Looking to watch your local channels without breaking the bank? The Streamable recommends Sling TV as your best choice, but it doesn’t give you everything. We’ll explain.
Why Sling TV is the Best Choice
The most important local channels are ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX. Sling TV offers all except CBS. One word of caution, however. Sling doesn’t offer every affiliate in every market (see below).
Sling offers two primary packages: Orange and Blue. The Blue package is $40 / month and can provide ABC, NBC, and FOX. Sling usually offers your first month of service for 50% off.
No other service comes close in price.
Sling allows you to scale up your channel package with lots of add-on options. It’s what I use for NFL football every year.
Users also get an upgradable 50-hour cloud DVR to store your recordings.
Local Channels on Sling TV
| Market | FOX Station | NBC Station | ABC Station |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | WAGA | ||
| Austin | KTBC | ||
| Boston | WBTS | ||
| Chicago | WFLD | WMAQ | WLS |
| Dallas/Fort Worth | KDFW | KXAS | |
| Detroit | WJBK | ||
| Fresno | KFSN | ||
| Gainesville | WOGX | ||
| Hartford/New Haven | WVIT | ||
| Houston | KRIV | KTRK | |
| Los Angeles | KTTV | KNBC | KABC |
| Miami/Fort Lauderdale | WTVJ | ||
| Milwaukee | WITI | ||
| Minneapolis/St. Paul | KMSP | ||
| New York | WNYW | WNBC | WABC |
| Orlando/Daytona/Melbourne | WOFL | ||
| Philadelphia | WTXF | WCAU | WPVI |
| Phoenix | KSAZ | ||
| Raleigh-Durham | WTVD | ||
| San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose | KTVU | KNTV | KGO |
| San Diego | KNSD | ||
| Seattle | KCPQ | ||
| Tampa/St. Petersburg | WTVT | ||
| Washington, DC | WTTG | WRC |
Single-Channel Options: Peacock and Paramount+
If you have only need CBS, choose Paramount+ with Showtime. That service costs $12.99 and you get 24/7 access to your live local CBS station. This is a perfect choice for anyone who gets Sling and needs CBS.
If you only need NBC, Peacock includes your live local affiliate with the $13.99 tier.
There is no standalone streaming service for ABC or FOX.
Use an Antenna
Every cord-cutter should have an antenna. It will save you in the event of an internet outage or carriage dispute. As long as you live close enough to your stations’ transmitters, you’ll get dozens of local options. You can choose indoor antennas or outdoor options. For most people, an indoor antenna is fine. Get started with either of these choices.
Channel Master Flatenna Ultra-Thin Indoor TV Antenna
Up to 35 Mile Range
Winegard FlatWave Amped Digital HD Indoor Amplified TV Antenna
Up to 60 Mile Range
Tip: Invest in a HDHomerun box and stream/record TV for free forever
More Expensive Options
If Sling, Peacock, Paramount+, or an antenna don’t appeal to you, the price will go up dramatically. All the other streamers with local channels are much more expensive.
| DTV STREAM | DTV Internet | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Get $100 Back | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Free Trial | Get 50% OFF | Sign Up | |||
| $86.99 | $69.99 | $94.99 | $82.99 | $28 | $40 | $40 | $72.99 | ||
| ABC | ✓ | + $0 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| CBS | ✓ | + $0 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| Fox | ✓ | + $0 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| NBC | ✓ | + $0 | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
Among these options, we recommend DIRECTV STREAM for its excellent channel lineup, great user interface, and unlimited DVR. Hulu Live TV is another strong choice and it includes free ESPN+, Disney+, and Hulu on-demand.
For budget-minded streamers, Sling is the clear choice. If Sling falls short, there are other options, but the price can escalate quickly.
Sling TV
Sling TV is The Streamable’s choice for cord cutters on a budget. Sling is a live TV streaming service with multiple channel packages. The $40/month Sling Orange plan offers about 30 channels, including Disney Channel and ESPN. The $40/month Sling Blue plan offers about 40 channels, including ABC, Fox, and NBC in major markets.
You can combine Orange+Blue for a total of $55 / month. Sling also offers many channel add-on packages starting at $6/month.