Some things age well. That's why Turner Classic Movies, or TCM, is such a great channel: It recognizes the timeless classics of Hollywood's Golden Age. But, unfortunately, not everything ages well. Take your cable bill, for example. It made some sense back when cable was simply the only way to watch TCM, but that's just not true anymore — so why are you still paying top dollar? Paying for cable when there are better alternatives would be like watching a channel full of only the bad movies from the old days. It just doesn't make sense. You need to learn how to watch TCM without cable so that you can ditch outdated things while still holding onto the classics. Below, we'll lay out how to get a legal TCM livestream, so that you can watch your classic movies in the most modern (and cost-effective) way possible.
How to Watch TCM Online Without Cable
The key to getting a legal TCM livestream is to turn to a new type of pay-TV service: the live TV streaming service.
Live TV streaming services are sometimes called “skinny bundles” because they tend to pare down the bulky and overpriced bundles that cable and satellite push. Skinny bundles create leaner bundles that save subscribers money, while still delivering the best that network television has to offer. Fortunately, a few of the skinny bundles in the market have seen fit to keep TCM in their slimmer selection, which makes them the perfect way to watch TCM without cable.
Let's take a closer look at the live TV streaming services that include a TCM livestream in their bundles!
Here’s the complete list:
Can I Watch TCM on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, or Chromecast?
You can watch classic movies the old-fashioned way: on a TV. But why limit yourself to just that device? The great thing about today’s era of streaming is that you can watch classics like you’ll find on TCM in all sorts of highly modern ways. There’s a lot of device compatibility for anyone who wants to watch TCM without cable. You can watch TCM on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Chromecast, iOS and Android, and your web browser.
Popular Movies to Watch on TCM
Whether you're a cinephile or a newcomer to classic movies, we've put together a list of popular movies to watch on TCM:
- “Beer and Pretzels”
- “The Nanny”
- “My Favorite Wife”
- “Dark Passage”
- “The Body Snatcher”
More to Watch for TCM Movie Fans
It’s always fun to watch old-school movies starring big names like Bogart and Bacall. Yet it’s also good to remember that not every great actor has appeared exclusively in movies. There are plenty of stars who made just as much of an impression by appearing on TV sets once a week. What should you do if you want a few helpings of classic television to go along with your TCM?
Well, TV Land is one possible option. It lets you kick back and experience pieces of the past in easily digestible 30-minute increments. If you want to watch some of the greatest TV shows that have ever aired, read our guide to watching TV Land without cable and we’ll tell you exactly how to get started.
If I sign up for Roku, do I still need Sling?
Yes, Sling TV or some other live TV streaming service.
that’s sad, not paying so much for any of these
I am new to cord cutting, but TCM is a favorite. Although TCM continues to be listed on this site and others as being available on Sling TV, it is not. When you look at Sling’s official site, the TCM logo is no longer there.
Like Mustangman commented, TCM is available in Sling TV’s Hollywood Extra package.
There is a special five dollar add-on for classic movies. Another good station that you get is film detective. There are several other stations in the adf-on.
That add-on with Sling Orange or Sling Blue (each at $35 per month) for Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is now $6.00 per month. The add-on, one of seven with genre-specific channels, is called “Hollywood Extra” and will provide one with the following eight channels (10 channels for Sling Blue) that show films or a combination of films and television dramas:
REELZ
Heroes & Icons
Start TV
Grit
HDNet Movies
SundanceTV
Cinemoi
Turner Classic Movies (TCM)
FX Movie Channel [Sling Blue only]
FXX [Sling Blue only]
You need to have sling orang and blue then also buy pkg that has TCM. Cost is around 62.00 US per month
@MasillonMovieBuff. TCM is available in the Hollywood Extra package for an additional $5.00/mo from Sling TV.
If I switch to streaming TCM, will I receive the channel precisely as I received it on DirecTV, that is, with all the wonderful movie introductions and commentaries?
Yes, it’s the same channel.
I am interested only in TCM. How can I purchase that channel alone without having cable TV? I don’t want 6 channels of sports to get TCM.
Unfortunately, it’s not possible to purchase TCM alone currently. 🙁
There is a channel, FilmStruck, that has a large selection of TCM movies from every decade, including 30s, 40s, 50s, etc., that costs $10 a month. I’m running a free trial right now. It’s great to see all the classics again.
Thanks for the tip on Filmstruck. Trying it now and it looks pretty good.
I couldn’t get filmstruck on my roku
Alas, FilmStruck is gone now. But I wonder, Sharon, while it existed did FilmStruck provide commentary about the films and their lead actors/actresses and directors before and following the films it showed, as Turner Classic Movies (TCM) does?
Actually, TCM has become somewhat obnoxious to me with its Marxist-skewed commentary by presenter Ben Mankiewicz and his feminist and “gay” cohort, instead of just sticking to the basics about the films and their actors/actresses and directors, as previous longtime presenter Robert Osborne had.
I am also not especially interested in the increased amount of foreign language films TCM is now presenting, I prefer a channel with only classic Hollywood films and a separate channel for foreign and indie films. But I suppose since the Independent Film Channel (IFC) and SundanceTV (formerly Sundance Channel and affiliated with actor-director-producer Robert Redford’s Sundance Film Festival) no longer shows as many films as each did at their inceptions and that longtime competitor AMC (originally American Movie Classics) is now more a mix of films and originally-produced programming, TCM must be trying to fill the void in those respects.
But TCM remains the only film channel devoted to presenting classic films without commercial interruption nearly 24/7 (the exceptions its own original film-related programming). And so long as TCM continues to remain loyal to its basic original format, it will also remain the best of the non-broadcast TV film channels.
I concur with the woke programming modalities. I watch TCM to avoid d8versity indoctrination by the “united colors of Benington” commercial mandate. I don’t like to be force-fed anything, especially by narcissist elitists.
All the political woke leftist BS can be found in helpful uf you need some. I don’t. I suggest we Bring Back Better
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Agreed totally! I also just sent a complaint to TCM about their ridiculous music in between movies, and terrible graphics going up and down the screen. Did they actually PAY someone for that?!
Filmstruck was a partnership between TCM and Criterion but AT&T eliminated it with a plan to put TCM on demand on HBOMax. Not the same.
Some services like YouTube allow you to record TCM. Don’t want to hear the introductions? Speed through them. Personally I am happy for more informed and unusual intros than the pablum Osborne offered which was all researched and written for him (to his taste) by others.
Too bad.
Let’s get that changed! Warner Media owns TCM. If they can run HBO, they can figure a way to stream a solo TCM.
What can we do to get the wheels in motion?
They sadly don’t have a stand alone channel. Which sucks.
$39.99 a month for Hulu? $20-$40 a month for Sling TV? Seriously? TCM was practically the only reason I kept my cable subscription as long as I did. But as much as I love it, I’m not going to pay that kind of money for it. I’m already paying for Netflix and Amazon Prime. Another $20 or more would put me right back up there in the ballpark of what I was paying with cable TV.
I’m not going to be led around like an oxe with a ring in my following whatever packaging scheme the cable and stream companies are using to get me to buy garbage I have no interest in watching just to get the only channel I am interested in. People need to rebel against this chicanery.
We agree. We cut the cord several years ago. We have only one regret… we miss TCM. But we will NOT pay $33 + an add on of $8 (total $41) for a bundle that has only one channel we like (Grit and H&I are free over-the-air). I agree. If people weren’t so addicted to their football and baseball and hockeyball and tennisball and softball and golfball and bowlingball and basketball, we could have a true cable/satellite rebellion. Then the prices would plummet. Besides, people truly believe that just because they don’t watch a certain channel (say CNN), they aren’t supporting the channel. WRONG! As per their provider contract with networks, regardless whether one watches that junk or not, a portion of their monthly payment goes right into the pockets of the CNN bigshots. I am quite sure the same is true with Sling and Hulu. I’ll pass on TCM and stick to my free OTA channels and my $200 purchased DVR.
I’m with you
There is always FilmStruck, which is an on-demand service. You will see TCM promote it on air and their website. Call it part of the TCM family and the next best thing to not paying for TCM.
Is the back catalog available?
I really miss TCM, as a DAV living on a fixed income I could no longer afford DirecTV when my monthly bill jumped from $63.99 a month to $187.00 a month. The cheapest mid-level plan that offered TCM is $117.00 a month. I can’t afford that either. I haven’t been able to watch TCM for almost 2 years now and it’s the only channel I miss! It appears to me that the action’s of AT&T (and the other big cable companies) are to build a monopoly as they had in the day’s of Ma Bell. They appear to be approaching that objective, when they can prevent anyone other than themselves to subscribe to a service. Could we (the people) possibly file an anti-trust lawsuit against them and the producers of the product they are restricting access to?
Couldn’t agree with you more, Roy. Ditto to every word. Am looking right now for cheapest way to get TCM via my Roku, which I just started using now that I have Internet again (via Frontier for $30 a month + $10 a month for the modem, which I will likely replace). Am in 7-day free trial with Sling. Will cancel on Day 7 and try the other like services, one at a time. I watched Close Encounters last night on Pluto TV (a free channel). My goal is to get everything I want for $60 a month. We’ve been watching only free broadcast TV with an HD antenna for 3 months (before getting Internet from Frontier) for 3 months & really enjoy StartTV network and ion network. Will keep posting our results.
Maybe you have access to ‘Locast’.where you live. For a $5. donation ($5.50) with tax you get 30-40 channel.
Roy, I agree with you. We stopped DirecTV because we only watched TCM. We went to streaming with a Roku device. As the article says, Sling TV offers TCM as an add-on to its other channels. Monthly cost is around $30. You must have wireless internet service to use Roku, and a Roku device (quite affordable). You can also access PBS and other free channels on Roku. Hopefully using Roku would make TCM affordable for you.
Unfortunately Roku does not make TCM fordable in any way.
Yes you can file that lawsuit Roy. The courts are open for your complaints.
Hi all Filmstruck is no longer available. Shuts down Nov 29 2018. Just found out myself.
The streaming successor to TCM was Filmstruck, but now it’s SUPPOSEDLY the Criterion Channel. Trouble is it’s pretty much ALL arthouse stuff.
If you watch for the old nuggets (good AND bad), don’t waste your time.
TCM fan, got fire tv stick but when I go to TCM it keeps asking me to sign on to my cable account which is what I am trying to get away from. Any suggestions? Lost in the world of tech.
Thanks for reading! The TCM app will require you to prove that you pay for TCM in some way. But you don’t have to use cable — you could use one of the live TV streaming services we listed in this piece. There’s no free way to watch TCM, unfortunately, but the streaming options are cheaper than cable and offer free trials. Hope that helps!
It would be nice if TCM charged an affordable fee to stream live with a cable service.
How is $85/mth for Hulu a skinny bundle?
That’s about where I’m at with the dark Lord ATT/DirecTV
Comcast has taken away my TCM channel, my favorite channel and the one I watch most of the time. I tried talking to Comcast but it was impossible to understand most of what the speaker said. I think they were finally offering me a package with TCM and many other things, too expensive for me. I was perfectly satisfied with the package I had with the college football channels and the many movie and history channels. I have read your comments re how to watch TCM but none of them make any sense. It would be impossible for me to use any of the software you suggest. Why can’t I just simply order TCM permanently. Please help in a way I can understand.
My comment is above.
It really sucks I pay about $240 a month to Comcast for cable and internet, for years TCM was included with no additional subscription. As of today, I can no longer watch TCM, I get message that I need to subscribe to a “sports package” which will include TCM, huh , makes no sense. Rationale given is that 90% of Comcast cable subscribers watch 2 or fewer TCM movies a month and their cost of having TCM has doubled. I am in my seventies and the old movies are nostalgic to me and bring back memories. And more than 90% of channels provided are of no interest to me, why not let us choose which channels to save or drop?
My desire is to find a way to continue to watch Noir Alley on TCM via the internet without subscribing to a streaming service, $5 a month for would be ok. Or maybe someone can suggest another similar movie channel available over the internet?
Try Movies Network. They have film noir two days a week!
It’s a shame we have gotten to this point where these decent people are being gouged and fleeced and not given the service they want.
The the public choose and not be cramming unwanted channels and subscriptions and bundles they simply do not need or want.
It should be gainer the law what these companies are doing.
Like they say lets K.I.S. (Let’s keep it simple.)
It’s a shame we have gotten to this point where these decent people are being gouged and fleeced and not given the service they want.
The the public choose and not be cramming unwanted channels and subscriptions and bundles they simply do not need or want.
It should be gainer the law what these companies are doing.
Like they say lets K.I.S. (Let’s keep it simple.)
I concur with the woke programming modalities. I watch TCM to avoid d8versity indoctrination by the “united colors of Benington” commercial mandate. I don’t like to be force-fed anything, especially by narcissist elitists.
All the political woke leftist BS can be found in helpful uf you need some. I don’t. I suggest we Bring Back Better
45
This is an excellent article. Thank you. I wish the cheapest alternative was less than $30 per month, and I agree that a la carte streaming services can end up getting expensive fast. $30 per month is too much for TCM alone, but I think I will try out Sling and see if the whole package justifies the extra spend.
We just cut the cord after 15 years putting up with the flim-flam, shell games of DirectTV. Adjusting to streamed content is a bit of a change, but well worth it. We did have to update our ancient Verizon ( now Frontier ) FiOS internet service and router in order to get decent streaming bandwidth. That in itself was a frustrating experience. Cable TV providers – as nearly as I can tell all of them – are experts in “bait and switch” mumbo-jumbo, with opaque pricing algorithms, and they aren’t the least bit interested in customer satisfaction or loyalty. Long-term customers are treated like rubes or suckers in their business model. “Churn” ( constant customer turnover ) is both the expectation and the result of such an approach. ( Cell phone service providers are nearly as bad. ) Streaming is only a partial answer, but it’s a start toward putting the cable TV companies permanently out of business. Next, we need to find a way to put the internet providers under pressure.
At $15 per month rental for xfinity’s router, I’ve payed them $360 over the past 2 years for a device I can purchase for less than $200. Cut the cable (bundled with VOIP landline), bought my own router and upgraded to Hulu+live TV. Cut internet speed from 300 to 200 – now Comcast gets only $80/month.
Eliminated the per-month local and state cable TV taxes, the monthly router and X1 cable box rental fees. Major savings; quite happy presently.
No more yearly ‘bartering’ with Comcast for a temporary ’deal’ every year when it comes around to rate-raising season.
I, too, am super frustrated with Comcast / Xfinity as they pushed TMC out of the regular package we’ve had for YEARS into a required ALL SPORTS channel (except for TMC which they squeezed in) – forcing us to get the SPORTS package, which I have ZERO need or desire to view!
In our lively exchange with Comcast, they said they would and did give us 2 months for free but starting mid-December will be billed that extra $10? / month. My wife LOVES TMC and so we did it.
Then yesterday, November 27, 2019, I read an article saying Comcast is upping their prices on Dec. 15th along with increased prices for TV Broadcast fees, increased taxes, etc – so we would be paying about $15 more per month PLUS the extra $10/mo for TMC (Inside the required Sports package) – it’s crazy and now I’m committed to cord-cutting before my December 15 increases. Let the research begin!
Wonder how much revenue TCM could generate by offering a streaming subscription at about $7 a month… hint hint!
What really frustrates me is Comcast’s rationale that TCM was an “underperforming” channel, so they had to charge more for it. There are so many other “underperforming” channels that they could have bundled with the sports package, if that was truly their rationale. So many TCM fans are seniors, it borders on financial abuse of an elder for Comcast to extort extra cash from them in this way.
The main reason for moving it to a Sports Package was NOT that it was seldom being watched. Much to the contrary, I believe it was highly watched. Comcast had many people dump the sports package due to all the Taking a Knee and disrespect the players were showing. Comcast and their Sport Providers were losing huge sums of money.
So, they decide to restructure their sport package. It will continue if we the consumer allows this.
Best thing TCM could do is provide it independently. $5 a month. They aren’t too quick to do it because of contracts and the expense of having to purchase more servers to supply the streaming. Right now, they stream to other providers who are then responsible for streaming to the masses. Just my thoughts on this. No evidence.
I would love to see a provider that would allow people to pick each channel for $0.99 – $2.99 per channel with a minimum of $20.00 per month spent. They don’t currently because the channels that most people don’t watch would go off the air. The Government can’t have that, so they force it down the throats of the consumer. That way the channels that would only have a 1% or less market share can still get payed. The popular channels have to be packaged with them in order for them to survive. I never watch the Spanish or Gay channels, but we are forced to still contribute money to keep them going.
No offense people, but it is true.
We have been streaming over Roku and Apple TV for many years and don’t miss the noise of all the commercial junk messages. Occasionally, we’ll watch something on the Roku channel but quickly give it up as it punishes us with ever more messages that last longer and come more frequently. Our standby channels are Acorn, Amazon Prime, and Criterion (lot of old film and hard to come by film). We too miss TCM but another subscription to the likes of Hulu, or Sling just doesn’t make sense for us. Our internet costs plus 2 phone lines and streaming service comes to a little less than $100/month. So, to make up for the old film we can’t stream we purchase! Now we stream over our Apple TV or Vudu library for FREE! We didn’t watch everything offered by TCM anyway. Having our own film library is very satisfying and enjoyable. One can also purchase these films directly from TCM. But, we find the easiest and most convenient is to purchase through iTunes or Amazon so we can stream them. Sometimes, you can purchase a physical DVD that has a digital copy or code that entitles you to watch through Vudu. They also allow copying a physical dvd to their site for a small fee. Anyway, we stopped fighting the dark forces long ago and simply work around them.
I have collected DVDs of all my favorites over the years. I miss TCM terribly and often never moved the dial for months at a time. I have learned to get along without it, and use over the air FREE TV and stream on my internet only deal for $27 with the modem I bought! I got away with $16 a month for 5 years heheheheh. I enjoy TCM as a rare treat when traveling and it is ok!
Thanks to the US government which allowed the merger of Universal, NBC ( itself founded as practically a government sanctioned service back in the 1920’s), and Comcast ,turning it into the LARGEST MEDIA CONGLOMERATE in the USA, if not the world.
Cable TV which has been in existence since c. the early fifties was originally allowed to serve remote areas that could not receive a broadcast signal via antenna.
There was no need for cable services in metro areas, suburbs or generally most of the country.
Particularly on both coasts where broadcast signals are essentially seamless, there was never a need for any type of non-antenna service.
The advent of the UHF frequencies, also in the 1950’s was supposed to provide broader choices in programming by expanding the three network model that existed at that time.
Insamuch as one of the largest TV set makers,RCA, itself once the parent of NBC, and practically a government service itself ,did NOT have investment in UHF outlets, was able to persuade other manufacturers of sets to NOT include UHF capabilities in new SETS.
This was done largely by lobbying the FCC.
As many RCA CEOs had first been in high positions in the FCC, or upon leaving RCA, became appointed to high positions in the FCC, some would say that a very cozy relationship existed between one of the world’s largest electronics manufacturers and the U.S GOVERNMENT.
Such a relationship provided RCA/NBC the ability to dictate engineering standards in both radio and TV development including when or if Color TV would be introduced and by what means.
The FCC mandated that ALL sets made after 1964 include UHF capabilities, giving all receivers 81 channel reception.
All of this over the air WITHOUT the need for additional payments to content providers.
The FCC act, which all cable customers should be made cognizant of provides that if a broadcast service can be received VIA ANTENNA ,( “over the air”)
that service is to be provided FREE to the end receipient. Or, the viewer or listener in this case.
Theoretically, as ALL broadcast services transmit atmospherically, whether from an antenna tower or a satellite dish, one should be able to receive content without a third party provider.
In the early days of ” Satellite TV”, one could tune a set top box to a given frequency and receive content.
Somewhere along the way, the idea of third party providers( cable services)evolved to serve customers that did not have the ability to install the then large satellite dishes and related equipment.
Dish TV, Direct TV and others mimic the IDEA of having one’s own satellite dish by which program content is received.
But, unlike the original dish set ups, these services are sending a “third party feed” to subscribers of the respective services.
As in the case of WIRED cable, the customer receives ONLY what they contract to receive,as well, regardless of the total amount of available content.
In 2009, all TV broadcast signals were “digitized” ostensibly to increase available frequencies for other services.
At that point, the FCC basically mandated that a TV viewer had two choices :
One; That to continue to receive conventional broadcast services, a “digital converter box” would have to be purchased.
Or, Two, one could continue to PAY third party providers,either in ” dish” or “fiber optic” or “wired cable” formats for the right to continue to receive content MANDATED BY THE US GOVERNMENT to be available to ANYONE POSSESSING A TELEVISION AND ANTENNA-FREE OF
ALL CHARGE.
Does it seem something is wrong?
Is it possible the citizens of the United States have been now MADE TO PAY TO GOVERNMENT SANCTIONED CONGLOMERATES TO RECIEVE EVEN THE MOST BASIC PROGRAM CONTENT INCLUDING PUBLIC SERVICE AND EMERGENCY INFORMATION?
If you think the answer is YES, it is time to petition the FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION FOR AN ANSWER AND BEYOND THAT, THE ABILITY TO NOT BE UNDER CONTROL OF THIRD PARTY ENTITIES FOR THE FOR-PROFIT DISTRIBUTION OF RAFIO AND TV CONTENT.
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well if ur saying what ever happened to free tv. then dude I am with u.
I use a $13 antenna for free TV about 50 channels!
That’s awesome!
That is awesome. But out of those about 50 channels, are any of them The Turner Classic Movies channel ? I’ll bet your answer is a big sad NO. I’d cut the cord tomorrow if I could get TCM on an over the air antenna.
Most excellent info and history lesson, Sir Riverdale.
Much of what you explained is little known by most of us heathen. Sad to say, humans in the USA at this time seem more like sardines in our mindless acceptance of our fate to be devoured by the big predators ( Telcos, ISPs, & media conglomerates ).
Their overall mantra is, “promise them anything, but give them Appegge”.
But it is difficult to discern all the ways special deals are brokered by the goberment and big players. I appreciate many of the comments here by decent ordinary folks trying to find their way through the ratsmaze of ‘choices’ offered. Many companies in general have embraced obfuscation as the way to do business.
“If you can’t baffle them with brilliance, befuddle them with B’s.”
I pray for America.
Comcast is just looking for excuses to force viewers into things they want to charge extra for..
TCM is not underperforming; it is performing for all those who want to watch it. What is underperforming is the preponderance of thousands of sports channels. Nobody needs that many sports in their lives and if they do, they need to go back to elementary school and learn something besides how to play games.
So the comcast answer: Put it on sports package and force people who hate sports to select those channels in order to get tcm
Time to write TCM and demand a free streaming option!
It is unfair that Comcast moved TCM to a sports pkg. I have no interst to have a sport pkg to watch the popular TCM. Very unfair to seniors who love the movie channel . Take away the spanish channels first. I speak English. BRING BACK TCM TO BASIC CABLE PLEASE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Let’s go back to that conversation on TV- the monopoly. Wasn’t our “government” to watch out for monopolies in some 1930’s law that broke up Standard Oil & Automobile Assoc. ? The conglomerates of telecommunications are getting bigger & more greedy every day. They are not one company, But they have all the control & Together they can raise prices way past “it hurts”. Seniors on a fixed income have no say & get no pity from these Trump Giants. If you live in a city, You can fall back on antenna shows. But out in the county, I still can’t get a unpixilated channel with 40 foot of outside antenna with the biggest amp I can buy. So I’m stuck paying a hundred for locals & TCM & Hallmark for the 72 yr. old wife. Take that out of your Soc. Secur. check & see whats left for med., heat, & food. What can we do ? ? ?
Complain to the FCC!!!