The best live TV streaming services for 2026: What we tested, what we recommend

Free trial: 3 days | Channels in base tier: 95+ | Streaming resolution: 1080p (select devices) | DVR: Unlimited | Regional sports networks: Limited 

Let's do some basic math: Hulu + Live TV costs $90 monthly, same as DirecTV and in the same general range as Fubo and YouTube TV. But there's one key difference: This cable alternative includes not only on-demand Hulu (with all its original content and streaming movies and shows), but also Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited.

That means you're effectively getting four streaming services for the price of one, and if you value those additional three, there's a very compelling case to be made for choosing Hulu.

Thankfully, the quantity doesn't come at the cost of quality. Hulu's live-TV lineup includes a generous selection of channels (close to 100), among them the five major locals (ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, PBS) and a solid helping of sports. (Although the service has no regional sports networks like on DirecTV and Fubo, the inclusion of ESPN Unlimited mitigates that at least somewhat.)

Alas, at this writing there's no 4K live TV content available, though some of Hulu's on-demand stuff is indeed 4K. And although Hulu + Live TV can stream in 1080p, for the moment it does so only with a handful of TVs and devices (including Apple TV 4th-gen and later, Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick and select Samsung TVs). Android TV, Google TV, Roku and other devices top out at 720p.

I appreciate Hulu's polished, easy-to-navigate interface, though it does reveal a few quirks once you venture into the live-TV area. Among them: an alphabetical channel guide with no way to change the order and inconsistent category menus. (Some show a channel-guide subset, others just rows of "what's on now".) It's also unnecessarily chunky; only five channels fit onscreen at a time.

Much more annoying: If you pause live TV and rewind prior to a commercial break, even one you've already watched, you can't fast-forward past it; you have to watch that same break again. (Fortunately, this didn't seem to be an issue with recorded shows.)

One important note for parents: Although the Hulu app doesn't incorporate any Disney+ content, the Disney+ app (which you sign into using your Hulu credentials) now mixes in Hulu's on-demand library (but not live TV). This is not only confusing, but also off-putting: You may see the likes of The Handmaid's Tale alongside Bluey and Toy Story. Fortunately, you can create child profiles to keep kids away from decidedly adult Hulu content.

Hulu's free trial is the shortest in the group — just three days — so you'll need to decide quickly if you like the value proposition. Given that it's really the only live-TV bundle you can get, by default it's also the best.

(Note: Hulu + Live TV merged with Fubo late last year, but the two will continue to operate as separate entities.)

Read our full Hulu + Live TV review.

Free trial: 5 days | Channels in base tier: 90+ | Streaming resolution: 720p | DVR: Unlimited | Regional sports networks: 30+

Every other streaming service here has its own take on replicating cable, and not always for the better. DirecTV (formerly DirecTV Stream) is replicating itself — or, rather, its eponymous satellite service — and that's a good thing. The interface reflects the simplicity and polish of one built on years of development, which is why I think it's the best option for anyone seeking the familiarity of cable (or even of DirecTV itself).

For example, on your first visit to the channel guide, you're given the option to sort it alphabetically or by channel number, the latter a welcome nod to cable days (and especially helpful for finding your local stations). I like that the guide includes full-color channel logos as well; they're easier to recognize at a glance.

Another small but welcome amenity: Whatever item you navigate to on the channel guide, a lovely summary — including title, time, description and a thumbnail image — appears at the top of screen. And it's a snap to add channels to your "favorites" list for even faster "what's on" browsing.

The sports selection here is rivaled only by Fubo's, and there's a nifty auto-forwarding option that aims to work around a game blackout if one is detected: DirecTV will attempt to find the game on another channel. (For information on DirecTV's recently launched MySports service, see below.)

The service also offers robust parental controls: You can create individual profiles for different family members and limit viewing based on separate TV, movie and "unrated" content ratings.

I did encounter one usability quirk: With other services, time-shifting live content (i.e. rewinding or fast-forwarding) is a simple matter of tapping left or right on your remote's direction-pad. Do that here and you'll actually change the channel. It took me a while to figure out that you must first tap the center button to bring up the status menu, then tap left or right to skip back or forward.

That's not a huge deal (and you don't need this extra step for recorded content), but I couldn't find a way to actually scan back or forward; it's all just 15- or 30-second hops (respectively). Also known as "scrubbing," this is something I use often and definitely miss here.

The search feature has room for improvement as well; entering "Tom Cruise movies" produced nothing, but searching "Tom Cruise" yielded the expected results.

It's certainly not perfect, but I think DirecTV offers one the better overall user experiences, especially for those accustomed to a cable or satellite box.

Read our full DirecTV review.

Free trial: 7 days | Channels in base tier: 130+ | Streaming resolution: 720p | DVR: Unlimited | Regional sports networks: 30+

If sports is your thing, Fubo is almost certainly your best bet. The service carries not only most local and league channels, but also around three dozen regional sports networks. On top of that, it has the highest total number of channels in its base tier than any other streamer, giving it a slight edge over the similarly sports-rich DirecTV.

Take note, though, that while a smattering of that content (think: World Series baseball and Premier League soccer) streams in 4K, most live TV tops out at 720p. And you don't even get access to 4K unless you upgrade from the Pro plan ($85 per month) to Elite ($95). Those tiers also buy you even more channels, but if you want the likes of CNN, TBS and TNT (which are owned by Warner Bros. Discovery), you'll have to subscribe elsewhere; they're not available in any Fubo plan.

(Worth noting as well: The Essential Plan is also $85, same as Pro, but doesn't include the regional sports networks. So why would anyone choose Essential? Because then Fubo doesn't have to charge you the added fees for those RSNs.)

Fubo's fast, attractive interface revolves around eight main categories easily accessible from a fly-out side menu. The channel guide makes it a breeze to filter the listings based on a particular genre — local, sports, movies, family, trending, etc. — but there are so many choices to scroll through (over two dozen, by my count), it's almost cumbersome. Plus, they're all in a seemingly random order, instead of alphabetical.

Another UI complaint: When you're watching live content and want to access the channel guide (or anything else), playback stops — with no immediate or obvious way to resume what you were just watching. There is a pop-up menu you can access without leaving your current program, but it lists only categorical "more live TV". It would be nice to have the option of a pop-up channel guide.

I also found Fubo's search feature to be a bit lacking, as it doesn't support parameters like actor or genre: You can search for Top Gun and see a result, but "Tom Cruise movies" will return nothing.

Those wrinkles aside, I found Fubo fairly intuitive overall and a very pleasant live-TV viewing experience. And although it recently merged with Hulu + Live TV (see above), it will continue to operate on its own, at least for now.

Read our full Fubo TV review.

Free trial: 7 days | Channels in base tier: 100+ | Streaming resolution: 1080p | DVR: Unlimited | Regional sports networks: Limited

Not to be confused with regular YouTube (home of user-created content), Google's live-TV service delivers over 100 channels — the second-largest roster in the group — including local ones and a decent selection of sports. Most of them stream at 1080p, and you can add 4K (for select channels) for an extra $10 monthly.

Hulu + Live TV also streams at 1080p, but doesn't currently have any 4K content (except for its on-demand library). Fubo also lets you add 4K for a $10 upcharge, but starts at 720p, not 1080p. The upshot: YouTube TV is your best option if you want higher-resolution streaming.

The interface bucks convention, dividing everything into just three sections: Library, Home and Live. That's simple enough, but by placing these options at the top, it creates extra work navigating back to it. (Most services employ a side menu that's quicker and easier to access.) Also, the order strikes me as odd; wouldn't Home be the more obvious first option, followed by Live and then Library?

Similarly, the DVR aspects are a bit confusing at first; you don't select shows or movies to record, but instead "add to library". And when you do that with a TV show, you automatically get the entire series; there's no option to record just one episode. Thus, when you visit the Library page, it can be a little confusing to figure out what's recorded, what's coming up, and what might be available on-demand.

Speaking of which, I often found myself confused by YouTube TV's on-demand content — namely, what you can actually get. For example, from the Home page I browsed my way to the Movies section, then drilled into Drama. This returned a lengthy row of "picked for you" titles (based on what, I'm not sure) in no particular order; I chose First Man and had the option of watching it. Then I scrolled down to a section labeled "Thriller movies" and selected The Town, but could only get info about it; there was no watch-now option.

I do like that you can reorder the channel guide to your liking: alphabetical, backwards-alphabetical, most watched, even a custom layout (though you have to set that up on a computer or in the mobile app).

Although it has nowhere near as many regional sports networks (such as Bally Sports) as Fubo, YouTube TV does offer NFL Sunday Ticket. It costs extra, but should allow you to watch your favorite team(s) no matter where and when the games take place. (Note, too, that you can get Sunday Ticket as a standalone package.)

There's also a nifty option called Multiview, which lets you watch four (select) live events at once. And I love the "key plays" option that appears when you tune into certain games that are already in progress; it'll show you a highlight reel of the big plays and then return you to the live broadcast.  

Given YouTube TV's most recent price hike (to $83/month, up $10), I'm even more annoyed that a subscription doesn't include YouTube Premium (meaning ad-free regular YouTube). You still have to pay for that separately. I know they're separate entities, but they're also both YouTube products; seems like just the value-add Google should include to give it a boost over the competition.

As it stands, YouTube TV is a solid live-TV service that's notable for its 1080p streaming and available 4K add-on.

Read our full YouTube TV review.

Free trial: 7 days | Channels in base tier: 70+ | Streaming resolution: 720p | DVR: Unlimited | Regional sports networks: None

Philo flies under most viewers' radar, and that's a shame: The service is arguably the best-kept secret in streaming. For those who miss basic-cable networks like AMC, Comedy Central, History, Hallmark and Nickelodeon, Philo serves them up in all their live-TV glory. 

Your $33 monthly subscription includes over 70 well-known channels, plus around 100 specialty ones like The Baywatch Channel, Pickleball TV and numerous Vevo music-video channels. You also get access to the entire AMC+ catalog — but the real news is the 2025 addition of HBO Max and Discovery+ subscriptions (both with ads). As for actual news, it's limited to a BBC channel — and if you want sports, you'll find only the fairly limited selection available on HBO Max.

Philo proper mixes old-school and new, with unlimited cloud-based DVR for shows you want to keep for later and some 70,000 shows and movies (from the aforementioned networks) available for on-demand viewing. (Interestingly, that content streams at 1080p, though live streams top out at 720p.)

The interface doesn't conform to the side-menu standard; options like home, guide and search are arranged along the top. Thankfully, what was previously a drab, often confusing channel guide has improved considerably, including a picture-in-picture view that lets you keep watching while you browse the menu.

Ultimately, Philo offers tremendous value to anyone wishing to keep "basic cable" on the menu. More cord-cutters should know about it.

Read our full Philo TV review.

Free trial: None | Channels in base tiers: 34/44 | Streaming resolution: 720p | DVR: 50 hours (extra charge for unlimited) | Regional sports networks: None

Got $5? You can get a day's worth of Sling TV — which might be just what you need to watch, say, a particular sporting event or some other live broadcast. (I enjoy the Emmy Awards, for example, but don't want to subscribe for a whole month just for that.) This new option is unique to Sling, and it's ingenious enough to earn the service a spot on Yahoo's best-list.

Previously, we'd relegated it to the "Other services we tested" section, below. That's because, on the whole, Sling offers a comparatively modest channel selection without a significant savings to justify it. You have to choose between two confusing, partially overlapping, tiers (dubbed Orange and Blue), each priced at $46 monthly or $61 for both. At that point it's worth spending a little more to get something like Hulu + Live TV, which provides considerably more bang for the buck.

But Sling's new Passes are a game-changer. In addition to paying $4.99 for a 24-hour subscription (a day-pass, essentially), you can get a Friday-Sunday pass for $9.99 or a one-week pass for $14.99. Assuming Sling has the channel that carries the thing you want to watch, it's a no-brainer impulse-buy.

Alas, there's the rub: For now, Passes are limited to the Orange tier, which nets you the likes of ESPN, TBS and TNT but leaves out the various Fox Sports channels available in Blue. (Here's a thought, Sling: How about a $5 "game pass" that includes all your sports channels but dispenses with everything else?)

So Passes aren't perfect, but they're a huge step in the right direction for people seeking an inexpensive, a-la-carte way to watch live TV.

Read our full Sling TV review.