The sad truth of pay TV is that it only gets more expensive, never cheaper. DISH customers were informed by the company this weekend that each and every one of its satellite TV tiers was being raised in price by $5 starting Thursday, Oct. 12. The company cited “rising costs” of carriage and retransmission fees as the main reason it was hiking prices.
This trend will continue across the industry, due to the simple fact that the cable TV model is dying. Users are canceling traditional cable and satellite plans at a faster rate than ever, which means that channel owners have to raise the rates that they charge cable and satellite providers in order not to lose substantial amounts of revenue. This necessitates a price increase for the dwindling numbers of customers that the traditional TV providers have left, leaving nobody all that satisfied.
This is essentially what caused several Disney-owned cable networks to go dark for Spectrum TV customers earlier this month. Unlike Spectrum, however, DISH has not secured free login credentials to any streaming platforms to offset rising costs; DISH customers will not see any extra benefits with the Oct. 12 price jump.
If this is the last straw for you as a DISH customer, there are six live TV streaming services that The Streamable can recommend if you are ready to cut the cord.
Best Alternative to DISH: DIRECTV STREAM
All DIRECTV STREAM plans come with a five-day, free trial for new customers. Once the trial is over, plans start at $74.99 per month, though — for a limited time — new users can get $10 off per month for their first three months of service. DIRECTV STREAM carries local affiliates of ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC in most markets in the United States. All DIRECTV STREAM plans offer unlimited DVR.
The service also offers a wider selection of cable news, sports, and entertainment channels than any other live-streaming platform. If a generalized TV platform with a good balance of these selections that replicates cable as closely as possible is what you’re looking for, DIRECTV STREAM is the way to go for sure. It even allows new users to sign up for streaming platforms like Max, SHOWTIME, STARZ, and others free for three months when they subscribe!
Great Pick for Sports Lovers: Fubo
If your DISH subscription didn’t have enough live sports for your taste, check out Fubo. This service also comes with a free trial — though depending on the situation, it can be as short as one day — and plans start at $85.98 per month including an extra fee for regional sports networks (RSNs). That price guarantees you access to your local channels (in most markets), as well as at least one RSN, in addition to top cable sports networks like ESPN, FS1, NFL Network, NBA TV, and many others.
Users who upgrade to the Elite plan or higher can watch select sporting events in Ultra-High-Definition 4K and Fubo customers get 1,000 hours of DVR included in their plans.
Best Live TV Platform for Streaming Fans: Hulu + Live TV
Hulu + Live TV is also rising in price on Oct. 12, when a subscription will increase from $69.99 per month to $76.99. That makes it a little more expensive than DIRECTV STREAM, but it’s still a great value thanks to its channel count of 90+ and its inclusion of the Disney Bundle in the price. Ad-supported versions of Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ are all free with a Hulu + Live TV subscription, so even with the price increase you could end up saving money over your DISH plan. Hulu + Live TV includes unlimited DVR.
Best Mid-Tier Option: Sling TV
Sling TV plans offer around 40 channels each, with prices starting at $40 per month. You’ll have to check with Sling first to see which channels are available in your market, as most don’t have ABC, NBC and Fox all together. Sling also does not come with CBS in any markets in the United States.
The service does carry some of cable’s most popular channels like ESPN, FX, Fox News, MSNBC, and others. Users can subscribe to Sling Orange or Sling Blue to get around 40 channels or upgrade to Sling Orange and Blue for $55 per month to get the channel lineups of both plans. Sling comes with 50 hours of DVR per month included in every plan.
Best Bargain Option: Philo
Philo is a “skinny” channel bundle that cuts out some of the priciest cable options in exchange for a $25 per month subscription fee. You won’t get local channels or sports networks on Philo, but you will get great entertainment options such as Paramount Network, A&E, Nickelodeon, MTV, Hallmark Channel and more. It offers access to 33 TV Everywhere apps and unlimited DVR.
Last Alternative: YouTube TV
YouTube TV plans start at $72.99 per month, and the service gives its customers unlimited DVR. The only top cable channels YouTube TV doesn’t offer are Lifetime, History, and A&E, and most users will get all of their local affiliates with a subscription. Customers will have to pay an extra $9.99 per month to stream any content in 4K with YouTube TV. The major disadvantage of YouTube TV is that it does not come with any free trials, discounts, or bundled benefits.