99 – $94.99 220+ 7 days

See Offer

$40 – $60 30+ – 130+ 3 days

See Offer

How to Watch ‘NBC Nightly News’ Online and Over the Air Without Cable

Many people assume you have to have a cable or satellite subscription to watch “NBC Nightly News With Lester Holt,” but it’s not true. And why should it be? When NBC’s nightly news program first aired in 1970, most Americans didn’t have cable and instead tuned in using TV antennas.

What has changed? An awful lot. After years of cable dominating our TVs, we can finally choose other options, such as streaming services. There are some very exciting services aiming to beat cable at its own game. Services such as Hulu + Live TV and fuboTV offer a very cable-like experience, but without the commitment, high prices, or cable box.

In other ways, though, not much has changed since the ’70s. Those over-the-air broadcasts are still around, and we’ll talk about watching “NBC Nightly News” free with an antenna later on.

Below, we’ll share our favorite ways to watch “NBC Nightly News” without cable, including skinny bundles and free over-the-air TV.

Stream NBC Nightly News on Hulu

Watch NBC Nightly News
Image of Hulu screen

If you subscribe to Hulu + Live TV, you’ll get all of Hulu’s on-demand content and a bunch of great live TV channels. Hulu + Live TV includes a live feed of NBC in most markets, which means you can stream “NBC Nightly News With Lester Holt.” Just make sure you get the right bundle. We love both of Hulu’s packages, but you’ll need the “+ Live TV” part to get the news broadcast livestream. Our Hulu + Live TV review can tell you more about the features that sold us on this service.

Stream NBC Nightly News on fuboTV

Watch NBC Nightly News
Image of fuboTV screen

Like all the great live TV streaming services, fuboTV offers a cable-like experience for less money. fuboTV keeps things on the cheap side by stashing some of the less popular channels in add-on bundles, which you can add or skip depending on your tastes. NBC is in the main bundle, though, so you won’t need any add-ons to watch “NBC Nightly News” in most markets.

Stream NBC Nightly News on Sling TV

Watch NBC Nightly News
Image of Sling screen

There are a few markets in which you can get NBC on Sling TV. If you live in one of them, then Sling is your key to watching “NBC Nightly News” without cable. Our Sling TV review has more details on what to expect when you sign up.

YouTube TV

Google is a big tech company, so it makes sense that they’re in the live TV streaming service market. Google’s product uses the branding from YouTube for its pay TV service, with lots of popular TV channels available to stream on many devices. Our YouTube TV review can tell you more.

Free Over-the-Air TV

Before cable, most people got TV for free over the air using an antenna. In many cases, those same broadcasters are still giving away free TV over the air! If you drive by your local news station, you’ll probably see a big broadcast tower. That tower sends out TV signals, including local news and other programming on the network the station is affiliated with, which makes it easy to watch “NBC Nightly News” for free without cable. Just grab an antenna, plug it into your TV (don’t forget to scan for channels), and start watching! The only trick is figuring out where the nearest NBC station is. We recommend using the FCC’s broadcast TV map for that. Your distance from the station will determine which antenna is best for you — or whether you can get NBC free over the air at all.

Peacock

It seems like every company has its own streaming service, and NBC’s parent company, NBCUniversal, is no exception. Peacock is the streaming source for all things NBCUniversal, including NBC sitcoms, Universal films, and all-new originals exclusive to Peacock. The service has two subscription options: Peacock Free and Peacock Premium. The premium version has more content and access to select live broadcasts, including sports and news broadcasts.

Can you use Peacock to watch “NBC Nightly News?” Sort of. The service has newscasts available to stream the same day they air on TV, but it does not include an NBC livestream and does not typically show “NBC Nightly News” live. You’ll need a little patience if you go with this option.

Can I Watch ‘NBC Nightly News’ on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, or Chromecast?

Your best bet for streaming “Nightly News” online is to use a streaming skinny bundle such as Hulu + Live TV or fuboTV. Does this mean you have to watch the news on your computer screen? Happily, no. You can watch these services on virtually any streaming device or smart TV, including Roku, Fire TV, and Chromecast. Check out the chart below for the scoop.

Roku Fire TV Apple TV Android TV Chromecast iOS Android Web/
browser
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

More to Watch for ‘NBC Nightly News’ Fans

“NBC Nightly News” is a compact 30-minute look at the day’s news, but it’s worth seeking out a cable news network if you want to go a little more in depth. We don’t recommend watching it 24 hours a day, but cable news has its place. Despite the name, you don’t need cable to watch cable news. You can get it through skinny bundles.

CNN is a good starting point if you’re interested in sampling a cable news network. Refer to How to Watch CNN Without Cable to get started.

6 thoughts on “How to Watch ‘NBC Nightly News’ Without Cable

  1. Anonymous says:

    Great,concise information.

  2. Elizshaw says:

    We have Amazon fire stick & YouTube Tv. We were able to watch NBC Nightly News in the past (it was even in our library), but now we only get back episodes. Has something changed? Do we have to livestream it?

  3. Sandi Beers says:

    We want to watch KNBCLA, channel 4 over the air TV for the TODAY Show and local news. We have Roku and when we scan the channels, 4 is not there. How can we watch this channel?

    1. Stephen Lovely says:

      Do you have an antenna attached to your Roku TV? Make sure that you have a strong enough antenna and that it’s positioned high enough to get decent reception. Hope this helps!

  4. Castle Phelps says:

    I use multiple ROKUs across several homes in different states which makes Hulu not a solution. I subscribe to Peacock Premium, Peacock, an NBC app on Roku And an NBC News app on Roku. I also have a Google Chromecast to cast from my iPhone 13Pro.
    What I can’t figure out is why can’t I watch The NBC Evening News with Lester Holt a few minutes after it airs on Live TV? I cant always be in front of my TV when it starts and all I can find is yesterday’s program. What is the problem, this should not be hard to do and I should not have to subscribe to an expensive service like Sling. Hulu only works in one zip code they call home.
    I’m Paying NBC directly / isn’t that enough?

  5. Chuck says:

    NBC Nightly News posts full broadcast replays on the official ‘NBC News’ YouTube channel around 11p EST.

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