Streaming Service Comparison Tool
Select 2 or 3 live TV streaming services for a full side-by-side breakdown — price, channels, DVR, devices, sports, and more. No sign-up required.
How to Choose a Live TV Streaming Service
The right live TV streaming service depends on three things: what channels you actually watch, how much you're willing to pay, and how many people in your household stream simultaneously. Services that look similar in price can vary enormously in what they include.
Start with your must-have channels. If you follow local sports teams, check which services carry your Regional Sports Network (RSN) — DirecTV Stream is currently the only streaming service with RSNs in most markets. If NFL coverage is the priority, focus on services that carry ESPN, NFL Network, and local affiliates. If you primarily want entertainment cable channels with no sports, Philo delivers the most value at $40/month.
Live TV vs. On-Demand: What Are You Actually Paying For?
Live TV streaming services are replacing cable, not Netflix. They deliver 50–300+ channels in a live linear format — the same experience as cable, but delivered over the internet with no equipment rental fees, installation charges, or contracts. Most include cloud DVR so you can record anything you might miss.
The key difference from pure on-demand services (Netflix, Max, Disney+) is the live feed: breaking news, live sports, primetime network TV as it airs. If you never watch live TV — you only stream on-demand — you probably don't need any of these services at all. A combination of Netflix + one or two on-demand services covers most viewing habits at half the cost of a live TV bundle.
If you do watch live TV — particularly sports, news, or network events like the Super Bowl, Oscars, or election coverage — a live TV streaming service is the cleanest cable replacement. The comparison tool above helps you find the right one.
Frequently Asked Questions
FuboTV leads with 300+ channels on its Pro tier, followed by DirecTV Stream and YouTube TV. However, raw channel count is misleading — YouTube TV's 100+ channels are more curated and practical for most households. Channel counts also change as services add and drop networks through retransmission negotiations.
None of the live TV streaming services include Netflix as part of their base plan. Some services include access to an on-demand library (Hulu's is the strongest) and premium add-ons like Starz or Showtime. Netflix remains a completely separate subscription.
For broad sports coverage: YouTube TV or FuboTV. For NFL specifically: YouTube TV (includes NFL Network and NFL RedZone as an add-on), or FuboTV which was built for sports fans. For NBA: Sling Orange or YouTube TV. DirecTV Stream is the only service that carries Regional Sports Networks (RSNs) for local team coverage in most markets.
Cloud DVR lets you record live TV to the service's servers and watch recordings later on any device. If you watch primetime shows the next morning, need to skip commercials, or follow a sports team, DVR is essential. YouTube TV's unlimited DVR storage (9 months) is the industry-leading offering. Sling and Philo offer more limited DVR that may require an add-on.
Yes — all the services compared here are month-to-month with no cancellation fee or contract. You can cancel the day after subscribing and you'll retain access until your billing period ends. This makes them fundamentally different from cable TV contracts.
A $20–$35 OTA antenna gets you free local ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, and PBS forever with no subscription. Paired with a service like Sling ($40/mo) or Philo ($40/mo) for cable channels, it's the cheapest complete setup. If you need locals through a streaming service, Sling is available in ~35 markets at the lowest price point; YouTube TV covers the most markets.
