Cord Cutting? Here Are the Most Affordable Streaming Options for Live TV

Latifah Muhammad and Tim Chan

Mon, June 23, 2025 at 4:20 PM UTC

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Thinking about switching from cable to a streaming platform? Cutting the cord is a lot easier than you might think and can save you more on your monthly bill than certain basic cable plans.

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For TV lovers who want to make the leap to streaming, and Spectrum and other cable customers looking for streaming alternatives, we're breaking down some of the best platforms for live TV.

Check below for a roundup of streaming options that range from $28 a month up to $150 a month. The services recommended below offer month-to-month subscription plans that can be canceled at any time and all of them have been tested by our editorial team over the last year.

What Are the Best Streaming Services for Live TV?

Though major league streamers like Amazon Prime Video , Netflix and Paramount+ produce mostly on-demand content, Sling TV and Philo , DirecTV and YouTube TV are some of the more affordable options for live content.

Best Streaming Service for Live TV: Top Streamer Platforms Reviewed

BEST VALUE

Philo

GET PHILO FREE TRIAL

If you're on a tight budget, Philo is the cheapest among the regular-priced plans on our list at $28/month after a one-week free trial . Stream 70+ live TV channels including A&E, BET, Discovery, Hallmark Channel, HGTV, Lifetime, MTV, Nickelodeon, VHI and more. You can also search from more than 75,000 episodes, shows and movies to watch on-demand.

Philo also includes free DVR in its plans and like all other streamers, you can watch content from any compatible device. See more details here .

LOWEST PRICE

Sling

$23 ~~$45.99~~ 50% off

GET SLING ORANGE

In terms of affordability, Sling TV rivals Philo , as streaming plans start at $23 right now for your first month — a 50% off discount. Sling plans start at $45.99 after your first month is up.

Sling offers two plans — Sling Orange and Sling Blue — and both plans include dozens of live television channels that you can stream online without cable.

Sling Orange gets you 34 channels, like ESPN, TNT and Disney Channel. Sling Blue gets you 48 channels, including Bravo, CNN, USA and Discovery. Sling Blue lets you stream on three devices at the same time, which makes it a great package to split among family and friends. You also get networks such as ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox in select regions. Plus, DVR storage for live recordings. See the latest Sling streaming deals here .

BEST FOR SPORTS

DirecTV

GET DIRECTV FREE TRIAL

When it comes to sports, it can be tricky finding an affordable streamer that offers your favorite games and other sporting events along with other channels. Thankfully, streamers like DirecTV , Fubo and Sling TV offer a bit of everything.

DirecTV's streaming service starts at just $84.99 for the " Entertainment " package , which gets you 90+ channels including ESPN, ESPN 2, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, MotorTrend, NFL Red Zone and more. DirectTV's "Choice" package , meantime, adds on specialty sports channels like ACC Network, Big Ten Network, FanDuel TV, Golf Network, MLB Network, NBA TV, SEC Network and more than 120 other channels for just $89.99 a month.

$59.99 ~~$89.99~~ 33% off

GET DIRECTV CHOICE PACKAGE

Looking to put some money back in your pocket? Save $30 on your first month when you subscribe to DirecTV's Choice package. It's discounted to just $59.99 for a limited time. Not sure you want to commit? Test out DirecTV with a five-day free trial here .

EDITOR'S CHOICE

Fubo

GET FUBO FREE TRIAL

We've been using Fubo as our live TV streamer for years and it truly is the best all-around streaming service for sports, entertainment and everything in between.

Sports fans can stream NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL games along with NASCAR, MMA, tennis, soccer, boxing, golf, college sports and more on Fubo . Plans start at just 64.99 a month right now (usually $84.99 and up) to access over more than 200 channels and dozens of weekly live sporting events.

Fubo subscribers can access ABC, NBC, Fox and CBS, along with MLB Network, Golf Channel, NBA League Pass and other sports-only channels in addition to MTV, ESPN, VH1, E!, FX, MSNBC, TLC, MGM+, Paramount Network, TV Land, USA, Bravo, Telemundo and more.

The subscription includes 1,000 hours of DVR space and family share to simultaneously stream on up to 10 screens at home and three outside of your home internet network.

Need more channels? Subscribe to Fubo Elite and stream more than 300 channels for $74.99/month with current promo. For Spanish speakers, Fubo Latino is $9.99/month to stream 53 channels, with 250 hours of cloud DVR and streaming on up to two screens. Fubo is truly one of the best cable TV alternatives. See more details here .

BEST ALL-IN-ONE STREAMER

Hulu + Live TV

GET HULU + LIVE TV FREE TRIAL

Hulu is one of the oldest platforms in the streaming age, and one of the more affordable ones too with plans starting at $9.99 per month after a 30-day free trial. But if you're interested in watching live television online, you'll want to sign up for Hulu + Live TV .

Streaming plans start at $82.99 a month after a three-day free trial, and you'll get to stream 95+ channels, including ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, ESPN, MTV, BET, ID Network, HGTV, Own, USA, Oxygen, FX, Freeform and more. In addition, subscribers get free access to Disney+ , ESPN+ and Hulu's on-demand streaming library where you'll find exclusives like Shogun , The Bear , We Are the Lucky Ones , Only Murders in the Building , Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story , Death & Other Details , The Impossible Heir , The Kardashians , and The Handmaid's Tale .

$82.99 ~~$104.97~~ 21% off

GET HULU + LIVE TV SUBSCRIPTION

You save by bundling everything together versus paying for Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ separately.

Streamers That Offer Live Channels

Streaming services like Paramount+ and Peacock are known for their on-demand content but Paramount+ subscribers can access a live feed of CBS and CBS-affiliated channels.

GET PARAMOUNT PLUS FREE TRIAL

Peacock subscribers, meantime, can enjoy live access to NBC and commercial-free streaming starting from $7.99 a month.

get peacock SUBSCRIPTION

Peacock gives you next-day access to current NBC programs; Premier League, WWE, Sunday Night Football, Indy 500 and other sporting events; plus movies, beloved TV shows (including Yellowstone ) and original series such as The Traitors, Apples Never Fall , To The Edge , Poker Face , Wolf Like M e, Twisted Metal , Killing It , Bel-Air , Bupkis , and episode of Bravo shows such as the Real Housewives franchise, Vandperpump Rules and Below Deck .

And then there's Prime Video , which has its own collection of exclusive series and movies such as Fallout , Them , Invincible , Road House , Reacher , Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Ricky Stanicky . Prime doesn't currently offer live TV channels on its own.

prime video free trial

To widen the streaming net, add Paramount+ , BET+, Max, Starz and other Prime channels and stream must-watch shows, movies and sporting events, from one platform.

Check out Yahoo's latest streaming advice, based on hands-on testing.

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