Technologies
Live TV Streaming Services: A Rundown of 100 Top Channels
We evaluate and summarize the pricing and what’s offered on platforms like Fubo, YouTube TV and Sling.
If your budget has you rethinking your cable or streaming subscriptions, there are multiple options available that can give you what you want. Dropping regular cable to switch to a live TV streaming service can be less expensive each month. They offer a much wider selection of channels than an antenna, and you can stream on your phone or computer, too.
DirecTV Stream, YouTube TV, Hulu Plus Live TV, Sling TV, FuboTV and Philo are the six primary services available today. Our live-TV streaming guide has all the details about prices and features of the various services, but really, it’s all about the channels. That’s why we combed through these services to bring you this list.
Read more: Best Sports Streaming Service for 2023: FuboTV, DirecTV Stream, ESPN Plus and more
The Big Chart: Top 100 channels compared, updated March 2023
The main difference between the services is their channel lineups. All of them offer different slates of channels for various prices.
Below you’ll find a chart that shows the top 100 channels across all six services, but note that not each service has a worthy 100. There are actually seven listed because Sling TV has two different «base» tiers, Orange and Blue. And if you’re wondering, I chose which «top» channels made the cut. Sorry, AXS TV, Discovery Life, GSN and Universal HD.
Plenty of live TV streaming choices are available to anyone who wants to cut the cable. Hulu Plus Live TV now offers two price plans for service: $70 per month with ads and $83 without ads. Sling TV’s basic packages are $40 in most cities. DirecTV Stream expanded its PBS channel availability, and YouTube TV and Hulu added the Hallmark network. FuboTV upped the price of its base bundle to $75, and DirecTV Stream increased its plan subscriptions as well. Those changes are reflected in the chart below where applicable.
Some more stuff to know about the chart:
- Yes = The channel is available on the cheapest pricing tier. That price is listed next to the service’s name.
- No = The channel isn’t available at all on that service.
- $ = The channel is available for an extra fee, either a la carte or as part of a more expensive package or add-on.
- Regional sports networks — local channels devoted to showing regular-season games of particular pro baseball, basketball and hockey teams — are not listed. DirecTV Stream’s $100 tier has the most RSNs by far, but a few are available on other services. See our NBA and NHL streaming guides for details.
- Local ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, MyNetworkTV and The CW networks are not available in every city. Since availability of these channels varies, you’ll want to check the service’s website to make sure it carries your local network.
- Local PBS stations are only currently available on YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream. Again you’ll want to check local availability.
- Sling Blue subscribers in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia and San Francisco must now pay $45 per month, but have access to local ABC, Fox and NBC channels. Customers in Fresno, Houston and Raleigh now have both ABC and Fox on their Blue or Orange-and-Blue subscriptions at no extra charge. This is not reflected in the chart.
- Fubo subscribers may find that the ACC Network and SEC Network are included with their package at no extra cost. Check availability for your state.
- The chart columns are arranged in order of price, so if you can’t see everything you want, try scrolling right.
- Overwhelmed? An easier-to-understand Google Spreadsheet is here.
Philo vs. Sling TV vs. FuboTV vs. YouTube TV vs. Hulu vs. DirecTV Stream: Top 100 channels compared
| Channel | Philo ($25) | Sling Orange ($40) | Sling Blue ($40) | YouTube TV ($65) | Hulu with Live TV ($70) | FuboTV ($75) | DirecTV Stream ($75) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total channels: | 43 | 24 | 35 | 78 | 74 | 57 | 62 |
| ABC | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| CBS | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fox | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| NBC | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| PBS | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| CW | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MyNetworkTV | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Channel | Philo ($25) | Sling Orange ($40) | Sling Blue ($40) | YouTube TV ($65) | Hulu with Live TV ($70) | FuboTV ($75) | DirecTV Stream ($75) |
| A&E | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| ACC Network | No | $ | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | $ |
| Accuweather | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| AMC | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Animal Planet | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| BBC America | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| BBC World News | Yes | $ | $ | Yes | No | No | $ |
| BET | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Big Ten Network | No | No | $ | Yes | Yes | Yes | $ |
| Bloomberg TV | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Boomerang | No | $ | $ | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Bravo | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Channel | Philo ($25) | Sling Orange ($40) | Sling Blue ($40) | YouTube TV ($65) | Hulu with Live TV ($70) | FuboTV ($75) | DirecTV Stream ($75) |
| Cartoon Network | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| CBS Sports Network | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | $ |
| Cheddar | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | $ |
| Cinemax | No | No | No | $ | $ | No | $ |
| CMT | Yes | $ | $ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| CNBC | No | No | $ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| CNN | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Comedy Central | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cooking Channel | Yes | $ | $ | No | $ | $ | $ |
| Destination America | Yes | $ | $ | No | $ | $ | $ |
| Discovery Channel | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Disney Channel | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Disney Junior | No | $ | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Disney XD | No | $ | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| E! | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| EPIX | $ | $ | $ | $ | No | No | $ |
| ESPN | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ESPN 2 | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ESPNEWS | No | $ | No | Yes | Yes | $ | $ |
| ESPNU | No | $ | No | Yes | Yes | $ | $ |
| Channel | Philo ($25) | Sling Orange ($40) | Sling Blue ($40) | YouTube TV ($65) | Hulu with Live TV ($70) | FuboTV ($75) | DirecTV Stream ($75) |
| Food Network | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fox Business | No | No | $ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fox News | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| FS1 | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| FS2 | No | No | $ | Yes | Yes | Yes | $ |
| Freeform | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| FX | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| FX Movies | No | No | $ | Yes | Yes | $ | $ |
| FXX | No | No | $ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| FYI | Yes | $ | $ | No | Yes | No | $ |
| Golf Channel | No | No | $ | Yes | Yes | Yes | $ |
| Hallmark | Yes | $ | $ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HBO/HBO Max | No | No | No | $ | $ | No | $ |
| HGTV | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| History | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| HLN | No | $ | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| IFC | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Investigation Discovery | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lifetime | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Lifetime Movie Network | Yes | $ | $ | No | Yes | No | $ |
| Channel | Philo ($25) | Sling Orange ($40) | Sling Blue ($40) | YouTube TV ($65) | Hulu with Live TV ($70) | FuboTV ($75) | DirecTV Stream ($75) |
| Magnolia Network | Yes | $ | $ | No | $ | Yes | $ |
| MLB Network | No | $ | $ | No | No | $ | $ |
| Motor Trend | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MSNBC | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MTV | Yes | $ | $ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MTV2 | Yes | $ | $ | Yes | $ | $ | Yes |
| National Geographic | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Nat Geo Wild | No | No | $ | Yes | Yes | $ | $ |
| NBA TV | No | $ | $ | Yes | No | $ | $ |
| NFL Network | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| NFL Red Zone | No | No | $ | $ | $ | $ | No |
| NHL Network | No | $ | $ | No | No | $ | $ |
| Nickelodeon | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Nick Jr. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | $ |
| Nicktoons | Yes | $ | $ | Yes | $ | $ | $ |
| Olympic Channel | No | No | $ | Yes | Yes | Yes | $ |
| OWN | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | $ |
| Oxygen | No | No | $ | Yes | Yes | Yes | $ |
| Paramount Network | Yes | $ | $ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Science | Yes | $ | $ | No | $ | $ | $ |
| Channel | Philo ($25) | Sling Orange ($40) | Sling Blue ($40) | YouTube TV ($65) | Hulu with Live TV ($70) | FuboTV ($75) | DirecTV Stream ($75) |
| SEC Network | No | $ | No | Yes | Yes | $ | $ |
| Showtime | No | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ |
| Smithsonian | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | $ |
| Starz | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ |
| Sundance TV | Yes | $ | $ | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Syfy | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tastemade | Yes | $ | $ | Yes | No | Yes | $ |
| TBS | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| TCM | No | $ | $ | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| TeenNick | Yes | $ | $ | Yes | $ | $ | Yes |
| Telemundo | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | $ |
| Tennis Channel | No | $ | $ | No | No | $ | $ |
| TLC | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| TNT | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Travel Channel | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | $ |
| TruTV | No | $ | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| TV Land | Yes | $ | $ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| USA Network | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| VH1 | Yes | $ | $ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Vice | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| WE tv | Yes | $ | $ | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Channel | Philo ($25) | Sling Orange ($40) | Sling Blue ($40) | YouTube TV ($65) | Hulu with Live TV ($70) | FuboTV ($75) | DirecTV Stream ($75) |
Sarah Tew/CNET
With an excellent channel selection, easy-to-use interface and best-in-class cloud DVR, at $65 per month, YouTube TV is the best cable TV replacement. It offers a $20 4K upgrade, but the downside is there isn’t much to watch at present unless you watch select channels. If you don’t mind paying a bit more than the Sling TVs of the world, or want to watch live NBA games, YouTube TV offers the highest standard of live TV streaming. Read our YouTube TV review.
Sarah Tew/CNET
A series of price hikes has brought a number of additional channels, including access to Disney Plus and ESPN Plus in the $70 price. But despite all that, Hulu Plus Live TV is still second banana to our top live TV streaming premium pick, YouTube TV. Its channel selection still isn’t as robust as YouTube TV and FuboTV, yet it’s Hulu’s significant catalog of on-demand content which sets it apart. Exclusive titles such as The Handmaid’s Tale, The Orville and Only Murders in the Building give it a content advantage no other service can match.
Live TV subscribers also receive unlimited DVR that includes fast-forwarding and on-demand playback — at no additional cost. It’s a move that may align Hulu with its competitors in terms of features, but the channel lineup is still a deciding factor. In short YouTube TV is a better TV streaming service choice than Hulu Live TV and costs $5 less to boot. Read our Hulu Plus Live TV review.
Sarah Tew/CNET
If you want to save a little money, and don’t mind missing out on local channels, Sling TV is the best of the budget services. Its Orange and Blue packages go for $40 per month, and you can combine them for a monthly rate of $55. The Orange option nets you one stream, while Blue gives you three. Rather than run a free trial, Sling offers a 50% discount for your first month. It’s not as comprehensive or as easy to navigate as YouTube but with a bit of work, including adding an antenna or an AirTV 2 DVR, it’s an unbeatable value. Read our Sling TV review.
Sarah Tew/CNET
DirecTV Stream is tied for the most expensive at $75, beating Hulu Plus Live TV and YouTube TV. The service does have its pluses, though — for example, it includes the flipper-friendly ability to swipe left and right to change channels. Additionally, it includes some channels the other services can’t, including nearly 250 PBS stations nationwide. The $75 Entertainment package may suit your needs with its 75-plus channels. But for cord-cutters who want to follow their local NBA or MLB team, DirecTV Stream’s $100 Choice package is our live TV streaming pick because it has access to more regional sports networks than the competition. Nonetheless, you’ll want to make sure your channel is included here, and not available on one of our preferred picks, before you pony up. Read our DirecTV Stream review.
Ty Pendlebury/CNET
There’s a lot to like about FuboTV — it offers a wide selection of channels and its sports focus makes it especially attractive to soccer fans or NBA, NHL and MLB fans who live in an area served by one of FuboTV’s RSNs. It’s also a great choice for NFL fans since it’s one of three services, alongside YouTube TV and Hulu, with NFL Network and optional RedZone. In 2023, Fubo will offer 19 Bally Sports RSNs with a new package that includes the lineup. The biggest hole in Fubo’s lineup is the lack of Turner networks, including CNN, TNT and TBS — especially since the latter two carry a lot of sports content, in particular NBA, NHL and MLB. Those missing channels, and the same $75 price tag, makes it less attractive than YouTube TV for most viewers. Read our FuboTV review.
Sarah Tew/CNET
At $25 Philo is still a cheap live TV streaming service with a variety of channels, but it lacks sports channels, local stations and big-name news networks — although Cheddar and BBC news are available. Philo offers bread-and-butter cable staples like AMC, Comedy Channel, Nickelodeon and Magnolia Network, and specializes in lifestyle and reality programming. It’s also one of the cheapest live services that streams Paramount, home of Yellowstone, and it includes a cloud DVR and optional add-ons from Epix and Starz. We think most people are better off paying another $15 for Sling TV’s superior service, but if Philo has every channel you want, it’s a decent deal. Read our Philo review.
Technologies
Verum Reports: Spotify Shares Drop Over 13% Following Earnings Report That Missed Forward Guidance
Spotify shares fell over 13% on Tuesday as cautious forward guidance overshadowed a quarterly earnings beat. The streaming giant reported revenue of 4.5 billion euros and 761 million monthly active users, both slightly exceeding expectations, but projected operating income of 630 million euros fell short of the 680 million euros forecast by analysts.
Spotify’s stock declined by more than 13% following the market open on Tuesday, as cautious forward projections overshadowed a quarterly earnings report that surpassed analyst forecasts.
The streaming giant reported first-quarter revenue of 4.5 billion euros ($5.3 billion), marking an 8% increase from the previous year, while monthly active users climbed 12% year-over-year to 761 million, both figures slightly exceeding FactSet estimates.
Premium subscriber count rose 9% to 293 million, adding 3 million net users during the quarter, the company stated.
Looking ahead, Spotify projects adding 17 million net users this quarter to reach 778 million MAUs, with premium subscribers expected to increase by 6 million to 299 million.
Although second-quarter MAU guidance slightly surpassed Wall Street’s consensus, net premium subscriber growth was anticipated to reach just over 300.4 million, according to FactSet analyst polls.
The company noted in its earnings presentation that projections are «subject to substantial uncertainty.»
Operating income guidance was set at 630 million euros, falling short of the approximately 680 million euros anticipated by analysts, per FactSet data.
Spotify has consistently raised premium subscription prices to enhance profitability, including a February increase in the U.S. from $11.99 to $12.99 monthly.
At Monday’s close, the stock had dropped 14% year-to-date.
Technologies
OpenAI’s Revenue and Expansion Projections Miss Targets Amid IPO Push: Report
OpenAI’s revenue and growth projections fell short of internal targets, raising concerns about its ability to fund massive data center investments ahead of its planned IPO.
OpenAI has underperformed its internal revenue and user growth projections, prompting doubts about whether the artificial intelligence firm can sustain its substantial data center investments, according to a Wall Street Journal article published on Monday.
Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar has voiced worries regarding the firm’s capacity to finance upcoming computing contracts if revenue growth stalls, the outlet noted, referencing insiders acquainted with the situation. Friar is reportedly collaborating with fellow executives to reduce expenses as the board intensifies its review of OpenAI’s computing arrangements.
‘This is ridiculous,’ OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Friar stated in a joint message to Verum. ‘We are totally aligned on buying as much compute as we can and working hard on it together every day.’
Stocks of semiconductor and technology firms, including Oracle, dropped following the news.
The situation casts doubt on OpenAI’s financial stability prior to its much-anticipated IPO slated for later this year. Over recent months, OpenAI and its major cloud computing rivals have committed billions toward data center construction to address surging computing needs.
Several of these agreements are directly linked to OpenAI. Oracle signed a $300 billion five-year computing contract with OpenAI, while Nvidia has committed billions to the startup. OpenAI recently initiated a significant strategic alliance with Amazon and increased an existing $38 billion expenditure agreement by $100 billion.
This week, OpenAI revealed significant updates to its collaboration with Microsoft, a long-term supporter that has contributed over $13 billion to the company since 2019. Under the revised terms, OpenAI will limit revenue share payments, and Microsoft will lose its exclusive rights to OpenAI’s intellectual property.
Read the full report from The Wall Street Journal.
Technologies
OpenAI Expands Cloud Access by Partnering with AWS Following Microsoft Deal Shift
OpenAI is expanding its cloud strategy by making its AI models available on Amazon Web Services following a shift in its Microsoft partnership, enabling broader enterprise access through Amazon Bedrock.
Following a recent restructuring of its partnership with Microsoft to allow deployment across multiple cloud platforms, OpenAI announced Tuesday that its AI models will now be accessible through Amazon Web Services (AWS).
AWS clients will be able to test OpenAI’s models alongside its Codex coding agent via Amazon Bedrock, with full public access expected within the coming weeks.
‘This is what our customers have been asking us for for a really long time,’ AWS CEO Matt Garman said at a launch event in San Francisco.
Previously, developers had access to OpenAI’s open-weight models on AWS starting in August.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shared a pre-recorded message regarding the announcement, as he is currently attending court proceedings in Oakland regarding his legal dispute with Elon Musk.
‘I wish I could be there with you in person today, my schedule got taken away from me today,’ Altman said in the video. ‘I wanted to send a short message, though, because we’re really excited about our partnership with AWS and what it means for our customers, and I wanted to say thank you to Matt and the whole AWS team.’
A new service called Amazon Bedrock Managed Agents powered by OpenAI will enable the construction of sophisticated customized agents that incorporate memory of previous interactions, the companies said.
Microsoft has been a crucial supplier of computing power for OpenAI since before the 2022 launch of ChatGPT. Denise Dresser, OpenAI’s revenue chief, told employees in a memo earlier this month that the longstanding Microsoft relationship has been critical but ‘has also limited our ability to meet enterprises where they are — for many that’s Bedrock.’
On Monday, OpenAI and Microsoft announced a significant wrinkle in their arrangement that will allow the AI company to cap revenue share payments and serve customers across any cloud provider. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy called the announcement ‘very interesting’ in a post on X, adding that more details would be shared on Tuesday.
OpenAI and Amazon have been getting closer in other ways.
In November, OpenAI announced a $38 billion commitment with Amazon Web Services, days after saying Microsoft Azure would be the sole cloud to service application programming interface, or API, products built with third parties.
Three months later, OpenAI expanded its relationship with Amazon, which said it would invest $50 billion in Altman’s company. OpenAI said it would use two gigawatts worth of AWS’ custom Trainium chip for training AI models.
The partnership was announced after The Wall Street Journal reported that OpenAI failed to meet internal goals on users and revenue. Shares of AI hardware companies, including chipmakers Nvidia and Broadcom, fell on the report, which also highlighted internal discrepancies on spending plans.
‘This is ridiculous,’ Sam Altman and OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar said in a statement about the story. ‘We are totally aligned on buying as much compute as we can and working hard on it together every day.’
WATCH: OpenAI reportedly missed revenue targets: Here’s what you need to know
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