The list of alternatives to cable television in the US is long and very complete. They have a complete catalog of options that range from the most popular and traditional, to free services and also alternatives that allow you to watch streaming television or some specialized in sports or cinema… Everything will depend on tastes and interests, but you definitely do not need cable in the United States to enjoy entertainment.
Of course, some of the options are only available in the United States , and the only option from abroad is a VPN to simulate that we live in the US. Others ask to create the subscription from there, but you could enter from anywhere in the world.
There are also the subscriptions that you can have anywhere and the catalog that will open when you enter will depend on what is available in the region.
Table of Contents
fuboTV
We begin this count of streaming television services in the US with FuboTV, a platform specialized in sports that also works in Canada and Spain.
This service is a specialist in live sports and you can have access to EPL, NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS and CPL matches, games and competitions; In addition to international soccer. Also news, some television series and movies, the latter being some point of variety within your service.
FuboTV has several plans available and you can choose according to your interests and budget:
- Starter Plan : This plan offers over 100 channels, allows you to save your favorite shows with 250 hours of cloud DVR space, and watch them on up to three screens at the same time in 4K quality. This is an entry-level package that can be purchased if you don’t watch a lot of premium TV and is a great transitional alternative from traditional cable TV. Price of 65 dollars.
- FuboTV Pro Plan : This plan keeps the same number of channels as the starter plan, but the amount of cloud DVR storage goes up to 1,000 hours. Plus, it lets you stream on up to 10 devices at once using your home internet. Price of 70 dollars.
- FuboTV Elite Plan – We now move to a plan that includes 160 channels in its roster and also adds over 130 events in 4K, combining all the channels from the starter plan with all the channels you get with the Fubo Extra and News Plus add-on packages . Added to this list are 40 additional sports and entertainment channels, plus eight additional news channels. Here they also offer 1,000 hours of DVR storage and 10 screens. Price of 80 dollars.
Hulu + LiveTV
Another option that has become popular in the United States to watch streaming television is Hulu+ Live TV, a service that allows users to enjoy live and on-demand television from more than 75 channels , including local news and sporting events.
Also added to the Hulu Basic Package list are channels from Disney Channel, ESPN, CBS, NBC, Fox, Discovery Channel , TLC, Motor Trend, and Animal Planet. Since 2021 they added fourteen additional ViacomCBS channels: MTV, Comedy Central, VH1, NickToons and others.
Hulu + Live TV has an ad-free premium plan , which doesn’t add anything else, just completely frees you from advertising. In the event that you are only interested in live TV, without the catalog of on-demand content, then you have the Live TV Only alternative.
This is quite a popular platform, which is next to Sling TV and YouTube TV in the count of the most contracted. You can access Hulu + Live TV on desktop and mobile. On their website you will see the option that says “Live TV” and there you can access the list of channels.
- Hulu + Live TV Basic Plan : $65
- Hulu + Live TV Premium Plan : $71
- Live TV Only Plan : $64
sling TV
Sling TV is a live Internet TV service that lets you enjoy content on the go without the need to lock yourself into a long-term cable contract. You can use different devices to play it, from Roku, Chromecast, Fire Stick or if you want you can do it from your computer.
Their plans are quite varied and you can choose according to what interests you and suits you.
- Sling Orange – This is a limited package for those who need the basic TV. It offers about 32 channels with movies, series, sports, news, documentaries and children. It has a monthly price of 35 dollars.
- Sling Blue : This alternative brings 5 additional channels to the previous package for the same price. Most of the additional channels are for entertainment and miscellaneous programming. It has a monthly price of 35 dollars
- Sling Orange and Blue : This package ups the ante and gives you access to 53 channels, combining the previous two and a little more. Especially news, sports and movie channels are added, for a monthly price of 50 dollars.
Sling TV offers you a large number of options to watch local and news stations, representing one of the alternatives to cable in the USA. In addition, it has additional packages that range from 6 dollars to 11 dollars depending on the option chosen.
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream is DirecTV’s streaming television bet, it is a platform that you can have with and without a contract. It offers different plans that include traditional channels, sports, news, local stations, children’s, series and many more.
In DirecTV Stream you have four different plans available in which you can sign up without permanence of any kind:
- Entertainment : This plan offers you access to more than 65 varied channels, including children’s, news and movies. It is the most basic of the offer and is priced at $69.99. This package includes TNT, Nickelodeon HGTV among many others.
- Choice : This is a more complete package that brings you, in addition to all the content of the previous plan, more local sports, movies and children’s channels in an offer that exceeds 90 channels. In addition, it includes a free HBO Max offer for three months when you sign up. It is priced at $84.99
- Ultimate : This is a much more complete plan, because it adds Showtime, Starz, Epix and Cinemax free for three months to all of the above. You have access to over 125 different channels, including local sports and local news. You can count on a variety of 55 thousand titles on demand. It is priced at $104.99 per month.
- Premier : Finally, this is the most robust of its plans with more than 140 channels included, adding options for series, movies and news, in addition to more than 65,000 streaming titles. Here you have all the benefits free for three months of HBO, Showtime, Starz, Epix and Cinemax. It is priced at $140.99 per month.
Philo
Now we move on to a slightly simpler streaming TV platform, but one that has a complete offer for those who prefer entertainment and lifestyle . Its performance is very similar to that of Sling TV or Hulu. It won’t be able to replace a full cable TV subscription, but it is one of the alternatives to consider.
Most of its content comes from A&E, AMC, Discovery, Scripps, and Viacom with options like Comedy Central, CMT, and MTV.
Currently, it offers a single plan with 46 channels and a monthly price of 20 dollars . This also adds access to a catalog of more than 25,000 titles on demand and also offers a free cloud DVR service.
Vidgo
Among the alternatives with the best value for money may be Vidgo. This is a service like most of the ones we have been talking about, which offers alternatives for movies, series, traditional television, sports, children’s and local news . You can watch from Paramount, TNT, Fox, History or Nickelodeon; to Univision and the NFL depending on the plan you choose.
This service offers three alternatives and makes things much easier:
- Plus : With more than 100 channels available. This includes ESPN, FX, MTV, Hallmark, Univision, Nickeloden and TLC, among many others, for a monthly price of $55.
- Premium : This option increases the options to 140 channels, adding more entertainment, travel, sports and news. This plan is priced at $79.95 per month.
- Spanish : If you are in the United States, but you speak Spanish, they have a plan for you. It is a varied plan, although with fewer alternatives that includes Hola TV, Spanish History, ATRES Series and Cine Latino, among others, with a total of 50 channels for $30 per month.
YouTube TV
We now turn to YouTube TV, a content and TV streaming platform from Google that seeks to capture the attention of those users who are looking for the option to eliminate their cable TV contract. It competes with DirecTV Stream, Sling TV, FuboTV and Hulu + Live TV.
YouTube TV has a basic plan of 65 dollars that covers all traditional US television and local stations , but you can also purchase different additional options to complement the offer:
- 4K Plus : Allows you to watch a lot of content in 4K quality, especially movies and series. It’s priced at $20 a month after a one-month trial, and there’s also a $9.99 a year deal for early adopters.
- HBO Max : which includes HBO Max Originals and its networks, in addition to all the content of HBO already known for 15 dollars per month.
- NBA League Pass : You have access to all the content of the NBA league with a seven-day trial for $40 per month.
- Sports Plus – Comes with NFL RedZone, BeIN Sports, Fox Soccer Plus, Stadium College Sports, VSiN, Outside TV+, PokerGO+, MAVTV, TVG, Stadium, GOLTV, Billiard TV, Sports Grid, and PlayersTV. It has a free trial of seven days and its monthly price is 11 dollars.
- Entertainment Plus – Includes HBO Max, Showtime, and Starz. It has a monthly price of 30 dollars.
- Hallmark Movies Now : Comes with all Hallmark movies and series. It comes with a seven-day trial and costs $6 a month.
- Cinemax : Premium movies and series. It comes with a seven-day trial and costs $10 a month.
The offer of additional content on YouTube TV is much more extensive and complete, with more alternatives for entertainment, sports and movies.
FloSports
If you are a sports lover then you will be interested in FloSports, a subscription sports streaming service. This is a platform that is compatible with most of the devices we have today, from Chromecast, Roku, Apple TV, Fire Stick, Smart TV and Android or iOS mobiles, you can also enter from the computer.
The limitation in this service is that you will have to choose a sport from which you will see all the events and matches . For example, basketball, but that entire catalog costs $29.99 per month or you can pay for the whole year and it’s $12.99 per month.
DAZN
DAZN is a streaming platform that we have already told you about before that has quite an important totally sports programming , so it does not completely replace cable. It offers a complete subscription for all the sport, although you can enjoy a free part, since you will have access to a month of free trial programming.
DAZN has two subscriptions in the US:
- Monthly Subscription : $9.99
- Annual subscription : with a one-time payment of $99.99
You can also access the box as an additional subscription for $1.99 per month .
Disney+
Disney+ is a widely known streaming content service. As many know, this platform offers content from the extensive Disney catalog , but there is also Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic.
This platform has a single plan of $7.99 per month and that gives you access to the entire US catalog (in other countries it is something different). This platform is compatible with all the devices you can have right now, from Chromecast, Roku, Fire Stick, Smart TV, mobile phones and you can also enjoy it from your computer.
fanatic
Let’s go with football lovers. Fanatiz is a streaming service that broadcasts sports events and channels online, live and VOD . Through a monthly subscription you can access all sports content on your favorite screens and devices.
In Fanatiz you have a small section of free content , but most of the soccer you want to watch is in its Primera Fila plan that has a monthly price of 5.99 dollars in the US. If you pay the annual fee it is priced at 71.88 dollars, which does not represent any savings.
The advantage of the paid subscription is that it adds a couple of general entertainment channels, so you can watch something different while you wait for a game that interests you.
fite
We turn to another sports platform that can surely catch your attention, because it is not the typical sports content service, in fact, you will not be able to see its content on platforms like ESPN+. Here you will have access to professional wrestling, boxing, mixed martial arts, soccer, motor sports and even medieval jousting.
Boxing and mixed martial arts leagues featured at Fite include BJJ Fanatics, The Fight Guys, Bare Knuckle FC, Combate Americas, Legacy Boxing Promotions and Top Rank Boxing.
Although it offers a free part on the Fite 24/7 channel , the service has a paid subscription of 5 dollars per month or an annuity of 50 dollars; and frees you completely from advertising.
NFHSNetwork
We continue with sports, but this alternative is designed for school sports. They handle live and on-demand high school sports broadcasting, covering 27 different regular season and postseason sports, as well as other high school activities, celebrating the achievements of student-athletes, student broadcasters, and high schools from all over the world. United States.
This platform is compatible with Chromecast, Roku, Apple TV, Fire Stick, Android and iPhone, you can also watch it from your computer, but best of all, it ‘s totally free .
Every day they broadcast almost 600 sporting and school events, in a month there can be more than 40,000 school events throughout the country, which are available and you can access them live and direct, without having to pay anything.
Paramount+
We have already shown you the Paramount+ platform, it is Paramount Global’s streaming service . It is a subscription service of the combined ViacomCBS network, in which Paramount titles are incorporated, along with productions from Nickelodeon, MTV, BET and Comedy Central.
From now on they also plan to incorporate blockbusters and the addition of popular franchises such as “A Quiet Place”, “Star Trek” or “Transformers”. The next destination of the Paramount+ platform is France during this 2022, but it is expected that they can expand to Asia, Africa and the Middle East in 2023.
At Paramount+ we will be able to see content from Showtime, Paramount+ Originals, Nikelodeon and Comedy Central , as well as many premieres.
Paramount+’s platform is priced at $9.99 per month in the US with no ads. Also, you can try the Essential subscription priced at $4.99 per month; the only drawback is that you will also have to see advertising. These subscriptions include separate sports and auto racing broadcasts, which can serve as a substitute for cable.
Netflix
The most popular of all streaming platforms as an alternative to cable in the US is Netflix. This service was officially created in 1997, although it has become popular in the last 10 years to become one of the strongest.
Netflix has a huge catalog where you can watch movies, novels and series of all kinds, for all audiences and in many languages. From terror, suspense, comedies, children, love, social problems, documentaries and much more.
This platform is compatible with most devices on the market , from Chromecast, Apple TV, Fire Stick, Roku, tablets, computers, mobiles and much more. It has different subscriptions and the price varies depending on the quality of the content and the number of screens to see at the same time, but the catalog is the same and is available in any of its subscriptions.
In the United States there are three types of Netflix subscriptions and we have talked about it before:
- Basic – Allows you to play on a single screen and is priced at $9.99 per month
- Standard : allows you to play on two screens at the same time with HD resolution.
- Premium – Play content on up to 4 screens at once in Ultra HD quality. It is priced at $19.99 per month in the United States.
Peacock TV
Now we are going with a free alternative that we have already seen before and it is called Peacock TV. With this platform you have access to the NBCUniversal content catalog, including the products of Universal Pictures and Universal Television. In total you can enjoy more than 15,000 hours of content of all kinds, although if you opt for the premium plans you can have many more hours of content available.
In Peacock you will find about 25 linear digital channels very much in the style of Pluto TV, although it is not the network’s own transmission, but rather an organization of thematic content.
Although there is a free part on Peacock TV, it also has two subscription plans that allow you to access more content:
- Peacock Premium : In this section you have access to most sports, from the Premier League, leagues and the NFL season, in addition to expanding access to most series, it offers access to different releases, but you will have to see advertising. It is priced at $4.99 per month and the annuity is $50.
- Peacock Premium Plus : In this subscription they give you full access to all the content on the platform, you can also enjoy repetitions on demand, premieres or series with premiere episodes the next day. That is not the only advantage, since the ads are also removed and you will also have the possibility to download content to watch offline. It is priced at $9.99 per month and the annuity costs $100.
RedBox
A free alternative to cable is RedBox. It is a live streaming application without subscription, which allows you to watch TV channels at any time. It has a wide variety of content that you can see without paying for it and that already gives it an advantage on this list, although its catalog is not that extensive.
RedBox TV has more than 1,000 different channels that vary in the 15 countries that are available. You can enjoy content from 20 different genres and categories: sports, kids, spirituality, music, movies, TV shows, news, wildlife, science, Pakistani, Indian, German and Malaysian channels, among others. The list includes some traditional cable TV channels such as Disney, HBO, CNN and Fox.
For now the app is available for Android phones and PCs , it is not available for iOS terminals, but you can send the content to compatible devices.
Select TV
We now turn to an alternative that may also interest you because it will allow you to get rid of your cable TV subscription, it is called SelectTV. This service is not really a streaming platform in itself, but rather a content aggregator that allows you to concentrate everything that interests you in one place and see it on the screen you want without paying for a specific platform.
With SelectTV you can search and add all the content you want from free sources of your favorite programs, as well as paid services such as Netflix and Hulu, to have them in one place, offering one of the cheapest subscriptions.
On this platform you have the possibility of adding and watching more than 700,000 episodes of series and 100,000 different movies . It will depend on your taste, since it organizes it within a very well designed catalog to allow you to enter and find what you are looking for faster.
SelectTV is priced at $2.99 per month ; but it has an annual plan of $19.95. The annual subscription price includes all free content and an HDTV antenna that you can use to watch live local TV broadcasts.
Showtime
Originally, Showtime was a cable television service that later migrated to streaming platforms. This subscription offers customers a wide variety of content including original series and movies, comedies, and some sports.
The Showtime platform offers all the content of other platforms that you would contract separately and that is one of its main advantages. Its catalog is made up of content from Peacock, Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Paramount+, Sky Studios, NBCUniversal, Showtime and Nickelodeon.
It is compatible with multiple devices: Android, iPhone, Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire Stick, PSP, Android TV, Smart TV, Roku, Oculus, Xbox, Samsung, LG, you can also broadcast from your mobile.
You can enjoy it for free, at least for a while , as it offers a one month trial and after that the monthly subscription is priced at $9.99 . You can also choose to pay the annuity for $99.99.
Starz
Another of the platforms with which you can replace your TV cable is Starz. It is a streaming service with a wide catalog like the one you can have on Netflix or Showtime, being able to enjoy a lot of original content. The catalog of this service includes popular movies, series, children, documentaries, as well as different genres of interest.
Starz is compatible with all major devices, plus you can watch it on your computer, and it ‘s priced at $8.99 per month.
These are all the options you can enjoy in the US as an alternative to cable TV , It will depend on the interests and tastes to choose which one to sign up for.
