Outside of the occasional match on over-the-air TV, most golf matches are now strictly a cable-only viewing activity. However, with the growing cost that comes with not only cable TV but sports packages, cutting the cord is all the more attractive. And for those who want to watch Golf Channel streams without cable, now is your time.
You can easily watch Golf Channel and without cable. As your methods to get Golf Channel include internet TV skinny bundles if you’re looking to get Golf Channel and other sports packages for a better price than cable, cutting the cord is your best option.
Let’s explore your different options for watching Golf Channel without cable now.
Cord-Cutting, Skinny Bundles, and Internet TV Explained
Many consumers are coming to the realization that not only is cable too expensive, but that there are also better options out there. While some have turned to streaming video on demand (SVOD) services, such as Netflix, as a good alternative, it’s still hard to beat live TV. To fill the need for live entertainment but at a lower cost, many companies have started offering what’s known as “skinny bundle” channel options through internet TV.
Now referred to as “cord-cutting,” those who ditch cable for internet TV options are saving a lot of money thanks to skinny bundles. Sling TV is a perfect example of this. Commonly seen as the first company to really make the internet TV and skinny bundle work, Sling TV (which does offer Golf Channel among other sports networks) comes in a baseline price of $20 per month for over 30 channels.
The good thing about skinny bundles obtained through internet TV services, beyond just the cheap price, is that they’re typically focused on the channels most consumers actually want. You’re only paying for channels that you really want.
Most internet TV services carry the Golf Channel in one of their packages. That means if you’re a golf fan, a skinny bundle through a service like Sling TV, fuboTV, DirecTV Now or others is going to be your go-to cost-saving option.
Your Top 7 Options to Watch Golf Channel Without Cable
Let’s explore the top 7 options to watch Golf Channel cable-free: fuboTV, Sling TV, DirecTV Now, PlayStation Vue, YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, and the Golf Channel app.
fuboTV
fuboTV is among the newest internet TV services offering skinny bundles. What’s unique about fuboTV is the fact that the service is geared toward sports fans. Although that focus is mostly on international sports, and particularly on soccer, you’ll find a large selection of popular U.S. sports networks on fuboTV, including Golf Channel.
Pricing and plans
For those turning to fuboTV for their Golf Channel needs, fuboTV offers simple plans and pricing options.
fuboTV has two basic packages that fit your needs. Their $44.99 per month “fubo” package has Golf Channel alongside 70+ other mostly sports TV networks. Given Golf Channel is an NBC network, you’ll also find NBC Sports available through fuboTV, as well as Fox Sports, NFL Network, and a bunch more.
fuboTV now has an upgraded “fubo Extra” option for just a few bucks more per month. Fubo Extra adds over a dozen extra entertainment and lifestyle networks.
Additional fuboTV benefits
fuboTV has a number of good benefits for cord-cutters. First, fuboTV offers an increasingly large number of local TV. You will need to check with fuboTV to see which local TV options are available to you, but its service now offers local options for Fox, CBS, USA (sports-related), FX (sports-related) and more.
You can also stream fuboTV live on most devices. The service has working apps for Android, iOS, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast, and updated web browsers running in both Windows and MacOS.
fuboTV not only lets you stream on two devices simultaneously, and you can also record shows and sports matches with the free, 30-hour fuboTV cloud DVR. These recordings remain indefinitely until you delete them, or until you start running out of space, at which point your oldest recordings will be deleted automatically.
Should you need to upgrade to more cloud DVR storage, fuboTV offers an Enhanced DVR add-on that ups your storage to a rather crazy 500 hours of video storage. That will set you back $9.99 per month on top of your current subscription price, however, so it’s best used by those who do a lot of video recording. Considering you can keep your videos indefinitely with fuboTV, however, this may be a good idea for those who want to rewatch their favorite TV seasons or sports.
This service also offers a unique 72-hour rewind feature. With 72-hour rewind, you can watch almost any sporting event or TV show for 72 hours after it was aired on TV. That means that even if you forgot to record it on your DVR, you’ll still get access to it so long as it’s recordable, and you manage to get to it within three days.
fuboTV limitations
While the fuboTV service has a lot to offer, there are some notable limitations you’ll want to know about before signing up.
First and foremost: the price. fuboTV is not going to be your cheapest option for getting Golf Channel streams. It’s expensive, because it’s a sports-centric streaming service, and sports channels usually cost quite a bit of money.
That said, it’s the only sports-centric internet TV service around, and it’s growing in popularity due to its coverage of international sports for the American consumer base.
Additionally, the 2 simultaneous streams offered by fuboTV is somewhat low. Several of its competitors offer more simultaneous streams for a lower price.
Finally, while 30 hours of Cloud DVR is seemingly generous, some competitors do also offer more for their baseline price. And with sports, 30 hours ends up being fairly restrictive given the length of many matches. Fubo does sell an upgraded Cloud DVR for an additional $9.99 per month, although given their already high price, that additional cost might be a turn off for some consumers.
Nevertheless, fuboTV has proven itself in the internet TV market and has etched out a niche for itself that appears to be working, especially for golf fans.
You can try fuboTV for 7 days for free, and even get a nice discount for your first month of service if you do choose to sign up.
Sling TV
As mentioned earlier, Sling TV is the oldest of the skinny bundle internet TV services. It has led the way, and has even responded effectively to competition, expanding and improving on its service over the past few years.
Now, you can access Golf Channel through Sling TV, and for one of the cheapest possible prices anywhere. With a Sling TV subscription, you can get Golf Channel for $35 per month.
| Sling Orange Free Roku Deal $25.00/ month | 34 channels ESPN Free Roku Express 1 simultaneous stream. | SIGN UP |
| Sling Blue Free Roku Deal$25.00/ month | 49 channels ESPN Free Roku Express 3 simultaneous streams | SIGN UP |
| Sling Orange + Blue Free Roku Deal $40.00/ month | 56 channels ESPN Free Roku Express 4* simultaneous streams | SIGN UP |
Pricing and plans
Sling TV offers three packages. The two lowest-cost option, Sling Orange and Sling Blue, each come in at $25 per month, but offer different channels. Neither option offers the Golf Channel. In act, Sling Orange+Blue, which combines the two, also doesn’t offer Golf Channel.
If you want to get the Golf Channel through Sling TV, you’ll need to either purchase the Sling Blue or Sling Orange + Blue ($40 per month) packages and combine them with Sling TV’s Sports Extra add-on service.
While most of the other internet TV services also offer add-on channel services, Sling TV has the most customization options on the market.
The service offers over a dozen different additional channel packages for an extra monthly fee. The Sports Extra package offers up the Golf Channel and a 10 more sports channels that are not available through their base-tier streaming packages.
Additional Sling TV benefits
Given you’ll need to purchase a Sling Blue subscription package to get Golf Channel, you’ll also see some added benefits.
First, there’s the fact that Sling Blue comes with an expanded simultaneous streaming option. While you would only get 1 stream if you went with Sling Orange (which, again, does not offer Golf Channel), you’ll get 3 with Sling Blue. And if you decide to upgrade to the Sling Orange + Blue package, you’ll not only get more channels but Sling TV states you’ll also get 4th simultaneous stream (limitations might apply).
Sling TV also provides customers with a Cloud DVR option, although it does come at a cost. For $5 per month, you can save up to 50 hours of content using Sling TV’s DVR service. That’s more than you’ll get with fuboTV, at a lower overall price.
And for those who like devices, Sling TV works on almost any device you can think of. Android and iOS devices all work with Sling TV, as do most TV streaming devices like Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Apple TV and more. Sling TV is also one of but a few internet TV services with working apps for a number of smart TVs.
You’ll even find Sling TV offers device deals and discounts for new customers.
Sling TV limitations
As much as Sling TV has to offer, you might have to contend with a few headaches. The first headache comes in the way of its pricing and service package options. While you’ll deal with this to only a limited degree if you want Golf Channel, Sling TV is a bit confusing to navigate for which channels are offered.
The service mixes and matches channels in a way that causes consumers to double-pay for different networks if they choose the Sling Orange + Blue package, or opt for an add-on service like Sports Extra.
Outside of that, Sling TV’s DVR is limited to only 50 hours, and it can’t be upgraded. Since golf tournaments and other sports matches can be pretty lengthy, only getting 50 hours max might really limit how many matches you can save and watch later.
Still, with Sling TV, you have a fairly direct path to get Golf Channel, and for a comparatively low cost even when you throw in the cloud DVR. You can easily walk away with Golf Channel through Sling TV while paying only $40 per month, and this includes DVR service.
Sling TV provides a free 7-day trial so you can test out the service before committing to a month-to-month subscription.
DirecTV Now
DirecTV seems to always push the envelope in developing new options for TV consumers. For cord-cutters, that comes in the way of its increasingly popular DirecTV Now streaming service. Golf Channel seekers will find DirecTV Now provides Golf Channel, although you might have a few holdups when choosing this service exclusively for Golf Channel.
Pricing and plans
DirecTV Now provides 4 service packages for consumers. The two cheapest, at $40 dollars per month and $55 per month, respectively, do not give you access to Golf Channel. If you want golf, you’re going to have to go for the two more expensive options: “Go Big,” at $65 per month, or “Gotta Have It,” at $75 per month.
That’s a fairly high price for just the Golf Channel. When combined with the cost of an internet subscription, the cost may put you right back into traditional cable territory with regards to the price.
Although these two service options are packed with channels (100+ and 120+ channels, respectively), the point of cord-cutting is to save money. With DirecTV Now, you might find yourself spending nearly as much, if not more, if your main goal is to get Golf Channel streams.
Additional DirecTV Now benefits
Cost aside, DirecTV Now does have a few additional benefits.
For starters, you’re going to get far more channels through DirecTV Now than with any other internet TV service. Hands down. No other internet TV service offers as many channels as DirecTV Now.
Additionally, DirecTV Now works with pretty much any device you can imagine, including some smart TVs. That means you will be able to watch it on Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android, iOS, and quite a few other devices.
DirecTV Now limitations
Unfortunately, DirecTV Now has no cloud DVR at present. While it does have a “72-hour rewind” feature that lets you watch anything you’ve missed within 72 hours of its airing, you can’t currently record shows into a DVR.
No, it doesn’t matter if you have the money to throw at DirecTV Now for DVR services. They simply don’t have them—yet. The company is currently exploring a DVR option, which is promised would be available Spring 2018.
As for its simultaneous streams, DirecTV Now is very limited. Even with the most expensive service packages—which you need to get Golf Channel—the service simply doesn’t offer more than 2 streams at once.
All that said, DirecTV Now has some generous device deals and subscription deals. And DirecTV Now also has a 7-day free trial. With over 1 million subscribers to its name, the service is clearly doing something right, so it may be worth giving it a spin.
Hulu with Live TV
Most U.S. TV viewers know the name Hulu at this point. Many, however, might not realize that the service now offers live TV through a skinny bundle. For just $40 per month, Hulu with Live TV can be all yours, and yes, it even comes with Golf Channel.
Pricing and plans
Unlike fuboTV, Sling TV, and DirecTV Now, Hulu with Live TV keeps it simple. There’s only one service package on offer here. Hulu with Live TV provides users with Golf Channel and over 50 other TV networks. The $40 price tag covers all of the channels as well, excluding a few premium networks (HBO, Cinemax, Showtime)
Additional Hulu with Live TV benefits
Hulu is playing it smart with their service and offering some of the best benefits you’ll get from any over-the-top internet TV company.
Perhaps the biggest draw here is that a Hulu with Live TV subscription nets you access to regular Hulu as well. That means not only will you have live TV options, you’ll also have access to Hulu’s extensive library of on-demand content, including their award winning original shows, like The Handmaid’s Tale. (If you don’t want the on-demand version of Hulu with your Live TV subscription, you can just get Live TV alone for $38.99 per month, although you would only be saving $1 per month with this option.)
Hulu with Live TV also comes with a rather generous Cloud DVR. You get 50 hours of DVR storage with Hulu, included with your subscription price.
You can watch and record all of those shows on a growing number of devices as well. Hulu has working apps for all of the most popular streaming devices, as well as some Samsung Smart TVs and Xbox One or Xbox 360.
Hulu with Live TV limitations
There are some notable limitations that come with a Hulu with Live TV subscription.
First, you’ll only have 2 simultaneous streams. You can expand that number if you purchase their Unlimited Screens add-on service for $14.99 per month. However, this is quite a steep fee, compared to the price of your base subscription.
And while the DVR option is fairly generous at 50 hours, it’s still going to be limiting for sports fans. Hulu lets you expand that to 200 hours per month with their Enhance DVR, which also costs $14.99 per month.
Those limitations aside, Hulu with Live TV might be hard to resist, especially when after you’ve tried out the service’s 7-day free trial.
PlayStation Vue
Sony’s unfortunately named streaming service, PlayStation Vue, (you don’t need a PlayStation to subscribe) gives users access to a plethora of channels, including Golf Channel. With this option, you can get Golf Channel for $49.99 per month.
Pricing and plans
PlayStation Vue offers four basic subscription packages, as follows:
- Access – 45+ channels, $44.99/month
- Core – 60+ channels, $49.99/month
- Elite – 100+ channels, $69.99/month
- Ultra – All Elite channels plus HBO/Showtime, $79.99/month
For Golf Channel fans, you’ll get access to all of your favorite Golf streams through PlayStation Vue from the 2nd-tier “Core” package. At $44.99 per month, it’s not the cheapest option for Golf Channel, but it’s also not the most expensive on our list.
Additional PlayStation Vue benefits
Sony probably could have named their service a bit better here. PlayStation Vue is available on not just PlayStation, but on almost any device you’re using. In fact, the only devices you won’t find functionality for are Smart TVs. Beyond that, PlayStation Vue has a working app for Roku, Amazon Fire TV, iOS, Android, and most other mobile and desktop operating systems.
Sony is also extremely generous with its simultaneous streams as well. One account gets you up to 5 simultaneous streams, depending on the devices that you use. That’s more most of the other services, with the exception of Hulu with Live (which you have to pay extra for).
PlayStation Vue limitations
Unfortunately, PlayStation Vue is really suffering right now and its future is somewhat in doubt. The service recently lost a large number of channels, diminishing its desirability. A big part of that problem is the name of the service. Most consumers see the name, assume it only works on a PlayStation, and shop for other options.
Beyond that, PlayStation Vue also has a rather limiting Cloud DVR. While you can record an unlimited number of shows with their service, that content only lasts for 28 days. You can’t keep anything indefinitely, so you’ll need to watch your shows or recorded golf matches before you lose them.
Still, PlayStation Vue has the most generous free trial. You can give this service a 7-day trial run.
YouTube TV
Among the newest entries in the internet TV market, YouTube TV is making a strong case for itself, especially for golf fans. You can get Golf Channel through YouTube TV for $40 per month, alongside over 50 other channels.
Pricing and plans
YouTube TV is far more similar to Hulu with Live TV with its pricing. There’s only one service package here, which costs $40 per month. You’ll get Golf Channel, as well as a large number of other sports and entertainment channels.
Outside of that, you can purchase some additional premium networks like Showtime for an extra monthly fee.
Additional YouTube TV benefits
Where other services are weak, YouTube TV is particularly strong. Specifically, in the two core areas we’ve most criticized the other options; simultaneous streams and Cloud DVR.
YouTube TV is very generous with its Cloud DVR. With one account, you can create profiles for 6 different users. All of those users will get unlimited Cloud DVR storage for up to 9 months. Each profile can save as much content as they want.
YouTube TV also offers up 3 simultaneous streams for the price. That’s more than most of the competition offers at the base price for their service.
YouTube TV limitations
Unfortunately, YouTube TV is still not available everywhere. Unlike most of the other options which you can access regardless of location, YouTube TV still has some limitations. Most consumers will be able to get access, but those of you in rural or smaller cities and towns might be out of luck.
YouTube TV offers a free 7-day trial, so you can see if you like this service, and give it a try today.
Golf Channel App and Website (Service Subscription Required)
Golf Channel has both an app and website-based streaming for those who have a service subscription. Thankfully, any service subscription will do, including an internet TV option such as those listed above.
The key benefit of using this option is that it doesn’t count against your simultaneous streaming limits.
For example, if you’ve signed up for DirecTV Now and want to bypass the 2-device streaming limit, you can load up the app, enter your DirecTV Now credentials, and stream away.
Both the app and website are free to use, as long as you’ve subscribed to an internet TV “skinny bundle”, or you have a cable/satellite subscription.
