Harris vs. Trump: What Are the Best Ways to Stream 2024 Election News?

If you were on a remote island or camping deep in the woods without any cell phone or internet service over the weekend, you would be forgiven for making your way back to society and being surprised by the news there to greet you. On Sunday, President Joe Biden officially withdrew from the 2024 presidential campaign and endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris. If Harris is able to officially secure the Democratic nomination at the party’s convention next month, she will face off against the former president and current Republican nominee Donald Trump in November’s presidential election. But, a lot will happen between now and Election Day, so we will run you through all of your options for the most up-to-date election coverage.

The Streamable’s Election News Streaming Recommendations:

Every broadcaster with a news division is ramping up its political coverage as what was expected to be a cut-and-dry rematch between 2020 election foes has turned into a historic moment with drama and intrigue. What was likely to be a campaign led by familiar scripts from both sides will now require new political strategies and arguments made to the American people.

No matter your level of news knowledge, or your specific political leanings, there are numerous options available for you to stay up-to-date on everything happening on the campaign trail. Between the three broadcast networks that have news broadcasts and a variety of cable news channels, you will have myriad live TV streaming options to get your fill of election news between now and Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Top Broadcast and Cable Channels for Election News:

Related: Ultimate Guide to Streaming Live TV News in 2024 - All Free and Paid Options

Most Comprehensive Choice: DIRECTV STREAM

DIRECTV STREAM has the largest selection of The Streamable’s top 35 cable channels, so it is no surprise that it also offers the most comprehensive election news coverage. Not only does the service carry all of the broadcast networks in nearly every market, but it also provides access to all of the major cable news networks on its base plan; that means that it is the only live streamer to include CSPAN. So, for the devoted news-obsessive, DIRECTV STREAM is my expert recommendation.

Another benefit of DIRECTV STREAM is that if you want to sample the service before committing long-term, it offers an industry-leading five-day free trial, Unfortunately, it is one of the most expensive live streamers on the market, but for the extra channels, its $7-difference with YouTube TV and $3-difference with Hulu + Live TV is understandable.

Best Value: Sling TV

If you are looking for a service that focuses on the main three cable news networks — CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC — then Sling TV is your best option in my opinion. The lower-priced streamer carries those three cablers and HLN in its Sling Blue base package. Additionally, you can add a number of other cable news channels via Sling’s News Extra add-on for just $6 per month. With the package, you will also be able to stream NewsNation, Fox Business, CNBC, Law & Crime, Newsmax, SCI, News18, NDTV 24x7, and CGTN.

Currently, Sling is offering an incredible 63% off your first month of service when you sign up for Sling Blue. Instead of the standard $40, your first month will only cost $15.

The one major downside to using Sling TV for news is that it doesn’t carry national broadcast networks — and in turn, their local affiliates — in all markets. In fact, Sling doesn’t carry CBS at all. While you can get ABC, Fox, and NBC in some major cities, that isn’t universally true. Also, if you do get one or more of broadcast channels, your bill will include an extra $5 fee.

Which Sling Markets Carry National Networks?

Best News and Entertainment Option: Hulu + Live TV

No matter how devoted you are to keeping up on the news — or how much like a soap opera the news can sometimes be — it’s unlikely that you will be watching the news 24/7. So, if you are looking for a streaming option that provides a healthy dose of news options, but also comes with a substantial entertainment component as well, then Hulu + Live TV would be The Streamable’s expert recommendation.

While Hulu + Live TV doesn’t carry all of the cable news channels that DIRECTV STREAM does, it has the vast majority of them, and like DIRECTV, carries the national networks and their local affiliates in nearly every market. The service also offers a three-day free trial so that you can give the service’s interface a spin before having to pay anything. It is also $3 cheaper per month than DIRECTV STREAM, so if you don’t plan on watching CSPAN or NewsMax, you are saving money and not losing any channels that you are interested in.

However, the biggest factor that separates Hulu + Live TV from its competitors is that included in your subscription to the live TV streaming service is the rest of the Disney Bundle. That means that at no additional cost, you will also receive the on-demand Hulu library, a subscription to Disney+, and access to ESPN+ (more on that in the next section).

In terms of entertainment content, when you combine all of the network and cable options available via Hulu’s live service and the thousands of on-demand shows and movies on Hulu and Disney+, it is difficult to find a better entertainment value in all of streaming… not to mention the sports available in the bundle as well.

Best News and Sports Option: Hulu + Live TV

As mentioned above, when it comes to sports, it’s difficult to look past Hulu + Live TV. Not only does it carry all of the broadcast channels that have the most expansive sports media rights, but it also has the full complement of ESPN networks — ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN3 —, but it also carries other sports channels like the NFL Network, NBA TV, NHL Network, MLB Network, FS1, Fox Sports 2, the Big Ten Network, and more.

But that’s not all, as part of the the Disney Bundle, subscribers also receive a free subscription to ESPN+, meaning that they will be able to watch thousands of additional games college football, college basketball, NHL, dozens of other college sports, and more, including streaming-exclusive NFL games.

For that reason, if you are looking to balance your news and sports consumption during the electoral (and football, basketball, and hockey) season, then The Streamable suggests signing up for Hulu + Live TV.

Other Options

There are two other solid live TV streaming options to watch the 2024 presidential election news. While they both have their individual drawbacks, if you find that one offers something that appeals to you, signing up for that streamer would not be a bad choice.

Fubo

The sports-focused streaming service does carry a good selection of news networks — including all of the national broadcast channels — but doesn’t offer CNN, CSPAN, or HLN. The biggest drawback for Fubo is its price. While the fact that Fubo offers one of the widest selections of regional sports networks (RSNs) in streaming is good for sports fans, that fact comes with an additional monthly fee that drives the starting price up significantly higher than its competitors.

YouTube TV

The largest live TV streaming service on the market didn’t get to its lofty perch without reason. It has a wide range of channels and is missing only the same two cable news networks (CSPAN and NewsMax) that Hulu + Live TV is. However, the biggest difference is that unlike Hulu and DIRECTV STREAM, it does not offer a free trial, more does it come with any additional benefits, like the Disney Bundle.

YouTube TV is $4 cheaper per month than Hulu and $7 cheaper than DIRECTV, so if the free trials and the Disney Bundle’s extra sports and entertainment content doesn’t move the needle for you, this is a good option.