Best Live TV Streaming Service Providers

• Where sports is King, fuboTV has the most sports channels in the industry.
• fuboTV also has news, lifestyle, movie, and kids channels.

fuboTV's Pro plan gets you close to 20 sports channels (plus 20 TUDN and BeIN SPORTS channels) in your lineup. If you order the Elite plan, you’ll have about 50.

You’ll find your well-known sports channels in the entry-level plan, such as ESPN, Big Ten Network, FOX Sports, and NFL Network.

And you could say the Elite with Sports Plus plan is for the sports megafans who don't want to miss an Ole Miss college game or a Rafael Nadal tennis match.

Some sports channels in these packages include the following:

FuboTV's Deluxe plan offers 14 more channels, but more importantly, it includes Sports Plus with NFL RedZone, MGM+, and fuboTV's International Sports Plus add-on. 

While you watch your Chicago Bulls play, your spouse can watch Flip or Flop, and your kids can watch Spongebob Squarepants.

fuboTV’s channel lineup includes the following channels:

• fuboTV doesn't have TNT, TBS, and CNN

Although this live TV service is the best for sports, we're disappointed that it doesn't have TNT for NBA games. (Shame!) But if you're an avid basketball fan, an NBA LEAGUE PASS subscription might be up your alley. 

And if you need TBS for MLB games, it also offers MLB.TV. fuboTV is actually the only live TV streaming service that offers MLB.TV as an add-on, making it convenient to have all your entertainment in one place. We know we like that. 

You won't be able to watch New Girl on TBS, and you can't get political news through CNN with fuboTV, but you do get to enjoy Hallmark Channel and MSNBC at least.

If you'd like to delve into lots more details about fuboTV, check out our full review.

• YouTube TV has an arguably complete channel lineup.
• This streaming service has unlimited DVR storage space.
• YouTube TV is home to NFL Sunday Ticket.

You snag 100 great channels with YouTube TV, including the ViacomCBS channels that we all love, such as Comedy Central, BET, and Paramount Network.

But one of our favorite parts about YouTube TV’s channel lineup is you get NFL Network, NBA TV, SEC Network, and ESPNU. Sure, you can get these channels with fuboTV, but you’d have to pay $20 more per month. 

(But scroll down a little to see the channels YouTube TV doesn't have before you subscribe.)

We named YouTube TV the second-best streaming service for sports because it has those sports channels along with nine others for $73/month. And this service is home to NFL SUNDAY TICKET. You can choose to add just NFL SUNDAY TICKET or bundle it with NFL RedZone. 

But before you spend hundreds of dollars, I recommend you check out your options. I compared NFL Sunday Ticket to both the NFL RedZone Channel and NFL+. 

In short, you'll only need the Ticket if you're a diehard Green Bay Packers or San Diego Chargers fan and you want to catch every game they play on Sunday morning or afternoon. 

If you're like me, who has multiple Fantasy Football teams to uphold and want to catch all of the good Sunday morning and afternoon moments in real-time, NFL RedZone is what you'll truly want. 

YouTube TV’s channel lineup includes the following:

YouTube TV’s DVR has the biggest storage space with unlimited hours. So you can literally record everything (like Hulu + Live TV). 

Record all of The Office episodes, NFL games, and The Price Is Right every day, and still have space to record more. But don't forget that your recordings will be erased after nine months. 

• YouTube TV doesn't have MLB Network or Tennis Channel.

We stand by our statement that fuboTV is the best for sports fans (minus the absence of TNT and TBS, of course.)

Although YouTube TV is best for NBA-watchers, this streaming service won't give you lots of sports channels if that's what you're after. You'll get 12 sports channels, including NBA TV and NFL Network, and maybe that's enough for you! 

For non-sports watchers, YouTube TV doesn't have the HISTORY Channel, Lifetime, or A&E. 

• Hulu Live comes with Disney+ and ESPN+.
• This streaming services gives you live channels and lots of on-demand content.

Who wouldn’t love the live TV channels, on-demand library from Hulu, live sporting events from ESPN+, and all the Disney+ movies you’ve ever dreamed of?

And for the price of $82–$96? Pull our leg, why don'tcha. 

So enjoy The Mandalorian or a UFC fight with the family, then watch one of the great Hulu Originals afterward. 

Hulu Live has the biggest on-demand library out of all of the live TV streaming services. So this service is perfect for those who want to watch The Bachelor in real-time or binge last season. 

Other TV shows you can stream on Hulu Live include the following:

Hulu Live's channel lineup include the following:

• Hulu Live only lets you stream on two devices at once.
• You can’t watch NBA TV, MLB Network, or Nickelodeon with Hulu Live.

Hulu Live allows only two users to watch live channels at the same time, so if you have a family of four, you might run into problems. 

If you'd like more than two simultaneous streams for the family, you’ll get the option to pay an extra $10 per month for unlimited streams.

Right about now, we used to bash on Hulu Live's 50-hour DVR storage. (Can you imagine?) Now, the whole family gets to enjoy unlimited DVR storage like you can with YouTube TV.

Hulu Live has 85+ channels, so you won't be getting all of the channels under the sun.

Here are a few popular channels you’ll be missing out on with Hulu + Live TV:

• NBA TV
• MLB Network
• Nickelodeon
• BBC America
• Comedy Central

This list used to include PBS, PBS Kids, Hallmark Channel, and Paramount Network, but no more. Hulu Live must have listened to us *shrug*.

• You get live TV at a reasonable price with no extra fees.
• Sling TV has three inexpensive packages to choose from.

There aren’t many decent live TV streaming services out there that offer a good chunk of popular channels for $40, making it perfect for those who want to cut the cord because of that expensive cable bill.

You won’t have to give up on TV altogether. And thanks to Sling, you won’t have to break the bank or have to worry about extra fees. (Although Sling makes it possible for you to upgrade your service in à la carte fashion.)

Just try not to spend that extra money you’ll be saving on online shopping (or maybe that’s why you’re making cuts elsewhere in your life).

Both Sling Orange and Sling Blue are the same price, but both plans have almost a completely different channel lineup. And the Sling Orange + Blue package is basically a combination of both.

If you have kids, you’ll want Sling Orange. You’ll get Cartoon Network and Disney Channel for the little ones and ESPN and Food Network for you.

If you love news channels, get Sling Blue. You can watch FOX News and MSNBC, along with Bravo, TruTV, and USA. But if you want them all, Sling Orange + Blue is for you.

If you want to know more about the difference between Sling Orange and Sling Blue, check out our comparison piece where we break down which package has which channels.

• Don’t expect all of your favorite channels.
• Sling TV has low DVR storage.

Yes, Sling TV is cheaper, but that also means you might not get all your favorite channels.

You’ll absolutely find a lot of popular channels in Sling TV's packages (the reason it makes the low price so great), but you won’t get your ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, The CW, Nickelodeon, or Telemundo.

If you like Sling's channel lineup and also want local channels, we recommend setting up an HD antenna. 

As for the sports channels ... let's just say Sling tends to the less-than-average sports fan. Sling offers the following sports channels for $55:

Sling TV includes 50 hours of DVR storage in your service, which should be expected with the price tag.

You have the choice to upgrade to a 200-hour DVR storage for an extra $5 per month to make your monthly bill $45–$60.

Oh, and just a heads up: when your DVR storage is full, and you happen to record another show, your old or already-watched recordings will erase in your library (without warning).

• Premium channels are included in all of DIRECTV's packages.
• There are four packages to choose from for the family.
• Satellite and internet connection options

You can order DIRECTV's packages via an internet or satellite connection. Internet package prices are a little bit cheaper, but satellite packages offer way more channels.

When you order ENTERTAINMENT, CHOICE, or ULTIMATE, you’ll get Max, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME®, Cinemax, STARZ, and MGM+ free for three months with DIRECTV.

If you want the premium channels for longer than three months, upgrade to PREMIER to get them in your channel lineup permanently! Yes, $150–$155 is a lot to swallow, but these premium channels on their own are $50 per month total. 

In short, DIRECTV's packages aren't messing around. They tend to the fans of Outlander and Billions.

But wait, there's even more entertainment. With DIRECTV's streaming device, you'll be able to stream Netflix, Peacock, Max, Prime Video, and more.

The ENTERTAINMENT package is going to have more of your lifestyle and news channels, like Hallmark, HGTV, MSNBC, and USA.

If you upgrade to CHOICE, you’re going to get MLB Network, Nick Jr., Tennis Channel, and NBA TV.

The ULTIMATE plan will give you all of the sports channels DIRECTV's streaming service can offer, including the Golf Channel and NHL Network, along with FX Movie Channel and STARZ Encore.

And lastly, the PREMIER package will give you the most channels you can possibly get with DIRECTV, including four premium channels.

• It’s the most expensive live TV streaming service in the industry.

DIRECTV's TV service is the most expensive of the bunch, so this service might only be for those who love premium channels or want a traditional TV experience.

To put it in perspective, DIRECTV's prices average a little over $1 per channel. YouTube TV is 65 cents per channel, and fuboTV is about 46 cents per channel.

We hope DIRECTV will decide to lower its prices one day.

• fuboTV: Perfect for families full of many of personalities, you can get about 50 sports channels and 200+ other channels for news, lifestyle, movies, and kids with fuboTV. It’s the best-valued live TV streaming service because you get over 190 channels for $80 per month, a big DVR storage space, and an easy-to-use interface.
• YouTube TV: YouTube TV comes in at a close second because you get a solid channel lineup of more than 100 channels with unlimited DVR storage space. YouTube TV is not for those who absolutely need their MLB Network or Tennis and HISTORY channels, but you will get your Turner Network channels, like TNT and TBS.
• Hulu + Live TV: Hulu Live offers a three-streaming-service bundle for one decent price. The bundle of Hulu Live, Disney+, and ESPN+ will make all members of the family happy. If you want zero ads in your on-demand content, you’ll have to tack on $13 to your monthly bill.
• Sling TV: If you’re trying to save money but want live TV without the expensive cable or satellite TV bill, Sling is for you. Just keep in mind with that low price, you won't get everything fuboTV, YouTube TV, or Hulu + Live TV can offer you.
• DIRECTV: Although DIRECTV's internet streaming service is the most expensive live TV streaming service in the industry at the moment, you do get premium channels included in all of its plans for at least three months. And you get four plans to choose from to best fit your family.