The fourth-generation Apple TV brought apps to your home theater. Dozens of them offer cord-cutters the chance to watch live TV. But which apps are the right ones for you? Read on to find out how to watch live TV on Apple TV.
Live TV Subscription Services
Over-the-top live tv services let you get streaming video (including live TV) without a cable subscription. With an over-the-top subscription, you simply stream the video over-the-top of your broadband internet connection.
Within the next year expect to see more of these services appear. Even the largest cable companies will likely bow to the inevitable and offer their own cable-free video services.
fubo
Fubo got its start as a sports-only network but recently branched out to become a full-service streaming network. National networks like the Travel Channel, MSNBC, and Bravo as well as regional sports networks from Fox can all be found on fubo.
Related: FuboTV Review for 2017 - Free Trial, Pricing, Channels, and Value
Fubo Pro
Try 7 days free
- 1000 hours of cloud DVR
- Stream on ten screens
- 180+ channels
$79.99/month
Fubo Elite
Try 7 days free
- Stream on ten screens
- 1000 hours of cloud DVR
- 250+ channels
- HD and 4K video quality
$99.99/month
Fubo Premier
Try 7 days free
- Stream on ten screens
- 250+ channels
- HD and 4K video quality
- 1000 hours of cloud DVR
- Showtime included
$109.99/month
Some people may be able to get local TV programming from CBS, Fox or NBC via fubo. But fubo's sports programming is the main reason to pay for its service.
Sling TV
Source: Apple
Sling TV prides itself on its inexpensive "a la carte" model. Prices start at $25. However, by the time you add each $5-a-month add-on to get the channels you want, you could easily find yourself in cable territory.
Sling Orange
$20 off your first month
- 30+ channels
- ESPN
- Stream on one device
$40/month
Sling Blue
$20 off your first month
- 40+ channels
- Local channels in select cities
- News and entertainment
- Stream on three screens
$45/month
Sling Orange & Blue
$20 off your first month
- General cable replacement
- 45+ channels
- Stream on three screens
$60/month
Like DirecTV, Sling TV wants you to start the subscription sign-up process to find out what channels you can get and whether or not Sling TV will stream your local stations. Alternatively, here are the links to Sling TV's plan comparison and local channel look-up help pages.
Hulu TV
Source: Apple
Hulu just launched its “beta” live TV service in early 2017. Prices start at $40 per month, but fees get more expensive if you opt-in for features like live cloud DVR or ad-free on-demand video. Hulu has all of the usual suspects for live TV viewing including A&E, TBS, TNT, and USA.
Local stations, however, can be a bit hit-or-miss. Hulu hasn’t gotten as far along in its local station negotiations compared to competing services, so you may only get one or two local live streams.
Pluto TV Free Over-the-Top TV
Source: Pluto TV
The free Pluto TV service has created an eclectic seventy-five channel lineup. It combines mainstream networks like MSNBC, CBS and Bloomberg with geek-centric channels like IGN and Geek & Sundry.
Of course "free" comes with some compromises. Live streams are often delayed by several minutes - or even as long as five hours. On top of that, the streaming quality varies among each channel. Despite those issues, every cord-cutter should give Pluto TV a shot. After all, it’s free.
About Local TV
If you don't have an antenna hooked up to your Apple TV, you might run into problems streaming your local stations from the web via Apple TV apps. It all comes down to the tangled gnarl of business deals between the networks, the owners of your local stations and the streaming services.
The tangled TV web
A company like Hulu can’t just sign a deal with CBS and get access to streams from all of its local affiliates. CBS can only make deals for the dozen local stations it owns. Other companies own the remaining two hundred affiliates. This forces Hulu to make separate deals with each company. That takes a lot of time - and a lot of lawyers.
In fact, even CBS can’t get access to streams from all of its local affiliates without negotiating deals with each station owner!
What does it mean for me?
It means you need to research carefully any internet-based TV subscription service you sign up with. The website for most of these services let you enter your zip code to get a list of available stations.
One service might have ABC and NBC but not Fox or CBS. It might be the opposite for another service. And if you travel, the mix of available local channels your service offers could be completely different. Many of the services will still give you access to the network's on-demand content even if they can't provide live streams.
Channels app for live TV on Apple TV
Source: Channels
Finally, you need an app to pull that stream into your Apple TV. The Channels app lets you pause live TV for up to ninety minutes (with a 64GB Apple TV) and skip commercials. You also get a free programming guide that shows current and upcoming broadcasts. Channels’ price of $25 is a little steep in a world of free apps, but its reviews are overwhelmingly positive.
What channels can I get?
Source: CometTV
You can get the big networks like NBC, Univision, and PBS pretty much anywhere. But if you haven’t watched over-the-air TV in a while you might be surprised to learn that there are more than fifty additional smaller over-the-air networks that you can get as well. You won’t find all of them in every market, but even a mid-sized market like Tulsa or Toledo has a dozen channels or more.
Here’s a list of some of the channels you could get via an antenna but have probably never heard of:
- CreateTV - Public TV’s DIY and cooking channel
- Worldchannel - Public TV’s news and documentary channel
- Estrella TV - Spanish-language TV designed for American Hispanics
- LATV - alternative programming for English-speaking Latino Millennials
- MeTV - Classic TV shows from the 20th Century.
- CometTV - science fiction films and TV series
- BizTV - news and finance network that focuses for small businesses
- Newsmax - Fox not conservative enough? Newsmax is.
- American Sports Network - All the NCAA Division 1 sports
You can find the channels available to you by going to the Federal Communications Commission’s mapping service or checking out similar services from antennaweb. If you live in the countryside and need to use a rooftop antenna, then get more detailed information at TV Fool.
Chris Casper • Author
Chris Casper is a former tech industry product manager who escaped from California for New Mexico. Now he writes about science and tech while searching for the perfect green chile sauce.
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.
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