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Online Streaming Services

What streaming services are available? What channels can you watch? What movies and shows can you watch?

What streaming services are available?

As we mentioned in the first part of our cord-cutting guide, most cord cutters use more than one service. We recommend selecting one service for Live TV and at least one for On Demand video. This gives you the best of both worlds. For example, a bundle of Hulu Live TV and Disney+ would be a fine combination to start your cord cutting journey, providing live TV, on demand, and premium on demand in one package.

If you’d like to know which service is best for viewers on a budget, or best for families, or provides the most content, The Streamable has comprehensive comparison guides:

Whether you choose one service or several, The Streamable can guide you through your selections. Here are your options.

Live TV Streaming Services

These services offer a virtually identical experience to what cable TV provides. You’ll sign up for a package of live cable channels and you’ll have access to a “cloud DVR” so you can record your shows, but your recordings will not last forever. If live events like sports channels, news, or awards shows are important to you, you may need one of these services.

Each service offers a different experience, so click each name for The Streamable’s full breakdown. And remember, our Service Matchmaker is the simplest way to compare prices and channel lineups.

  • Philo - 60 channels, $25 / month
  • Hulu Live TV - 70 channels, $76.99 / month
  • Fubo - 90 channels, $91.99 / month
  • Sling TV - 30-50 channels, $40-$55 / month
  • DIRECTV STREAM (formerly AT&T TV) - 65-140 channels, $79.99-$164.99 / month
  • YouTube TV - 60 channels, $72.99 / month
  • Frndly TV - 15 channels, $5.99-$9.99 / month
  • Vidgo - 109-109 channels, $69.99-$69.99 / month (note: no DVR)

Along with your streaming subscription, you will be able to use TV Everywhere apps, which allow for on demand viewing of your favorite shows, along with some additional features. Your live streaming service usually allows for on demand viewing of most programs without launching those external apps. If TV Everywhere apps are important to you, please consult our TV Everywhere app guide to be sure your chosen service offers support.

Premium On Demand Services

Much of the “buzz” you hear about streaming comes from the exclusive shows available on these platforms. From the new Star Wars adventures of The Mandalorian to the dystopian future of The Handmaid’s Tale to the throwback sci-fi adventures of Stranger Things, these on demand platforms are making huge investments to entertain you with original programming. There is great on demand content available on every platform, so it’s worth sampling a few to find the one that you like best.

Most of these services do provide a rotating library of blockbuster Hollywood films. But it is important to know that while big movies or major TV shows may jump from service to service over time, most services are creating exclusive films and shows that should remain on those services as long as they exist.

Simply click each service below to learn more.

Service Highlights Special features Price
Disney+ Disney and Pixar animated movies, Star Wars and Marvel films, The Simpsons, The Mandalorian, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Save with Hulu & ESPN+ bundle $7.99-$13.99 / month
Peacock Yellowstone, WWE shows/events, Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock, Girls5eva, Saved by the Bell and its 2020 reboot, Battlestar Galactica, Cheers, Friday Night Lights Live NBC access $5.99-$11.99 / month
Amazon Prime Video The Boys, Fleabag, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Add-on streaming services $8.99 / month
Apple TV+ Ted Lasso, Severance, The Morning Show, Long Way Up, Greyhound Live MLB games $9.99 / month
Max The Last of Us, Euphoria, Hacks, House of the Dragon, Friends, The Sopranos, The Wire, Six Feet Under, Game of Thrones, South Park $9.99-$19.99 / month
Netflix Wednesday, The Queen's Gambit, Stranger Things, The Crown, Tiger King, Squid Game, The Irishman, Marriage Story, Love is Blind, Making a Murderer, Bridgerton Exclusive video game access, can add DVD rental plan $6.99-$22.99 / month
Paramount+ 1883, 1923, Tulsa King, SpongeBob SquarePants, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, The Good Fight Live CBS access, save with Showtime bundle $5.99-$11.99 / month
Hulu The Handmaid’s Tale, Little Fires Everywhere, Only Murders in the Building, Pen15, Shrill Can add live TV, save with Disney+ & ESPN+ bundle $7.99-$17.99 / month
Showtime Yellowjackets, Shameless, Kidding, Desus & Mero Save with Paramount+ bundle $11.99 / month
STARZ Power, BMF, Outlander, Luther, American Gods, Ash vs Evil Dead, Party Down $9.99 / month
discovery+ My 600-lb Life, Sister Wives, Deadliest Catch, Planet Earth $4.99-$8.99 / month
AMC+ The Walking Dead, Mad Men, Gangs of London $4.99 / month
MGM+ Godfather of Harlem, Pennyworth, Belgravia $6.99 / month
FlixFling No original programming, many film genres, mostly low-budget films $7.99 / month

Niche On Demand Services

If you have a particular interest, there may be a streaming service that can offer even more content.

Sports

Children

See our picks for the Best Streaming Services for Kids ►

Science/Learning

Animation

  • Funimation (anime) - $7.99-$9.99 / month
  • Crunchyroll (anime) - $7.99-$14.99 / month
  • RetroCrush (anime) - $4.99 / month
  • HIDIVE (anime) - $4.99 / month
  • Boomerang (mainstream animation) - $5.99 / month
  • VRV (anime, gaming, tech, cartoons) - $9.99 / month

See our picks for the Best Streaming Services for Anime Fans ►

Horror/Cult

Documentaries

Religion

Black Entertainment

LGBT

Older/Classic

Fine Arts

Independent/International/Arthouse

Other

Free or ad-supported services

There are some streaming services that allow you to watch movies and TV series for free, as long as you’re willing to sit through commercials. Some of these services allow for ad-free experiences if you pay for a premium tier. Some of these services allow for on demand viewing, others simply offer live streams you can view.

See our guide for the Best Free Streaming Services ►

If you have a library card, apps like Hoopla or Kanopy can provide a limited selection of streaming video. (Check with your library to see which service they support.) PBS and PBS Kids also provide free content, although the selection is more limited than what you’d find on premium on demand services.

Individual purchases or rentals

There are many ways to buy or rent an individual film or episode online if you don’t want a full-on subscription. While you might expect that the purchase of a movie entitles you to stream it forever, users occasionally run into issues with their titles disappearing for various reasons.

How to jump in

The best way to start streaming is to sign up for any service that interests you. As long as you have an internet connection, you can get the hang of the streaming experience through your browser or an app on your phone or tablet. Once you feel more confident, you can expand your experience with additional streaming services and devices. It’s always best to try a service for a few months before committing to any longer contracts.

Each service has pros and cons. You will need to consider a service’s movie and TV library, the experience of using the app, and the price to know if it is right for you.

But once you’re ready to take the leap, you’ll enter a world of near-infinite content, reasonable prices, and infinite flexibility.

Be sure to bookmark TheStreamable.com to keep tabs on all the latest news on these streaming services and tips and tricks to get the most out of your subscriptions!

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DIRECTV STREAM Cash Back

Let us know your e-mail address to send your $50 Amazon Gift Card when you sign up for DIRECTV STREAM.

You will receive it ~2 weeks after you complete your first month of service.

Offer Terms

  • Only valid for new DIRECTV STREAM subscribers.
  • Only valid once per household.
  • You must pay and maintain service for at least one month to be eligible.
  • Purchase must be completed on the DIRECTV STREAM website.
  • You’ll receive gift card 4-6 weeks after purchase (~2 weeks after your first month).
  • Cannot be combined with any other promotion and won’t be eligible if you try to use a coupon code or cash back from another site.

Sling TV Cash Back

Let us know your e-mail address to send your $25 Uber Eats Gift Card when you sign up for Sling TV.

You will receive it ~2 weeks after you complete your first month of service.

Offer Terms

  • Only valid for new Sling TV subscribers to Sling Orange, Blue, or Sling Orange + Blue.
  • Only valid once per household.
  • You must pay and maintain service for at least one month to be eligible.
  • You must click from The Streamable and complete your purchase on the Sling TV website.
  • You’ll receive gift card 4-6 weeks after purchase (~2 weeks after your first month).
  • Cannot be combined with any other promotion and won’t be eligible if you try to use a coupon code or cash back from another site.

Hulu Live TV Cash Back

Let us know your e-mail address to send your $35 Amazon Gift Card when you sign up for Hulu Live TV.

You will receive it ~2 weeks after you complete your first month of service.

Offer Terms

  • Only valid for new Hulu Live TV subscribers.
  • Only valid once per household.
  • You must pay and maintain service for at least one month to be eligible.
  • You must click from The Streamable and complete your purchase on the Hulu Live TV website.
  • You’ll receive gift card 4-6 weeks after purchase (~2 weeks after your first month).
  • Cannot be combined with any other promotion and won’t be eligible if you try to use a coupon code or cash back from another site.