Top Streaming Services That Can Replace Your Cable Cheaper – What’s On?

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.

2024 NBA Play-In!

The NBA playoffs have started with the Play-In:

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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

We hope you aren’t tired of basketball because this week it is time for the NBA playoff playoffs — better known as the NBA Play-In Tournament. The top 6 teams in each conference make the playoffs automatically. But the 7th through 10th seeded teams compete in the play-in to fill the final two spots.

We don’t yet know all the teams. But we do know half of them: Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Golden State Warriors. These teams and four others will compete in six total games:

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Other Sporting Events This Week

• Oct 10 – Apr 18: NHL Regular Season (NHL Guide)
• Oct 24 – Apr 12: NBA Regular Season (NBA Guide)
• Apr 7 – 14: Monte-Carlo Masters -ATP (Tennis Guide)
• Apr 8 – Apr 14: Masters Tournament (Golf Guide)
• Apr 9 – Apr 10: Quaterfinals 1st leg (UEFA Champions League Guide)
• Apr 11: Premier League Darts: Night 11 – Birmingham (Darts Guide)
• Apr 11: Erik Bazinyan vs Shakeel Phinn (Boxing Guide)
• Apr 12: Charlie Edwards vs Georges Ory (Boxing Guide)
• Apr 12: SpeedyCash.com 220 (NASCAR Truck Series Guide)
• Apr 12 – Apr 14: Americas GP — Circuit of the Americas (MotoGP Guide)
• Apr 13: Jordan Gill vs Zelfa Barrett (Boxing Guide)
• Apr 13: Ryad Merhy vs Jared Anderson (Boxing Guide)
• Apr 13: Andy’s Frozen Custard 300 (NASCAR Xfinity Series Guide)
• Apr 13: CHIAPAS (NASCAR Mexico Series)
• Apr 13: UFC 300: Pereira vs Hill (UFC Guide)
• Apr 14: NASCAR GP Spain (NASCAR Whelen Euro Series)
• Apr 14: AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 (NASCAR Cup Series Guide)
• Apr 14: Amstel Gold Race Ladies Edition – UCI Women’s World Tour (Cycling Guide)
• Apr 14: Amstel Gold Race – UCI Men’s World Tour (Cycling Guide)

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Movies and TV Shows This Week

Part Western-style action-adventure, part satirical dark comedy, Amazon‘s ambitious adaptation is based on the mega-popular open-world video game series Fallout by Bethesda Studios. Fallout is considered a classic of video game storytelling, and early reviews of the show are very promising.

Lucy (Ella Purnell), our idealistic, never-say-die heroine, was raised underground in a Vault. We follow her adventures as she navigates an irradiated landscape filled with mutants, bandits, and opportunists.

In celebration of the release of the first episode this week, here are some other titles concerning the aftermath of the end of the world (as we know it):

• The Terminator (1984): A relentless cyborg (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is sent back in time to ensure the machines’ victory over humans in the future. This one’s on Prime Video too!
• Mad Max (1979): A very young Mel Gibson stars a rogue police officer out to take down a dangerous motorcycle gang in a dystopian Australia. It’s also streaming on Prime Video, while the 2015 Mad Max: Fury Road with Tom Hardy is on Max.
• The Last of Us (2023): Speaking of shows on Max, this acclaimed original series starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey is also based on a video game.
• WALL-E (2008): The year is 2805, Earth is a giant trash heap, and one little robot was left to clean it up. One of Pixar’s most unique stories — stream it on Disney+.

And make sure to catch the premiere of Fallout this Thursday on Prime Video!

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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:

• American Idol
• Better Call Saul
• Empire
• Into the Badlands
• Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD
• The Walking Dead.

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!

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Frank Moraes

Frank Moraes is Content Editor at HotDog.com. He specializes in streaming, sports, and technology. You can see his writing on low-budget and "weird" film at Psychotronic Review — and many other places.

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