The concept of online video streaming has revolutionized the media industry and its popularity has reached a level from where there’s no looking back. The big fishes of on-display demand content like Netflix and Disney+ are two of the best streaming services of all time among other popular names. Although these streaming platforms are considered the slow death of the movie-going experience, another game-changer has been the introduction of Live TV streaming services.
Fancy accessing your traditional cable TV channels on your handheld device? That’s what Live TV streaming platforms are offering and Gen Z can’t resist the convenience. With new streaming platforms emerging lately to compete with the already established big players, it can be utterly confusing to decide which platform offers the best bang for your buck.
Rest assured, online streaming services are here to stay, and if you are wondering what are the most popular Live TV streaming services of 2023, we are presenting you with our top 5 picks.
List Of Best Streaming Services
- YouTube TV
- Sling TV
- Hulu + Live TV
- DirectTV Now
- FuboTV
- Netflix
- Apple TV+
- HBO Max
- Acorn TV
- CBS All Access
- Showtime
- DirecTV Stream (previously AT&T TV Now)
- Amazon Prime Video
- Philo
- Disney Plus
YouTube TV
A long-running platform by Google, YouTube has been the pioneer and one of the best free streaming platforms in the world. Not only does it bring a wide array of popular content free of cost to smart devices, but also provides a platform for millions of aspiring content creators to reach the heights of fame.
YouTube introduced its Live TV services back in 2017 and today it offers access to Live broadcasts of more than 100 channels. YouTube TV offers content related to news, entertainment, infotainment, and sports under one umbrella.
Price: $64.99 per month with a 30-day free trial
Key Features:
- No annual subscriptions
- Unlimited recording for nine months
- 6 accounts per subscription
- Fast Forward and Rewind option
Verdict: YouTube TV is a budget-friendly Live TV solution as compared to its competitors. Moreover, the platform has a huge subscriber base and lets you stream your own content as well.
Sling TV
One of the pioneers of Live TV streaming, Sling TV is a popular streaming platform preferred by many due to its cheapest subscription packages. Although it lags behind other platforms due to its old-fashioned interface and a mediocre channel lineup, the fact is that it still offers popular Live TV content at an adorable rate which makes it a mainstay of the industry.
Sling TV brings you a directory of channels ranging from drama, news, lifestyle, entertainment, and sports. Some of the famous channels include ESPN, Starz, Showtime, CNN, Starz, and others.
Price: Orange ($35 per month), Blue ($35 per month), and Orange + Blue ($50 per month) with a 3-day free trial.
Key Features:
- 3 devices
- Ultra HD and 4K streaming
- 50+ channels
- Free of cost cloud DVR
Verdict: Sling TV offers high-quality content from 50+ channels at an affordable price than any other Live TV streaming service.
Hulu + Live TV
The popularity of Hulu as a VOD streaming platform is not hidden and it has impressively established its name in the market while competing head-to-head with streaming giants Netflix and Amazon Prime. Hulu is famously known for producing Original award-winning titles and there’s no doubt it’s among the best streaming platforms today.
Hulu + Live TV was launched in 2017 and takes entertainment a step further with its offering of 75+ popular US channels in addition to its impressive on-demand content library. CBS, FX, NBC, ESPN, and Disney are some of the channels it offers.
Price: $69.99 per month (no free trial)
Key Features:
- Access to more than 75 channel
- Multiple simultaneous streams
- DVR with 50 hours of storage
- Customizable add-ons
Verdict: Hulu + Live TV can be an ideal option if you want to access Live TV channels on top of your normal on-demand Hulu subscription.
DirecTV Now
DirectTV, previously known as AT&T TV is a wonderful Live TV streaming platform that offers an extensive lineup of traditional cable TV channels under one roof. Its basic plan offers a whopping 160+ TV channels ranging from news, entertainment, fashion, business, drama, sports, and several other genres.
The Live streaming service provides you access to live broadcasts of several live sporting events and other channels in HD format. On top of that, the streamer also brings the latest updates on the newest TV shows landing on a particular channel available in your plan.
Price: Entertainment ($64.99 per month, 160+ channels), Choice ($69.99 per month, 185+ channels), Ultimate ($84.99 per month, 250+ channels), and Premier ($134.99 per month, 330+ channels)
Key Features:
- Access to more than 300 channels
- Live coverage of sports
- Cross-platform compatibility
- Latest news and updates regarding content
Verdict: DirecTV offers arguably the largest channel lineup of 330+ Live channels. However, it’s a bit costlier than its competitors.
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FuboTV
FuboTV, first launched in 2015, is another great Live streaming service, especially for those who love sports. The service hosts some of the top sports channels covering a wide range of mega sporting events nationally and internationally.
As it is more of a sports-oriented platform, the biggest drawback of FuboTV is that it is extremely costly. So only go for it if you are a die-hard sports fanatic and you can manage to take out spare money to fulfill your thirst for sports.
Price: Pro Plan ($69.99 per month, 120+ channels), and Elite Plan ($79.99 per month, 170+ channels) with a 7-day free trial
Key Features:
- International and national sports coverage
- IndefiniteDVR storage for 1000 hours
- On-demand TV shows and films
- 4K Live streaming
Verdict: FuboTV is a great option if you can afford to have a sports-focused Live TV streaming service.