Best Services for Streaming Live TV
Live TV streaming platforms and streaming TV services are excellent alternatives to typical cable bundles. They can lower or even eliminate the fees involved with watching your favorite shows and movies, and they often provide viewers greater flexibility through on-demand, DVR choices, and other features.
Today’s offerings range from fully free and centered on local networks to live sports and film centers. While our list focuses on live TV streaming, several of the companies also provide premium subscriptions with extra features. Many demand a monthly fee as well, but you’ll only need a smart TV or computer to get started – no boxes or other wires are required.
- YouTube TV
YouTube TV, which was designed to be a comprehensive alternative for cable, is a well-rounded solution that has something for everyone. It focuses on sports programming and offers the channels you’d expect from a mainstream provider, such as ABC, CBS, Food Network, AMC, and Comedy Central.
YouTube TV provides a basic 85 channels, but depending on where you reside, you may have access to more. Interested in giving it a shot? Enter your zip code to discover what subscriptions are available in your region. It also includes a 7-day free trial to see how things function and the ability to cancel at any time.
- Sling Media
Sling TV may not have as many channels as some competitors, but it compensates with a wide range of subscription choices at reasonable costs. Their Sling Orange and Sling Blue ($35 a month) tiers are divided into two categories: NBA and family entertainment, and entertainment and news. The tiers provide 32 and 42 channels, respectively, or you may combine them for a total of 50 channels.
Sling has also launched tailored packages, including an NBA-only option and a Chromecast/Google TV deal. You may utilize the free 3-day trial to test the waters with any membership level you like. Overall, it’s an excellent method to save annual expenditures without compromising desired material and services.
- Philo
Philo may not have the same sports options as our previous entries, but it does have a greater quantity and variety of channels. The basic bundle is straightforward, featuring 60+ channels for $25 per month and unlimited DVR storage (recordings may be saved for up to 12 months). Subscriptions to Philo provide several popular user features. There are several inexpensive movie add-ons available, with prices starting as low as $3 per month. Users may also watch on up to three devices at the same time and establish up to ten profiles per account.
- Plex TV
Plex TV has two account kinds, each with its own set of capabilities. Free users may access Plex’s massive content collection, which includes a significant number of on-demand TV series and movies as well as live TV viewing. Through an associated app, the service is also intended to assist you in managing your existing media library.
Plex Pass, the improved version, costs $4.99 per month, $39.99 per year, or $119.99 for a lifetime membership (about the cost of three yearly subscriptions). Plex Pass has comprehensive administration and automation options, as well as offline sync, allowing you to view anything from any location.