TV options span cable, satellite and streaming services with countless packages available, but a live TV streaming service may be worth trying instead of traditional cable. Here’s why: You don’t sign any contracts, pay hidden fees or need equipment. Instead, you get a diverse set of channels, seamless DVR and premium shows, movies and sports. Most of these services let you watch on your laptop or phone, too. Monthly pricing and regional sports networks can make it a challenge when choosing a live TV streaming platform, but the six main services to consider (we’re not including smaller ones) are Fubo, Philo, Sling TV, DirecTV, YouTube TV and Hulu Plus Live TV. Ultimately, it comes down to the channels, doesn’t it? We looked into which services carry the top 100 channels on their rosters to help you decide which one is best for you. The Big Chart: Top 100 channels compared (updated September 2026) The main difference between the services lies in their channel selection: All of them offer different channel lineups at various prices. Below, you’ll find a chart that shows the top 100 channels across all six services. Note that not every service has a worthy 100. There are actually seven listed because Sling TV has two “base” tiers, Orange and Blue. And if you’re wondering, I chose which “top” channels made the cut. Sorry, AXS TV, Discovery Life, GSN and Universal HD. Hulu now costs the most at $100. Fubo restored lost NBCUniversal channels to customers across the country, and with that, the streamer raised the monthly cost of its subscriptions, so the Pro plan now costs $89. DirecTV offers signature streaming packages, and its basic plan starts at $90 per month, plus fees (excluding promotional rates). But both DirecTV and YouTube TV have introduced genre packages (not listed here) with fewer channels that are cheaper than their regular plans. Sling TV has made some changes to its Blue package in 2026. The price is $46 a month if you don’t have any local stations, but the price has increased by $4 for those who do. If you have one or two local networks, such as NBC or Fox, the monthly rate is $50. Customers with three or more local stations in their Sling Blue package now pay $55 per month. Philo is now offering an Essential subscription at $25 a month, and its former Core plan has been rebranded as the $33-a-month Bundle plan that packages HBO Max, Discovery Plus and AMC Plus access at no extra charge. But costs continue to go up, and those changes are reflected in the chart below, where applicable. With channel losses and price hikes, some of the services may seem less appealing. But if you want to save even more money, you can go beyond this list and explore skinny packages offered by Fubo, DirecTV and YouTube TV. Some more stuff to know about the chart: Yes = The channel is available on the cheapest pricing tier. That price is listed next to the service’s name. No = The channel isn’t available at all on that service. $ = 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 — local channels devoted to showing regular-season games of particular pro baseball, basketball and hockey teams — are not listed. DirecTV’s $130 tier has the most RSNs by far, but a few are available on other services. You can also check out its MySports package for $70 and Xfinity’s sports and news offering. Local ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, and The CW networks are not available in every city. Because the availability of these channels varies, you’ll want to check the service’s website to verify that it carries your local network. Local PBS stations are only currently available on DirecTV, Hulu Live and YouTube TV. Again, you’ll want to check local availability. Sling Blue subscribers in cities like Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City pay extra for access to channels like NBC and ABC. Check Sling’s site to see which local channels are available in your area. The chart columns are arranged in order of price, so if you can’t see everything you want, try scrolling right. Overwhelmed? An easier-to-understand Google Spreadsheet is here. Philo vs. Sling TV vs. Fubo vs. YouTube TV vs. DirecTV vs. Hulu: Top 100 channels compared Channel Philo ($25; $33) Sling Orange ($46) Sling Blue ($46) YouTube TV ($83) Fubo (Pro: $89) DirecTV ($90) Hulu Live TV ($100) Total channels: 43 24 34 77 46 55 74 ABC No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes CBS No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Fox No No Yes (some markets) Yes Yes Yes Yes NBC No No Yes (some markets) Yes Yes Yes Yes PBS No No No Yes No Yes Yes CW No No No Yes Yes (limited) Yes (limited) Yes Channel Philo ($25; $33) Sling Orange ($46) Sling Blue ($46) YouTube TV ($83) Fubo (Pro: $89) DirecTV ($90) Hulu Live TV ($100) A&E Yes Yes Yes No No $ Yes ACC Network No $ No Yes Yes $ Yes Accuweather Yes No No No Yes Yes No AMC Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Animal Planet Yes No No Yes No Yes Yes BBC America Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No BBC World News Yes $ $ Yes No $ No BET Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Big Ten Network No No $ Yes Yes $ Yes Bloomberg TV No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Boomerang No $ $ No No Yes $ Bravo No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Channel Philo ($25; $33) Sling Orange ($46) Sling Blue ($46) YouTube TV ($83) Fubo (Pro: $89) DirecTV ($90) Hulu Live TV ($100) Cartoon Network No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes CBS Sports Network No No No Yes Yes $ Yes Cheddar Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Cinemax No No No $ No $ $ CMT Yes $ $ Yes Yes Yes Yes CNBC No No $ Yes Yes Yes Yes CNN No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Comedy Central Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Cooking Channel Yes $ $ No $ $ $ Destination America Yes $ $ No $ $ $ Discovery Channel Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Disney Channel No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Disney Junior No $ No Yes Yes Yes Yes Disney XD No $ No Yes Yes Yes Yes E! No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes ESPN No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes ESPN 2 No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes ESPNEWS No $ No Yes $ $ Yes ESPNU No $ No Yes $ $ Yes Channel Philo ($25; $33) Sling Orange ($46) Sling Blue ($46) YouTube TV ($83) Fubo (Pro: $89) DirecTV ($90) Hulu Live TV ($100) Food Network Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Fox Business No No $ Yes Yes Yes Yes Fox News No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes FS1 No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes FS2 No No $ Yes Yes $ Yes Freeform No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes FX No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes FX Movies No No $ Yes $ $ Yes FXX No No $ Yes Yes Yes Yes FYI Yes $ $ No No $ Yes Golf Channel No No $ Yes Yes $ Yes Hallmark Yes $ $ Yes Yes Yes Yes HBO/Max No No No $ No $ $ HGTV Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes History Yes Yes Yes No No $ Yes HLN No $ Yes Yes No Yes Yes IFC Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Investigation Discovery Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Lifetime Yes Yes Yes No No $ Yes Lifetime Movie Network Yes $ $ No No $ Yes Channel Philo ($25; $33) Sling Orange ($46) Sling Blue ($46) YouTube TV ($83) FuboTV (Pro: $89) DirecTV ($90) Hulu Live TV ($100) Magnolia Network Yes $ $ Yes No $ Yes MeTV Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No MGM+ $ $ $ $ No $ No MLB Network No $ $ No $ $ Yes Motor Trend Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes MSNBC No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes MTV Yes $ $ Yes Yes Yes Yes MTV2 Yes $ $ Yes $ Yes $ National Geographic No No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Nat Geo Wild No No $ Yes $ $ Yes NBA TV No $ $ Yes $ $ No NFL Network No No Yes Yes Yes $ Yes NFL Red Zone No No $ $ $ No $ NHL Network No $ $ No $ $ No Nickelodeon Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Nick Jr. Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes $ Yes Nicktoons Yes $ $ Yes $ $ $ OWN Yes No No Yes No $ Yes Oxygen No No $ Yes Yes $ Yes Paramount Network Yes $ $ Yes Yes Yes Yes Science Yes $ $ No $ $ $ Channel Philo ($25; $33) Sling Orange ($46) Sling Blue ($46) YouTube TV ($83) FuboTV (Pro: $89) DirecTV ($90) Hulu Live TV ($100) SEC Network No $ No Yes $ $ Yes Showtime No $ $ $ $ $ $ Smithsonian Yes No No Yes Yes $ Yes Starz $ $ $ $ $ $ $ Sundance TV Yes $ $ Yes No Yes No Syfy No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Tastemade Yes $ $ Yes Yes $ No TBS No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes TCM No $ $ Yes No $ Yes TeenNick Yes $ $ Yes $ Yes $ Telemundo No No No Yes Yes $ Yes Tennis Channel No $ $ No $ $ No TLC Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes TNT No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Travel Channel Yes Yes Yes Yes No $ Yes TruTV No $ Yes Yes No $ Yes TV Land Yes $ $ Yes Yes Yes Yes USA Network No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes VH1 Yes $ $ Yes Yes Yes Yes Vice Yes Yes Yes No No $ Yes WE tv Yes $ $ Yes No Yes No Channel Philo ($25; $33) Sling Orange ($46) Sling Blue ($46) YouTube TV ($83) FuboTV (Pro: $89) DirecTV ($90) Hulu Live TV ($100) Hulu Plus Live TV Hulu Plus Live TV, which includes access to Disney Plus, Hulu on-demand and ESPN, is the most expensive platform, now at $100 a month for its base package. Its channel selection isn’t as robust as YouTube TV, but Hulu’s significant catalog of on-demand content sets it apart. ABC shows like High Potential and exclusive titles such as Shōgun, The Bear and Paradise give it a content advantage. Live TV subscribers also receive unlimited DVR that includes fast-forwarding and on-demand playback — at no additional cost. It’s a move that has aligned Hulu with its competitors in terms of features but the channel lineup may still be a deciding factor. It’s pricier than YouTube TV, which has more channels, but the access to Disney Plus and ESPN may make it a more appealing choice for you. Read our Hulu Plus Live TV review. YouTube TV YouTube TV has an excellent channel selection, an easy-to-use interface and a best-in-class cloud DVR. Typically, the $83-per-month service is one of the best cable TV replacements. It offers a 4K upgrade add-on for an additional price, but the downside is that there isn’t much to watch at present unless you watch select channels. If you don’t mind paying a bit more than the Sling TVs of the world, or want to watch live NBA games, YouTube TV offers a high standard of live TV streaming. Read our YouTube TV review. Sling TV If you want to save a little money and don’t mind missing out on local channels, Sling TV is the best of the budget services. Its Orange and Blue packages start at $46 per month, and you can combine them for a monthly rate of $61 (more in some regions). The Orange option nets you one stream, while Blue gives you three. It’s not as comprehensive or as easy to navigate as YouTube TV, but with a bit of work, including adding an antenna or an AirTV 2 DVR, it’s an unbeatable value. We’ll also add that the service offers local channels such as ABC and CBS in some regions, where the monthly rate is $50 or $55. Read our Sling TV review. DirecTV DirecTV’s base signature streaming package costs more than all the other platforms on this list except Hulu Plus Live TV, and its stiffest competition is still Hulu and YouTube TV. With its channel selection, it’s ideal for sports fans who want to watch local or national games. The service does have its benefits, though. For example, it includes the flipper-friendly ability to swipe left and right to change channels. Additionally, it includes a number of channels that several other services can’t, including nearly 250 PBS stations nationwide. The $90 Entertainment package may suit your needs with its 90-plus channels and the inclusion of ESPN Unlimited. But for cord-cutters who want to follow their local NBA or MLB team, DirecTV’s pricier Choice package is a more robust live TV streaming pick because it offers access to more regional sports networks than the competition. If you want just basic sports, you may want to check out its MySports genre package, which costs $70 and comes with ESPN Unlimited. Nonetheless, make sure your channel is included here and that it isn’t available on one of our preferred picks before you pony up. Read our DirecTV streaming service review. Fubo There’s a lot to like about Fubo — it offers a wide selection of channels and its sports focus makes it especially attractive to soccer fans or NBA, NHL and MLB fans who live in an area served by one of Fubo’s RSNs. It’s also a great choice for NFL fans because it’s one of three services, alongside YouTube TV and Hulu, that offer NFL Network and optional RedZone. The biggest hole in Fubo’s lineup is the lack of Warner Bros. Discovery networks, including Cartoon Network, CNN, Food Network, HGTV, TBS and TNT — especially as the latter two carry a lot of sports content, in particular MLB, NBA and NHL. Those missing channels, and the $89 price tag for the base plan, make it less attractive than YouTube TV for most viewers. Read our Fubo review. Philo Philo’s Essential plan is $25 a month and provides a total of 70-plus channels. Its former Core package is now the Bundle plan that costs $33 a month and includes the AMC Plus bundle and HBO Max at no extra cost. Either way, it’s still a cheap live TV streaming service with a variety of channels. But it lacks sports channels, local stations and big-name news networks — although BBC News and Cheddar are available. Philo offers bread-and-butter cable staples like Comedy Central, Hallmark Channel and Nickelodeon, and specializes in lifestyle and reality programming. It’s also one of the most affordable live services that streams Paramount, home of Yellowstone, and includes a cloud DVR, as well as optional add-ons from Hallmark Plus and Starz. We think most people are better off paying a few bucks more for Sling TV’s superior service, but if Philo has every channel you want, it’s a decent deal. Read our Philo review. Kourtnee Jackson Senior Editor Kourtnee covers streaming services and entertainment. She previously worked as an entertainment reporter at Endgame 360, where she wrote about film, television, music, celebrities and streaming platforms. See full bio David Katzmaier Editor in Chief David leads the editorial team at CNET. We create expert reviews, articles and video on every aspect of technology, from AI to Zoox. We are thoroughly, proudly human. See full bio Source link Post navigation https://www.indiatoday.in/anchor/Akshita Nandagopal Hoteles excepcionales en Anuradhapura para cualquier presupuesto