Best live TV streaming services: Which one is right for you?
We may be living in the on-demand age, but there's still so much great content worth watching live -- from sporting events, like Premier League matches or the 2023 Super Bowl, to the 2023 Awards season. If you've recently cut that cable cord and are missing live TV, keep reading to find the best way to get it through your streaming subscription.
The top products in this article:
- Overall best way to stream live TV: Hulu + Live TV, $70 and up monthly
- Best free option for live TV streaming: Pluto TV
With so many streaming services pushing binge-worthy original shows and Oscar-nominated movies, it can be hard to remember the benefits of live TV. But there are plenty.
Whether you're a cord-cutter who misses the joys of channel surfing, or a serious sports fan, we've got you covered. From luxe live TV bundles, such as Hulu's Live TV tier or DirecTV Stream, to the totally free, totally old-school Pluto TV, there's a way to get live content without getting stuck with an overpriced cable subscription.
Keep reading to learn which live TV streaming service is right for you. Looking for what to stream next? Check out our guides for what's new on Amazon Prime Video, what's new on Paramount+, what's new on Hulu and more.
Pluto, Paramount+ and Essentials are all subsidiaries of Paramount.
Best overall live TV streaming services
If you're looking for a little bit of everything when it comes to live TV, here are the best streaming platforms to consider:
Hulu + Live TV
A standard Hulu + Live TV subscription gets you more than 75 channels, including ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, ESPN 2, The CW, A&E, FX, Pop TV, TBS, TNT, USA and more. The streamer's live-TV tier grants you access to a wide range of news, live sports and events, including the 2023 Golden Globes, all available live or on-demand. With a Hulu + Live TV subscription, you can watch on two screens at the same time, plus record live TV with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage.
Hulu + Live TV also includes access to the ad-supported Hulu tier, which has shows such as "The Dropout," "Only Murders in the Building" and more great Hulu original programming.
How much does Hulu + Live TV cost?
Hulu + Live TV starts at $70 monthly. New subscribers can try Hulu + Live TV free for seven days.
Hulu + Live TV, $70 and up per month
Philo TV
Philo is a great budget-friendly option for the TV watcher looking for a little bit of everything. The platform has more than 60 channels available to watch live or record on unlimited DVR space, including HGTV, History, Discovery, AMC, BBC America, World News, the Hallmark Channel, the Lifetime Movie Channel, plus kids channels such as Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. and Nicktoons. Philo also has a substantial library of on-demand titles and the option of add-ons including Epix and Starz.
How much does Philo cost?
Philo is available for $25 monthly. New subscribers can try Philo free for one week.
DirecTV Stream
The rebranded live-TV streaming service (formerly known as AT&T TV) follows a no-contract, no-hassle, loads-of-channels script that cable vets will likely find refreshing, but still offers the familiar tiered packages and pricing.
No matter what your viewing needs are, from keeping up with the 2022/23 NFL season to watching the evening news, DirecTV Stream should have a monthly package that will serve you.
How much does DirecTV Stream cost?
Prices on DirecTV Stream services start at $70 a month. Right now, you can save $50 over five months on select packages when you add a DirecTV Stream device to your subscription.
DirecTV Stream, $70 and up per month
Best live TV streaming services for watching sports
Whether you love football, baseball, soccer, WWE or just sports in general, these are the best live TV streaming platforms for catching all of your favorites:
FuboTV
Though FuboTV offers a wide range of more than 100 channels, its main focus is sports. The streaming platform's most popular subscription plan provides access to NBA and NHL games, plus Fox (based on your local available channels), the NFL Network and optional RedZone.
How much does FuboTV cost?
FuboTV plans start at $65 per month. FuboTV currently offers new subscribers a seven-day free trial.
Sling TV
Sling TV is a great, budget-friendly streaming option for sports fans. Sling TV offers access to more than 40 channels, including ESPN, Disney, BBC America, Comedy Central, Discovery, MSNBC, NBC Sports, Syfy, FS1, TBS, and Fox (based on your local available channels).
How much does Sling TV cost?
Sling TV plans start at $40 monthly, with the most expensive base plan starting at $55 monthly. You have the option to add on special packages for an extra fee. New subscribers to Sling TV can try any plan free for three days.
Sling TV, $40 and up per month
Paramount+
Maybe you love Paramount channels such as MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon. Maybe you just love anything related to "Star Trek," and you enjoy live sports games. If so, then Paramount+ might be right for you.
Get access to everything CBS Sports has to offer, including the NFL on CBS, the PGA Tour and the Masters, and NCAA Division 1 Men's basketball. Soccer fans will be especially happy with the tons of soccer action available on the platform, including the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League.
On top of being the exclusive streaming home for all things Nickelodeon and "Star Trek," the platform is launching its long-anticipated "Halo" series later this month, along with a slate of other exciting upcoming projects.
How much does Paramount Plus cost?
Paramount+ currently has two subscription tiers available: The Essential plan is ad-supported and costs $5 per month, granting access to the platform's entire library. The Premium plan is ad-free and includes access to your local live CBS station for $10 monthly. You can also try Paramount+ free for one week.
Paramount+, $5 and up per month
Essentials and Paramount+ are both subsidiaries of Paramount.
Peacock
Peacock is NBCUniversal's streaming service; unlike others on this list, it offers a totally free, ad-supported tier with access to a limited number of titles in the Peacock library. The platform is now the exclusive home to popular, binge-worthy sitcoms such as "Parks and Recreation" and "The Office," but it's live sports that make up a huge part of Peacock's appeal.
Premium Peacock subscribers enjoy access to live events via Premier League and WWE Network, plus motorsports, tennis, track and field, golf games and more.
How much does Peacock cost?
Peacock has three tiers -- a free, ad-supported tier that grants you limited access to Peacock's library; an ad-supported, premium tier for $5 monthly or $50 annually; or an ad-free premium tier for $10 monthly or $100 annually. For access to live sports, you'll need a premium subscription.
Best free live TV streaming service: Pluto TV
Pluto TV is your free trip back to the good old days of surfing those free TV channels in your living room. The fully free streaming service offers more than 200 channels to stream, including content from Comedy Central, MTV, Fuse, the Paramount Movie Channel, Food TV and even kid's channels like Nick Jr. and Pluto TV Kids. There are channels devoted entirely to popular shows as well, so you can always catch an episode of "CSI," "Survivor," "Star Trek," "Dr. Phil" and more.
The platform boasts an ever-changing (and growing) selection of channels, shows and movies to stream live or on-demand, so if you're one of the few who truly miss the opportunity to endlessly scroll, Pluto TV might be right for you.
Indoor HD digital TV antenna
For a flat $26, the U Must Have amplified, indoor HD digital TV antenna will deliver the live content from any free digital channels in your area. No subscription, no monthly fee. Just connect the U Must Have to your set, and watch. It's the 20th century TV-viewing experience with 21st century technology.
Keep in mind that part of the reason cable TV became so popular is that some areas get poor TV reception. Today's digital antennae are far better than the rabbit ears of yore, but even they can only do so much if your home is reception-challenged.
U Must Have indoor HD digital TV antenna, $26
The best TV deals right now
Looking to upgrade your viewing experience at home? Keep reading to check out the best deals on smart TVs, TV stands and more.
Get the Samsung 'The Frame' TV on sale now
When you're not streaming shows or movies on Samsung "The Frame," the 4K set displays preprogrammed artwork, from Picasso to Basquiat, on its matte screen. It can also display family vacation photos that you've uploaded to "The Frame" from your phone or USB flash drive. So, yes, this TV puts on a show whether it's on -- or off.
The 2022 model has the same gorgeous quantum-dot picture as the 2021 model. And like the 2021 model, the latest version upscales TV and movies to 4K. The 2022 "The Frame" boasts a new matte display with anti-glare, anti-reflection and anti-fingerprint properties.
55" Samsung "The Frame" QLED 4K TV 2022, $1,397 (reduced from $1,500)
65" Samsung "The Frame" QLED 4K TV 2022, $1,568 (reduced from $2,000)
75" Samsung "The Frame" QLED 4K TV 2022, $1,999 (reduced from $3,000)
Best budget Roku TV deals at Walmart
Looking for the perfect budget TV for the the new year? Head over to Walmart -- the retailer has restocked a number of its bestselling budget Roku smart TVs. No matter what size or resolution you need, there's a deal for you.
Here's a list of the best Roku TV deals at Walmart. As of publication, all these deals are still available.
- 24" Onn Roku 720p HDTV, $88 (reduced from $138)
- 32" Onn Roku 720p HDTV, $108 (reduced from $144)
- 32" TCL Roku 3-Series 720p HDTV, $118 (reduced from $148)
- 32" TCL Roku 3-Series 1080p HDTV, $148 (reduced from $250)
- 43" Hisense Roku 720p HDTV, $198 (reduced from $249)
- 50" Onn Roku 4K UHDTV, $238 (reduced from $268)
- 58" Hisense Roku 4K UHDTV, $298 (reduced from $338)
- 55" Elements Roku 4K outdoor TV, $998 (reduced from $1,298)
75" Vizio QLED 4K smart TV: $798
This 4.6-star-rated television features 4K upscaling with Dolby Vision HDR, 32 active dimming zones, pixel-level brightness adjustment, and a gaming mode designed to reduce lag. Includes a voice remote.
We've seen most Walmart TV deals sell out really fast this season, so if you're interested in scoring a top-rated Vizio television at a big discount, you'll want to act now.
75" Vizio 4K QLED, $798 (reduced from $998)
LG G2 series OLED evo Gallery Edition smart TV
According to the brand, this LG TV designed to compete with Samsung's "The Frame," features a gallery design that "hugs the wall." This smart TV is meant to blend in seamlessly with any other wall art you might have.
The OLED TV features 4K-upscaling, a Filmmaker Mode to enhance your viewing experience with Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos, plus built-in access to Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV plus, Disney plus and LG channels.
An Amazon customer called the TV "the best 4K panel I've ever owned." "The panel actually does look like wall art hanging in my viewing room," they commented.
Hurry -- this popular picture frame TV deal is running out of stock.
65" LG G2 series OLED evo Gallery Edition smart TV, $2,197 (regularly $3,000)
65" Amazon Fire TV Omni series 4K smart TV
The Amazon Fire TV offers a 4K experience with support for Dolby Vision, HDR 10 and HLG. This smart TV is a must-have for Alexa owners. You can go entirely remote free and ask Alexa to play live TV, stream your favorite TV shows and movies, check sports scores, set timers and reminders, start video calls and more.
The Amazon Fire TV Omni series gives you access to over 1 million movies and TV episodes, plus the streaming platforms you subscribe to. Want to broadcast whatever's on your phone right into your living room? Use the TV's Airplay function to share videos, photos and music from your compatible smart devices to your Fire TV.
The Amazon Fire TV Omni series is available in multiple sizes. Prices vary.
65" Amazon Fire TV Omni series 4K smart TV, $600 (reduced from $830)
Full motion TV wall mount
Mount your new TV with ease with this tilted 4.8-star-rated wall mount, now on sale at Amazon. It's designed to handle televisions ranging in size from 47 to 84 inches.
Full motion TV wall mount (for 47" - 84" TVs), $56
Amazon Fire TV Stick with 4K Ultra HD
This Amazon streaming stick with a new Wi-Fi antenna design is optimized for 4K streaming. The Amazon Fire TV Stick pairs with compatible Bluetooth headphones and comes equipped with Alexa-enabled voice-control technology.
Amazon Fire TV Stick with 4K Ultra HD, $50
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