The last few years have seen a revolution in TV. It is no longer necessary to be tied to a cable provider with a long contract. There are many live TV streaming services that are as good, or better, than what the cable companies provide. All this for a lot less money.
In a hurry? There’s lots of information below, but if you just want to start enjoying TV more while spending less money, you can’t go wrong with these services:
- Fubo (formerly FuboTV): Known for its outstanding sports coverage, Fubo’s 150+ live TV channels provide a broad selection that appeals to most people. Fubo allows you to try out its service with a free trial.
- Sling TV: Offers 40+ channels, including a couple of local network affiliates, for just $40.00/mo. Save 50% on Sling TV now!
- DIRECTV STREAM: The king of RSNs, this is the streaming service for MLB, NBA, and NHL fans. Check out its Choice Plan if you want to watch every game! A 5-day free trial is now available for DIRECTV STREAM.
- Hulu + Live TV: This industry leader in on-demand streaming offers 85+ live channels, covering a broad range of sports, entertainment, and family content. Try one month for $76.99.
Table Of Contents
2024 NBA Play-In!
The NBA playoffs are on:
Date | Time (ET) | Teams | TV |
---|---|---|---|
Fri Apr 26 | 5:30 pm | Bucks vs Pacers | ESPN |
Fri Apr 26 | 8:00 pm | Clippers vs Mavericks | ESPN |
Fri Apr 26 | 10:30 pm | Timberwolves vs Suns | ESPN |
NHL Playoffs This Weekend!
The NHL playoffs have started. Don’t miss out!
Date | Time (ET) | Teams | TV |
---|---|---|---|
Fri Apr 26 | 7:00 pm | Rangers vs Capitals | TNT/truTV |
Fri Apr 26 | 7:30 pm | Canucks vs Predators | TBS |
Fri Apr 26 | 10:00 pm | Jets vs Avalanche | TNT/truTV |
Fri Apr 26 | 10:30 pm | Oilers vs Kings | TBS |
What’s Streaming Now?
We provide simple but detailed information for cord-cutters to get the best possible experience without cable. You will learn where and how to stream different channels, what individual streaming services offer, and how to be cost-effective with your chosen streaming device.
Whether you’re a sports fan, movie buff, parent with curious kids, or just a general TV consumer, we provide you with everything you need to leave your cable contract behind.
Here’s the stuff we think deserves attention. It’s by no means complete, however! All times are Eastern.
Sporting Events This Week
You are going to have to make some decisions this weekend because the NBA playoffs and the NHL playoffs start on Saturday and will continue for the next month.
Let’s start with the NHL this weekend:
- Sat Apr 20 : Islanders vs Hurricanes (TBS/truTV)
- Sat Apr 20 : Maple Leafs vs Bruins (TBS/truTV)
- Sun Apr 21 : Lightning vs Panthers (ESPN)
- Sun Apr 21 : Capitals vs Rangers (ESPN)
And the NBA:
- Sat Apr 20 : Magic vs Cavaliers (ESPN)
- Sat Apr 20 : Suns vs Timberwolves (ESPN)
- Sat Apr 20 : 76ers vs Knicks (ESPN)
- Sat Apr 20 : Lakers vs Nuggets (ABC/ESPN3)
- Sun Apr 21 : TBD vs Celtics (ABC/ESPN3)
- Sun Apr 21 : Mavericks vs Clippers (ABC/ESPN3)
- Sun Apr 21 : Pacers vs Bucks (TNT)
- Sun Apr 21 : TBD vs Thunder (TNT)
Sorry about those TBDs. We have to wait for the second round of the Play-In on Friday. You can watch all these games with Sling Orange for just $20. And you can watch every game of both series with Sling Orange & Blue (select markets).
Other Sports Streaming
- FA Cup: Watch two iconic Premier League teams, Manchester United and Chelsea, compete on ESPN+ on Saturday, April 20th at .
- NCAA Football: There are a bunch of NCAA football games this weekend. Of special interest in the Notre Dame Blue-Gold Game on Saturday, April 20th at on Peacock.
- NCAA Baseball: There a lot of great college ball this weekend but check out #1 ranked Texas A&M against Alabama on Friday, April 19th at on SEC Network+.
- Devin Haney vs Ryan Garcia: Watch two of the best compete for the WBC super-lightweight title on Saturday, April 20th at on DAZN.
Other Sporting Events This Week
- Mar 15 – Nov 3: NWSL Regular Season ( NWSL Guide)
- Apr 20 – Apr 25: Matchday 34 (Premier League Guide)
- Apr 22 – Apr 28: Zurich Classic of New Orleans (Golf Guide)
- Apr 23 – Apr 24: Semifinals – second leg (AFC Champions League Guide)
- Apr 23 – Apr 28: Tour de Romandie (Switzerland) – UCI Men’s World Tour (Cycling Guide)
- Apr 23 – May 4: Mutua Madrid Open, Madrid -WTA (Tennis Guide)
- Apr 24 – Apr 26: Gran Premio de España ( MotoGP Guide)
- Apr 24 – May 5: Madrid Masters, Madrid -ATP (Tennis Guide)
- Apr 25 – Apr 28: JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro (LPGA Guide)
- Apr 25: Premier League Darts: Night 13 – Liverpool (Darts Guide)
- Apr 26: Joseph Jackson vs Yoenis Tellez (Boxing Guide)
- Apr 26: General Tire 150 (NASCAR ARCA East Series)
- Apr 26: General Tire 150 (NASCAR ARCA Series)
- Apr 27: Marc Leach vs Peter McGrail (Boxing Guide)
- Apr 27: Rances Barthelemy vs Jose Carlos Ramirez (Boxing Guide)
- Apr 27: Andrew Tabiti vs Junior Anthony Wright (Boxing Guide)
- Apr 27: UFC Vegas 91: Nicolau vs Perez (UFC Guide)
- Apr 27: A-GAME 200 (NASCAR Xfinity Series Guide)
- Apr 27 – Apr 28: Semifinals – second leg (Women’s UEFA Championship Guide)
- Apr 27 – Apr 28: Matchday 35 (Premier League Guide)
- Apr 28: Wurth 400 (NASCAR Cup Series Guide)
Movies and TV Shows This Week
Any fan of big-budget action movies knows these two. The Terminator. Rocky. Predator. Rambo. Their roles are legendary, and so was their rivalry in their heyday in the 80s.
Tonight, they’ll sit down and discuss how their famous feud actually led them to becoming “friends and brothers in arms.”
Don’t miss this in-depth look at two of Hollywood’s most iconic stars. Arnold & Sly: Rivals, Friends, Icons airs tonight (Tuesday) on Fox at , and will be streaming on Hulu starting tomorrow (Wednesday).
Also Streaming This Week
Those aren’t the only American icons coming up soon on the small screen:
The Indy Lead-Up
The CW’s docuseries on the road to the Indy 500 is back for a second season. This is a must-watch for any Indy fan! If you missed the first season, you can stream it now on Paramount+. 100 Days to Indy will debut its new season on The CW this Friday at .
Beyoncé Bends Genres
Queen Bey is smashing genre barriers by topping the Country charts. If you, too, are a fan of “Texas Hold ‘Em,” then check out this discussion of what defines country music. Call Me Country: Beyoncé & Nashville’s Renaissance premieres on Max this Friday.
Four Decades of Bon Jovi
From “Livin’ on a Prayer” to “Legendary,” few bands have endured like Bon Jovi. Now dealing with a potentially career-ending vocal injury, this documentary spans their entire 40 years as rock idols. Thank you, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story streams on Hulu starting this Friday.
More American Mega-Brands
From the network that brought you the toys, food, titans, machines, men, booze, bets, and sex that built America, comes a new season of mega-brands. The Mega-Brands That Built America‘s first episode of Season 2, “End of the Landlines,” will air on History at on Sunday.
Why Get Rid of Cable TV?
Some reasons for getting rid of cable are obvious. But there are some that may not have occurred to you.
- Time: Too much television is a waste of time. If you cancel cable and only watch your favorite TV shows, you can spend more time with your friends and family.
- Money: A cable or satellite subscription costs many times more than it does to grab a simple on-demand plan with Hulu and Netflix. Cable is also more expensive than online cable replacement services with live TV channels, like Fubo and Hulu + Live TV.
- Technology: Video streaming is the future of TV. Soon, all video entertainment will be via an online connection. You might as well get on board now, learn the tricks, and save money in the process.
- Information: Be more informed. Rather than be at the mercy of local news anchors, you will revert to more reputable news feeds like PBS, Bloomberg, CBS News, and LinkTV. For example, Fubo provides 13 news and information channels, along with all the local affiliates in its base plan.
- Freedom: Cable and satellite providers normally tie you into a long contract, only to give you prices that are still higher than comparable streaming services. Getting rid of cable means getting rid of the contract. Go month-to-month and be flexible.
- Dignity: Stop getting ripped off! Calling up the cable company and canceling your cable will simply make you feel good.
Looking for missing conservative news channels? Check out Sling TV!
Best Streaming Services
Choosing the right streaming service is probably the most important decision that a cord-cutter will make. There is no absolute “best” streaming service. It all depends on what you want with your live TV streaming plan.
Some streaming services are free, like Peacock TV (although they have a premium plan). Sling TV offers value plans that are low-cost but offer a lot. And the full-featured plans of Fubo, Hulu Live TV, and DIRECTV STREAM) provide what you would expect from a standard cable plan, but with different bonus features designed to appeal to all sorts of viewers’ needs.
Get access to all our detailed and up-to-date reviews of the major streaming services. You will also get links to free trials so you can make sure a service suits you before you buy.
Internet Without Cable?
Most cable TV subscribers also get their internet access from the same place. In many cases, there are other options for the internet. In some cases, cable is literally the only game in town.
We’ve put together everything that cord-cutters need to know about getting internet service. Even if your cable provider is tied in with your internet, you can probably get a reasonably-priced internet-only plan via a downgrade.
Cord-Cutting Wisdom
There are a lot of aspects of cord-cutting that newbies may be faced with. These range from what’s worth watching, to getting access to particular channels, to buying and installing specialized streaming and recording devices.
We discuss it all. Here are some of our most popular articles:
- How to Watch Local News Without Cable
- Setting Up your Streaming Service Parental Controls
- The Best DVR Without Subscription Fees
- The Best Ways to Get Internet Without Cable for Cord Cutters
- Watching Television in Spanish Without Cable.
Stream Major Events
Major TV events are still a big part of our social lives — just look at Facebook and Twitter during the Super Bowl or Academy Awards. Cord cutters have full access to these events.
For those just starting out, we have primers on how to stream the biggest happenings:
Stream Sports
Most major streaming services offer good access to live sports. The standout is Fubo. But a good low-cost newcomer to the industry is Vidgo. We have articles about everything related to live streaming sports like:
Stream TV Shows
With live TV streaming, you never have to miss your favorite shows, mini-series, and films when they are broadcast live. Here are some of our articles about streaming some recent must-see TV titles:
Get Started Now
We understand that dumping cable is intimidating. So we’ve written a detailed step-by-step guide to the process on How to Watch TV Without Cable.
It also gives you an overview of all the top streaming services, desirable features to look for, and answers to the most frequently asked questions from to-be cord-cutters.
What are you waiting for? Get started now!
Ditch “Big Cable” Now – 3 Simple Steps to Cut the Cord
- Pick the right streaming service
- Get the content you deserve with the best VPN.
- Supercharge your internet provider
That’s it — you’ll save money, take back control, and enjoy TV more!
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