If you’re cutting the cord, might we suggest a live TV streaming service?
Best Live TV Streaming Service Providers 2023
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If you're thinking of switching over to a live TV streaming service, you're definitely not alone. More and more people are ditching cable or satellite TV to save money (especially during these inflation times, sigh).
We’ll help you find the best live TV streaming service based on your budget, and ensure you have all your favorite channels and ample DVR storage to meet your or your family’s needs.
Let's jump into the details of some of the best services in the industry.
fuboTV is our favorite live TV streaming service hands down
What do we like about fuboTV?
- fuboTV has the most sports channels in the industry.
- fuboTV also has a decent number of news, lifestyle, and kids channels.
How big of a sports fan are you?
fuboTV's Pro plan gets you close to 20 sports channels (plus 20 TUDN and BeIN SPORTS channels) in your lineup. If you order the Elite or Premier plan, you’ll have about 50.
You’ll find your well-known sports channels in the entry-level plan, such as ESPN, Big Ten Network, FOX Sports, and NFL Network.
And you could say the Elite and Ultimate plans are for the sports megafans who don't want to miss an Ole Miss college game or Rafael Nadal tennis match. Some sports channels in these packages include the following:
- ACC Network (ACCN)
- ESPNU
- ESPNews
- Fight Network
- MLB Network
- NBA TV
- NHL Network
- PAC-12 Networks
- Pac-12 Mountain (or your regional network
- SEC Network
- Stadium
- Stadium (1-3)
- Tennis Channel
- Zona Futbol
The whole family will love the channel variety
While you watch your Chicago Bulls play, your spouse can watch Flip or Flop, and your kids can watch Spongebob Squarepants.
fuboTV’s channel lineup includes the following channels:
- Animal Planet
- Big Ten Network
- Food Network
- FOX News
- FS1, FS2
- Hallmark Channel
- HGTV
- Lifetime
- MSNBC
- NFL Network
- Nickelodeon
- Telemundo
- Universal Kids
- Univision
What don’t we like about fuboTV?
- fuboTV doesn't have TNT, TBS, and CNN
fuboTV is missing some key channels
Although this live TV service is the best for sports, we're disappointed that it doesn't have TNT for NBA games. (Shame!) But if you're an avid basketball fan, an NBA LEAGUE PASS subscription might be up your alley.
You won't be able to watch New Girl on TBS and you can't get political news through CNN with fuboTV, but you get to enjoy Hallmark Channel and MSNBC.
If you'd like to delve into lots more details about fuboTV, check out our full review.
YouTube TV is a phenomenal all-around service
What do we like about YouTube TV?
- YouTube TV has an arguably complete channel lineup.
- This streaming service has the best DVR in the industry.
- YouTube TV is the only live streaming service to offer NFL Sunday Ticket
You get 100 great channels for every personality in the house
You snag 100 great channels with YouTube TV, including the ViacomCBS channels that we all love, such as Comedy Central, BET, and Paramount Network.
But one of our favorite parts about YouTube TV’s channel lineup is you get NFL Network, NBA TV, SEC Network, and ESPNU. Sure, you can get these channels with fuboTV, but you’d have to pay $20 more per month.
We named YouTube TV the second-best streaming service for sports because it has those sports channels along with nine others for $73/month. And this service will be home to NFL SUNDAY TICKET starting fall 2023. You can choose to add just NFL SUNDAY TICKET or bundle with NFL RedZone.
Other great channels in YouTube TV’s channel lineup include the following:
- ABC
- BBC America
- Cartoon Network
- CNN
- The CW
- Disney Channel
- ESPN, ESPN 2
- Food Network
- FOX
- HGTV
- Golf Channel
- MSNBC
- Nat Geo
- Nickelodeon
- PBS Kids
- Pop
- TBS
- Telemundo
- Tennis Channel
- Universal Kids
YouTube TV’s DVR has the biggest storage space with unlimited hours. So you can literally record everything. (And recently, Hulu + Live TV added an unlimited DVR storage to its service, as well.)
Record all of The Office episodes, NFL games, and The Price Is Right every day, and still have space to record more.
What don’t we like about YouTube TV?
- Record everything you want, but you can’t save your recordings indefinitely
YouTube TV deletes your recordings after nine months
We stand by our statement that YouTube TV’s DVR is the best.
We just have to warn you that your recordings will be deleted after nine months. So you won’t be able to record The Hobbit and save it in your library indefinitely to watch today and in a year from now.
But if you plan on deleting your recorded TV episode after watching it, you don’t have to worry about YouTube TV’s ninth-month-deleting spree.
Hulu + Live TV is best for families
What do we like about Hulu + Live TV?
- Hulu Live comes with Disney+ and ESPN+.
- This streaming services gives you live channels and lots of on-demand content.
Everyone in the family will love the ultimate entertainment bundle
Who wouldn’t love the live TV channels and on-demand library from Hulu, live sporting events from ESPN+, and all the Disney+ movies you’ve ever dreamed of?
Why do we ask? Because both ESPN+ and Disney+ are now included with Hulu + Live TV!
So enjoy The Mandalorian or the Houston Rockets and New Orleans Pelicans game with the family, then watch one of the great Hulu Originals afterward.
Hulu + Live TV gives you a huge on-demand library and live channels in one service
Hulu Live has the biggest on-demand library out of all of the live TV streaming services. So this service is perfect for those who want to watch The Bachelor in real-time or binge last season.
Other TV shows you can stream on Hulu Live include the following:
- 9-1-1: Lone Star
- All American
- The Handmaid's Tale
- Fargo
- Homeland
- Little Fires Everywhere
- Modern Family
- A Teacher
- Below Deck
- General Hospital
- Saturday Night Live
- Snowpiercer
Hulu Live's channel lineup include the following:
- Animal Planet
- Cartoon Network
- CNN
- The CW
- Discovery Channel
- Disney Channel
- ESPN, ESPN2
- Food Network
- FOX News
- HGTV
- Golf Channel
- Lifetime
- MSNBC
- National Geographic
- TBS
- Telemundo
- TNT
- USA
What don’t we like about Hulu + Live TV?
- Hulu Live only lets you stream on two devices at once.
- You can’t watch NBA TV, MLB Network, or Nickelodeon with Hulu Live.
Expect to add a fee to your monthly bill
Hulu Live allows only two users to watch live channels at the same time, so if you have a family of four, you might run into problems.
If you'd like more than two simultaneous streams for the family, you’ll get the option to pay an extra $10 per month for unlimited streams.
Right about now, we used to bash on Hulu Live's 50-hour DVR storage. (Can you imagine?) Now, the whole family gets to enjoy unlimited DVR storage like you can with YouTube TV.
Watching NBA TV, MLB Network, and Nickelodeon won’t be happening
Hulu Live has 85+ channels, so with that, you won't be getting all of the channels under the sun.
Here are a few other popular channels you’ll be missing out on:
- BBC America
- Comedy Central
- Hallmark Channel
- PBS
- PBS Kids
- Paramount Network
Sling TV is best for money savers
What do we like about Sling TV?
- You get live TV at a reasonable price.
- Sling TV has three inexpensive packages to choose from.
Sling TV has a great price tag for 30+ popular channels
There aren’t many decent live TV streaming services out there that offer a good chunk of popular channels for $40, making it perfect for those who want to cut the cord because of that expensive cable bill.
You won’t have to give up on TV altogether. Thanks to Sling, you won’t have to break the bank.
Just try not to spend that extra money you’ll be saving on online shopping (or maybe that’s why you’re making cuts elsewhere in your life).
Which Sling TV package is best for you and the fam?
Both Sling Orange and Sling Blue are the same price, but both plans have almost a completely different channel lineup. And the Sling Orange + Blue package is basically a combination of both.
If you have kids, you’ll want Sling Orange. You’ll get Cartoon Network and Disney Channel for the little ones, and ESPN and Food Network for you.
If you love news channels, get Sling Blue. You can watch FOX News, MSNBC, and NBC. But if you want them all, Sling Orange + Blue is for you.
If you want to know more about the difference between Sling Orange and Sling Blue, check out our comparison piece where we break down which package has which channels.
What don’t we like about Sling TV?
- Don’t expect all of your favorite channels.
- Sling TV has low DVR storage.
You get what you pay for
Yes, Sling TV is on the cheaper side, but that also means you might not get all of your favorite channels.
You’ll absolutely find a lot of popular channels in their packages (the reason it makes the low price so great), but you won’t get your ABC, The CW, Nickelodeon, or Telemundo.
As for the sports channels ... let's just say Sling tends to the less than average sports fan. Sling offers the following sports channels:
- ESPN
- ESPN2
- ESPN3
- FS1
- NFL Network
- Stadium
- TNT
Sling TV upgraded its DVR storage to 50 hours
Sling TV includes 50 hours of DVR storage in your service, which should be expected with the price tag.
You have the choice to upgrade to a 200-hour DVR storage for an extra $5 per month to make your monthly bill $45–$60.
Oh, and just a heads up: when your DVR storage is full, and you happen to record another show, your old or already-watched recordings will erase in your library (without warning).
DIRECTV's streaming service is best for premium channel fans
What do we like about DIRECTV streaming?
- Premium channels are included in three of DIRECTV's streaming packages.
- DIRECTV's streaming service has four packages to choose from for the family.
If you like premium channels, you’ll want the CHOICE plan or above
If you order a package from CHOICE and above, you’ll get Max free for three months with DIRECTV streaming.
When you get the ULTIMATE package, you’ll get STARZ channels in your channel lineup. Or upgrade to PREMIER to get Max, STARZ, SHOWTIME, and CINEMAX.
In short, DIRECTV's streaming packages aren't messing around. They tend to the fans of Outlander and Billions.
But wait, there's even more entertainment. With DIRECTV's streaming device ($5/month), you'll be able to stream Netflix, HBO Max, Prime Video, and more.
Which of DIRECTV's streaming packages is best for you?
The ENTERTAINMENT package is going to have more of your lifestyle and news channels, like Hallmark, HGTV, MSNBC, and USA.
If you upgrade to CHOICE, you’re going to get MLB Network, Nick Jr., and the Tennis Channel.
The ULTIMATE will give you all of the sports channels DIRECTV's streaming service can offer, including the Golf Channel and NHL Network, and all of the STARZ channels.
And lastly, the PREMIER package will give you the most channels you can possibly get if you're streaming with DIRECTV, including four premium channels.
What don’t we like about DIRECTV streaming?
- It’s the most expensive live TV streaming service in the industry.
You’ll have to budget with DIRECTV streaming
DIRECTV's streaming TV service is the most expensive of the bunch, so this service might only be for those who love premium channels or want a traditional TV experience.
To put it in perspective, DIRECTV's streaming prices average a little over $1 per channel. YouTube TV is 65 cents per channel, and fuboTV is about 46 cents per channel.
We hope DIRECTV will decide to lower its streaming prices one day.
If you need a new, faster internet provider, check out our top internet providers for seamless streaming, recommended by our staff writer, Tyler Abbott.
Recap: Which is the best live TV streaming service?
- fuboTV: Perfect for families full of many of personalities, you can get about 50 sports channels and 100+ other channels for news, lifestyle, movies, and kids with fuboTV. It’s the best-valued live TV streaming service because you get over 140 channels for $75 per month, a big DVR storage space, and an easy-to-use interface.
- YouTube TV: YouTube TV comes in at a close second because you get a solid channel lineup of more than 100 channels with the best DVR in the industry. YouTube TV is not for those who absolutely need their MLB Network or Tennis and HISTORY channels, but you will get your Turner Network channels, like TNT and CNN.
- Hulu + Live TV: Hulu Live offers a three-streaming-service bundle for one decent price. The bundle of Hulu Live, Disney+, and ESPN+ will make all members of the family happy. But if you want zero ads in your on-demand content, you’ll have to tack on $13 to your monthly bill.
- Sling TV: If you’re trying to save money but want live TV without the expensive cable or satellite TV bill, Sling is for you. Just keep in mind with that low price, you may not get everything fuboTV, YouTube TV, or Hulu + Live TV can offer you.
- Streaming with DIRECTV: Although DIRECTV's streaming service is the most expensive live TV streaming service in the industry at the moment, you do get premium channels included in most of the plans. And you get four plans to choose from to best fit your family.

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