If you’ve been subscribing to YouTube TV for a while, you may have grown numb to the high price and channel limitations. As hockey and basketball head to their offseasons and the NFL won’t kick off until September, now is the perfect time to reevaluate if you’re getting the most bang for your buck. At The Streamable, we constantly test all the live TV options, so we can steer you to the right choice.
Service Comparison Overview
| Feature | YouTube TV | DIRECTV STREAM | Hulu Live TV | Sling TV | Fubo | Philo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base Price | $72.99 | $79.99 | $76.99 | $40 | $94.99 | $28 |
| Base Channels | 114 | 184 | 106 | 49 | 178 | 75 |
| Max Channels | 166 | 247 | 143 | 143 | 206 | 85 |
| Local Channels | Yes | Yes | Yes | In select markets | Yes | No |
| Sports Channels | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Regional Sports Networks | 7 | 37 | 8 | 0 | 35 | 0 |
| DVR | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | 50 Hours (upgradable) | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| On-Demand Services | No | No | Hulu, Disney+, ESPN+ | No | No | No |
| Free channels | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Free Trial | Yes | 5 Days | 3 Days | No | 7 Days | 7 Days |
For Superior Sports and Entertainment: DIRECTV STREAM
We love DIRECTV STREAM as the most complete TV setup available today. There are 4 different channel tiers, unlimited streams at home, and an unlimited DVR. You can load up on 100 channels more than YouTube TV.
Switching to DIRECTV STREAM gives you A&E, History, and Lifetime and more regional sports networks than any other service.
DIRECTV STREAM also works especially well if you’re a first-time cord-cutter. It resembles cable TV without any long-term contract. You can try it for free for five days.
For Maximum Entertainment on One Bill: Hulu Live TV
Would you be willing to pay $4 to get access to Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu on demand? That’s a screaming deal, and that’s the minimal increase in monthly cost if you switch from YouTube TV. (Without Hulu Live TV, those three services would cost at least $15, so it’s a great value.)
The channel lineup is very similar to YouTube TV, but Hulu adds A&E, History, and Lifetime. You also gain access to MLB Network and SportsNet NY.
For the first time in a very long time, Hulu Live TV is offering a 3-day free trial.
For Flexible Channel Lineups and Better Price: Sling TV
Sling TV is so unique, every cord-cutter should try it at least once. It allows you to customize your channel lineup more than any other streamer, helping you save tons of money as you watch. The built-in Sling Freestream is a nice touch, allowing you to watch several ad-supported channels without any financial commitment.
Inexpensive channel bundle add-ons usually cost $6/month. Choose Comedy Extra, News Extra, Heartland Extra, Sports Extra, Kids Extra, Lifestyle Extra, or Hollywood Extra. You can add them individually or get every bundle for $21-$27 / month. See what each bundle offers here.
Sling is also great if you like international content, since it offers channel bundles in Spanish, Cantonese, French, Greek, Italian, Mandarin, Polish, Urdu, and other languages.
Like most non-YouTube TV services, Sling offers A&E, History, and Lifetime.
Give it a try now and you’ll save 50% off your first month.
Other Options: Fubo and Philo
Fubo is so expensive and has lost so many important channels, we usually do not recommend it. The service only offers 19 of the top 35 cable channels.
However, switching to Fubo does offer MLB Network and SportsNet NY, and more regional sports channels than any service outside DIRECTV STREAM.
Unlike YouTube TV, Fubo does allow you to customize a multiview experience if you have Apple TV.
You can try Fubo free for a week.
Philo saves money by ditching the local and sports channels entirely. You’d still get 18 top cable channels, including A&E, History, and Lifetime.
Even if Philo’s channel lineup doesn’t quite catch your eye, it’s worth signing up for Philo Free Channels, since you’d get 80+ viewing options at no cost.
For the full Philo experience, start with a 7-day free trial.
Full Channel Comparisons.
To compare your most-needed channels, be sure to consult our Service Matchmaker. But since we’re talking about switching from YouTube, here are the channels you can gain with each service.
Additional DIRECTV STREAM channels
A&E, AccuWeather, Altitude, American Heroes, aspireTV, Atres Cine, Atres Series, SportsNet Pittsburgh, Audience, AXS TV, BabyFirst, Bally Sports Detroit, Bally Sports Florida, Bally Sports Great Lakes, Bally Sports Indiana, Bally Sports Kansas City, Bally Sports Midwest, Bally Sports New Orleans, Bally Sports North, Bally Sports Ohio, Bally Sports Oklahoma, Bally Sports SoCal, Bally Sports South, Bally Sports Southeast, Bally Sports Southwest, Bally Sports Sun, Bally Sports West, Bally Sports Wisconsin, BET Her, Bloomberg TV, Boomerang, Canal 22 Internacional, Caracol TV, Centroamérica TV, Cine Estelar, Cine Nostalgia, Cine Sony, Cinelatino, CLEO TV, CNBC World, CNN International, Comedy.TV, Cooking Channel, Crime & Investigation, CSPAN, CSPAN 2, Daystar Español, Daystar HD, Destination America, Discovery Family, Discovery Life, Dove Channel, EarthxTV, Ecuador TV, Ecuavisa Internacional, Next Level Sports, Enlace, Estrella News, FETV, Fuse, Fuse Music, FYI, Great American Family, Great American Country, Grit, HDNet Movies, Heroes & Icons, History, History En Español, Hola TV, INSP, Jewelry Television, Jewish Life TV, JusticeCentral.TV, Lifetime, Lifetime Movie Network, LOGO, Marquee Sports Network, MASN, MASN2, Meganoticias, MegaTV, MeTV, MGM+ Hits, MGM+ Marquee, MLB Network, MSG, MSG Sportsnet, MTV Classic, MTV Live, MTV2, Multimedios, NESN, Newsmax, NHL Network, Nick Jr., Nicktoons, Nuestra Vision, Once Mexico, Outdoor Channel, Ovation HD, Perú Mágico, Reelz, Revolt, RFD TV, Rockies.TV Channel, Root Sports Northwest, Science, Shop LC HD, Shorts TV, Sony Movie Channel, Space City Home Network, Spectrum SportsNet, Spectrum SportsNet LA, Sportsman Channel, SportsNet NY, SUR Perú, TeenNick, TeleCentro, Telefe, The First, TheGrio, TV Chile, TV One, TVE, Univision tlnovelas, UPtv, VePlus, Vice TV, VideoRola, ViendoMovies, Vme, Willow TV, and YES Network
Additional Hulu Live TV channels
A&E, American Heroes, BET Her, Bloomberg TV, Boomerang, CHARGE!, CNBC World, CNN International, Comedy.TV, Cooking Channel, Destination America, Discovery Family, Discovery Life, ESPN Bases Loaded, ESPN College Extra, ESPN Goal Line, FYI, Great American Family, Great American Country, History, History En Español, JusticeCentral.TV, Lifetime, Lifetime Movie Network, MLB Network, MLB Network Strike Zone, MTV Classic, MTV2, NASA TV, NECN, Nick Jr., Nicktoons, Outdoor Channel, Science, Sportsman Channel, SportsNet NY, TeenNick, TVG2, and Vice TV
Additional Sling TV channels
A&E, Afro, American Heroes, AXS TV, Baby TV, Bloomberg TV, Boomerang, CGTN, Cinemoi, Cooking Channel, Cowboy Channel, Destination America, Duck TV, Euronews, Fandor Festival, FETV, France 24, Fuse, Fusion, FYI, Great American Family, Great American Faith & Living, Great American Country, Grit, HDNet Movies, Heroes & Icons, History, Law&Crime, Lifetime, Lifetime Movie Network, Local Now, LOGO, Maker, MGM+ Drive-In, MLB Network, MLB Network Strike Zone, MTV2, NDTV 24/7, News18, Newsmax, NHL Network, Nick Jr., Nicktoons, Outdoor Channel, PixL, Pursuit, Reelz, Revolt, RFD TV, Science, Sling Kids, Sportsman Channel, TeenNick, Vibrant TV, Vice TV, WeatherNation, Willow TV, and Z Living HD
Additional Fubo channels
AccuWeather, AfricaNews, Altitude, Arizona's Family Sports, At Home with Family Handyman, SportsNet Pittsburgh, Baby TV, Bally Sports Detroit, Bally Sports Florida, Bally Sports Great Lakes, Bally Sports Indiana, Bally Sports Kansas City, Bally Sports Midwest, Bally Sports New Orleans, Bally Sports North, Bally Sports Ohio, Bally Sports Oklahoma, Bally Sports SoCal, Bally Sports South, Bally Sports Southeast, Bally Sports Southwest, Bally Sports Sun, Bally Sports West, Bally Sports Wisconsin, BET Her, BET Jams, BET Soul, Bloomberg+, Bloomberg TV, Centroamérica TV, CHARGE!, Cine Sony, CLEO TV, CNBC World, Curiosity Channel, Dove Channel, EarthxTV, Next Level Sports, Estrella News, Euronews, Great American Family, Great American Faith & Living, GINX Esports TV, Great American Adventures, Great American Country, Grit, Hola TV, i24 News, INTROUBLE, INWONDER, Ion Mystery, Jewelry Television, JusticeCentral.TV, Law&Crime, Local Now, LOGO, Marquee Sports Network, MASN, Maximum Effort, MGM+ Hits, MGM+ Marquee, MLB Network, MLB Network Strike Zone, MSG, MSG Sportsnet, MTV Classic, MTV Live, MTV2, MTVU, NESN, Newsmax, NewsNet, NHL Network, Nick Jr., Nick Music, Nicktoons, Outdoor Channel, Revry, Revry News, Rockies.TV Channel, ROI TV, Root Sports Northwest, Shop LC HD, Sony Movie Channel, Space City Home Network, Sportsman Channel, Stadium Plus, TeenNick, Telefe, The First, The TYT Network, Ticker News, TUDNxtra, Waypoint, Willow TV, YES Network, and Zona Futbol
Additional Philo channels
A&E, AccuWeather, American Heroes, aspireTV, AXS TV, BET Her, Catchy Comedy, CLEO TV, Cooking Channel, Crime & Investigation, Deck the Hallmark, Destination America, Discovery Family, Discovery Life, FMC, FETV, FYI, Great American Family, Great American Faith & Living, HDNet Movies, Heroes & Icons, History, INSP, Law&Crime, Lifetime, Lifetime Movie Network, LOGO, MeTV, MeTV Toons, MGM+ Hits, MGM+ Marquee, MTV Classic, MTV Live, MTV2, Nick Jr., Nicktoons, Reelz, Revolt, Science, Sony Movie Channel, Starz Kids & Family, Story Television, TeenNick, TV One, UPtv, and Vice TV
Channel Chart
| DTV STREAM | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Free Trial | Get 50% OFF | Sign Up | |||
| $79.99 | $94.99 | $76.99 | $28 | $40 | $40 | $72.99 | ||
| A&E | + $29 | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | |
| AMC | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| BET | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Bravo | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Cartoon Network | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| CNN | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Comedy Central | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Discovery | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Disney Channel | - | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| Disney Junior | - | ✓ | ✓ | - | + $6 | - | ✓ | |
| E! | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| ESPN | - | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| Food Network | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Fox News | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Freeform | - | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| FX | - | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| FXX | - | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | + $6 | ✓ | |
| Hallmark Channel | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | + $6 | + $6 | ✓ | |
| HGTV | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| History | + $29 | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | |
| Investigation Discovery | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Lifetime | + $29 | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | |
| MSNBC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| MTV | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | + $6 | + $6 | ✓ | |
| Nickelodeon | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | |
| Paramount Network | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | + $6 | + $6 | ✓ | |
| Syfy | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| TBS | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| TLC | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| TNT | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Travel Channel | + $29 | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| truTV | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | + $6 | ✓ | ✓ | |
| USA Network | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| VH1 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | + $6 | + $6 | ✓ | |
| WE tv | ✓ | - | - | ✓ | + $6 | + $6 | ✓ | |