Television has a central place in every modern household. It serves as a gateway to an endless world of entertainment. Nothing beats the thrill and excitement of turning on the television after a hard day at work, with a cup of your favorite beverage in one hand and steaming hot comfort food in another. It thoroughly relieves stress and makes for a wonderful family quality time.
The way people watch television has changed in the present era. Where before you had to wait for a TV show to air on cable at the scheduled hour, now, you can simply stream the whole series on the internet in one sitting. This does not mean that cable TV has diminished in importance. It still holds an undeniable monopoly in the market. Around 60% of American households stick to their cable TV provider. Click here to check out some of the best cable TV plans, and see for yourself why cable TV continues to reign supreme in an age of internet television.
Nonetheless, streaming television has emerged as a worthy competitor, which brings us to this post. What is live TV streaming and what are the best live television streaming services to consider if you’re planning to cut the cord? Find out below.
What is Live TV Streaming?
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It is one thing to download a movie or a program on your device, and a whole other thing to watch it in the form of a continuous stream on the web. This real-time streaming of video and audio data on the internet is called streaming TV. Streaming television becomes live TV when it delivers live events to your screens as they air.
To stream live television, you need a couple of things. One, a high-speed internet connection. Since live TV streaming works only over the internet, so access to a solid in-home network is a given. Two, a streaming device, which could be anything from a special streaming media player to a web-enabled smart TV with its own app store. And, three, a live television streaming service subscription. There are numerous live television streaming services around us, but only a few are good enough to take all the way home. More on those later.
How is Live TV Streaming Different from On-Demand Streaming?
Not all streaming services are the same. Live television streaming services let you watch real-time events on the nation’s top networks as per the genre of your liking. Whereas, on-demand streaming services don’t deliver live television content. Their libraries are full of movies and TV shows that you can watch whenever you want to on devices of your choice with advanced playback features to help you get the most out of your experience. In other words, while live television streaming is closer to traditional TV, on-demand streaming is more like DVD rental.
What are the Best Live TV Streaming Apps and Services in the Market?
The following is a list of the best live television streaming services, based on affordability, channel lineup, and features.
1. FuboTV
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Monthly Price: $64.99 – $79.99
Channel Count: 150+
Supported devices: Roku, Apple TV, Xbox, Chromecast, PC, iPhone, iPad, Android phone & tablet, and Amazon Fire TV
Got a lot of sports fans in your house? Then, fuboTV is your go-to live TV streaming service. Its Starter package gives you 112 channels, 130+ events in 4K, 250 hours of Cloud DVR storage space, and 3 simultaneous screens. Whereas its Elite package brings premium features to your home in the form of 47 additional channels, 1000 hours of Cloud DVR storage space, and 10 concurrent screens, so everyone can dive into the sports mania on fuboTV at the same time.
What’s more, you will find sports channels covering all the professional leagues and college sports, as well as non-sports networks such as TLC and local channels on fuboTV. The only drawback is that you won’t be able to watch certain regional networks. If that doesn’t bother you, then feel free to give a chance to fuboTV. 7-day free trial available.
2. Hulu + Live TV
Monthly Price: $64.99 – $70.99
Channel Count: 75+
Supported devices: Mac, PC, iPhone, iPad, Android phone & tablet, Roku, Amazon Fire TV & Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One & 360, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 & 5, and select smart TVs
Hulu + Live TV mainly has two plans, one with ads and the other (more expensive one) without ads, which you can buff up with exciting add-ons and channel packs. No matter which one you pick, you’ll get to enjoy live sports, award shows, primetime drama, breaking news, soap operas, and even Hulu Originals from the top live and on-demand channels.
Local and regional networks are included, except for a few channels like NBA TV, Nick, or MLB. Besides, you get 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage, a Live Guide with advanced search features, 2 screens at a time, Autoplay, and up to six profiles for a personalized experience. What Hulu + Live TV needs to work on is its extra fee structure, which makes it a tad on the heavy side. 7-day free trial available.
3. Sling TV
Source: usatoday.com
Monthly Price: $35 – $50
Channel Count: 51
Supported devices: Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV & tablet, Chromecast, Apple phones & tablets, Android phones & tablets, Xbox
For people going through a cash crunch, Sling TV is a great option. Its standalone plans, Sling Orange and Sling Blue come under $50, and offer 32 to 43 channels, including ESPN, CNN, and TNT, along with 50 hours of DVR storage and 1 to 3 concurrent streams, depending on the plan you choose.
If you want the best of both worlds, you can also sign up for the Sling Orange & Blue bundle, which costs $50/month and has everything you’ll ever need to have a good television time. The best thing out of all? Sling TV has delectable promotions in store for you. You get $25 off on your first month with the service, which is a treat! The low channel count matches the low price, though we’d wish for a bulkier lineup. 7-day free trial available.
The Final Word
So, if you’re thinking about switching to live television streaming instead of paying a hefty cable bill every month, then select any of the aforementioned top picks for your home and start watching live television right away on your own terms.
