The sheer volume of content available in the streaming world can be downright overwhelming. It can be hard to know which service has which shows, and even harder to avoid titles with sex, violence, bad language and other objectionable content. There are some excellent streaming services available that allow viewers to avoid these pitfalls, however, and I’ll walk through what I think are the best two streaming services for older viewers below.

Which Streaming Services Are Best For Older Viewers?

Stream Top Cable News and Sports Channels with Sling TV

If you’re looking to get traditional cable channels with your next streaming subscription, you should check out Sling TV. This service has packages starting at $40 per month, and each carries around 40 channels.

Traditionally, studies have shown that older audiences value pay TV because of the easy access to news and sports networks. Sling makes these types of channels easy to access; its Blue plan offers Fox News and MSNBC, as well as FS1 and NFL Network. The Orange package comes with ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3 (which simulcasts all of ABC’s sports programming), and viewers can switch between the two for free, or they can combine Orange and Blue for just $55 monthly.

Like the free service Pluto TV, which I will dive into below, Sling TV offers viewers a familiar programming guide that they should be used to from decades of cable service. This will allow you to scroll through all the channels you get on Sling TV until you find exactly what you want.

Sling TV will even let you record your favorite TV shows or sporting events, as it comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR on every account, but you can upgrade to 200 hours for just $5 extra per month. It’s just like popping a tape into your VCR only with fewer steps, so you’ll never have to worry about missing your favorite show or team when they’re on live.

One drawback older viewers might see with Sling TV is the scarcity of local channels, as only customers in a small handful of markets get ABC, Fox, or NBC with a subscription. But these are easily available with an over-the-air antenna (no monthly subscription fee required), and otherwise, Sling TV has a programming lineup that older viewers will likely love.

Watch TV Classics Free with Pluto TV

If you are looking to stream familiar shows for free, Pluto TV should be the first destination for older audiences. This service is free and doesn’t even require you to sign up with an email address to start watching. Simply head to the Pluto website and pick whatever you want to start streaming first.

Pluto mimics pay TV in many ways that older customers will find familiar and comforting. First of all, the streamer features an electronic programming guide that closely mimics the grid-style channel lineup from cable plans of old. Users can browse this guide and filter it to show only specific programming categories, such as Classic TV, Westerns, and more.

The streamer has a huge selection of on-demand titles that older viewers will love, as well. Pluto carries shows like “All in the Family,” “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” “Hogan's Heroes,” “I Love Lucy,” “The Love Boat,” “Petticoat Junction,” and hundreds of other shows from the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s that older viewers will be able to relive fond memories of.

All shows, movies, and streaming channels on Pluto come with advertisements, helping the service mimic the cable experience even more closely. Pluto’s live streaming channels obviate the need for picking what you’re going to watch once one show is done, playing the next episode automatically just like your favorite cable network.

As mentioned, Pluto TV is completely free to watch; with the cost of just about everything growing more expensive nowadays, Pluto is a great way to access the entertainment you’ve loved for decades without having to worry about what it’ll do to your budget.

Final Thoughts

Sifting through the seemingly never-ending amount of options available to stream video can be a confusing and frustrating experience, especially for older audiences. These viewers should give Pluto TV and Sling TV very close looks.

Sling is a great way to get cable news and sports channels without having to pay an arm and a leg, while Pluto offers a fantastic selection of classic TV at no charge. Both services help viewers feel like they’re simply watching their old favorite cable plan, and both have a good content selection at an affordable price.