What’s the Best Option to Stream Live TV?

streaming live tv

You now have more inexpensive options than ever to stream live TV, but which gives you the most bang for your buck?

Depending on your location, you can get a basic cable package between $25 and $45 monthly. For an affordability comparison, I will use $35 before taxes per month for the prices of the various streaming services. I will also take into account the number of channels offered.

Hulu + Live TV

First, we have Hulu + LiveTV. Hulu is known for its streaming service, but it also offers live television for $45 per month with a decent assortment of channels covering sports and entertainment. However, these channels come with commercials unless you upgrade your digital video recorder (DVR) beyond the given 50 hours. Additionally, you can only stream on two devices at a time. All in all, it seems like an expensive Disney+ bundle with some extra channels.

AT&T TV Now

Next is AT&T TV Now, formerly known as DirectTV Now. This package is the most expensive, but it may be because it includes HBO instead of offering the premium channel as a standalone addition. It also provides 40 other channels, such as Bravo, Fox, ESPN, and Disney. Again, you can only stream two devices simultaneously.

AT&T WatchTV

The third service is AT&T WatchTV, which is a less expensive option from AT&T that is free for unlimited phone plan subscribers. For everyone else, it is $15 per month, which still makes this plan the most affordable of the options. The subscription offers 30 channels, but there are no sports channels. If you must have sports, then this is not the package for you. Also, you can stream one device at a time, so it probably wouldn’t work well for a family.

Sling TV

Fourth is Sling TV, which has been a popular cable replacement. Sling has three plans, two are $25 each, or you can combine both for $40. The channel offerings are 30, 40, or 70, depending on the plan that you choose. The simultaneous device streaming of one, three, or four, respectively, also varies by subscription. DVR is an additional $5 per month. The costs tend to creep up, but it will probably still be cheaper than cable once you factor in the price of equipment, fees, and taxes.

Philo

The fifth streaming service is Philo. This package is only $20 monthly and offers 58 channels. It also skips the sports and local stations, but it has the Hallmark Channel and A&E. You can stream three devices simultaneously; however, the DVR only stores up to 30 days.

YouTube TV

Lastly, there is YouTube TV. This streaming service is $49.99 per month and has over 70 channels. YouTube TV lets you stream three devices at the same time, and you can share your account with six people. This package is one of the more costly offerings but is one of the few that includes channels like ABC and CBS. It also includes sports and unlimited DVR. However, premium channels are additional, which could easily tip this subscription over the cost of cable.

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