8 Best Live TV Streaming Services of 2026

This list is for cord cutters comparing what a live TV streaming service costs each month, how many channels it carries and how much it lets you record. We compared documented features and published prices on each vendor's own pages and help centers in November 2026. Rankozo weights value at 40%, features at 35% and ease of use at 25%. The starting price for each entry is the regular monthly rate of the vendor's main English-language plan, not an introductory offer; cheaper sports-only, news-only or Spanish-language plans appear in the facts for each service. Sling TV and DIRECTV pages did not load from our location, so their prices are marked pending. Vidgo was dropped because its website now shows a parked domain, and Spectrum TV Stream was not ranked because we could not open its plan pages.

1. 01Top value

   

   Philo

   8.6/10

   Low-cost live TV service built around entertainment and lifestyle channels with a year of unlimited DVR.

   Price

   $25per month

   Essential $25 per month after a 7-day free trial; Bundle+ $33 per month

   “Essential ( $25 /month): 70+ live channels and over 75,000 movies and shows on-demand.” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.

   Free plan

   No

   Free trial

   7 days

   Value (40%)

   9.4

   Features (35%)

   7.4

   Ease of use (25%)

   8.8

   Best forCord cutters who want popular cable entertainment channels for $25 a month and can skip live sports.

   Philo is the value pick for viewers whose cable bill was mostly entertainment channels. The Essential plan costs $25 a month for 70+ live channels and more than 75,000 on-demand movies and shows, and new users get a 7-day free trial. Its DVR has no storage cap and lets you fast-forward through commercials on recordings, but Philo states that DVR is unlimited for 12 months, so recordings do not stay forever. Bundle+ costs $33 a month and adds the full AMC+ library plus HBO Max Basic with Ads, which Philo says saves $22 a month against buying those apps separately. Further add-ons include ad-free HBO Max Standard for $13 more, discovery+ for $8 more and AMC+ for $4 more. Philo's plan descriptions center on entertainment and lifestyle networks; live sports are mentioned only inside the HBO Max add-on. For local news and games, pair it with an antenna or pick a full lineup service.

   • ✓$25 a month for 70+ live channels
   • ✓Fast-forward through ads on recordings
   • ✓7-day free trial

   • ✕Unlimited DVR keeps recordings for one year only
   • ✕Live sports come only through the HBO Max add-on
   • ✕Unlimited DVR terms apply when you bill directly with Philo

   Essential:

   $25 a month, 70+ live channels

   Bundle+:

   $33 a month with AMC+ and HBO Max Basic with Ads

   DVR:

   Unlimited, recordings kept 12 months

   Free trial:

   7 days

   Bottom line: The best price for a real cable-style entertainment lineup, with a DVR that holds a year of recordings. Sports fans should look at YouTube TV or Fubo instead.

   Visit philo.com ↗

2. 02

   

   YouTube TV

   8.6/10

   Google's live TV service with a 100+ channel main plan, genre plans and unlimited DVR space.

   Price

   $82.99per month

   Main plan $82.99 per month for 100+ channels after a 21-day trial; Sports + News plan $71.99 per month

   “YouTube TV 100+ channels $82.99/mo” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.

   Free plan

   No

   Free trial

   21 days

   Value (40%)

   7.6

   Features (35%)

   9.3

   Ease of use (25%)

   9.2

   Best forHouseholds that want local channels, sports and news with separate profiles for up to six people.

   YouTube TV ranks first because it pairs a full lineup with the most generous household features we found. The main plan costs $82.99 a month for 100+ channels, including local channels, and new users can try it for 21 days. Every plan includes unlimited DVR space, up to six individual accounts with their own libraries, three simultaneous streams and multiview for sports. Viewers who only care about games and headlines can pick the Sports + News plan, with 50+ channels for $71.99 a month. The 4K Plus add-on costs $9.99 a month and adds unlimited streams at home, offline recordings and 4K on select content. NFL Sunday Ticket is sold separately for out-of-market Sunday games. YouTube TV states there are no annual contracts and no box rental, DVR or cancellation fees. The drawback is price: the main plan costs more than three times what Philo charges.

   • ✓Unlimited DVR on every plan
   • ✓Six personal accounts per household
   • ✓Cheaper Sports + News plan for $71.99

   • ✕Main plan at $82.99 is far above skinny services
   • ✕Only 3 streams at once without the 4K Plus add-on
   • ✕NFL Sunday Ticket costs extra

   Main plan:

   $82.99 a month, 100+ channels

   Sports + News:

   $71.99 a month, 50+ channels

   DVR:

   Unlimited space

   Free trial:

   21 days

   Bottom line: The most complete live TV service here, with unlimited DVR and six accounts on every plan. Expect to pay $82.99 a month once any introductory offer ends.

   Visit tv.youtube.com ↗

3. 03

   

   Frndly TV

   8.2/10

   Budget live TV service with 50+ family-friendly channels and three low-cost plans.

   Price

   $7.99per month

   Basic $7.99, Classic $9.99, Premium $11.99 per month; annual plans from $83.88 a year ($6.99 a month)

   “Basic $7.99/mo Classic $9.99/mo Premium $11.99/mo” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.

   Free plan

   No

   Value (40%)

   9.6

   Features (35%)

   6.4

   Ease of use (25%)

   8.6

   Best forViewers who want feel-good and family channels for the lowest monthly price.

   Frndly TV is the cheapest live TV service on this list and the clearest choice for viewers who mainly watch family and feel-good channels. Every plan carries 50+ channels, and the three tiers cost $7.99, $9.99 and $11.99 a month, or $83.88, $95.88 and $119.88 a year, which works out to $6.99 a month on annual Basic. The plans differ mostly in recording and screens. Basic has no DVR, Classic keeps unlimited recordings for 3 months and Premium keeps them for 9 months, and Frndly says you can watch on up to 4 screens depending on plan. A 72-Hour Look Back lets you start shows that aired in the last three days on most channels. Add-ons open full on-demand libraries such as Hallmark+, HISTORY Vault and A&E Crime Central. The company is based in Denver and states there are no hidden fees and no commitment. The lineup is narrow by design, so it works as a low-cost companion rather than a full cable replacement.

   • ✓Cheapest paid plan here at $7.99 a month
   • ✓Annual billing saves over 15%
   • ✓72-hour look back on most channels

   • ✕Basic plan has no DVR
   • ✕Narrow lineup built around family and feel-good channels
   • ✕Recordings expire after 3 or 9 months

   Basic:

   $7.99 a month or $83.88 a year

   Premium:

   $11.99 a month or $119.88 a year

   Channels:

   50+ on every plan

   DVR:

   Classic and Premium only

   Bottom line: The lowest monthly price for live TV we found, with an honest, narrow lineup. Pay for Classic if you want to record.

   Visit frndlytv.com ↗

4. 04

   

   Hulu + Live TV

   8.1/10

   Disney's live TV service, sold alone or bundled with the Hulu library, Disney+ and ESPN Select.

   Price

   $98.99per month

   Live TV Only $98.99 per month; bundle with Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN Select $99.99 per month

   “Please note that this plan gives subscribers access to live content only and does not include the Hulu streaming library or access to Disney+. Monthly: $98.99” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.

   Free plan

   No

   Value (40%)

   6.9

   Features (35%)

   9.0

   Ease of use (25%)

   8.6

   Best forHouseholds that want live TV plus Disney+, Hulu and ESPN content in one subscription.

   Hulu + Live TV makes the most sense if your household would pay for Disney+ and Hulu anyway. The Live TV Only plan costs $98.99 a month, and for $99.99 you get the same live channels plus Hulu with ads, Disney+ with ads and ESPN Select. Hulu says Live TV plans also include the full ESPN Unlimited experience in the ESPN app, which covers networks such as ESPN, ESPN2, SEC Network, ACC Network and ESPN+. Cloud DVR lets Live TV subscribers record unlimited news, sports, shows and movies. The ad-free Hulu Premium + Live TV bundle costs $109.99. Spanish-language viewers can choose Live TV Only Español for $28.99 or a bundle with Hulu and Disney+ for $29.99. Add-ons include Español for $4.99, Entertainment for $7.99 and Sports for $9.99 a month. The price is the weak point: even the cheapest English plan costs $16 more than YouTube TV's main plan, so the streaming bundle has to be worth it to you.

   • ✓Disney+ and Hulu cost only $1 more than Live TV Only
   • ✓Unlimited Cloud DVR
   • ✓Includes ESPN Unlimited in the ESPN app

   • ✕Cheapest English plan costs more than YouTube TV or Fubo Pro
   • ✕Ad-free Hulu Premium + Live TV raises the bill to $109.99
   • ✕Requires a U.S. location

   Live TV Only:

   $98.99 a month

   With Disney+ and ESPN Select:

   $99.99 a month

   Spanish plan:

   Live TV Only Español $28.99 a month

   DVR:

   Unlimited

   Bottom line: A strong full lineup when Disney+, Hulu and ESPN are part of the deal. Without those, YouTube TV costs less for similar live TV.

   Visit hulu.com ↗

5. 05

   

   Fubo

   8.0/10

   Sports-first live TV streaming service with several base plans and unlimited Cloud DVR.

   Price

   $88.99per month

   Pro $88.99 per month; Elite $98.99; Ultimate $113.99; Fubo Sports $64.99

   “Pro - $88.99/month” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.

   Free plan

   No

   Value (40%)

   7.2

   Features (35%)

   8.8

   Ease of use (25%)

   8.3

   Best forSports fans who want regional sports networks and many live games in a full lineup.

   Fubo describes itself as a sports-first live TV platform, and its plan structure reflects that. After the latest price change, the Essential and Pro base plans cost $88.99 a month, Elite costs $98.99, Ultimate $113.99 and Deluxe $118.99, with Core and Ultra plans in select markets. Viewers who only want sports and news can take the Fubo Sports plan at $64.99 a month. All US plans include unlimited Cloud DVR storage at no extra charge, and you can record several programs at the same time. The price increase came with NBCUniversal channels launching on Fubo, and subscribers in areas with an NBC regional sports channel pay a $15.99 Regional Sports Fee once those channels arrive. Quarterly plans bill every three months at the same effective monthly rate. Fubo and Hulu + Live TV are now part of one business, but Fubo says current plans and pricing did not change. Value suffers from the fees, which can push a Pro bill above $100.

   • ✓Unlimited DVR with simultaneous recordings
   • ✓Sports + News plan for $64.99
   • ✓Wide range of plan sizes

   • ✕Prices rose $15 a month with the NBCUniversal launch
   • ✕$15.99 Regional Sports Fee in NBC regional sports markets
   • ✕Some base plans are only available in select markets

   Pro:

   $88.99 a month

   Elite:

   $98.99 a month

   Fubo Sports:

   $64.99 a month

   DVR:

   Unlimited on all US plans

   Bottom line: A deep sports option with unlimited DVR on every US plan. Check whether a Regional Sports Fee applies in your ZIP code before you sign up.

   Visit fubo.tv ↗

6. 06

   

   Sling TV

   7.9/10

   Mid-priced live TV service split into Sling Orange and Sling Blue, with optional DVR upgrades.

   Price

   Check price

   See vendor pricing (USD check pending)

   US price check pending. Vendor pricing page

   Free plan

   No

   Value (40%)

   8.2

   Features (35%)

   7.6

   Ease of use (25%)

   7.8

   Best forCord cutters who want ESPN or news networks for less than a full lineup costs.

   Sling TV takes a different approach from the full lineup services: you choose Sling Orange, Sling Blue or both. Sling's plan pages list Orange at $45.99 a month with 30+ channels such as ESPN, CNN, TNT and TBS, Blue from $45.99 with 40+ channels such as Fox News, MSNBC, USA and Bravo, and the combo from $60.99 with 50+ channels. Every subscriber gets 50 hours of cloud DVR at no extra cost, and Sling sells an unlimited DVR upgrade. Day Passes for 1, 3 or 7 days let you buy access for a single game weekend instead of a month. That flexibility keeps the bill well under YouTube TV's main plan, but you need to check which half of the lineup carries your channels, and 50 hours of recordings fills quickly. Sling's site blocked requests from our location, so we could not recheck the price quote and have marked it pending.

   • ✓Pick only the half of the lineup you want
   • ✓Day Passes for one-off events
   • ✓Cheaper than full lineup services

   • ✕Only 50 hours of DVR without an upgrade
   • ✕Splitting channels across two plans takes planning
   • ✕Price check pending from our location

   Sling Orange:

   From $45.99 a month, 30+ channels

   Sling Blue:

   From $45.99 a month, 40+ channels

   Orange and Blue:

   From $60.99 a month, 50+ channels

   DVR:

   50 hours included

   Bottom line: A flexible middle option for viewers who want ESPN or cable news without paying for 100 channels. Budget for the DVR upgrade if you record a lot.

   Visit sling.com ↗

7. 07

   

   NOW TV from Xfinity

   7.7/10

   Comcast's $20 live TV add-on for Xfinity Internet customers, with Peacock Premium included.

   Price

   $20per month

   $20 per month with no annual contract; requires Xfinity Internet

   “A subscription to NOW TV is $20 per month with no annual contract (taxes apply).” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.

   Free plan

   No

   Value (40%)

   8.6

   Features (35%)

   6.6

   Ease of use (25%)

   7.8

   Best forXfinity Internet customers who want a cheap live entertainment lineup with Peacock.

   NOW TV is only for Comcast customers, but for them it is one of the cheapest ways to get live cable channels. It costs $20 a month with no annual contract, and Xfinity says there are no fees attached to it. The overview lists over 270 live channels with On Demand content, from networks such as HGTV, AMC, History, A+E and Hallmark, and much of that count comes from included streaming channels alongside the core lineup. Peacock Premium is included at no extra cost, which offsets part of the price on its own. You get 20 hours of cloud DVR and three concurrent streams through the Xfinity Stream app, with no TV box required. The limits are clear: you must subscribe to Xfinity Internet or Internet Essentials, the live broadcast networks ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC are not included, and 20 hours of DVR is the smallest allowance on this list.

   • ✓Peacock Premium included
   • ✓No fees and no annual contract
   • ✓Three streams at once

   • ✕Requires an Xfinity Internet subscription
   • ✕No ABC, CBS, FOX or NBC live broadcast channels
   • ✕Only 20 hours of DVR

   Price:

   $20 a month

   Channels:

   Over 270 live channels

   DVR:

   20 hours

   Requirement:

   Xfinity Internet or Internet Essentials

   Bottom line: A low-cost add-on for Xfinity Internet homes, especially if you already want Peacock. Everyone else should look at Philo.

   Visit xfinity.com ↗

8. 08

   

   DIRECTV Stream

   7.5/10

   DIRECTV's internet TV service with four full packages from 90+ to 185+ channels and smaller genre packs.

   Price

   Check price

   See vendor pricing (USD check pending)

   US price check pending. Vendor pricing page

   Free plan

   No

   Value (40%)

   6.4

   Features (35%)

   8.4

   Ease of use (25%)

   7.9

   Best forViewers who want the largest channel counts and regional sports options without a satellite dish.

   DIRECTV Stream offers the biggest lineups we compared, at prices to match. On DIRECTV's plan page, Entertainment lists 90+ channels for $94.99 a month, Choice 125+ channels for $99.99, Ultimate 160+ channels for $129.99 and Premier 185+ channels, including Cinemax, for $174.99. Regional sports networks come only in select packages, and a $14.99 Sports Pack adds over 35 regional and specialty sports networks including NFL Network. If you want one genre rather than a full package, MySports costs $64.99 a month, MyNews $44.99 and MiEspañol $37.99. New customers get their first three months of premium channels at no charge before HBO Max, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, STARZ, Cinemax and MGM+ revert to their monthly prices. DIRECTV advertises introductory rates well below the regular price, so read the renewal terms. We could not open DIRECTV's pages from our location, so the price is marked pending until we can recheck it.

   • ✓Highest channel counts on this list
   • ✓Cheaper genre packs for sports or news
   • ✓Premium channels free for the first 3 months

   • ✕Full packages start at $94.99 a month
   • ✕Regional sports networks only in select packages
   • ✕Price check pending from our location

   Entertainment:

   $94.99 a month, 90+ channels

   Choice:

   $99.99 a month, 125+ channels

   Premier:

   $174.99 a month, 185+ channels

   MySports pack:

   $64.99 a month

   Bottom line: The pick for the largest channel count, if you can absorb a bill that starts near $95 a month. Genre packs are the cheaper route for sports or news only.

   Visit directv.com ↗

Questions or corrections: editorial@rankozo.comSee our disclosure. Prices change; confirm on the vendor page before buying.