You can watch the Smithsonian Channel live without cable with one of the following options: fuboTV, Hulu with Live TV, or YouTube TV. In this article, we’ll help you decide which streaming option is best for you.
Want to find out what kind of content you can expect to watch via Smithsonian Channel? Check our our live TV guide for Smithsonian HD Network. It’ll show you what’s playing right now and several days in the future. Best of all, it’s totally free and you don’t have to sign up for anything to access it.
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Watch the Smithsonian Channel with fuboTV
Do you like watching sports as much as you like watching Smithsonian Channel documentaries? If the answer was yes, fuboTV is an excellent choice. Half the channels that you get with the basic subscription package are for watching sports. The other half of the menu is a nice mix of news, family, lifestyle and educational channels. The recent addition of ESPN and several other Disney-owned channels has made this sports-oriented streaming service even more competitive.
fuboTV Pricing and Packages
fuboTV’s core subscription plan is competitively priced and comes with the Smithsonian Channel and 85+ other channels. If you want more channels, channel add-on packs are available. fubo Extra costs just a few dollars more and comes with People TV, the Cooking Channel, DIY Network and several other channels.
Learn more about fuboTV’s subscription plans here.
| Pro 7-day free trial $69.99/ month | 100+ channels 10 simultaneous streams 1,000 hours of DVR space | TRY FREE |
| Elite 7-day free trial $79.99/ month | 159 channels 40+ more channels with fubo Extra 10 simultaneous streams 1,000 hours of DVR space | TRY FREE |
| Latino Quarterly Pre-paid quarterly $33/ month | CONMEBOL qualifiers 33 channels 3 simultaneous streams 250 hours of DVR space | SIGN UP |
fuboTV Channels
Other channels that you might like if you’re a Smithsonian Channel fan include History, Nat Geo, Bravo, AMC, Sundance TV– and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Up until recently, the streamer had been unable to close a deal with Disney to carry the ESPN channels. Now that a deal has been reached, there are no major weaknesses in this category.
You can see a full channel list here.
fuboTV Supported Devices
fuboTV apps are available on Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, iOS/Android and all the other popular TV devices.
You can learn more about fuboTV’s supported devices here.
fuboTV Simultaneous Streams
fuboTV used to be weak here as well, but it closed this gap in 2020 as well. You can now watch fuboTV on up to five devices at the same time. The previous limit was three devices. You used to have to pay extra to get the third. Now you start out with three streams and if you need more, the five stream upgrade will give you more flexibility.
You can learn more about fuboTV simultaneous streams here.
fuboTV DVR
Without the paid upgrade, fuboTV’s cloud DVR will hold 30 hours of programming. Various upgrades will increase the limit to 250 or 1000 hours.
You can learn more about the fuboTV DVR here.
fuboTV On-Demand Library
fuboTV’s 72-hour rewind feature lets you catch up with recently aired shows. There are a few movies in the on-demand catalog as well.
Click here to learn more about fuboTV’s on-demand library.
Watch the Smithsonian Channel on Hulu with Live TV
Hulu with Live TV’s main attraction is its huge on-demand catalog. The most popular Hulu with Live TV gives you unlimited access to the main Hulu site. Another notable thing about Hulu with Live TV is that it’s one of the only streaming services that has an unlimited simultaneous stream upgrade.
Hulu with Live TV Pricing and Packages
Hulu’s main subscription plan comes with the Smithsonian Channel and a strong selection of other cable TV staples.
| Hulu + Live TV No Hassle TV $69.99/ month | 65+ Channels 2 simultaneous streams Disney+ and ESPN+ Included | SIGN UP |
For more information about Hulu with Live TV’s plans, click here.
Hulu with Live TV Channels
From family entertainment to sports to local broadcast networks, Hulu with Live TV has a lot to offer cord-cutters. Other educational channels that come with the base plan include History, Animal Planet and the Discovery Channel.
Click here to see the full list of Hulu with Live TV channels.
Hulu with Live TV Supported Devices
Hulu with Live TV has above average support for TV devices. Whether your have an Amazon Fire TV or Roku, you’ll likely find a Hulu with Live TV app.
- Living room devices: Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast and Roku.
- Smart TVs and Blu-ray players: Certain Samsung and LG televisions as well as some devices based on Amazon Fire TV or Roku.
- Mobile devices and tablets: Android and iOS.
- Game consoles: Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Xbox 360.
- Desktop browsers: Most browsers.
Click here to learn more about devices that work with Hulu with Live TV.
Hulu with Live TV DVR
If you hate commercials, you may want to consider buying Hulu with Live TV’s DVR upgrade. Without it, you’ll have to sit through repetitive advertisements when you watch your recordings.
Click here to learn more about Hulu with Live TV’s DVR.
Hulu with Live TV On-Demand Library
Who doesn’t know about Hulu, one of the largest libraries of on-demand content on the internet? Hulu with Live TV subscribers can watch Hulu originals and all the other shows and movies for free.
Learn more about Hulu with Live TV’s on-demand library here.
Watch the Smithsonian Channel on YouTube TV
Like the main YouTube site, YouTube TV is owned by Google. One of the best things about this streaming service is that it has better-than-average support for local TV affiliate stations. The fact that the Smithsonian Channel is part of the base plan is another nice plus. Despite a recent price hike, it’s still a strong contender.
YouTube TV Pricing and Packages
Like DirecTV Now, YouTube TV recently raised its subscription rates. This is somewhat disappointing, because YouTube TV used to be one of the cheapest streamers on the market.
To learn more about YouTube TV’s pricing options, click here.
YouTube TV Channels
The Smithsonian Channel is part of YouTube TV’s one-size-fits-all base subscription package. Other channels that are similar to the Smithsonian Channel include the Discovery Channel and Sundance TV.
As mentioned above, YouTube TV has excellent local TV station coverage. Because of this, there’s a big chance you’ll be able to stream your local ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX stations through the YouTube TV app if you subscribe.
To learn more about YouTube TV’s channel list, click here.
YouTube TV Supported Devices
Now that the YouTube TV app is back in the Amazon app store, YouTube TV has excellent TV device support:
- TV streaming media players: Apple TV (4th gen and up), Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast and Roku (most models).
- Smart TVs: Android TV (select models), Samsung TV (2016+ models only), LG TV (2016+ models only), Vizio (select SmartCast models), Hisense (select models), Sharp (select models).
- Mobile devices and tablets: Android (5.0 and up), iOS (9.1 and up).
- Game consoles: Xbox One (all versions).
- Desktop browsers: Most Mac and PC browsers.
Click here to learn more about YouTube TV supported devices.
YouTube TV Simultaneous Streams
YouTube TV supports three simultaneous streams.
To learn more about YouTube TV’s simultaneous streams, click here.
YouTube TV DVR
YouTube TV’s has an unlimited cloud DVR. You don’t have to pay extra to use it, either.
Click here to learn more about YouTube TV’s DVR options.
YouTube TV On-Demand Library
YouTube TV has an above-average on-demand library compared to other similar services.
Click here to learn more about YouTube TV’s on-demand library.
How to Watch the Smithsonian Channel on Amazon Fire TV
You can watch the Smithsonian Channel on Amazon Fire TV with one of these streaming services: fuboTV, Hulu with Live TV, or YouTube TV. Free trials will let you find out how you like each service. Just download the apps from the Amazon app store to get started.
How to Watch the Smithsonian Channel on Roku
You can watch AMC on Roku with one of these streaming services: fuboTV, Hulu with Live TV, or YouTube TV. Go to Roku’s app store and download the app that meets your entertainment needs.
How to Watch the Smithsonian Channel on Apple TV
You can watch AMC on Apple TV with one of these streaming services: fuboTV, Hulu with Live TV, or YouTube TV. Apple’s app store has all the apps. They all have free trials, so you could even install them all on your Apple TV if you want to compare them.
Smithsonian Channel Plus
Smithsonian Channel Plus is a new streaming service from the Smithsonian Institution. Access only costs $5 per month. But if you subscribe to fuboTV, Hulu with Live TV, PlayStation Vue or YouTube TV, you can get in for free.
Smithsonian Channel Plus just debuted a few months ago. Smithsonian Networks President Tom Hayden provided this comment about the new streaming service to Deadline shortly before its release:
“We are thrilled to be able to bring Smithsonian Channel’s acclaimed programming to new audiences in an easily accessible way at a time when viewing habits and consumption are rapidly changing. With a deep and varied programming library, including one of the largest offerings of 4K UHD content, launching Smithsonian Channel Plus allows us to super-serve viewers who love documentaries and series across a wide variety of genres.”
Perks of Smithsonian Channel Plus include an ad-free live stream, on-demand content, 4K streams and apps for a wide variety of devices including Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android, iPad, iPhone and Amazon Fire tablets.
Where to Find On Demand Smithsonian Channel Content
If you’re only interested in a small number of Smithsonian Channel shows and you don’t want to buy a subscription to a streaming service, you may want to try searching for your favorite titles on iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Google Play, Vudu or Fandango Now. Many downloadable episodes of popular Smithsonian Channel shows are available there.
What’s the Best Way to Watch Smithsonian Channel Without Cable?
If you have any interest in soccer and other sports that are more popular abroad, fuboTV makes a lot of sense because it has sports channels that you can’t get anywhere else.
Out of all the streaming services listed above, PlayStation Vue comes very close to replicating the traditional cable TV experience with its large selection of channels and support for many popular premium channels. However, it is somewhat pricey compared to the competition.
YouTube TV is probably your best bet if you want to save money or if you don’t own a TV antenna. Because YouTube TV has made deals with most of the broadcast affiliates, chances are good that you’ll be able to use the streaming service to tune into local news broadcasts.
Thanks for this information, Alex