How to Watch Discovery Channel Live Without Cable 2023 - Top 6 Options

There are many ways to watch Discovery Channel without cable, including Hulu, Philo, Sling, YouTube TV, Fubo TV, or DirecTV Stream.

But our team's pick for most people to watch Discovery Channel, is Sling. Here's why:

• Big families (or roommates or friends) can watch Sling without stress, as they offer up to 4 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 Discovery Channel on Sling doesn't work for you, we've also rounded up 5 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 6 picks for streaming Discovery Channel without cable

Top pick: Stream Discovery Channel on Sling

If you're looking for the best way to stream Discovery Channel, 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 Discovery Channel because it offers the ideal combination of price, channels, and features.

Sling is available starting at $40 per month for 30 channels, including Bloomberg, BBC America, and Cheddar Business. Learn more about Sling plans and pricing.

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: web browsers, Android, iOS, Amazon Fire, Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV, LG/Samsung Smart TVs, and Xbox One.

Our Sling review also includes more about why our team loves Sling.

Budget pick: Stream Discovery Channel on Philo

If you're on a budget, Philo is the best choice for watching Discovery Channel without cable. Of all the streamers we review, Philo is available at the lowest monthly price point: $25. Our Philo plans and pricing article breaks down all of the Philo plans.

Philo is the true definition of a bargain streamer, with the lowest price point of all our recommended streamers. Though its missing sports and local news channels, there’s still 70+ other channels to choose from along with on-demand content as well.

Other channels on Philo include: Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, TV Land, A&E, AMC, BET, Comedy Central, Discovery Family Channel, INSP, Science, FYI, MTV2: Music Television, Animal Planet, BBC America, CMT, Discovery Life Channel, Discovery Channel, Food Network, Game Show Network, Hallmark Channel, Home & Garden Television, and more.

Take a look at what's live on Philo right now.

Devices supported by Philo include: web browsers, Android, iOS, Amazon Fire, Roku, Chromecast, and Apple TV.

Our team shares even more comprehensive analysis of Philo in our Philo review. For the true budget streamer, we've also compiled a list of our favorite free streaming services.

Sports fan pick: Stream Discovery Channel on Fubo TV

Most sports fans already know and love Fubo TV. If you're trying to watch Discovery Channel without cable and you also watch a lot of sports, Fubo TV is probably the best pick for you.

With its focus on sports content, fuboTV is a haven for any sports lovers out there. Despite its lack of ESPN, the service offers almost every league, including NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and more. With upwards of a thousand hours of DVR space and multiple simultaneous streams available, you’ll never miss a game. At its cheapest plan, fuboTV offers 140+ channels to choose from, so you’ll have access to more than just sports as well.

Fubo TV plans start at $74.99. Our Fubo TV plans and pricing article breaks down all of the Fubo TV plans.

Other channels on Fubo TV include: Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, TV Land, BET, Bravo, Comedy Central, Discovery Family Channel, E! Entertainment Television, ESPNU, Freeform, FX, INSP, Science, MTV2: Music Television, Animal Planet, BBC America, beIN Sports, CMT, CNBC, Disney Junior, Discovery Life Channel, and more.

Some sports might be live on Fubo TV right now.

Devices supported by Fubo TV include: web browsers, Android, iOS, Amazon Fire, Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV, LG/Samsung Smart TVs, and Xbox One.

Fubo TV isn't only great for sports fans, though. Our team took Fubo TV for a test drive and put all of our thoughts together in our Fubo TV review.

Plus, we've compiled a list of the best overall streaming services for sports fans.

News fan pick: Stream Discovery Channel on YouTube TV

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 Discovery Channel. Our top pick for most news fans to get access to Discovery Channel is YouTube TV. Plenty of news shows are airing live now on YouTube TV.

With its focus on sports and news channels, Youtube TV is a great choice for people looking to stay up to date with all the latest news. The service offers network channels like ABC News, FOX News, NBC News, BBC World News, CNBC, CNN, Cheddar News, MSNBC, and more.

YouTube TV plans start at $72.99. Our YouTube TV plans and pricing article breaks down all of the YouTube TV plans.

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.

Devices supported by YouTube TV include: web browsers, Android, iOS, Amazon Fire, Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV, LG/Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox One, and Playstation 4.

We've written even more about why we like YouTube TV, 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.

Movie fan pick: Stream Discovery Channel on Hulu

You're probably not after Discovery Channel for on-demand movies, but we all know movies are one of streaming's greatest advantages. If you love a good flick as much as our team, you should subscribe to Hulu to watch Discovery Channel. Some movies might even be live on Hulu right now.

With the addition of its sprawling on-demand content, Hulu + Live TV is a perfect choice for movie lovers who are looking for a variety of films to choose from, both on live tv and on-demand. Couple that with the Disney+ on-demand library as well, and you have all of the film selection you could need.

Hulu plans start at $69.99. Our Hulu plans and pricing article breaks down all of the Hulu plans.

Other channels on Hulu 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.

Devices supported by Hulu include: web browsers, Android, iOS, Amazon Fire, Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV, LG/Samsung Smart TVs, and Xbox One.

Read our Hulu review.

Other options for watching Discovery Channel: DirecTV Stream

Not everyone streams live TV exactly the same way.

So while DirecTV Stream may not have been chosen as our top pick or as the best for families, sports fans, or budgets, you know what's best for you.

DirecTV Stream is a great way to watch Discovery Channel without cable.

DirecTV Stream plans start at $74.99. Our DirecTV Stream plans and pricing article breaks down all of the DirecTV Stream plans.

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: web browsers, Android, iOS, Amazon Fire, Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV, LG/Samsung Smart TVs, and Xbox One.

All the streaming services where Discovery Channel is or isn't available

The choices for watching Discovery Channel aren't limited to our top picks. Here's where you can and can't watch Discovery Channel without cable.

Watching Discovery Channel on top devices

No matter what device you have at home, it's probably possible to watch Discovery Channel on it — yes, even without cable. Read on to learn which streamers support both your device and Discovery Channel live streams.

How to watch Discovery Channel on Roku devices

It's definitely possible to watch Discovery Channel on your Roku device, be it a streaming stick or actual Roku TV. Subscribe to Hulu, Philo, Sling, YouTube TV, Fubo TV, or DirecTV Stream to get Discovery Channel on Roku.

How to watch Discovery Channel 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 Discovery Channel access without cable. Just subscribe to Hulu, Sling, YouTube TV, Fubo TV, or DirecTV Stream to get Discovery Channel on your Android smart TV.

How to watch Discovery Channel on an Amazon Fire TV

Whether you have a Fire TV Stick or a Cube or another device, you can get access to Discovery Channel. Alexa, sign up for to Hulu, Philo, Sling, YouTube TV, Fubo TV, or DirecTV Stream to get Discovery Channel on Amazon devices.

How to stream Discovery Channel 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 Discovery Channel on an iOS device with ease. Subscribe to Hulu, Philo, Sling, YouTube TV, Fubo TV, or DirecTV Stream to get Discovery Channel on your iOS device.

How to watch Discovery Channel on Android phones

You can watch Discovery Channel on your Pixel or Samsung or Nokia or whatever type of Android you have! Just subscribe to Hulu, Philo, Sling, YouTube TV, Fubo TV, or DirecTV Stream to get Discovery Channel on Android phones.

The bottom line: you have 6 great options for watching without cable

We found 6 great options for watching without cable. While our top pick is Sling, there are 5 other ways to watch live programming, including Hulu or Philo. The cheapest option is Hulu.

Check out what's airing right now in our TV Guide. Then, read up on the business of streaming in the Stream Report and the most popular streaming content in The Popcorner.

Flixed Team • Author

Flixed is a website run by a small remote team that helps people navigate the rapidly evolving streaming ecosystem. We're a platform that helps consumers choose the best streaming service for them through our content, resources, and tools for navigating the streaming landscape.