Stream Reelz Channel With These Services & Devices + Watch These Reelz Shows

If you like the sensationalist content of Reelz, there’s no reason you need to stick with cable to enjoy it. Read on to learn your options.

In a hurry? Reelz isn’t widely supported in the streaming industry, but a few great services offer it:

You’re waiting in line at the grocery store, and it’s taking forever. What’s your convenient, reliable source of entertainment?

You don’t have to admit it to us, but you know you read them: the supermarket tabloid headlines. Mmm, feel that sweet sweet schadenfreude. And that same irresistible, victimless emotional rubbernecking instinct is exactly why people watch Reelz.

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What Is Reelz

Reelz was founded as ReelzChannel in 2006 by Hubbard Broadcasting, which also owns the art-focused Ovation. Originally, it covered a lot of the same material as E! — movie reviews, entertainment news, and red carpet coverage of awards.

The name was shortened to Reelz in 2012. Over time, it’s narrowed its focus to the tragic, the morbid, and the salacious stories of famous people from actors to presidents.

The true-crime genre, in vogue on and off for decades, is currently experiencing a high in popularity. This is reflected in the present spate of murder and real-life mystery channels: A+E’s Crime + Investigation, Discovery’s Investigation Discovery (ID), NBCUniversal’s Oxygen, and Dan Abrams’s Law + Crime.

Networks covering celebrity lifestyles (and shenanigans), such as PeopleTV and E! are addictive guilty-pleasure fodder. Reelz double-dips, so to speak, by attracting fans of both true crime and celebrity gossip and goings-on.

By combining the two, it manages to stand out from channels that focus on one or the other. Plus, the majority of its content is originally-produced, so it’s not just another Law & Order rerun factory.

Reelz Shows

Reelz’s most popular shows tend toward the sensationalist docusoap end of documentaries. They are entertaining, but you’re not likely to discover who really killed Kennedy or anything. It’s more along the lines of The Smoking Gun covering murders instead of shoplifting and drunk driving arrests.

They also have shows about scandal without the murder, if you prefer your scuttlebutt sans blood. And there are COPS and COPS Reloaded for an extra hardcore dose of reality.

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Featured series include:

• Autopsy: The Last Hours Of: A forensic pathologist examines celebrity deaths, usually ones that were sudden, early, or mysterious. The current season’s documentaries include Grace Kelly, Whitney Houston, and Tom Petty.
• Friends Speak: Friends of notorious criminals or their victims are interviewed. Current subjects include Bobbi Kristina Brown and Carole Baskin.
• Murder Made Me Famous: A deep dive with People crime reporter Steve Helling into high profile murders and what creates a celebrity criminal. Upcoming episodes feature the Menendez brothers, the DC Sniper, and the BTK Killer.
• The Price of Fame: A look at the dark side of celebrity, examining the tragic aspects of the lives — and deaths, where applicable — of various entertainers. Celebs covered include Angelina Jolie, Robin Williams, Patrick Swayze, and Carrie Fisher.
• The Real Story Of: The true stories behind “inspired by real events” movies. Films picked apart include Munich, Donnie Brascoe, Zero Dark Thirty, and Lone Survivor.

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Other brands worth checking out include Hotspot Shield and CyberGhost.

Stream Reelz

Reelz isn’t the most ubiquitous channel, but it’s not super-obscure, either. It’s a pay channel, but you don’t need to pay cable’s high prices or commit to their long contract periods.

These streaming services all carry Reelz for cheaper than your average cable or satellite service and you pay month-to-month. Cancel anytime.

Philo

Philo likes to keep it simple. It’s got one package with 60+ channels for only $25/mo. The lineup includes Crime + Investigation, ID, Law & Crime, and PeopleTV. But if you subscribe to the Movies & More add-on (just $3/mo additional), you get Reelz, plus Cinémoi, HDNet Movies, MGM HD, and Sony Movies.

The base plan comes with unlimited cloud DVR and simultaneous streaming on up to three devices. Get more information in our Philo review.

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Sling TV

Sling TV is a bit more complicated, but the flexibility can be worth the extra decision-making. First, you choose a base package for $40.00/mo. For Reelz fans, we recommend Sling Blue, which has has 40+ channels including ID, E!, and Oxygen.

Then you can customize your package with add-ons and premiums. The Hollywood Extra includes Reelz, Start TV, FXM, and more movie-centric networks for $6/mo.

The Sling Blue plan comes with 50 hours of cloud DVR storage and streaming on up to 3 devices at once. There are more details in our Sling TV review.

Save 50% on Sling TV Now

DIRECTV STREAM

The streaming version of DIRECTV, DIRECTV STREAM leans on its pre-existing longstanding partnerships with content creators and distributors (NBCUniversal, Paramount Global, Discovery, etc) to give you a wide variety of the most popular channels.

The base tier, the Entertainment Package, is $79.99/mo and includes Reelz and its sister-channel Ovation, E!, ID, and roughly 80 other networks.

All plans come with unlimited DVR storage (online orders) and streaming on unlimited devices. See our DIRECTV STREAM review for more details.

Get DIRECTV STREAM Free for 5 Days

Other Ways to Watch

• Reelz Now: Reelz Now lets you watch Reelz content on-demand, but you have to log in with your TV provider. Note this only provides on-demand movies and episodes (like Netflix), not a live channel (with a schedule).
• Stand-Alone Subscription: Subscribe to the Reelz app through Amazon Prime Video Channels or the Roku Channel Store for $1.99/mo.
• Free Ad-Supported Streaming Sites: Most of the major free ad-supported web/app-based services have a Reelz channel: Xumo, The Roku Channel (not to be confused with the Roku Channel Store), Tubi, Redbox, IMDB TV (on Amazon.com), and Pluto TV. Note this will not be the same as the Reelz channel you get with a pay service. Content may be limited and will reflect older episodes.

TVs and Devices to Stream Reelz

All the major streaming services support the most popular devices in use. The ones we’ve discussed support the following:

Sling and DIRECTV STREAM support Samsung smart TVs. Sling and Philo support Android TV-based devices.

Sling supports a number of other devices including LG and VIZIO smart TVs as well as Xbox and Oculus gaming systems.

See our streaming service reviews for more details.

Superpower Your Live TV Streaming With a VPN

You can’t beat a VPN for privacy, security, and access. We have used them for years as an important part of our streaming toolkit and we recommend ExpressVPN. Other brands worth checking out include Hotspot Shield and CyberGhost.

i	See our VPN Buyer’s Guide for complete information on how to choose the best VPN for your needs.

Today’s Reelz Schedule

Here is today’s schedule in Eastern Time:

6:00am	Tori Spelling: Broke & Famous Actress and reality star Tori Spelling is born into the lap of luxury in one of Hollywood's wealthiest families, but when she gets sensationally cut out of her inheritance, Tori's addiction to spending turns her life into a financial ruin.
7:00am	Luke Perry: In His Own Words The career and life of actor Luke Perry are explored through the reflections of friends and co-stars, and his own thoughts about a life of influence, legacy, tabloid romances and personal tragedy.
8:00am	Beverly Hills 90210: Behind Closed Doors It was the teen soap opera that invented the youth ensemble drama genre and rose to the top of the class: "Beverly Hills 90210"; for much of its 10-year run, the series reigned supreme among young people the world over.
10:00am	The Story of Soaps Tracing how female creators migrated from radio to television to become the dominant force in daytime for more than three decades; the massive impact the iconic genre has had on the world at large.
12:00pm	Friends: Behind Closed Doors An inside look at how "Friends" came together, the writers who drew inspiration from their own lives, the actors who were, and some who weren't, cast, and how the sitcom became a cultural phenomenon.
2:00pm	Cops – Seattle-Tacoma Driver ignores order to pull over; mother/daughter dispute; restraining order is violated; lottery-ticket theft.
2:30pm	Cops – Seattle-Tacoma Seattle/Tacoma: K-9 unit sniffs out suspect; phony police ID; tribal jail.
3:00pm	Cops – Seattle-Tacoma Seattle/Tacoma: Flares stop a fleeing suspect; neighbors fight over a boat; an ex-wife claims assault.
3:30pm	Cops – Seattle-Tacoma Seattle/Tacoma: felony-warrant arrest; rifle discharged; black-tar heroin sold.
4:00pm	Cops – Seattle-Tacoma Arrest of scantily clad suspect who allegedly fired a gun; a domestic dispute; a man who allegedly threatened his family.
4:30pm	Cops – Seattle-Tacoma Seattle/Tacoma: drug sale; handgun possession; medical marijuana.
5:00pm	On Patrol: Live Hosts Dan Abrams, retired Tulsa Police Department Sgt. Sean "Sticks" Larkin and Deputy Sheriff Curtis Wilson provide analysis as law enforcement officers on patrol across the country are followed in real time.
8:00pm	On Patrol: First Shift A discussion of what's in store for the upcoming episode of "On Patrol: Live" and a sneak peek of the departments and officers that the cameras will be following that night; the hosts also look back at the most memorable moments from past episodes.
9:00pm	On Patrol: Live Hosts Dan Abrams, retired Tulsa Police Department Sgt. Sean "Sticks" Larkin and Deputy Sheriff Curtis Wilson provide analysis as law enforcement officers on patrol across the country are followed in real time.
12:00am	On Patrol: Live Hosts Dan Abrams, retired Tulsa Police Department Sgt. Sean "Sticks" Larkin and Deputy Sheriff Curtis Wilson provide analysis as law enforcement officers on patrol across the country are followed in real time.
3:00am	Shark CarpetXpertTM with StainStrikerTM 2-in-1 deep carpet cleaner with built-in spot & stain remove Shark CarpetXpert with StainStriker, 2-in-1 deep carpet and upholstery cleaner with a handheld spot & stain eliminator, combines Shark's powerful suction & deep-cleaning innovation to deliver unbeatable deep carpet cleaning & tough stain elimination.
3:30am	Paid Programming Paid programming.
4:00am	One Day, One Bathroom: Quality Remodeling With FREE Installation! Trusted brand Jacuzzi and renowned interior designer, Christina Hall, share their secrets on how you can easily and affordably transform your bathroom into a gorgeous custom, safe and stylish space in 1 day! Call now for a FREE quote & installation!
4:30am	Who Stole My Life? Every 3 seconds an American's identity is stolen. Just how safe is your 401k? Your bank account? Your home? Your credit? Crime Reporter Tom Morris Jr. investigates the identity theft epidemic. Find out how you can help protect yourself with LifeLock.
5:00am	Cindy Crawford and Ellen Pompeo share secrets Join Cindy Crawford and Ellen Pompeo as they discuss their busy lives and the breakthrough skin care discovery that keeps them looking their best. Take a trip to the stunning French countryside to see a rare French melon that defies aging.
5:30am	Lung Cancer From Asbestos? Have you or a loved one been diagnosed with lung cancer? You may be entitled to compensation!
6:00am	The Golden Girls: Ageless During seven years of cheesecake and massive laughs, "The Golden Girls" was TV's unlikeliest hit; pairing three seasoned TV pros and one small-screen newbie with impeccable writing resulted in a sitcom that was as progressive as it was hilarious.

Wrapping Up

So go ahead, roll around in all that delicious sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll scandal with Reelz, and see if truth really is stranger than fiction.

When it comes to streaming Reelz, our first choice is Philo. Try Philo free for 7 days.

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FAQ

What is the difference between Reelz Now and Reelz apps on Fire TV?

Most streaming platforms, including Amazon Fire TV and Roku, support both Reelz Now and Reelz, and it can get confusing as to which is which. We’re going to get a little technical here, so stick with us:

• Reelz Now is the app/web-based on-demand service that you sign into with your TV provider. It uses the TV Everywhere system, which is a protocol supported by most pay channels and most pay TV providers to allow you to access channels and on-demand content from that channel on different platforms (for example, watch TV on your computer or phone instead of your TV). If you don’t have a pay TV provider in the form of a cable, telecom, satellite, or streaming TV subscription, you can’t use it.
• Reelz is the one you want if you don’t have or want a TV provider and you want to watch Reelz (the live channel, not just on-demand). It’s currently $1.99/mo, and available on Amazon Prime Video Channels or the Roku Channel Store. Just subscribe, and the channel will be added to your available content on that platform.