The best live TV streaming services to tune into in 2025, tested and reviewed

Table of contents:

The best live TV streaming service

Other live TV streaming services we like

Other live TV streaming services we tested

DirecTV MySports: This new service, still in beta at the time of this writing, is basically a sports-oriented offshoot of DirecTV Stream, with the same interface, video resolution, DVR features and so on. But with only around 25 channels and a $70/month price tag (after a $50/month rate for the first three months), it's hard to recommend this over the likes of Fubo, Hulu and YouTube TV — services offering 4-5 times as many channels for not a lot more money.

Frndly TV: An undeniable bargain at just $7/month, Frndly offers over 50 channels, unlimited DVR and "72-hour lookback": access to any show or movie for up to 72 hours after it airs. However, save for a few cable staples like A&E, The Hallmark Channel and The History Channel, the selection is pretty anemic. Many of the channels have direct or adjacent equivalents on free services like Pluto TV. But keep this one in your back pocket for the holidays if you want cheap access to all those Hallmark movies.

Sling TV: A one-time budget favorite, Sling no longer makes sense for most users. Its individual "Orange" and "Blue" tiers now cost $46 each, or $61 when bundled. Deciding between the two (which offer just 35 and 43 channels, respectively) was always a challenge, but with only $15 to be saved, the only logical course is to get both. Even then, you get only three local channels (and many cities limit you to only one or two of them), limited sports, limited DVR (unless you pay extra), 720p resolution and ads appearing atop paused shows.

How we tested live TV streaming services

All these services can be streamed just about anywhere there's a screen: TV, tablet, phone, web browser, etc. While the bulk of our testing took place on TVs, we also looked at each service's mobile app; we can easily envision wanting to catch, say, a big game or other live event when you're not able to be home in the living room.

Our testbed TV, a Sansui S55VOUG, runs the Google TV operating system. There might be minor differences in user interface and/or features on platforms like Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Roku. Thus, if something shown or described here doesn't exactly match what you're seeing, that's likely why.

Obviously we considered things like price and number of available channels, but for actual testing, we spent time evaluating each service's interface, channel guide, search capabilities, time-shifting (pausing and scanning live TV) and image quality. This last is often dictated by streaming resolution: 720p tends to look a little soft and grainy; 1080p is reasonably sharp; and, of course, 4K looks best (but has limited availability).

Factors to consider when choosing a live-TV streaming service

What's important when deciding where you put your streaming dollars? These are some of the key factors to consider:

• Free trial: All the services here will let you kick the live-TV tires for a few days free of charge — usually seven, though Hulu + Live TV limits you to just three days, DirecTV Stream to five. It's definitely worth taking advantage of these offers to be sure you're comfortable with the interface, features, etc. Try them all!

• Channels: Which ones are most important to you? For many viewers, local channels (CBS, ABC, etc.) rank highly; others want news or sports or favorite cable stations. If you can't get everything you want from a single service, choose the one that gives you most of what you want.

• Interface: Most of these services rely on a familiar design: a home screen populated by various categorical rows ("On now," "Recommended for you," etc.) and a side menu for access to things like search, DVR and channel guide. Some are definitely better than others, though, both in terms of appearance and navigation.

• 4K: You probably own a 4K TV; it stands to reason to choose a streaming service that can deliver 4K content. However, at this writing, not many channels actually broadcast in 4K, and not all services offer it from those that do. The bigger question might be 1080p versus 720p; the former is available (on select channels) only from Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV.

• DVR: If you like to record shows to watch later, look for a service with DVR included — ideally unlimited DVR, so you don't have to worry about running out of room. Most of the major ones offer this, and at no extra charge.

• Sports: Modern sports streaming is a colossal mess. Different sports (football, baseball, hockey, etc.) air on different networks, and different live-TV services have different selections of them. Meanwhile, some games air only in some regions, and local games can be subject to market blackouts. To further complicate matters, there's FanDual Sports Network (formerly Bally Sports), a standalone streaming service offering live games from around 30 NBA, NHL, MLB, and WNBA teams. Sadly, there's no single one-service-for-all-sports solution right now; be prepared to do some research and planning in order to watch your favorite teams' games.

FAQs

Can I watch movies on a live-TV streaming service?

Yes, but... it gets a little confusing, especially with regard to what's available and where to find it. Remember that these services effectively mimic cable TV, so at any given time, there are movies showing on various channels. In some cases you'll see a selection of those you can join live or "in progress". And even if a movie is halfway through, you might be able to start it from the beginning. Meanwhile, many of these services have rotating selections of movies you can watch on-demand (with ads, but at no extra charge). To find them, try browsing the movies section or searching for a particular title.

Do live-TV streaming services have commercials?

Yes, because remember that they're giving you the same channels you get via cable TV, and those stations all have commercial breaks. Where it gets a little confusing is with Hulu + Live TV, because there's an ad-free tier available. However, that option eliminates the commercials from "regular Hulu" content, not from the live channels.

Can I skip commercials?

When watching recorded content, you should be able to fast-forward past commercials — though there may be exceptions here and there depending on licensing and other regulations.

Are live-TV streaming services easy to use?

At a basic level, yes: Each one provides a channel guide that should be fairly familiar to anyone who has used a cable or satellite service. But expect a learning curve, especially with regard to things like time-shifting (i.e. pausing or rewinding live TV), DVR features and overall navigation. For example, I often struggled to remember how to access the channel guide while already watching a show. With some services you press the up button on the remote; others use the down button. And what appears after that is sometimes just a channel subset, not the full guide. All this can get a little frustrating; I recommend taking notes as you learn your way around the interface.