Streaming your local ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC stations without cable is still one of the biggest and most expensive challenges for cord cutters.
In this article and the featured video below, I review the latest options to help you decide if they’re worth it.
Standalone Apps
You can now stream three of the four major networks 24/7 through standalone apps:
- FOX One: Live local FOX stations
- Paramount+ Premium: Live local CBS stations
- Peacock Premium Plus: Live local NBC stations
That leaves ABC. The new ESPN Unlimited app includes live ESPN on ABC content, but not a 24/7 feed of your local ABC station. Hulu still streams ABC shows the next day.
Free standalone apps worth mentioning: The CW and PBS. Only PBS includes a live stream of your local station.
Subscribing to multiple standalone apps can be inconvenient and expensive. They work best if you have partial coverage from an antenna or only need one or two networks.
Skinny Bundles
Skinny bundles are smaller channel packages that sometimes include locals. They’re not full cable replacements, but depending on your ZIP code, they might cover most of what you need.
- DIRECTV MySports: Expanded local coverage, often all four stations in big cities, plus cable sports and news.
- DIRECTV MyNews: Cheaper, with locals and cable news. Not as complete as MySports in some markets.
- Fubo Sports: ABC, CBS, and FOX in select markets. You can subscribe to Peacock for NBC. Coverage is expanding.
- Sling TV: ABC, FOX and NBC depending on your market. No CBS.
- Xfinity Sports and News TV Plan: Full local coverage in Xfinity markets, plus cable sports and news.
Full Cable Replacement Services
If you want every local station in one place, the easiest option is still the full live TV streaming services. YouTube TV is the most popular of these services.
DIRECTV (Signature Packages), Fubo and Hulu + Live TV also offer bundles with full local coverage.
These services typically start at $85 a month or more. Lately, there have been more limited-time discounts as new apps and skinny bundles enter the market.
Money-Saving Alternatives
Before you sign up for an expensive bundle, consider these strategies:
- Try an antenna. Even partial coverage saves money.
- Fill gaps with standalone apps like Paramount+, Peacock, FOX One or ESPN Unlimited.
- Add a DVR like Tablo if recording is important. One antenna can cover your whole house and stream through the Tablo app.
- Don’t care about sports? Look at free and cheap alternatives for news and entertainment content.
TIP: Use JustWatch.com to search for specific shows and see where they are available to stream, often free or cheaper than a pay-TV bundle.
Hi Michael – thanks so much for all the helpful info, makes navigating this mess a lot easier! I recently heard about Tubi TV, and that it includes a DVR – all for a one-time price? Sounds too good to be true. I searched your site for Tubi, but all I found was a mention here on this page. Do you have a Tubi review I’m missing? Thanks so much!
Tubi is a free service. I’m not aware of any DVR with them.
In your information about antennas you stated: “outdoor antennas can be more expensive than indoor antennas, and they require professional installation.”
True, you need some handyman skills to install an outdoor antenna. But more and more of our general pubic, men & women, are opting to acquire some of those basic skills. I suggest that you replace the “they” in your statement with “may.”
Puffer is mostly broken and has been for quite some time. I claim idiots.