By: DAVID KATZMAIER
Article originally published in CNET Magazine on July 26, 2018. The original article can be found here.
With the runaway popularity of on-demand streaming video services like Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Video and Hulu, more people are deciding to stop paying for cable TV. But just because you cut the cord doesn’t mean you have to give up live TV.
Right now seven major services offer live TV steamed over the Internet: Hulu with Live TV, Google’s YouTube TV, Dish Network’s Sling TV, Sony’s PlayStation Vueand AT&T’s DirecTV Now, Philo and Fubo TV. They cost $16 per month and up.
Unlike standard cable or satellite plans, there’s no annual contract and you can cancel and re-up anytime. Of course, you’ll need a good broadband plan that can support HD video streaming, as well as a supported phone, tablet, computer or TV streaming device to actually watch on.
All of them offer different slates of channels for various prices. None have as many channels as most traditional cable or satellite TV packages, especially when it comes to sports, but maybe they have enough for you.
And if you’re wondering which service has the most channels in its base package, that’s DirecTV Now with 59 out of 100.
The big chart: Top 100 channels compared
Below you’ll find a chart that shows the top 100 channels across all seven services. There are actually eight 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, FYI, GSN and Universal HD.
Some more stuff to know about the chart:
- Yes = The live channel is available on the cheapest pricing tier (listed next to each service name).
- No = The channel isn’t available at all on that service. One popular channel, PBS, isn’t available on any service but I listed it anyway.
- $ = 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 — channels devoted to showing regular-season games of particular pro baseball, basketball and/or hockey teams — are not listed. That’s a disadvantage on the chart to Fubo TV, which carries more RSNs than anyone, and an advantage to Philo, which doesn’t offer any sports channels, period.
- ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, MyNetworkTV and The CW networks only available in certain cities, and availability varies widely per service. In some cities, some services only offer video-on-demand shows from the networks, not the live local channel itself. (Note: CBS is the parent company of CNET.)
- Overwhelmed? An easier-to-grok Google Spreadsheet is here.
PHILO VS. SLING TV VS. DIRECTV NOW VS. YOUTUBE TV VS. HULU VS. PLAYSTATION VUE VS. FUBO TV: TOP 100 CHANNELS COMPARED
| Channel | Philo ($16) | Sling Orange ($25) | Sling Blue ($25) | DirecTV Now ($40) | YouTube TV ($40) | Hulu with Live TV ($40) | PS Vue ($45) | Fubo TV ($45) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total channels: | 32 | 23 | 34 | 59 | 54 | 52 | 46 | 43 |
| ABC | No | $ | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| CBS | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fox | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| NBC | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| A&E | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| AMC | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Animal Planet | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
| BBC America | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| BBC World News | Yes | $ | $ | $ | Yes | No | $ | $ |
| BET | Yes | $ | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Big Ten Network | No | No | No | $ | Yes | Yes | $ | Yes |
| Bloomberg TV | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Boomerang | No | $ | $ | $ | No | Yes | $ | No |
| Channel | Philo ($16) | Sling Orange ($25) | Sling Blue ($25) | DirecTV Now ($35) | YouTube TV ($40) | Hulu with Live TV ($40) | PS Vue ($45) | Fubo TV ($45) |
| Bravo | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cartoon Network/ Adult Swim | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| CBS Sports Network | No | No | No | $ | Yes | Yes | $ | Yes |
| Cheddar | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Cinemax | No | $ | $ | $ | No | $ | $ | No |
| CMT | Yes | $ | $ | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| CNBC | No | No | $ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| CNN | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Comedy Central | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Cooking Channel | $ | $ | $ | $ | No | No | $ | $ |
| CSPAN | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| CW | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Destination America | $ | No | No | $ | No | No | Yes | No |
| Discovery Channel | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
| Discovery Family | $ | No | No | $ | No | No | $ | No |
| Discovery Life | $ | No | No | $ | No | No | $ | No |
| Disney Channel | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Disney Junior | No | $ | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Disney XD | No | $ | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| DIY | Yes | $ | $ | $ | No | No | $ | $ |
| Channel | Philo ($16) | Sling Orange ($25) | Sling Blue ($25) | DirecTV Now ($35) | YouTube TV ($40) | Hulu with Live TV ($40) | PS Vue ($45) | Fubo TV ($45) |
| E! | No | No | $ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| EPIX | No | $ | $ | No | No | No | $ | No |
| ESPN | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| ESPN 2 | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| ESPN 3 | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| ESPNEWS | No | $ | No | $ | Yes | Yes | $ | No |
| ESPNU | No | $ | No | $ | Yes | Yes | $ | No |
| Food Network | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fox Business | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fox News | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fox Sports 1 | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fox Sports 2 | No | No | Yes | $ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Freeform | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| FX | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| FX Movie Channel | No | No | No | $ | Yes | Yes | $ | Yes |
| FXX | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Golf Channel | No | No | $ | $ | Yes | Yes | $ | Yes |
| Hallmark | No | $ | $ | Yes | No | No | $ | Yes |
| HBO | No | $ | $ | $ | No | $ | $ | No |
| HGTV | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| History | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| HLN | No | $ | $ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Channel | Philo ($16) | Sling Orange ($25) | Sling Blue ($25) | DirecTV Now ($35) | YouTube TV ($40) | Hulu with Live TV ($40) | PS Vue ($45) | Fubo TV ($45) |
| IFC | Yes | Yes | Yes | $ | Yes | No | $ | Yes |
| Investigation Discovery | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
| Lifetime | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Lifetime Movie Network | Yes | $ | $ | $ | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| MLB Network | No | No | No | $ | Yes | No | $ | No |
| MSNBC | No | No | $ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| MTV | Yes | $ | $ | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| MTV2 | Yes | $ | $ | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| MyNetworkTV | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Nat Geo Wild | No | No | Yes | $ | Yes | Yes | $ | Yes |
| National Geographic | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| NBA TV | No | $ | $ | $ | Yes | No | $ | Yes |
| NBC Sports Network | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Newsy | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| NFL Network | No | No | Yes | $ | No | No | $ | Yes |
| NFL Red Zone | No | No | $ | No | No | No | $ | No |
| NHL Network | No | $ | $ | $ | No | No | No | No |
| Nick Jr. | Yes | $ | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Nickelodeon | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Nicktoons | $ | $ | $ | $ | No | No | No | No |
| Channel | Philo ($16) | Sling Orange ($25) | Sling Blue ($25) | DirecTV Now ($35) | YouTube TV ($40) | Hulu with Live TV ($40) | PS Vue ($45) | Fubo TV ($45) |
| OWN | Yes | No | No | $ | No | No | Yes | No |
| Oxygen | No | No | $ | $ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Paramount Network | Yes | $ | $ | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| PBS | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Science | Yes | No | No | $ | No | No | Yes | No |
| SEC Network | No | $ | No | $ | Yes | Yes | $ | No |
| Showtime | No | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ |
| Starz | No | $ | $ | $ | $ | No | No | No |
| Sundance TV | Yes | $ | $ | $ | Yes | No | $ | Yes |
| Syfy | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| TBS | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Telemundo | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tennis Channel | No | No | No | $ | Yes | No | No | No |
| TLC | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
| TNT | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Travel Channel | Yes | Yes | Yes | $ | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| TruTV | No | $ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Turner Classic Movies | No | $ | $ | Yes | Yes | Yes | $ | No |
| TV Land | Yes | $ | $ | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Univision | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
| USA Network | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| VH1 | Yes | $ | $ | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Viceland | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| WE tv | Yes | $ | $ | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Weather Channel | No | No | No | $ | No | No | No | Yes |
| Channel | Philo ($16) | Sling Orange ($25) | Sling Blue ($25) | DirecTV Now ($35) | YouTube TV ($40) | Hulu with Live TV ($40) | PS Vue ($45) | Fubo TV ($45) |
