Local broadcast channels are an integral part of television history, dating back to the medium’s earliest days, but they are far from archaic. Channels like ABC, CBS, The CW, Fox, NBC, and PBS offer highly local programming, live news, and local and national sports, not to mention a wide assortment of primetime programming, including unscripted and scripted entertainment. Not all streaming services allow you to watch local broadcast channels live, however. Local channel access is common among live TV streaming services, but on-demand streamers often have limited live content. What about Prime Video — it’s a huge streaming service, but does it have live channels? Find out everything you need to know here.

What to know about watching live local channels with Prime Video?

Can you watch local broadcast channels on Prime Video?

Subscribing to Prime Video by itself does not give you any access to local broadcast channels automatically. The streamer does have a selection of live programming, including sports like NBA and NFL games, as well as a bundle of free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels that subscribers can watch at no extra cost. But there is no way to watch ABC, Fox, NBC, or other broadcast channels solely with a subscription to Prime Video.

However, Prime Video allows viewers to add additional streaming services to their account if they wish. Fox One, Paramount+, and Peacock are all available to subscribe to through Prime Video, and doing so means audiences can watch all of these services’ content through the Prime Video app.

That means viewers can add some local channel access to a Prime Video subscription. Adding Fox One for an additional $20 per month means that audiences can stream the news, primetime programming, and sports from their local Fox station. Paramount+ includes a live stream of local CBS stations in its Premium plan for $14 per month, and Peacock’s Premium Plus plan offers a live stream of NBC for $17 per month.

As long as you’re willing to pay these extra subscription fees on top of your monthly Prime Video bill, you’ll be able to stream this content live through its app. Additionally, Prime Video offers several PBS-related channels, including PBS Documentaries, PBS Kids, and PBS Masterpiece that include top titles from the PBS on-demand library.

What alternatives are there to Prime Video for watching local channels?

Watching local channels on live TV streaming services

If you prefer to sign up for a service that has more comprehensive access to local broadcast channels, you can seek out one of several live TV streaming services that more closely mimic classic cable plans. These packages have both broadcast and cable channels in the same plan in many cases, with one monthly price to watch it all.

DIRECTV offers broadcast channels most inexpensively in its Genre Packs, which focus only on one category of channels for a lower monthly price. The MySports Genre Pack has ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC with 20+ other channels for $65 per month, and the MyNews pack has those channels in a bundle of 10+ total networks for $45 per month. Viewers will find ABC, CBS, The CW, Fox, NBC, and PBS in all DIRECTV Signature plans, starting with the $90-per-month ENTERTAINMENT plan.

Fubo plans don’t include PBS anywhere, but ABC, CBS, The CW, Fox, and NBC are available in the Pro or Elite packages, which start at $89 per month before taxes and fees. The Fubo Sports service has ABC, CBS, and Fox, but no NBC in a plan of 20+ sports and news channels for $65 per month.

Hulu + Live TV has just one channel package, but it carries all major local broadcast channels in a large number of markets. Its plan costs $90 per month for 90+ channels and also includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Select.

Sling TV only offers ABC, Fox, and NBC, and only in a small number of media markets — including large cities like Los Angeles and New York. The channels are found in the Blue plan ($46 per month) and the Select plan ($20 per month), but a surcharge of around $5 to $10 per month is included with Sling plans that receive local channels.

YouTube TV has ABC, CBS, The CW, Fox, NBC, and PBS in its $83-per-month core package, as well as several of its genre plans, which start at $55 per month and narrow their focus to just one or two channel categories, in most cases.

Watching local channels with on-demand streaming services

As noted above, CBS, Fox, and NBC can be streamed through subscriptions to Paramount+, Fox One, and Peacock, respectively. Viewers can also find local news content from eight ABC stations on Disney+, though these streams do not feature sports or primetime programming from the channel.

Can you watch local channels with an over-the-air antenna?

Yes! If you want to unlock reliable access to your local broadcast channels with no subscription fees, you can watch them with a one-time purchase of an over-the-air antenna. These old-school devices pick up your area’s broadcast channels from a distance of 50 miles or more.

• Shop antennas from Amazon.
• Shop antennas from Best Buy.
• Shop antennas from Target.
• Shop antennas from Walmart.

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