If you’re paying more than $100 a month for cable or satellite TV service, you may be able to cut that bill in half by switching to one of several popular live TV streaming plans.
YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV are three top picks to cut the cord right now.
However, depending on the list of channels and other features, AT&T TV Now, fuboTV or Philo may be worth considering for your household.
In this article, we’ll lay out all of the best live TV streaming options to help you make the right choice. Let’s get started!
Looking for a cable-like experience? YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV are the best bets. For $65 per month or less, they offer skinny bundles with news, sports and entertainment networks — plus local stations in many areas.
If you’re willing to give up popular live news and sports networks, Philo’s entertainment-focused plan is only $20 per month.
Price is only one factor to consider when choosing a live TV streaming service, but it’s an important one. Here’s a look at the cheapest plans available right now:
Live TV Streaming Plans | |
| Streaming TV Service | Starting Price |
| TVision | Vibe: $10/month Live: $40/month |
| Philo | $20/month |
| Best Budget Live TV Streaming Service | $30/month |
| AT&T TV Now (formerly DirecTV Now) | $55/month |
| fuboTV | $59.99/month |
| Best Cable TV Replacement | $64.99/month |
| Best Streaming Alternative to YouTube TV | $64.99/month |
Team Clark has tested all of the major live TV streaming services. Some of the key differences are price, channel lineup, DVR, supported devices and the ability to watch multiple streams at once.
The live TV streaming plans we’ve reviewed don’t have hidden fees, equipment rentals or long-term contracts.
When you sign up for any of the services featured in this guide, you can start streaming to your phone, computer or TV right away. There are just a few things you’ll need:
First-time streamer? Start with our step-by-step guide to cutting the cord!
Ready to lower your pay-TV bill once and for all? We’re going to review the pros and cons of the major live TV streaming services, beginning with YouTube TV.
YouTube TV Review Summary: For $65 a month, YouTube TV has the best overall channel lineup in streaming TV. Its 85+ channels include live sports, cable news and local stations. The channel lineup features sports networks like ESPN, FS1, FS2, BTN, NFL Network and SEC Network. YouTube TV offers unlimited DVR and allows up to three simultaneous streams. (Full review)
YouTube TV: Pros and Cons | |
| Pros | Cons |
| Great overall channel lineup | Monthly price increased from $50 to $65 in June 2020 |
| Lots of sports: ESPN, FS1, FS2, NFL Network, MLB Network, NBA TV and more | |
| Unlimited DVR | |
Hulu + Live TV Review Summary: Hulu with Live TV’s channel lineup offers a mix of sports, news, entertainment and local channels in many cities. The live TV service also provides access to Hulu’s entire on-demand streaming library for a base price of $64.99 per month. Cloud DVR is limited to 50 hours and you can stream two screens at a time, but there are options to upgrade both features. Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Google Chromecast are among Hulu + Live TV’s supported devices. (Full review)
Hulu + Live TV: Pros and Cons | |
| Pros | Cons |
| Good mix of sports, news and entertainment networks, plus local channels | Expensive add-ons |
| Hulu’s on-demand streaming library included | Must upgrade DVR to fast-forward through commercials |
| 50 hours of cloud DVR storage | Only two screens at once |
Sling TV Review Summary: Sling TV has two skinny bundles (Sling Orange and Sling Blue) that cost $30 per month each, but you can combine them and pay $45 a month. All subscribers now receive 10 hours of cloud DVR or you can pay $5/month for 50 hours. Sling Orange allows for only one stream at a time, while Sling Blue allows for three. Many streaming devices are supported. Local channels are limited when you sign up for Sling TV’s plans, so it’s best to have an antenna if you choose this service. (Full review)
Sling TV: Pros and Cons | |
| Pros | Cons |
| Packages start at $30 per month | Limited local channels |
| Lots of compatible devices | Only 10 hours of cloud DVR included |
| Affordable add-on channel options | Only one stream with Sling Orange |
AT&T TV Now Review Summary: AT&T TV Now’s cheapest plan (AT&T TV Now Plus) starts at $55 per month and includes fewer channels than its competitors. What makes AT&T TV Now different is that it includes HBO Max and Cinemax in its $80/month Max plan, which also features regional sports networks. With either plan, you get 500 hours of cloud DVR, and three simultaneous streams are allowed. (Full review)
AT&T TV Now: Pros and Cons | |
| Pros | Cons |
| HBO Max & Cinemax included in Max plan | Only 45+ channels offered for $55/month |
| 500 hours of cloud DVR | Must upgrade to $80/month plan for some regional sports networks |
fuboTV Review Summary: fuboTV is a live TV streaming service with lots of sports channels for soccer fans, plus a good mix of live news and entertainment programming. Its $59.99/month base plan includes 100+ channels, 30 hours of cloud DVR and the ability to watch on two screens at the same time. Some events are available for viewing in 4K. Disney-owned networks like ABC and ESPN were added in August 2020.
fuboTV: Pros and Cons | |
| Pros | Cons |
| Lots and lots of sports channels; ESPN finally added in August 2020 | Turner networks (CNN, TBS, TNT, etc.) removed in July 2020 |
| Good mix of live news and entertainment networks | Must upgrade to get more than 30 hours of cloud DVR |
| Up to 6 profiles per subscription | Only two streams at the same time; add more for an additional charge |
Philo Review Summary: If you don’t care about the major national sports networks, Philo has lots of entertainment for a very low price. There are 60+ channels in its $20/month plan: A&E, BET, Discovery, Hallmark Channel, HGTV, Nickelodeon, VH1 and more. Unlimited DVR and three simultaneous streams are included. Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV devices are supported, plus Google Chromecast as of July 2020. (Full review)
Philo: Pros and Cons | |
| Pros | Cons |
| Lots of entertainment networks for a very low price | No local or sports channels |
| Unlimited DVR included | |
| Three streams at a time allowed | |
TVision Review Summary: T-Mobile has launched three TVision Live streaming plans that focus on sports, cable news and local channels in many cities. Separately, it offers a Vibe plan for $10/month that has only entertainment networks. With the Live plans, 100 hours of cloud DVR is included and three streams are allowed. Roku devices are not supported. At launch, TVision is available to T-Mobile wireless customers. It will be open to everyone sometime in 2021. (Full review)
TVision: Pros and Cons | |
| Pros | Cons |
| Affordable plans from $10 to $60 per month | No CBS offered |
| 100 hours of cloud DVR with TVision Live plans | Roku not supported |
| Simple navigation | Eligibility requirement |
Still not sure which live TV streaming service to try? Call a family meeting and have everyone write down the channels that are most important to them, then decide together which service is the best fit by using our channel comparison chart.
Most of these streaming services offer free trials to allow you to test them out before breaking up with your existing provider.
And if you’re happy with your current cable or satellite service but not your monthly bill, it doesn’t hurt to give customer service a call and see if they’d be willing to work with you on the price.
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This post was last modified on December 18, 2020 3:23 pm
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