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Sling
A low-cost cable replacement for streamers
Feeling nostalgic? TCM (Turner Classic Movies) is the place for you, with film programming—and sometimes curated movie marathons—spanning from the Golden Age of Hollywood into the Technicolor-dominated decades of the 60s, 70s, and 80s.
There are many ways to watch TCM without cable, including Hulu Live TV, YouTube TV, Sling, or DirecTV Stream.
But our team's pick for most people to watch TCM, is Sling. Here's why:
- Big families (or roommates or friends) can watch Sling without stress, as they offer up to 3 simultaneous streams.
- Sling is available in every region of the United States. (Viewers outside the US can try to access Sling with a VPN, like ExpressVPN — or one of our other top VPNs.)
If, for whatever reason, watching TCM on Sling doesn't work for you, we've also rounded up 3 more options — and we even divided them up into the best picks for people who also watch lots of sports, news, reality TV, and more. Let's get into the best options for everyone.
Our top 4 picks for streaming Turner Classic Movies without cable
Sling Orange
$20 off your first month
Top pick
- 30+ channels
- ESPN
- Stream on one device
$45.99/month
sling.com
Hulu Live TV only
Budget pick
- 90+ live channels
- Stream on two screens
$81.99/month
hulu.com
YouTube TV Spanish
Only $24.99 for the first 6 months
Sports pick
- Unlimited DVR space
- 6 accounts to share at home
- Stream on three screens
- 30+ Spanish channels
$34.99/month
tv.youtube.com
DirecTV Stream Entertainment
Try 5 days free
News pick
- 75+ channels
- Stream on unlimited devices at home
- Unlimited DVR space
- Three months of Max free
$86.99/month
directv.com
Top pick: Stream TCM on Sling
If you're looking for the best way to stream TCM, Sling is our team's top pick. Using our streaming recommendation system, the Flixed team has determined that Sling is the best way for most people to watch what's live on TCM because it offers the ideal combination of price, channels, and features.
Watch TCM with Sling
Sling Orange
$20 off your first month
- 30+ channels
- ESPN
- Stream on one device
$45.99/month
Sling Blue
$20 off your first month
- 40+ channels
- Local channels in select cities
- News and entertainment
- Stream on three screens
$45.99/month
Sling Orange & Blue
$20 off your first month
- General cable replacement
- 45+ channels
- Stream on three screens
$60.99/month
Other channels on Sling include: Longhorn Network, Cable News Network, HLN, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, Turner Classic Movies, TV Land, A&E, AMC, BET, Bravo, Comedy Central, E! Entertainment Television, ESPNU, INSP, Science, FYI, MTV2: Music Television, BBC America, beIN Sports, CMT, and more.
Devices supported by Sling include: air-tv, tivo, ios, android, chromecast, web-browsers, portal, android-tv, amazon-fire-tv, lg-tv, samsung-tv, and vizio.
Our Sling review also includes more about why our team loves Sling.
Budget pick: Stream TCM on Hulu Live TV
Hulu Live TV is an affordable option for overall cable replacement. Coming with Disney+ and ESPN+, unlimited DVR space, and easy cancellation, you find yourself with a well-balanced streaming package.
Watch TCM with Hulu Live TV
Hulu Live TV only
- 90+ live channels
- Stream on two screens
$81.99/month
Hulu Live TV (with ads)
Disney+ and ESPN+ included
- Stream on two screens
- ESPN+ and Disney+ included
- On demand content
- 90+ live channels
$82.99/month
Hulu Live TV (some ads)
Disney+ and ESPN+ included
- Stream on two screens
- ESPN+ and Disney+ included
- On demand content
- 90+ live channels
$87.99/month
Hulu Live TV (no ads)
Disney+ and ESPN+ included
- Stream on two screens
- ESPN+ and Disney+ included
- On demand content
- 90+ live channels
$95.99/month
If you only want on-demand shows and movies, not live TV:
Other channels on Hulu Live TV include: Cable News Network, HLN, Turner Classic Movies, TV Land, A&E, BET, Bravo, Comedy Central, Discovery Family Channel, E! Entertainment Television, ESPNU, Freeform, FX, Science, FYI, MTV2: Music Television, Animal Planet, CMT, CNBC, Disney Junior, and more.
Take a look at what's live on Hulu Live TV right now.
Devices supported by Hulu Live TV include: chromecast, web-browsers, ios, android-tv, apple-tv, amazon-fire-tv, and lg-tv.
Our team shares even more comprehensive analysis of Hulu Live TV in our Hulu Live TV review. For the true budget streamer, we've also compiled a list of our favorite free streaming services.
Sports fan pick: Stream TCM on YouTube TV
Most sports fans already know and love YouTube TV. If you're trying to watch TCM without cable and you also watch a lot of sports, YouTube TV is probably the best pick for you.
Youtube TV’s most attractive feature for sports fans is its upcoming NFL Sunday Ticket package. Get every Sunday game that’s not airing on your local CBS or FOX network, along with the standard 100+ live channels and have all of the sports you need in one place.
Watch TCM with YouTube TV
YouTube TV Spanish
Only $24.99 for the first 6 months
- Unlimited DVR space
- 6 accounts to share at home
- Stream on three screens
- 30+ Spanish channels
$34.99/month
YouTube TV
Only $54.99 for the first 3 months
- Unlimited DVR space
- 6 accounts for one price
- Stream on three screens
- 100+ live TV channels
$72.99/month
Other channels on YouTube TV include: Cable News Network, HLN, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, Turner Classic Movies, TV Land, AMC, BET, Bravo, Comedy Central, E! Entertainment Television, ESPNU, Freeform, FX, MTV2: Music Television, Animal Planet, BBC America, beIN Sports, CMT, CNBC, Disney Junior, and more.
Some sports might be live on YouTube TV right now.
Devices supported by YouTube TV include: chromecast, web-browsers, android, android-tv, apple-tv, and samsung-tv.
YouTube TV isn't only great for sports fans, though. Our team took YouTube TV for a test drive and put all of our thoughts together in our YouTube TV review.
Plus, we've compiled a list of the best overall streaming services for sports fans.
News fan pick: Stream TCM on DirecTV Stream
If you're someone who watches a lot of news, you probably want to subscribe to a streamer with access to the most popular news channels. No reason to subscribe to a different streaming service just to get access to TCM. Our top pick for most news fans to get access to TCM is DirecTV Stream. Plenty of news shows are airing live now on DirecTV Stream.
DirecTV Stream offers a great range of news channels, including C-SPAN, CNBC, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, as well as local and regional networks based on your location.
Watch TCM with DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream Entertainment
Try 5 days free
- 75+ channels
- Stream on unlimited devices at home
- Unlimited DVR space
- Three months of Max free
$86.99/month
DirecTV Stream Optimo Mas
- 100+ live TV channels
- Spanish and English programming
- Three months of Max free
- Unlimited DVR space
$86.99/month
DirecTV Stream Choice
Try 5 days free
- 105+ live channels
- Unlimited DVR space
- Includes regional sports networks
- Three months of Max free
$114.99/month
DirecTV Stream Ultimate
Try 5 days free
- 140+ live channels
- Unlimited DVR space
- Includes regional sports networks
- Three months of Max free
$129.99/month
DirecTV Stream Premier
- Unlimited DVR space
- 150+ channels
- Includes Max Cinemax SHOWTIME and STARZ
- Includes regional sports networks
$169.99/month
Other channels on DirecTV Stream include: Cable News Network, HLN, Turner Classic Movies, TV Land, A&E, AMC, BET, Bravo, Comedy Central, Discovery Family Channel, E! Entertainment Television, ESPNU, Freeform, FX, Science, FYI, MTV2: Music Television, Animal Planet, BBC America, CMT, and more.
Devices supported by DirecTV Stream include: android, web-browsers, chromecast, ios, amazon-fire-tv, android-tv, and samsung-tv.
We've written even more about why we like DirecTV Stream, but another great option for streaming local news is an OTA antenna. News fans often use antennas for streaming live TV like news shows for free, without cable.
All the streaming services where TCM is or isn't available
The choices for watching TCM aren't limited to our top picks. Here's where you can and can't watch TCM without cable.
Yes, TCM is included in your Sling subscription. In fact, that's why Sling is our top pick for watching TCM without cable.
Read our full review of Sling.
Yes, TCM is included in your DirecTV Stream subscription.
Read our full review of DirecTV Stream.
No, TCM isn't included in your Philo subscription. That's why we recommend trying Sling.
No, TCM isn't included in your Fubo subscription. That's why we recommend trying Sling.
Yes, TCM is included in your Hulu Live TV subscription.
Read our full review of Hulu Live TV.
Yes, TCM is included in your YouTube TV subscription.
Read our full review of YouTube TV.
Watching TCM on top devices
No matter what device you have at home, it's probably possible to watch TCM on it — yes, even without cable. Read on to learn which streamers support both your device and TCM live streams.
How to watch TCM on Roku devices
It's definitely possible to watch TCM on your Roku device, be it a streaming stick or actual Roku TV. Subscribe to Hulu Live TV, YouTube TV, Sling, or DirecTV Stream to get TCM on Roku.
How to watch TCM on an Android smart TV
Have a Samsung smart TV or another type of Android TV? These are some of the easiest to use to get TCM access without cable. Just subscribe to Hulu Live TV, YouTube TV, Sling, or DirecTV Stream to get TCM on your Android smart TV.
How to watch TCM on an Amazon Fire TV
Whether you have a Fire TV Stick or a Cube or another device, you can get access to TCM. Alexa, sign up for to Hulu Live TV, Sling, or DirecTV Stream to get TCM on Amazon devices.
How to stream TCM on iOS
Have an iPhone? An iPad? Not every app is available on Apple's App Store, but depending on the streaming service you. have, you can watch TCM on an iOS device with ease. Subscribe to Hulu Live TV, Sling, or DirecTV Stream to get TCM on your iOS device.
How to watch TCM on Android phones
You can watch TCM on your Pixel or Samsung or Nokia or whatever type of Android you have! Just subscribe to YouTube TV, Sling, or DirecTV Stream to get TCM on Android phones.
The bottom line: you have 4 great options for watching TCM without cable
We found 4 great options for watching TCM without cable. While our top pick is Sling, there are 3 other ways to watch live programming, including Hulu Live TV or YouTube TV. The cheapest option is Hulu Live TV.
Check out the business of streaming in the Stream Report and the most popular streaming content in The Popcorner.
Davan Hamilton • Editor
Davan Hamilton is an editor and writer based in Jacksonville, FL. Holding a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, her writing spans a wide range, from essays on film criticism and analysis to surreal poetry. Now, she works for Flixed as an editor, continuing to ignore the list of passion projects she’s accumulated. When she’s not glued to her computer, you can find her building endless amounts of Lego sets, binge-reading manga, or playing with (fighting) her cat.
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