Video Streaming Services That Let You Cut Cable TV
Every year, more people decide to ditch their cable or satellite TV providers, choosing to get all their TV entertainment and news from live TV streaming services. These streaming services let you cut cable TV by accessing live channels through the web. DirecTV Stream, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, Philo, Sling TV, and YouTube TV promise to replicate cable TV with lower monthly bills—but their own prices are rising.
What to Look for in a Live TV Streaming Service
Live streaming services are very different from on-demand streaming services such as Apple TV+, HBO Max, and Netflix, which let you watch individual TV series and movies whenever you want. Instead, they try to replicate what you’d get through cable or satellite providers by offering access to live TV—including local broadcast networks such as ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC, plus cable channels—but at a lower price and with no contractual commitments. Most of these cable replacement services also let you add genre- or theme-based channel packs, plus premium networks such as HBO Max and Paramount+ with Showtime, for additional monthly fees.
The following table provides a breakdown of costs and channel offerings for popular services:
| Service Plan | Monthly Bill | Approximate Channels |
|---|---|---|
| Philo | $28 | Varies (No locals) |
| DirecTV Entertainment | $85 | 90 channels |
| Fubo Pro | $85 | 200+ channels |
| DirecTV Choice | $108 | 125 channels |
| Fubo Elite with Sports Plus | $110 | 300 channels |
| DirecTV Ultimate | $133 | 160 channels |
| DirecTV Premier | $173 | 185 channels |
DirecTV Service Details
DirecTV, which until recently was called DirecTV Stream, is essentially the DirecTV satellite service without the dish. The cheapest plans provide a mix of live TV stations and cable channels. All DirecTV plans now include ESPN Unlimited, the new streaming service that provides access to the ESPN cable channels. Some channels, such as BBC News, FXM, Logo, NHL Network, Nick Jr., Oxygen, and the Smithsonian Channel, are available only in the pricier plans. All of the services come with on-demand shows and movies, and unlimited cloud DVR storage.
What you don’t get: Some local channels and regional sports networks aren’t available in all markets or in the most basic plan. And some channels, such as BBC News, CBS Sports Network, FXM, Logo, NHL Network, Oxygen, and the Smithsonian Channel, are available only in the pricier plans.
Fubo Sports-Centric Streaming
Fubo is a sports-centric service that provides live and on-demand channels from ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC in most markets. You also get cable channels (AMC, Bravo, Discovery, FX, HGTV, Syfy, and TLC) and sports networks (BeIn Sports, FS1, Golf Channel, MSG, NBA TV, and SNY). Thanks to a deal with Disney, the service now has ESPN, plus the SEC and ACC networks in certain markets. Fubo’s Pro plan costs $85 a month and has more than 200 channels with local stations in most markets. It also includes regional MLB, NBA, and NFL games. The $110-a-month Elite with Sports Plus plan has about 300 channels plus 4K video when available. This package adds the 55 additional sports, entertainment, and news channels you get with the Fubo Extra and News Plus add-on packages.
