id="article-body" class="row" section="article-body"> Sarah Tew/CNET Deciding to cut the cable TV cord doesn't mean you have to give up live TV. One way to watch live shows without cable is to connect an antenna. It's cheap (read: free) and effective, as long as you're willing to live with the handful of local channels available in your area. And assuming you get good reception.

If that's not good enough, and you're willing to shell out a monthly payment, you should check out a live TV streaming service. They deliver numerous familiar channels like ESPN, CNN, Fox News and TNT, as well as features like cloud DVRs and the ability to watch not only on TVs, but also on phones, tablets and computers.

Eight major services are available today: Hulu with Live TV, Google's YouTube TV, Dish Network's Sling TV, Sony's PlayStation Vue, AT&T's DirecTV Now and Watch TV, Philo and Fubo TV. They cost $15 per month and up. Our full guide has all the details, but really, it's all about the channels.

And those channels are getting tweaked all the time. DirecTV Now just dropped CBS, for example, and other providers have added channels and/or raised prices in the last few months (Note: CBS is the parent company of CNET.) 

Read more

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The big chart: Top 100 channels compared (updated July 24, 2019)
The main difference between each service is their channel lineups. All of them offer different slates of channels for various prices. 

Most don't have as many channels as traditional cable or satellite TV packages. On the other hand, maybe they have enough for you -- especially if you're saving a bunch of money every month by not paying the cable company for channels you don't watch.

Below you'll find a chart that shows the top 100 channels across all eight services. There are actually nine listed, because Sling TV has two different "base" tiers, Orange and Blue. And if you're wondering, I chose which "top" channels made the cut. Sorry AXS TV, Discovery Life, GSN and Universal HD.

Now playing: Watch this: Live TV streaming services for cord cutters: How to choose... 2:44 Some more stuff to know about the chart: 


Yes = The channel is available on the cheapest pricing tier. That price is listed next to the service's name.


No = The channel isn't available at all on that service. 


$ = The channel is available for an extra fee, either a la carte or as part of a more expensive package or add-on.


Regional sports networks -- channels devoted to showing regular-season games of particular pro baseball, basketball and/or hockey teams -- are not listed. That's a numeric disadvantage to services like YouTube TV and Fubo, which carry a lot of RSNs, and an advantage to Philo and AT&T, which don't offer any sports channels, period. 


ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, MyNetworkTV and The CW networks are not available in every city and availability of these local channels varies widely per service. In some cities, some services only offer video-on-demand shows from the networks, not the live local channel itself. 


PBS isn't available on any service (yet) but it's definitely a top channel, so it gets a row.

The chart columns are arranged in order of price, 휴대폰소액결제현금화 so if you can't see everything you want, try scrolling right.

Overwhelmed? An easier-to-grok Google Spreadsheet is here.
AT&T Watch TV vs. Philo vs. Sling TV vs. Hulu vs. DirecTV Now vs. PS Vue vs. YouTube TV vs. Fubo: Top 100 channels compared

Channel AT&T Watch TV ($15) Philo ($20) Sling Orange ($25) Sling Blue ($25) Hulu with Live TV ($45) DirecTV Now ($50) PS Vue ($50) YouTube TV ($50) Fubo TV ($55)

Total channels: 37 39 24 39 58 43 47 64 66

ABC No No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes No

CBS No No No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes

Fox No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

NBC No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

PBS No No No No No No No No No

CW No No No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes

MyNetworkTV No No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes













A&E Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes $ No No Yes

AMC Yes Yes Yes Yes No $ Yes Yes Yes

Animal Planet Yes Yes No No Yes $ Yes Yes No

BBC America Yes Yes Yes Yes No $ Yes Yes Yes

BBC World News Yes Yes $ $ No $ $ Yes $

BET Yes Yes $ Yes No $ No No Yes

Big Ten Network No No No No Yes $ $ Yes Yes

Bloomberg TV No No Yes Yes No $ No No No

Boomerang Yes No $ $ Yes Yes $ No $

Bravo No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Channel AT&T Watch TV ($15) Philo ($20) Sling Orange ($25) Sling Blue ($25) Hulu with Live TV ($45) DirecTV Now ($50) PS Vue ($50) YouTube TV ($50) Fubo TV ($55)

Cartoon Network Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

CBS Sports Network No No No No Yes $ $ Yes Yes

Cheddar No Yes Yes Yes Yes $ Yes Yes Yes

Cinemax No No No No $ $ $ No No

CMT No Yes $ $ No $ No No Yes

CNBC No No No $ Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

CNN Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Comedy Central Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No Yes

Cooking Channel No Yes $ $ No $ $ No $

Destination America No Yes $ $ No $ Yes No $

Discovery Channel Yes Yes No Yes Yes $ Yes Yes Yes

Disney Channel No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No

Disney Junior No No $ No Yes Yes Yes Yes No

Disney XD No No $ No Yes Yes Yes Yes No

DIY No Yes $ $ No $ $ No $

E! No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

EPIX No No $ $ No No $ $ No

ESPN No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No

ESPN 2 No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No

ESPNEWS No No $ No Yes $ $ Yes No

ESPNU No No $ No Yes $ $ Yes No

Channel AT&T Watch TV ($15) Philo ($20) Sling Orange ($25) Sling Blue ($25) Hulu with Live TV ($45) DirecTV Now ($50) PS Vue ($50) YouTube TV ($50) Fubo TV ($55)

Food Network Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes $ Yes Yes Yes

Fox Business No No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Fox News No No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Fox Sports 1 No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Fox Sports 2 No No No Yes Yes $ Yes Yes Yes

Freeform No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No

FX No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

FX Movie Channel No No No No Yes Yes $ Yes Yes

FXX No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

FYI Yes Yes $ $ No $ No No Yes

Golf Channel No No No $ Yes $ $ Yes Yes

Hallmark Yes Yes $ $ No Yes $ No Yes

HBO No No No No $ Yes $ No No

HGTV Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes $ Yes Yes Yes

History Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes $ No No Yes

HLN Yes No $ $ Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

IFC Yes Yes Yes Yes No $ $ Yes Yes

Investigation Discovery Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes $ Yes Yes Yes

Lifetime Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes $ No No Yes

Lifetime Movie Network Yes Yes $ $ No $ No No Yes

Channel AT&T Watch TV ($15) Philo ($20) Sling Orange ($25) Sling Blue ($25) Hulu with Live TV ($45) DirecTV Now ($50) PS Vue ($50) YouTube TV ($50) Fubo TV ($55)

MLB Network No No $ $ No $ $ Yes No

Motor Trend Yes Yes Yes No Yes $ $ Yes Yes

MSNBC No No No $ Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

MTV Yes Yes $ $ No Yes No No Yes

MTV2 Yes Yes $ $ No $ No No $

National Geographic No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Nat Geo Wild No No No Yes Yes Yes $ Yes Yes

NBA TV No No $ $ No $ $ Yes Yes

NBC Sports Network No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Newsy No No Yes Yes No No No Yes $

NFL Network No No No Yes No No $ No Yes

NFL Red Zone No No No $ No No $ No $

NHL Network No No $ $ No $ No No No

Nickelodeon Yes Yes No No No Yes No No Yes

Nick Jr. No Yes $ Yes No Yes No No Yes

Nicktoons Yes Yes $ $ No $ No No $

OWN Yes Yes No No No $ Yes No No

Oxygen No No No $ Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Paramount Network No Yes $ Yes No $ No No Yes

Channel AT&T Watch TV ($15) Philo ($20) Sling Orange ($25) Sling Blue ($25) Hulu with Live TV ($45) DirecTV Now ($50) PS Vue ($50) YouTube TV ($50) Fubo TV ($55)

Science No Yes $ $ No $ Yes No $

SEC Network No No $ No Yes $ $ Yes No

Showtime No No $ $ $ $ $ $ $

Smithsonian No No No No Yes No $ Yes Yes

Starz No No $ $ No $ No $ No

Sundance TV Yes Yes $ $ No $ $ Yes Yes

Syfy No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Tastemade No Yes No No No No $ Yes No

TBS Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

TCM Yes No $ $ Yes Yes $ Yes Yes

Telemundo No No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Tennis Channel No No $ $ No $ $ Yes $

TLC Yes Yes No Yes Yes $ Yes Yes Yes

TNT Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Travel Channel No Yes Yes Yes Yes $ Yes Yes Yes

TruTV Yes No $ Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

TV Land Yes Yes $ $ No $ No No Yes

Univision No No No No No $ No No Yes

USA Network No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

VH1 Yes Yes $ $ No Yes No No Yes

Viceland Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes $ No No Yes

WE tv Yes Yes $ $ No $ Yes Yes Yes

Weather Channel No No No No No $ No No No

Channel AT&T Watch TV ($15) Philo ($20) Sling Orange ($25) Sling Blue ($25) Hulu with Live TV ($45) DirecTV Now ($50) PS Vue ($50) YouTube TV ($50) Fubo TV ($55)
Originally published Nov. 28, 2016.
Update, July 24, 2019: Adds latest channels and pricing.

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