Ditching Fubo Due to Its Latest Price Increase? What Other Options Are There for Streaming Top Cable Channels?
Fubo’s new price hike puts it among the most expensive live TV options available, but The Streamable can help you save.
Last week when Nexstar and Fubo announced that they had agreed to a new carriage deal that would keep 89 Nexstar-owned local affiliates of channels like ABC and The CW on the streamer for multiple years, many subscribers were thrilled. But The Streamable predicted at the time that the agreement would likely lead to a price increase, and now that assumption has been borne out.
On Wednesday, Fubo announced that it would be raising prices on all of its subscription tiers by at least $5 per month. The lowest-priced Fubo subscription is now $79.99 per month for new customers, and that doesn’t factor in the regional sports network (RSN) fee that 98% of Fubo customers end up having to pay. It’s $10.99 per month for one RSN, or $13.99 if your market has two or more RSNs available on the sports-focused streamer.
Fortunately, there are lots of ways to save money on live TV if you’re looking to move on from Fubo due to the price hike. The Streamable has been covering virtual multichannel video programming distributors (vMVPDs) like Fubo since 2017, so we know exactly which services are best for your live TV needs, no matter what factor is most important to you.
| Service | Cheapest Plan | Savings Over Fubo |
|---|---|---|
| DIRECTV STREAM | $79.99 per month | $10.99 per month |
| Hulu + Live TV | $76.99 per month | $13.99 per month |
| YouTube TV | $72.99 per month | $17.99 per month |
| Sling TV | $40 per month | $50.98 per month |
| Philo | $25 per month | $65.98 per month |
Best Alternative to Fubo: DIRECTV STREAM
DIRECTV STREAM’s base Entertainment plan starts at $79.99, the same as Fubo. However, with DIRECTV STREAM there is no regional sports network fee, so Fubo customers who are more interested in top cable news and entertainment channels like A&E, Hallmark Channel, TNT, CNN, and many more will be right at home with this plan and will save at least $11 per month. DIRECTV STREAM does not require users to upgrade to a higher plan to stream select events in 4K, as Fubo does.
If you were subscribed to Fubo because of its offerings of live sports, you’ll want to look into DIRECTV STREAM’s Choice plan. That option has a wide variety of RSNs, including Bally Sports Networks, YES Network, NESN, Marquee Sports Network, and many others. This plan costs $108.99 per month, so while it’s a bit more expensive than Fubo’s pro plan it comes with all 35 of The Streamable’s top cable channels.
Best yet for new DIRECTV STREAM customers, the company is offering a limited-time deal of $25 off per month for your first two months of service. You could use that discount to try out DIRECTV STREAM’s Choice plan for less than $90 per month or enjoy any of the other great packages DIRECTV STREAM offers. DIRECTV STREAM comes with unlimited Cloud DVR and allows for unlimited simultaneous streams within the home.
Best Streamer with Bundled Options: Hulu + Live TV
If you’re a bit more into entertainment than you are into sports, [Hulu + Live TV $] is an excellent alternative to Fubo. Its plans start at $76.99, so you’ll save around $15 per month by going with this option. Hulu + Live TV doesn’t offer a wide variety of regional sports channels like Fubo, but it does offer some pretty excellent value.
That value comes in the form of free access to the Disney Bundle, with Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu included in your monthly subscription cost. That means you’ll still get plenty of live sports, top cable channels, and all the on-demand streaming you could wish for with a Hulu + Live TV subscription at a big savings over your Fubo cost. Hulu + Live TV allows for two simultaneous streams in the home and features unlimited Cloud DVR.
Last Choice For Users Who Want Lots of Channels: YouTube TV
YouTube TV starts at $72.99 per month, and while it doesn’t come with any free streaming services bundled into a subscription or a wide range of RSNs, it is a viable option for those looking to save money over their Fubo account. It comes with a wide variety of top cable channels and features unlimited Cloud DVR, three simultaneous streams, and a highly popular user interface.
Top Budget-Friendly Option: Sling TV
If the top goal on your mind after ditching your Fubo subscription is to save money, check out Sling TV. You’ll only get around 40 total channels with a Sling Orange or Sling Blue subscription, but you’ll still get top networks like ESPN, Fox News, MSNBC and many more. Plans start at around $40 per month, or you can upgrade to Sling Orange and Blue for $55 per month and get all the channels Sling offers in your area.
One important note with Sling is that it does not carry local channels in all but a handful of media markets. The tradeoff is that Sling offers sports channels like NFL Network, ACC Network, SEC Network, and others, and you have the flexibility to supplement your lineup with extra channel bundles for between $6 and $11 per month. Sling offers 50 hours of Cloud DVR standard, and allows for up to four simultaneous streams.
Want to Save Even More? Check Out Philo
Philo cuts its monthly price down to $25, and still offers some highly popular cable channels like AMC, Lifetime, and others. It gives subscribers unlimited Cloud DVR, three simultaneous streams, and the peace of mind of knowing their monthly pay-TV bill is going to be more than $60 cheaper than subscribing to Fubo.