You can watch local TV channels without cable with any of these streaming services: fuboTV, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV and PlayStation Vue. Depending on where you live, there may also be local news apps that you can use as well. In this article, we’ll help you decide which streaming option is best for you. Let’s get started!
Before we start, we want to highlight a particularly relevant stream in these uncertain times. Sling TV is one of the best options for streaming in 2020 with a rich catalogue of 50+ live channels and 50k+ on-demand movies and episodes.
For a limited time, you get Showtime, Starz, and Epix add-ons FREE ($24 worth of Premium TV for 30 days).
Sign up below to try Sling TV for $20.
Watch Local TV Channels with fuboTV
fuboTV was originally a niche sports-only streaming service, but that focus changed as time went on. Today fuboTV has some of the best local TV coverage in the industry, so it’s a great way to fill in the gaps if you want to get local TV via the internet. There is, however, a downside: fuboTV has yet to sign up any ABC affiliates. On the other hand, fuboTV is one of the only streaming services that lets you watch local local Univision and Telemundo stations.
fuboTV Pricing and Packages
Unlike some streaming services, fuboTV includes most of the channels that it carries in its base plan. The next step up after fubo Standard is fubo Family. The main benefit of it is that it gives you more DVR recording time and an additional simultaneous stream. fubo Entertainment is similar to fubo Family, but with a key difference: it comes with Showtime. The deluxe plan is called fubo Ultra and it comes with 113 channels (including Showtime and the Sports Plus add-on), three simultaneous streams and 500 hours of DVR recording space.
| Standard 7-day free trial $54.99/ month | 92 channels 2 simultaneous streams 30 hours of DVR space SHOWTIME Sports Plus add-on | SIGN UP |
| Family 7-day free trial $59.99+/ month | 92 channels 3 simultaneous streams 500 hours of DVR space SHOWTIME Sports Plus add-on | SIGN UP |
| Entertainment 7-day free trial $69.99/ month | 92 channels 2 simultaneous streams 500 hours of DVR space SHOWTIME Sports Plus add-on | SIGN UP |
| Ultra 7-day free trial $79.99/ month | 113 channels 3 simultaneous streams 500 hours of DVR space SHOWTIME included Sports Plus add-on | SIGN UP |
To learn more about fuboTV’s pricing and packages, click here.
FuboTV Channels
Fubo Standard comes with 90 channels, including your local CBS, NBC and FOX affiliates if available. If there’s a Univision or Telemundo station in your area, you may be able to get those as well. Check the fuboTV website to find out for sure before you sign up for the free trial.Â
To learn more about fuboTV’s channels, click here.
fuboTV Supported Devices
fuboTV has above average device support:
- TV streaming media players: Apple TV (4th gen and up), Amazon Fire TV and TV Stick (1st gen and up), Chromecast and Roku (2, 3 and 4)
- Smart TVs: Android TV (4.4 and up)
- Game consoles: None
- Mobile devices and tablets: Android and iOS
- Desktop browsers: Most Mac and PC browsers
Click here to learn more about fuboTV’s device support.
fuboTV Simultaneous Streams
fuboTV lets you watch TV on two devices at once. If you have a larger number of people you intend to share your account with, you may want to upgrade to the fubo Family and get three simultaneous streams.
To learn more about fuboTV’s simultaneous streaming policy, check here.
fuboTV DVR
fuboTV offers a cloud DVR service, which lets you record up to 30 hours of video without any additional costs. An upgrade boosts your recording limit to a rather impressive 500 hours.
To learn more about fuboTV’s DVR, click here.
fuboTV On-Demand Library
fuboTV’s on-demand library isn’t huge, but it has a decent amount of content.
Click here to learn more about fuboTV’s on-demand library.
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Watch Local TV Channels with Hulu With Live TV
Like PlayStation Vue, Hulu with Live TV carries all four American broadcast networks: CBS, ABC, NBC and FOX. One of the biggest draws to this streaming service is Hulu’s on-demand content. All Hulu with Live TV subscribers can access the main Hulu site and stream as much on-demand movies and TV shows as they like. Many of the TV shows that you’ll find on Hulu with Live TV’s live streams get added to the on-demand side of the site the day after they’re broadcast.
Hulu with Live TV Pricing and Packages
Hulu with Live TV offers just a few all-inclusive plans. The main package has 60+ channels. You get two simultaneous stream and you don’t have to pay extra to get ESPN and Disney.Â
Hulu + Live TV
7-Day Free Trial
$54.99/ month
SIGN UP
To learn more about Hulu with Live TV’s pricing, click here.
Hulu with Live TV Channels
Like fuboTV and PlayStation Vue, Hulu with Live TV has a free trial that lets you evaluate the service for yourself to see if you like what it offers in the way of channel selection. You may want to consider visiting the Hulu with Live TV website to see if Hulu has signed deals with the local network affiliates near you before you join if getting local TV is one of your main priorities. Coverage is good overall, but there are still a few holes– particularly in rural areas. If many places, you’ll be able to watch CBS, NBC, FOX and ABC through Hulu with Live TV. That will save you the hassle of having to switch inputs every time you want to watch the local news or see regional sports matches.
Click here to learn more about Hulu with Live TV’s channel options.
Hulu with Live TV Supported Devices
Hulu with Live TV has great device support. The most popular streaming devices are available.Â
- TV streaming media players: Apple TV (4th gen and up), Amazon Fire TV and TV Stick, Chromecast and Roku (most models).
- Smart TVs: LG TV (select models), Samsung TV (select models), Android TV and Roku TV.
- Mobile devices and tablets: Android (5.0 and up), Â iOS (11 and up), Amazon Fire (tablets).
- Game consoles: Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Xbox 360.
- Desktop browsers: Most Mac and PC browsers.
- Smart home devices: Amazon Echo Show (video and voice controls).
- Desktop operating systems: Windows 10 (dedicated app).
To learn more about Hulu with Live TV’s supported devices, click here.
Hulu with Live TV Simultaneous Streams
The base subscription comes with only two simultaneous streams. Hulu’s Unlimited Screens add-on lets you stream to an unlimited number of devices on your home network.
To learn more about Hulu with Live TV’s simultaneous streaming policy, click here.
Hulu with Live TV DVR
A robust 50-hour cloud DVR comes free with the basic subscription. Your storage capabilities can also be increased up to 200 hours with the Enhanced Cloud DVR add-on.
To learn more about Hulu with Live TV’s DVR storage options, click here.
Hulu with Live TV On-Demand Library
Hulu with Live TV’s best feature is its huge on-demand catalog.
You can learn more about Hulu with Live TV’s on-demand library by checking here.
Watch Local TV Channels with Sling TV
Sling TV has less to offer in the way of local TV compared to its competitors. That could be why it’s a bit cheaper. The only two broadcast networks that you can get are NBC and FOX. However, there’s a perk that you might want to know about. Sling TV is the only streaming service that will send you a free HD TV antenna when you sign up. If you have a TV device like a Roku that can receive TV antenna signals, that might make this unique streaming service worth checking out. Sling TV is far customizable compared to competing cable replacers because of its many different channel add-on packs.
Sling TV Pricing and Packages
Sling TV offers three base subscription options for new subscribers. You can choose between two base plans or get both base plans for a discounted price. Both base plans cost $25. Once you get at least one base plan, you can get more channels by purchasing channel add-on packs.
* You get 1 stream for Sling Orange channels and up to 3 simultaneous streams for Sling Blue channels.
Sling Orange
Limited time offer
$20.00/ month
SIGN UP
Sling Blue
Limited time offer$20.00/ month
SIGN UP
Sling Orange + Blue
Limited time offer
$35.00/ month
SIGN UP
To learn more about Sling TV pricing, check here.
Sling TV Channels
If live TV is your priority, get Sling Blue. You may be able to get live NBC and FOX feeds with it, depending on where you live. You can also get Sling Blue and Sling Orange together if you like the selection of channels you get with Sling Orange. As mentioned earlier, Sling TV’s local TV affiliate map has many holes. Visit the Sling TV website and type in your zip code so you can find out if you can get NBC and FOX before you join.
To learn more about Sling TV channels, check here.
Sling TV Supported Devices
Sling TV has great device support:
- TV streaming media players: Apple TV (4th gen and up), Amazon Fire TV (all versions), Chromecast, Roku (LT and up), AirTV.
- Smart TVs: LG TV (Web OS 3.0, 3.5, and 4.0, as well as select 2016-2018 models), Samsung TV (2016 through 2018 models), Android TV (4.4 and up), Roku TV, Mi TV.
- Mobile devices and tablets: Android (4.4 and up), Â iOS (11 and up), Amazon Fire (tablets).
- Game consoles: Xbox One.
- Desktop browsers: Chrome is recommended for use with Mac and Windows.
Check here for more info on Sling TV’s supported devices.
Sling TV Simultaneous Streams
With Sling Blue, you get three simultaneous streams. That’s more than industry standard (which is two streams), and more than you’d get with Sling Orange (only one stream).Â
To learn more about Sling TV’s simultaneous streams, click here.
Sling TV DVR
Sling TV doesn’t come with a free DVR, but you can add recording functionality for $5/month extra. You can’t record any Sling Orange channels, though.
To learn more about Sling TV’s DVR, check here.
Sling TV On-Demand Library
Sling TV does have an on-demand content library, but it’s somewhat limited compared to some streaming services.
Click here to learn more about Sling TV’s on-demand library.
Watch Local TV Channels with PlayStation Vue
fuboTV is great– particularly if you like to watch sports that most other streaming services don’t carry. However, if you’re looking for a streaming service that carries all four of the major American broadcast stations, you may want to go with PlayStation Vue. It has struck deals with not only CBS, NBC and FOX, but also ABC. Another perk of PlayStation Vue is that it has more flexibility in terms of sharing your account with your family and friends. fuboTV only lets you watch three streams at once through one account, but with PlayStation Vue you get five.Â
PlayStation Vue Pricing and Packages
All PlayStation Vue subscribers get equal access to all the available local CBS, ABC, NBC and FOX broadcasts, no matter which plan you choose. Unlike fuboTV, PlayStation Vue offers a budget plan as well as plans with lots of channels for people that are willing to pay more. Local TV coverage is good, but you should still check the PlayStation Vue website to see what’s available before you commit if local TV is your priority. Like most streaming services, there’s also a free trial that will let you test out PlayStation Vue to see if it’s right for you.
Click here to learn more about PlayStation Vue’s pricing and packages.
PlayStation Vue Channels
Access is designed for people who don’t want to spend much money on TV entertainment. It has around 50 channels, including ESPN, Disney and lots of others. The next step up, Core, gives you access to NFL Network, ESPNU, ESPNEWS and more. Elite’s focus is movie channels. Ultra is the most expensive plan and it comes with several premium cable channels.
To learn more about PlayStation Vue’s channels, click here.
PlayStation Vue Supported Devices
Don’t worry: despite what the brand name suggests, you can use PlayStation Vue without a PlayStation. Supported devices include:Â
- TV streaming media players: Apple TV (4th gen and up), Android TV (all gens), Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick (all gens), Chromecast (1st gen and up) and Roku (firmware 8.0 and up).
- Smart TVs: Amazon Fire TV (all gens), Android TV (all gens) and Roku (firmware 8.0 and up).
- Mobile devices and tablets: Android OS 5.0 and up, iOS 9 and up, and Amazon Fire HD6 tablets and up.
- Game consoles: PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4.
- Desktop browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Microsoft Edge are recommended (most recent versions will work).
Click here to learn more about PlayStation Vue’s device support.
PlayStation Vue Simultaneous Streams
PlayStation Vue allows users to stream on up to 5 devices at once, which is far more than what most other streaming services allow.
To learn more about PlayStation Vue’s simultaneous streaming policy, check here.
PlayStation Vue DVR
PlayStation Vue’s unlimited DVR lets you save as much TV as you want. Recordings expire after four weeks.
To learn more about PlayStation Vue’s DVR, click here.
PlayStation Vue On-Demand Library
PlayStation Vue’s on-demand content library is good, but it’s not comparable to streaming services that specialize in on-demand.
Click here to learn more about PlayStation Vue’s on-demand library.
How to Watch Local TV Channels on Amazon Fire TV
You can watch local TV channels on Amazon Fire TV with one of these streaming services: fuboTV, Hulu with Live TV,Sling TV and PlayStation Vue. You can use your credentials to log into the app once you download and install it.
How to Watch Local TV Channels on Roku
You can watch local TV channels on Roku with one of these streaming services: fuboTV, Hulu with Live TV,Sling TV and PlayStation Vue. Download any of the apps for free from the Roku Channels store. Once you sign up, you can use your credentials to log into the app.
How to Watch Local TV Channels on Apple TV
You can watch local TV channels on Apple TV with one of these streaming services: fuboTV, Hulu with Live TV,Sling TV and PlayStation Vue. Download any of their apps on Apple TV’s App Store, sign up, then use your credentials to log in.
