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Here are the 7 best live streaming TV services

Cut the cord and use your internet connection for live TV, cloud DVR, and more with these services.
By

Published onMay 23, 2022

The YouTube homescreen on Roku
Ryan Haines / Android Authority

In the era of streaming TV, services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney Plus have become popular ways for people to “cut the cord.” However, those services offer movies and TV shows (mostly) on demand. There is still an audience that wants to watch live television, particularly for sports, news, and other major live events. For those users, live streaming TV services are the way to go.

Here are the best live streaming services that are currently available. As you can see, they all have very different lineups of channels, prices, and features.

Best live streaming TV services

Editor’s note: We’ll be updating this list of the best live streaming TV services regularly as new ones launch.


Comparing the services

Sling TVHulu Plus Live TVYouTube TVDirecTV StreamFuboTVPhilo TVFrndlyTV
Price per month
Sling TV
$35 for basic package, more with add-on channels
Hulu Plus Live TV
$69.99 for basic package, with Disney Plus and ESPN Plus at no extra charge, more with add-on channels
YouTube TV
$72.99 for basic package, more with add-on channels
DirecTV Stream
$70 for basic package, more with add-on channels
FuboTV
$65 for basic package, more with add-on channels
Philo TV
$25 for basic package, more with add-on channels
FrndlyTV
$6.99 for basic package, more with add-on channels
Number of channels in basic package
Sling TV
51 for Sling Blue, 30 for Sling Orange
Hulu Plus Live TV
75 channels
YouTube TV
85 channels
DirecTV Stream
65 channels
FuboTV
100 channels
Philo TV
65 channels
FrndlyTV
37 channels
Local TV channel support
Sling TV
Select Fox and NBC channels
Hulu Plus Live TV
Yes
YouTube TV
Yes
DirecTV Stream
Yes, but not in all markets
FuboTV
Yes, but not in all markets
Philo TV
No
FrndlyTV
No
Cloud DVR
Sling TV
10 hours for free, 50 hours for $5
Hulu Plus Live TV
50 hours for free, 200 hours for $15
YouTube TV
Unlimited for free
DirecTV Stream
20 hours for free, unlimited with $10
FuboTV
30 hours with basic plan, up to 1,000 hours with more expensive plans
Philo TV
Unlimited for free, but recordings disappear after 30 days
FrndlyTV
Unlimited with more expensive $8.99 plan
Video Resolution
Sling TV
1080p
Hulu Plus Live TV
4K on some content
YouTube TV
4K on some content
DirecTV Stream
4K on some content
FuboTV
4K on some content
Philo TV
1080p
FrndlyTV
1080p
Free trial
Sling TV
Yes, 3 days
Hulu Plus Live TV
Yes, 7 days
YouTube TV
Yes, 14 days
DirecTV Stream
Yes, 7 days
FuboTV
Yes, 7 days
Philo TV
Yes, 7 days
FrndlyTV
Yes, 7 days
Number of concurrent streams
Sling TV
One for Sling Blue, 3 for Sling Orange, 4 for Sling Blue and Orange
Hulu Plus Live TV
Two with basic plan, unlimited at home with $10 add-on
YouTube TV
Three
DirecTV Stream
20 at home
FuboTV
Two with basic plan, 3 with other plans
Philo TV
Three
FrndlyTV
Four
Number of profiles per account
Sling TV
One
Hulu Plus Live TV
Six
YouTube TV
Six
DirecTV Stream
One
FuboTV
Six
Philo TV
10
FrndlyTV
One

Sling TV – Cheapest service with local channels

Sling TV Logo

What makes it “the best”

  • Sling TV has two main plans to choose from, and each costs just $35 a month.
  • It also offers lots of add-ons for extra channels, along with free cloud DVR.

The Sling Blue plan has over 50 cable TV channels for live streaming TV, which includes local Fox and NBC channels in select markets. It costs $35 a month. Sling Orange has over 30 different channels, including three ESPN sports cable channels. It also costs $35 a month. If you get both Sling Blue and Sling Orange plans, you pay $50 a month.

There are also extra plans that you can add to Sling Blue and Orange plans. The Sling Sports Extras plans cost $10 a month and add a number of sports cable channels to Blue and Orange. There are also Comedy, Kids, News, Lifestyle, and other plans you can add for $5 a month each. In addition, there are tons of other ala cart channels you can add to the plans, including most of the major pay cable movie channels (with the exception of HBO).

Sling TV includes 10 hours of free Cloud DVR storage which can be expanded to 50 hours for an extra $5 a month. There are also tons of free live tv streaming movies and TV shows available on-demand, and even more than you can rent online.

Why you should buy

  • Lots of channels available for Sling Blue
  • Tons of choices for add-on channels
  • Free content on demand

Why you should pass

  • Only 10 hours of Cloud DVR for free
  • No HBO option
  • No local CBS or ABC stations
  • Only one profile
Sling TV
Sling TV is perhaps the best of the internet-based budget live TV options, with lots of channels and even support for some local channels

Hulu Plus Live TV – Most complete service with Disney Plus and ESPN Plus included

Hulu logo in the shades

What makes it “the best”

  • Hulu has lots of on-demand current movies and shows with a solid amount of live TV channels and most local stations.
  • Its Cloud DVR features have 50 hours of space at no extra charge.

Hulu Plus Live TV is one of the best live streaming TV services you can get, either by itself or combined with a Hulu subscription. The basic package, with Hulu, currently costs $69.99 a month, or $75.99 a month with no ads on Hulu.  It offers access to over 65 channels and live channels from your local ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox stations. You can also add on major pay cable movie channels like HBO, Cinemax, Starz, and Epix for an extra fee.

Hulu Plus Live TV includes 50 hours of cloud DVR service, which can be boosted to 200 hours for an extra $15 a month. You can also get an unlimited amount of screens in your home streaming the service for an extra $15 a month or get both the boosted DVR and unlimited screens features for $20 a month.

Recently, subscribers got a price hike, but added two more streaming services, Disney Plus and ESPN Plus, at no additional cost.

Why you should buy

  • Tons of live TV channels
  • Lots of current movies and shows on demand
  • Generous amount of free cloud DVR
  • Includes Disney Plus and Hulu

Why you should pass

  • It’s on the high side of price ranges
Hulu Logo
Hulu
Hulu offers not only thousands of movies and TV shows to stream, it also has original shows and films like The Handmaid's Tale. You can upgrade to Hulu Plus Live TV to get live channels, including your local stations.

YouTube TV – Best TV streaming service for local channels

Picture of YouTube TV on a Google Pixel.

What makes it “the best”

  • YouTube TV has over 85 channels for the price of $65 a month.
  • It also has a 14-day free trial and unlimited DVR storage.

Google’s YouTubeTV costs $72.99 a month. For that price, this live TV streaming service includes access to over 85 live TV channels. It also includes local ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox stations. You can add additional pay cable channels for additional monthly fees. You can have up to six people access your single YouTube TV account.

This service has unlimited cloud DVR storage, with the only limitation being that your recordings will disappear nine months after their creation. The service recently added a new sports tier add-on with several sports channels. It also recently added support for 4K video streaming and mobile downloads, but for an extra fee.

Why you should buy

  • Tons of live TV channels for a reasonable price tag
  • Free 14-day trial
  • Unlimited DVR storage

Why you should pass

  • You can’t keep your DVR recordings forever
  • 4K streams require an extra fee
YouTube TV Logo
YouTube TV
Tap into live TV powered by YouTube. You can choose your own channels and binge without the large cable companies.

DirecTV Stream – Best for Max users

directv stream
DirectTV

 

What makes it “the best”

  • DirecTV Stream offers free access to the Max streaming service with its Premier plans.
  • It also supports up to 20 devices on one account and you can get unlimited DVR storage.

DirecTV Stream (previously known as AT&T TV Now) has four main plans. The Entertainment plan includes over 65 channels for $70 a month (with a two-year agreement). The Choice plan has over 90 channels, plus HBO/Max, Cinemax, Showtime, and Epix included for the first three months, for $85 a month (with a two-year agreement).

The Ultimate plan, with 130 channels, costs $95 a month (with a two-year agreement) and HBO/HBO Max, Cinemax, Showtime, and Epix are also included for the first three months. Finally, the Premier plan has over 140 channels, including full access to HBO/HBO Max, Cinemax, Showtime, and Starz included for $140 a month (with a two-year agreement). Epix is available as an add-on.

Plus plan subscribers, and Choice and Ultimate subscribers after three months can also sign up for HBO/HBO Max for an extra fee. There are also other pay cable channels you can add for extra fees. Choice, Ultimate and, Premier plans all include regional sports channels.

All plans offer 20 hours of cloud DVR storage, but you can upgrade to unlimited storage for an extra fee of $10 a month. You can also access your local channels (although they do vary in some individual markets).

Why you should buy

  • Free HBO/Max on its Premier plan
  • Unlimited cloud storage with an extra fee
  • Stream up to 20 devices at home
  • Regional sports channels included with most plans

Why you should pass

  • The basic Plus plan has a high price for what you are getting
  • Some local channels in some markets are not included
directv stream
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream offers at least 65 live TV channels, including local TV stations, streaming to your mobile device, smart TV and more. It also offers unlimited cloud DVR on all of its packages.

Fubo TV – Best TV streaming service for heavy sports users

fubo tv logo
FuboTV

What makes it “the best”

  • Fubo TV is made for the major sports TV fan although it also has lots of other channels to choose from.
  • It also has a 7-day free trial and up to 1,000 hours of cloud DVR storage.

Fubo TV started out as a live streaming TV sports service only. However, it has since evolved into a more mainstream streaming live TV service. Its Starter package costs $65 a month and has over 100 channels, including many local and international sports channels. It also includes 30 hours of cloud DVR storage and support for up to two streams at one time. The Pro plan costs $70 a month, and boosts the cloud DVR space to 500 hours, plus three streams at once, with unlimited streams while at home. For $80 a month, you can access the Elite plan, with over 150 channels, along with up to 1,000 hours of DVR storage. There are also lots of other channel lineups that you can add for additional fees.

Just recently, Fubo TV added the popular ESPN channels, which makes it even better for live sports viewing. Normally it has a 7-day free trial but as of this writing you can get two weeks to try it for free if you are a new subscriber.

Why you should buy

  • Great service for sports fans
  • Lots of channels for the money
  • Up to 1,000 hours of cloud DVR storage

Why you should pass

  • Not as many platforms supported compared to others
  • Not all local channels available in some markets
fubotv
FuboTV
FuboTV is an internet based live television service, with tons of channels to stream. It's especially good for sports fans who want to watch events like international soccer matches and mixed martial arts.

Philo TV – Best TV streaming service for the money

philo tv

What makes it “the best”

  • Philo TV has 65 channels for the low price of $25 a month.
  • It also has a 7-day free trial, unlimited DVR storage, and up to 10 profiles per account.

Philo TV is the definition of a bare-bones live streaming TV service. For just $25 a month, you get 61 live cable TV channels. You also get a seven-day free trial and a whopping 10 profiles per account. You can also stream on up to three devices at once. There’s also unlimited cloud DVR storage, although your recording will disappear after 30 days. Recently, the service added access to two movie channels, Epix and Starz. Both are available as add-on channels to Philo TV’s service.

Platforms for the service include Android, iOS, Android TV, Roku sticks, boxes, and TVs, and Amazon Fire TV sticks and TVs. It’s also available for the Apple TV box, Windows and Mac PCs.

Why you should buy

  • Lots of channels for one low price
  • Up to 10 profiles per account
  • Unlimited cloud DVR storage

Why you should pass

  • DVR recordings disappear after 30 days
  • No local channels
  • No live sports
philo logo
Philo TV
Philo TV offers up over 60 live streaming TV channels for just $25 a month, with a seven-day free trial. You also get unlimited cloud DVR support for up to one year

Frndly TV – Lowest price for a live TV service

frndlytv share
Frndly

What makes it “the best”

  • Frndly TV is a highly curated live streaming TV service made for family-friendly viewing.
  • Plans begin at just $7 a month.

This is a very unusual live streaming TV service. Frndly TV is made specifically for family-friendly television watching. It includes channels like the many Hallmark cable TV outlets, along with UpTV and other channels that don’t offer more adult content. The basic plan costs just $6.99 a month for 37 channels, with a feature that automatically records shows up to 72 hours in the past. You can get unlimited DVR storage for 3 months for the $8.99 a month Classic plan. There’s also a $10.99 a month Premium plan that boosts the storage time to 9 months.

Why you should buy

  • Ultra-cheap
  • Unlimited cloud DVR storage for Classic and Premium plans

Why you should pass

  • Limited channel selection
  • HD resolution only on the Classic and Premium plans
  • Only one stream at a time on the basic plan.
frndlytv share
Frndly TV
Frndly TV offers a family-friendly selection of 37 live TV channels that can be streaming to your mobile device, smart TV and more. The service costs as low as $6.99 a month
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