How to Watch TCM Live Without Cable 2023 - Top 4 Options

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, Sling, YouTube TV, 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 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 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

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.

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 TCM on Hulu

If you're on a budget, Hulu is the best choice for watching TCM without cable. Of all the streamers we review, Hulu is available at the lowest monthly price point: $69.99. Our Hulu plans and pricing article breaks down all of the Hulu plans.

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.

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.

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

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

Our team shares even more comprehensive analysis of Hulu in our Hulu 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.

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.

Some sports might be live on YouTube TV right now.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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, Sling, YouTube TV, 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, Sling, YouTube TV, 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, Sling, YouTube TV, 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, Sling, YouTube TV, 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 Hulu, Sling, YouTube TV, 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 or YouTube TV. 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.

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.