By Alejandro MedellinOur Top Live TV Streaming Service Picks
*Last updated 4/12/24
While many of us cord-cutters have decided to cut cable from our lives, we still need live TV to watch sports or network shows in real time. Live TV streaming services fill that gap, providing all the benefits of cable without any of the headaches. A majority of these services allow you to sign up and cancel at any time. You also don't need special equipment — any smart TV or streaming box will do. While traditional streamers like Netflix and Hulu have thousands of hours of on-demand content, certain live TV streaming services don't. Most, however, have DVR storage, allowing you to record your favorite shows to watch whenever you want.
Although the number of live TV streaming services doesn’t stack up to on-demand streaming services, navigating all the options can be tricky. That’s why we've picked the best of the best, so you can spend more time watching.
The Best Live TV Streaming Services in 2024
Best for Live TV Streaming Quality
Overview
Price Range: $75.99 – $89.99 per month
Simultaneous Device Streams: 2
Free Trial: None
Pros
- Unlimited DVR included
- Access to original and licensed content on Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+
- Upgrade to ad-free plan available
- Premium add-ons such as NFL RedZone
Cons
- Pricer than most competitors
- Only two simultaneous streams
No matter how you look at it, Hulu + Live TV is the best of the bunch. Not only do you have access to over 90 live channels right at your fingertips, but you can bundle with Disney+ and ESPN+. In other words, on top of watching live TV, you can browse through the on-demand libraries on Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+. Whether you want to watch the best FX has to offer on Hulu, catch up on Star Wars shows on Disney+, or watch your favorite team play on ESPN+, you can do it all under one subscription. What's more, you can add premium services like Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, unlimited screens, and channel bundles.
2. DIRECTV
Best for Live Regional Sports
Overview
Price Range: $84.99 – $190.98 per month
Simultaneous Device Streams: 2-3
Free Trial: 5 days
Pros
- Over 30 regional sports networks
- 4K streaming quality for live sports
- Unlimited simultaneous DVR
- Unlimited devices at home
Cons
- Pricy packages
- Slow loading times
DIRECTV is made for avid sports fans. You don’t need to install a dish on your rooftop like in the old days. Instead, you just need internet service to watch your favorite live TV programming. Across its various packages, DIRECTV bundles different sports channels, with the most expensive one offering over 140 channels. The cheapest bundle is more expensive — or as expensive — as other live streaming services, but the sheer amount of sports channels is unmatched.
3. fuboTV
Best for Spanish Programming
Overview
Price Range: $32.99 – $99.99 per month
Simultaneous Device Streams: Up to 10 screens
Free Trial: 7 days
Pros
- Access to most major sports leagues, like NFL, NBA, and MLB
- Up to 10 simultaneous streams at home
- Separate plan for Spanish-language programming
- Access to most major soccer leagues and tournaments
Cons
- Limited DVR
- 4K not included in cheapest plan
fuboTV is home to soccer fans. With access to the Premier League, Champions League, Ligue 1, Liga MX, MLS, and others, you'll never be without a soccer game — or any sports game, for that matter — to watch. The Latino plan includes many of the soccer channels you need (soccer is better in Spanish, after all), plus other Spanish-language programming. While DVR storage isn’t unlimited, fuboTV is generous with simultaneous streams. If you aren’t convinced, fuboTV offers a seven-day free trial.
4. Sling TV
Best for Simple Live TV Packages
Overview
Price Range: $40 – $45 per month
Simultaneous Device Streams: 1-4
Free Trial: None
Pros
- Affordable and customizable plans
- Straightforward plans
- Local networks
Cons
- Local networks available only in select markets
- Limited DVR storage
Sling TV doesn't offer the most channels, but it does offer plans with a curated selection of channels. If there’s one thing you can count on with Sling TV, it’s that its plans don’t change frequently. You’re presented with the same plans with some overlap if you choose to bundle both. Sling TV is a sweet middle ground if you don’t want extensive packages with expensive pricing or cheap plans with hardly any essential features. If you just want access to essential channels, this is the service for you.
5. Philo
Best for Those on a Budget
Overview
Price Range: $25 per month
Simultaneous Device Streams: 3
Free Trial: 7 days
Pros
- Most affordable live TV streaming service
- Over 70 live channels
- Free unlimited DVR storage for 12 months
- Additional free channels included
Cons
- Live sports channels are almost nonexistent
- No major networks: ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX
For those on a budget who don't care much about watching live sports, Philo is the ideal option. At only $25 per month (this hasn’t changed for years), the service offers the best deal in the industry, with a selection of over 70 live channels and more than 70,000 on-demand titles. New subscribers also get 12 months of free unlimited DVR storage. The downside is the gaps in content available. There are no networks on the service, so you'll need to find another way to watch local sports, your favorite sitcoms, or police procedurals. The other ding against this service is the lack of sports channels, with the only live sports channel being beIN Sports Xtra.
6. YouTube TV
Best for NFL Sports Fans
Overview
Price Range: $34.99 – $72.99 per month
Simultaneous Device Streams: 3
Free Trial: 7 days
Pros
- NFL Sunday Ticket
- Robust channel lineup
- Unlimited DVR
- User-friendly interface on all devices
Cons
- Can’t bundle with YouTube Premium
- 4K streaming quality costs extra
YouTube TV keeps it simple and customizable for the user with a ton of add-ons. Whether you want access to premium channels, Spanish-language channels, or sports channels, you can customize your plan. Putting all 4K streaming behind a paywall isn’t great, but it's nice to have the option at least. The crown jewel of YouTube TV, however, is the NFL Sunday Ticket. With the base plan and a subscription to the NFL Sunday Ticket, you can watch every out-of-market NFL game — meaning NFL games not in your regional market. If you want to catch all the action on the gridiron any given Sunday, YouTube TV makes it possible.
Live TV Streaming Service Comparison
Need a top-down view of the best live TV streaming services? Check out the chart below.
| Service | Price range | Simultaneous streams | Channels** | Major networks | Free trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hulu + Live TV | $75.99 – $89.99 per month | 2 | 95+ | Yes | None |
| DIRECTV | $84.99 – $190.98 per month | 2-3 | 140+ | Yes | 5 days |
| fuboTV | $32.99 – $99.99 per month | Up to 10 | 250+ | Yes | 7 days |
| Sling TV | $40 – $45 per month | 1-4 | 40+ | No | No |
| Philo | $25 per month | 3 | 70+ | No | 7 days |
| YouTube TV | $34.99 – $72.99 per month | 3 | 100+ | Yes | 7 days |
* Last updated 3/19/24
** Channel availability varies by plan and region.
Live TV Streaming Service Honorable Mentions
While on-demand streamers’ bread and butter is original and licensed content, some do provide access to live TV streaming. For example, Peacock and Paramount+ offer live TV, allowing viewers to watch local NBC and CBS channels live, respectively.
When it comes to sports, Amazon Prime Video exclusively airs Thursday Night Football live, Apple TV airs MLS games through the MLS season pass, and F1 TV airs live Formula 1 races.
Our Review Process
In order to provide a definitive guide on the best live TV streaming services, our team spent over 100 hours testing out these services. The CordCutting.com team has also spent countless hours watching, critiquing, and writing about the best TV series and films to offer readers insight into what is worth watching. The top live TV streaming services chosen above were ordered based on price, channel availability, included features, free trials, and simultaneous streams.
For reviews on the live TV streaming services mentioned, watch our videos.
Frequently Asked Questions About Live TV Streaming Services
What is the cheapest way to watch live TV?
The cheapest way to watch live TV is to use an over-the-air antenna. However, channel availability and stability will vary depending on your location, and you'll have access to local channels only. Among the live TV streaming services available, the most affordable is Philo, which costs $25 per month for access to over 70 channels.
Is live streaming better than cable?
Yes, because you can cancel a live TV streaming service at any time through an app or online portal — no customer service representatives to give you the runaround. You also don't have to pay a monthly fee for a box or remote. Live TV streaming services work on most internet-connected devices.
What are the disadvantages of streaming TV?
Because live TV streaming services rely on the internet, you won't be able to watch it if the internet goes out. You might also run into a situation in which a certain service has networks that another one doesn’t, leaving you with a hard decision if you need these networks but can’t afford more than one live TV streaming service.
Is there a way to stream live TV for free?
You can stream live TV for free on services such as Plex, Roku, and Sling Freestream, though the channel selection may be very limited.
What is the best live TV streaming service for sports?
The best live TV streaming service for sports is Hulu + Live TV since it offers live sports channels in addition to ESPN+ access, where you can watch exclusive games available only to live TV subscribers. YouTube TV is the best for watching NFL games, while fuboTV is recommended for soccer fans.
I tried them all and they all have problems. It’s not quite there yet but will be once they do the hardware and app upgrades. Google/YouTube has the potential to take over once they get the channel lineups like cable. One thing is for sure, the picture quality is true HD and you don’t have to pay $200 a month for upscaled crappy video.
I have had Direct TV NOW. Canceled it after a few months. Had Spectrum streaming, and their cable. Charged more for streaming local channels. Cable TV was charging me $120 for TV alone plus internet and phone also increased in price. Canceled both of those too. I’ve had Hulu twice. Still have it. Like all the features except I don’t like fact that programs in my stuff can’t be removed or deleted. These are TV series that have ended. Also when you record a program, watch it and then delete it. That should be the end of it. (Right ). No, every time It comes on again, it records again. It’s ridiculous. But I do get local channels and even Fox News channel. Talk about your good and bad. And it wii record stuff you didn’t want. Again ridiculous.
I had that problem in Hulu too – then found out that apparently I had just 1 episode of the show saved so it kept showing up in my saved list. Go into the saved and see if you can find that episode, then delete that episode and it should go away.
Couldn’t give a review without injecting a little of your politics? As if that has anything to do with a streaming service! 🙄
Where is the politics? Because he mentioned FoxNews? Check your sensitivity meter
Ooh fah!
You know how they hate the truth…
😩
It seems as if with sling and philo you have to have both cause you want what the other do not offer but then I looked up fubo tv and it has all I want but extreemly little for my twins eaither way unless you have two companies no one is happy So with that in mind I need to get somthing I am satisfied with and get somthing else for the kids but it still cheaper then my cable provider and with it all if you dont have an smart tv what good is any of it so for those who need an roku stick that is an one time buy then you have your sign up and to make it worse companies grow so they are all fighting for bragging rights
Pricing information is outdated. Also sling now offers fox news channel.
Very good. The U-100 plan of U-Verse doesn’t carry the Fox News Channel.
2024 and it’s still outdated
We offer this, but not that, and the buffering……buffering. Internet television services have a ways to go before they can really compete with satellite and cable. I have tried them all Fubo has been on for 5 months but no ABC ESPN /Fox sports north.
hopefully someone will offer all at a reasonable price and better technology soon.
I have been impressed with Fubo with several exceptions. No ABC and Pricing. While they offer 100+ channels for the price, many people aren’t interested in most of them. With the exception of not being able to get a financial (CNBC, Bloomberg) and local channels. Philo provides many popular channels at 1/3 the cost. Local channels can be gotten with Locast for $5 and if not, with an HD antenna. I would prefer Fubo if they offered less unwanted channels or limited sports for around $30-35. I’d jump on it
The commercials on Philo are driving me crazy though. They’ve finally gotten their grid (at the very beginning, it was a hunt and find thing) and the recording option is great. But now the majority of their channels/shows are VOD instead of DVR. That means I’m forced to watch commercials (VOD) or hunt for just the shows or episodes that are listed as DVR so I can skip the commercials. I’ll watch 3 to 5 minutes of the show (if I’m lucky) then watch 5 minutes of commercials. Does any of the streaming services have true commercial-free packages?
Hulu advertises commercial free tv. I don’t pay for it since it’s more expensive. I Use Hulu’s DVR for everything I watch weekly. Other than that, I watch non-live tv on Hulu and Netflix mostly
Thanks for the heads up. I won’t watch commercials, period. Scratch Philo.
Although I don’t have either currently (although I am accessing through my sister’s account, until she can set-up for me to drop, xfinity cable, again, the former), I’m surprising not mentioned was pairing YouTube tv live (which is supposed soon get the Viacom/CBS network channels, plus I suspect more of the Discovery channels; and yes I do believe YouTube tv live has the superior video picture quality and the best buffering quality) with the skinny bundle: frndlyTV that has the Hallmark Network of channels, UPtv, CuriosityStream (@ no extra cost), PiXL (also @ no extra cost) and nine other family friendly channels for only $5.99/mo. To me that pairing would probably the best in pricing available for what you get, and what we will probably soon get.
I am looking for a streaming service that has ME TV, Antenna TV, HGTV, Food Network plus the 3 network channels. I haven’t come across it yet. Anyone know of one?
What does it mean when a price is given$ then the number of channels you will get. Then a price per channel exp .80 per. Do you pay the price exp $39.99 then .80 cent per say 50 channels. That is high
Your live streaming channel comparison is so badly out of date, it is useless. Just using Fubo as an example, they carry a great number of the channels which you claim they don’t, and even more if you upgrade to the Elite package.
I am looking for a cord cutting service and have been researching. What I have found is the big corporations that own all the content will not allow for a true cord cutting service. The streaming live tv landscape is looking just like regular old cable tv. The price is also in the same ballpark. Since the big corps own several networks, example like Disney which owns abc espn, fx, and A&E networks it is near impossible to have an ala cart service. Having the ability to pick and choose what channels we want for a base price is what’s really needed, not the same old take this 120 channel package to get the 10-15 channels you will actually watch. Along with it comes terrible customer service and outdated user interfaces (Spectrum). Corporations are buying all the content like Amazon buying MGM portfolio is the big problem here. A handful of big corporations who own 75%+ of the all the networks will never allow the consumer to choose and pay for the channels they actually watch. Cable model is here to stay whether its a streaming service or the traditional cable model.
Agree on not being able to have true channel selection. One would think that is an indication, dare I say, of a MONOPOLY. Gasp… how can that be? We should be able to have what we want and not be blackmailed to purchase items we don’t. Apparently that is perfectly fine to the FCC…
Update to the chart – Fubo recently dropped A&E, History, Lifetime, FYI, Vice, Lifetime Movies from its lineup.
You get what you pay for. Too many key channels missing in the Fubo/YouTube TV/Hulu arena for now. Directv Stream has all of them and I’m paying less than I did with Directv Satellite or Comcast. It has its hiccups like all services, but the review here at 3.5 stars is light. There is some comfort knowing you RSN (NESN in my case), network TV channel or, say ABC, will be on when you turn your TV on vs. the others services that seem like there is a carriage dispute every 6 months. And that may be fine for some. But if I want to watch the Rookie on ABC or the Boston Bruins on NESN, I know I’m going to get them. The review says it feels like cable or satellite. That’s not necessarily bad. Last channel buttons etc. beat the heck over jumping in and out of apps.
I need ATT SportsNet. Hulu doesn’t have it. Where else can I get it? Fubo, I think. Not YouTube TV. Any place else?