What Is The Cheapest Live TV Streaming Service

Best Streaming Services In 2021

One of the biggest fears for anyone considering getting rid of their cable or satellite box is whether they will still be able to watch live TV. Yes, cutting the cord may mean paying a lower monthly bill, but many wanna-be streamers still like to watch things like news and sports as they are being broadcast. You know, like the good old days.

But canceling your cable service doesnt mean giving up watching live TV because there are a handful of services you can order to take the place of cableover the Internet. Dubbed live TV streaming services, these services are different from the monthly or yearly streaming TV service streaming sites, like Netflix, Hulu and Disney+. Live streaming services, like Sling TV and Hulu with Live TV, offer a more complete opportunity to cut those cords that bind you, while still giving you access to live local and national news and sports channelsfor a price. But there are also free live streaming options to plug some holes, like Pluto TV.

Heres what you need to know about the best alternative to cable, while still retaining the ability to watch TV. Here are the best live streaming TV services you can get right now and how they compare.

Best Live TV Streaming Service For Cord

Are you looking to cut cable but want to keep live sports, news and originals? YouTube TV, Hulu Plus Live TV and Sling TV could be services for you.

• $65 at FuboTV

At some point or another over the past few years, you’ve likely considered cutting the cable cord. Most of what you watch is on streamers anyway, and it could save you a decent chunk of change. But every time you think about it, there always seems to be that one show or channel stopping you from taking the plunge. Enter live TV streaming services. These give you access to the familiar channels you love, plus local and national news and live sports, from an inexpensive streaming device — no cable box or antenna required.

Not to be confused with on-demand platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video or HBO Max, live TV streaming services such as YouTube TV and Sling TV offer a live channel lineup. Packages start at $25 a month with no extra fees or contracts, which is a lot less than a cable subscription. You can stream live channels including CNN, NBC, ESPN and Fox on your smart TV, Android TV, Roku, Apple TV, devices, game consoles, or on the go with a mobile device. Moreover, you don’t need a technician to visit your home in order to watch live and original programming.

Stream your favorite TV shows anywhere you are

Sling TV Plans And Pricing

If you only need a select few channels and arent bothered by a lack of local stations, try Sling TV. Both the Sling Orange and Sling Blue plans cost $35/mo. The Orange package comes with 32 channels, including Disney and ESPN, and 1 simultaneous stream. The Blue has 47 channels, featuring FOX and NBC, and 3 simultaneous streams. Sling Orange + Blue costs $45/mo. and provides 4 simultaneous streams.

Dont worry if you feel youre missing something. Sling has many ways to customize your subscription. Add extra kids, comedy, or news channels for $5/mo. and add sports networks for a further $10/mo. Give yourself more precious storage space by paying another $5/mo. to increase the standard 10 hours of DVR storage to 50.

While you may occasionally spot a week-long free trial, Sling TV tends to offer $10 off the first month.

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Internet And TV Packages

If you’re looking for more Internet + TV packages, here are some other options.

• Verizon Fios: The great thing about Verizon Fios is their fibre-optic network. The advantage of fibre-optic is that they’re able to carry much more data than traditional copper or coaxial cable, theoretically making their internet speeds faster. Their connections also have symmetrical speed, which means the speed is the same whether you’re downloading or uploading. This can be useful for people who upload a lot of data online.

In practice however, Fios’s commercial internet speeds are comparable to other internet providers such as Comcast’s Xfinity and Cox Communications, who use coaxial cable.

Fios has three ‘double play’ packages, which refers to their internet and TV bundle. At the lowest tier they provide 50 Mbps internet, and the ‘Fios TV Local’ plan which includes 15+ channels, with 5+ of them being in HD for $49.99/month. The plan includes most of the major networks such as ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox and PBS. The overall package is quite basic, but the upside is that there is no annual contract.

Note

How To Select The Best Streaming Service For Your Needs

Evaluating your options can be an overwhelming task, but a worthy one when it comes to your wallet. Keep the following tips in mind before you subscribe to a streaming service.

Be honest about what youll watch

Its easy to want to watch the latest and most talked about shows or movies, but finding the time to watch them is another thing altogether. Think about what shows interest you most and what youll have time to watch consistently to help guide your streaming service choice. For instance, if you want to watch one or two Disney movies but like entertainment series better, you may want to subscribe to Hulu with a Disney add-on over Disney+.

Set your budget

How much do you want or can you spend monthly on streaming content? Evaluate what your budget allows and stay within a set amount that you determine. Its more cost effective to start small and add-on or change plans as you go.

Narrow your choices

Based on your interests, research what providers are truly offering. Peruse their movie and series listings, noting your interests and determining how much of their content you would watch. This can help ensure the shows you want to watch are actually available from your desired provider.

Try a free trial, one at a time

Compare costs and offerings

After narrowing your list of favorites, finalize it by adding in costs and add-ons for each streaming provider. Compare the various pros and cons to help you make your decision.

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What We Dont Like About Netflix

• Netflix is the most expensive on-demand streaming service

Netlfixs top-tier plan is on the pricier side

Netflix has three plans to choose from: Basic for $9.99, Standard for $15.50, and Premium for $19.99.

The Basic plan is perfect for those who want access to the 5,500 titles available on Netflix. You’ll just have to be OK with no HD viewing, and you probably don’t want to share your password because you can only stream on one device at once.

The Standard plan‘s price isn’t too hard to swallow. When you upgrade to this plan, you can stream on two devices .

Like the Standard plan, you’ll get to watch your content in HD with the Premium plan. Netflix’s Premium plan is the most expensive on-demand plan. But it might be worth upgrading to from the Standard plan if you and your family will likely stream on four devices at once.

For $4 more, you won’t have to worry about getting booted off your account when watching Schitt’s Creek.

Why Bundling Might Be Cheaper Than Internet

If youre going to sign up for every streaming service on the market, youre not going to end up saving money. Likewise, if you have a large household, you will likely need to upgrade your internet package to compensate for the increased number of simultaneous streams.

Here are some reasons why bundling internet and cable can be cheaper than streaming alone:

• Some cable Smart TV packages come with Netflix and extensive viewing libraries included for free! So, if you wanted it all, now you have it! This is certainly cheaper than buying every streaming service that could cover all the channels you might watch with a Smart TV bundle.
• Data caps. A high number of users and streaming devices will mean that you will likely need to upgrade your internet service or change your internet service provider if they try to cap your viewing.
• Sports arent cheap. If you need specific channels, such as sports channels like NBA League Pass, your price can increase substantially if you try to avoid cable.

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Best Combination Of Live TV And Vod

Features: Sports bundle | Unlimited DVR | 75 channels

Hulu with Live TV’s big selling point is it’s the one service that combines both live TV and VoD. Besides great original content, such as exclusive titles like Only Murders in the Building, it also has a large catalog of on-demand shows and movies. On top of that, you get over 75 live and on-demand channels.

Its channel selection has some blanks in it. Some favorites, such as the AMC, the CW, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and VH1, are only available in extra-price add-ons. On the other hand, basic sports are well-covered with the ESPN and Fox sports networks. Like most of the other services, it gives you access to local ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC channels in most areas. You don’t, however, get your local PBS station.

That said, Hulu with Live TV now comes in a bundle with Disney Plus and ESPN Plus for $70 per month. If you like Marvel, Disney, Pixar, or Star Wars — everyone on the planet must like at least one of those — this is a very attractive deal. Except for when it’s Big 12 Basketball season, I don’t find ESPN Plus that interesting. NHL and MLS fans, however, will find a lot to like.

Hulu with Live TV’s interface and performance has been consistently improving over the years. Today, I find it the easiest live TV service to use. And as of April 13, 2022, all Hulu with Live TV customers will have an unlimited DVR which includes fast forward for no extra charge.

Pros:

Cons:

What We Dont Like About Sling TV

• Sling TV’s DVR storage space is questionable

One of the worst DVRs in the industry

We hate to say it, but Sling TV’s DVR is one of the poorest DVRs in the industry.

A DVR with 50 hours can fill up quicker than you think, especially if you’re sharing with the fam. And you’ll have to add $5 to your monthly bill for the 200-hour DVR storage space.

If you choose to keep the 50-hour DVR storage, just remember, your older recordings will automatically delete so the DVR can find storage space for your new recordings.

We should mention that Hulu + Live TV‘s DVR also holds 50 hours, and it charges $10 for 200 hours. And DIRECTV STREAM gives you only 20 hours of DVR storage space.

At least Sling TV has an excuse because this service is on the inexpensive side.

If you want to explore other streaming services, check out our top live TV streaming service picks and our top on-demand streaming service picks.

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Which Streaming Device Should You Use

For the most part, all of these support the most popular streaming devices. For example, no matter which service you subscribe to, an Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV Cube, Roku Express, or Google Chromecast will almost certainly support it. But if you’re using a more obscure streaming gadget, such as an Nvidia Shield TV Pro, it might not work with your preferred service. Smart TVs also frequently don’t support newer streaming offerings. In short, make sure the service will work with your hardware before subscribing.

ZDNet has compared the top streaming devices here:

Best For Families: Sling TV

• Limited local channels
• Limited DVR storage

In terms of interface and channel options, Sling TV is similar to Hulu + Live TV. Its basic plans are cheaper if somewhat confusing, but overall Sling TV is highly customizable with multiple available add-on packagesincluding one for the kiddies.

The Sling Orange and Sling Blue packages arent bad for casual TV viewers. But more demanding viewers will likely want Sling Orange + Blue , since its the most complete package Sling TV has to offer.

The Orange + Blue package has kids channels Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, and Nick Jr. For $5 more a month, you can add the Kids Extra package, which includes Disney Junior, Disney XD, Nick Jr., Nicktoons, TeenNick, Boomerang, BabyTV, and DuckTV.

Sling TVs cable channel lineup is strongand with add-on packages, it gets even better, especially for sports . If you have the patience to navigate the color-coding, Sling TV is a solid service.

Of course, like other live TV streaming services reviewed here, Sling TV doesnt have everything. Local channels are lacking many markets get only FOX or NBC affiliates. And figuring out Sling TVs local coverage requires more than a glance, unfortunately. At least Sling TV is proactive about helping customers use antennas to get local channels by offering several deals on the equipment.

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Best For Reality TV Fans: Discovery+

• Some popular shows missing
• No latest seasons of popular shows

Discovery+ is a streaming service with over 55,000 hours of classic and exclusive content from the Discovery group of cable TV channels. Besides Discovery Channel, those include HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Investigation Discovery , Animal Planet, OWN, A& E, Lifetime, History, Travel Channel, and Science Channel.

But Discovery+ catalog mostly offers previously aired content. The latest episodes and seasons of your favorite shows are still on cable , not Discovery+. The latest 90 Day Fiance episodes arent available here, but several 90 Day spinoffs are the same goes for Property Brothers and other network hits.

Besides Discoverys networks, Discovery+ also features content from A& E, Lifetime, HISTORY, and animal-centric digital media brand The Dodo.

Even without the most popular shows and newest seasons, Discovery+ is still a good deal for Discovery superfans who want to keep up with the exclusive spinoffs, or newbies looking to discover 55,000 hours of new-to-them content.

Is Cloud Dvr Space Included

Most streaming TV services that offer live TV also include cloud DVR storage with the package. Like a physical DVR, though, they do have limits on space and time. Some give you as little as 10 hours, while some unlimited options will save your Hoarders episodes backlog for only a few months. Ironic.

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Is Streaming Cheaper Than Cable

Other Ways To Stream Local Channels

If you already have one of these awesome streaming services in your monthly bill rotation, that’s a great way to access local news, the weather, and sports. But if you don’t pay for many subscriptions because you’re trying to keep costs down, free streaming services are still available.

And you can check out the websites of major networks like CBS, FOX, NBC, and ABC. Often, you can view a live feed from the websites of major networks and sometimes the corresponding mobile apps. If you’re after a real-time update on what’s going on in your area, this is another great way to do so.

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Free Live TV Streaming Services Compared

Peacock

Though owned by Comcast, Peacock is NBCs foray into the streaming TV landscape, and the ad-supported free tier offers tons of NBC TV shows and an excellent library of moviesmost in full stream high definition. Here you can find NBC faves like Friday Night Lights, the first few seasons of The Office and Saturday Night Live but you can also stream newer shows like This Is Us. But other examples of content that didnt premiere on NBC include Battlestar Galactica and CharmedU, and its the single destination for all the Summer Tokyo Olympics. Unfortunately, only Premium subscribers can get access to most of Peacocks live sports including all the Premium League soccer matches. The completely ad-free Peacock Premium Plus will run you $9.99/month.

Pluto TV

Owned by Viacom, Pluto TV is a basic, fully free streaming service with can help you supplement cutting those cords with over 200 different streaming channelsthough many are not the traditional channels you may expect. But its the entertainment area that shines with Pluto TV, including Comedy Central, MTV, Fuse and the Paramount Movie Channel. You can also tune into lifestyle channels like Food TV and This Old House and kids channels like Nick Jr. Pluto TV Kids and Anime All Ages. CNN also recently joined Plutos ranks, which is good news for news junkies. On-demand is available, but the smaller selection of movies and TV shows are constantly changing.

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