I know firsthand how frustrating it can be to deal with expensive cable bills that keep rising every year. I felt like I was paying hundreds of dollars a month for channels I didn‘t watch. And when I tried to lower my costs, I always got trapped in confusing contracts or hidden fees.
If you feel similarly, I have fantastic news: excellent cable alternatives now exist that match cable‘s live TV experience at a fraction of the insane price. Ditching traditional pay TV providers for cheaper streaming-based solutions, otherwise known as "cord cutting," is growing massively in popularity.
In this guide, I‘ll equip you with everything needed to cut the cord once and for all. You‘ll discover what exactly cable alternatives are, breakdowns of the 9 top options, and tips for picking the right service for your needs. Let‘s get into it!
Cable TV Today: Bloated, Expensive, and Repetitive
With an average bill now exceeding $215 a month according to the latest statistics, it‘s no wonder over 5 million US households canceled cable in 2020 alone. Simply put, traditional pay TV has become bloated, expensive, and repetitive.
You‘re forced to subsidize channels you never watch just to get the few you actually want. Signing long contracts with early termination fees keeps you trapped. Hardware rental fees, local broadcast charges, and confusing taxes have bills spiral out of control. Even worse, cable offers an abysmal user experience riddled with ads no matter how much you pay.
However, canceling cable used to mean losing access to critical live programming like breaking news, sports events, and current shows. Thus people felt anchored to expensive cable plans solely for live TV, accepting sky-high pricing and poor service because no alternatives existed.
Thankfully, those days are gone in 2023. Now you can replace cable with streaming TV services that cost half as much while delivering the same live channels and features you expect. Next we‘ll explore what exactly cable alternatives are and spotlight the year‘s best options.
Meet Cable Alternatives: Affordable Live TV Streaming
Cable alternative describes any streaming TV provider delivering live cable channels over the internet at a lower price. They come in a few distinct flavors:
Internet TV Add-Ons: Allow internet subscribers to purchase a small TV bundle directly through their existing ISP, saving additional hardware and fees. For example, Spectrum Internet clients can add Spectrum TV Stream for $25 more each month.
Service Bundles: Popular streaming platforms like Hulu now offer standalone live TV plans you can bundle with their on-demand libraries for one price. Hulu + Live TV runs $69.99 monthly.
Dedicated TV Streamers: These function like full-fledged cable replacements, focusing solely on live/linear programming. Sling TV, YouTube TV, and DIRECTV STREAM all occupy this space.
Free Streaming: Ad-supported free services like Pluto TV emulate cable through continuous live channel streaming at no cost. Limitations exist, but so does unbeatable value.
Now let‘s explore prime examples of low-cost cable alternatives across these models to suit any preference and budget!
9. Spectrum TV Stream
As a Spectrum broadband customer for years, I was thrilled when they introduced Spectrum TV Stream in 2021. For only $25 more per month, I can now enjoy 20+ top cable channels on all my devices without any additional equipment.
Spectrum TV Stream rides on Spectrum‘s existing fiber-optic infrastructure, meaning superb streaming quality with 99.9% uptime in my experience. Cloud DVR lets me record ESPN for watching basketball games later. And Spectrum continues upgrading the service with more channels and features.
Sure, locals like ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX are missing. But if you just want a handful of top cable networks live for cheap through an existing ISP, Spectrum TV Stream does the job excellently. Paired with internet I was buying anyway and costing less than Netflix, it‘s an unbeatable value.
8. Frndly TV: Affordable Family Entertainment
Part of cutting the cord means carefully evaluating channel needs to avoid overspending. With young kids at home, all my family watches is childrens‘ programming across Disney, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and similar outlets. Paying for 200+ channels as cable requires thus made no sense.
That‘s why Frndly TV resonated as the perfect fit. For just $7.99 monthly, Frndly TV offers 31 channels focused exclusively on family-friendly content. All our favorite animated and educational shows now stream live in one place for an unbeatable price.
Frndly TV keeps costs low by specializing in entertainment genres that appeal to kids and parents alike. Supported by ads, video quality and reliability occasionally dips. But the vast on-demand libraries supplement any live streaming gaps. If you have young children and want to slash TV costs, Frndly TV is my top choice.
7. Vidgo: Specialized Streaming
When evaluating cable alternatives, think about your personal viewing priorities. For me, ditching cable didn‘t mean abandoningports. As an NFL Sunday Ticket subscriber for years, I wanted streaming TV with robust football coverage.
That requirement made Vidgo stand out. Costing just $60 monthly, Vidgo offers awesome variety across NFL Network, NFL RedZone, MLB Network, NBA TV, and many more. I also gain access to great entertainment and news diversity spanning A&E, Discovery, Fox News, MSNBC, and more.
Admittedly, Vidgo lacks some expected networks like ABC, CBS, NBC and CW. Technical hiccups occur since Vidgo is newer to the market. However, perfect channel fit outweighs missing options in my experience. By focusing your alternative TV search around personalized needs, ideal picks emerge.
6. DIRECTV STREAM
Maybe like me, you aren‘t interesting in fully cutting cords from the traditional pay TV experience. DIRECTV Stream understands that perspective. With competitive pricing across three tiered plans, DIRECTV Stream basically replicates full cable through streaming.
I currently subscribe to the mid-range $90/month DIRECTV Choice package. It bundles 90+ live channels spanning everything from locals to cable news to entertainment. Impressively, DIRECTV Stream carries Bally Sports RSNs that many cable alternatives now lack. And you can customize further with premium add-ons like HBO Max.
Make no mistake: DIRECTV STREAM isn‘t the cheapest service out there. But the benefit is enjoying a familiar cable-esque bundle without cumbersome contracts or hardware. Supported by AT&T fiber locally, performance remains consistent enough to ditch cable entirely. If you still prefer legacy TV conventions, DIRECTV STREAM brings a quality hybrid.
5. YouTube TV
As somebody continuously connected across smartphones, tablets, laptops, and TVs alike, flexibility remains my top priority. Few streaming TV providers match YouTube TV in versatility and device support.
At just $65 monthly, YouTube TV opens 100+ popular channels optimized for access anywhere. I rotate between apps on iOS, Android, Roku sticks, and Chromecasts fluidly with sharp quality. Google integreation also enables clever features like viewing tabs and group streaming I leverage routinely for family movie nights.
YouTube TV also stands out through superior cloud DVR. Unlimited recordings stored for up to nine months is standard. I can replay news clips or my favorite shows ad-free thanks to excellent timeshift capabilities. And downloading recordings for offline enjoyment while traveling is hugely valuable.
For those wanting cable-less TV centered on flexibility and features over cost savings specifically, YouTube TV offers a fantastic product. Give the 2-week free trial a spin to experience those perks hands-on.
4. fuboTV
Diehard sports fans face painful options leaving cable behind. Local games get blacked out across league streaming services. National broadcasts scatter across ESPN, TNT, NFL Network and countless regional sports networks (RSNs). Replicating immersive sports cable required pricey bundles…until fuboTV.
FuboTV understands the sports fan dilemma better than any streamer. Once an soccer-centric niche service, fuboTV has evolved into a sports cable replacement powerhouse. Across both Pro and Elite plans spanning $70 to $100 monthly, you get access to literally every NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and college football network imaginable.
Just as importantly, fubo carries the now Warner Bros. Discovery-owned Bally Sports RSNs that show local MLB, NBA and NHL broadcasts other streamers lack. If you want to cancel cable but keep your team within reach, fuboTV is the best bet. Don‘t forget about niche channel add-ons and sports wagering integration tailoring fully to fans.
No cable alternative provides sports breadth like fuboTV. The 7-day free preview helped sell me on replacing traditional TV for good. Give it a look, especially with seasons hitting peaks!
3. Hulu + Live TV
Cost savings initially attracted me to cutting the cord, but I didn‘t want to lose access to on-demand shows and movies. Jumping between apps and inputs to shift between live and streaming content seemed annoying. Hulu + Live TV eliminated those concerns through exceptional bundling.
At $70 monthly, Hulu + Live TV twin over 75 top cable channels with full access to Hulu‘s entire streaming catalog. I can watch live NFL games on Sunday then binge Handmaid‘s Tale episodes afterwards without changing apps. Hulu‘s expansive entertainment and news on-demand libraries adds incredible value compared to cable.
In my experience, video quality and platform support impresses as well. I rotate watching across my household iOS and Android devices without performance dips. Enhanced DVR allowing ad-skipping during replay sweetens the deal. For those wanting live TV fused with robust streaming, Hulu + Live TV is a superb package.
2. Philo
I love movies and entertainment. But expensive cable bundles force you to pay for countless channels never watched just to access a few favorites. Having kids at home amplified frustration around wasting money on unnecessary TV.
Philo became my solution. Costing an astonishingly cheap $25 a month, Philo offers live streaming across 63 popular entertainment and comedy focused channels. For the equal price as adding HBO Max to a streaming service, I now get live access to AMC, Comedy Central, Discovery, VH1, Lifetime and more without filler.
Understandably, Philo comes with compromises inherent to the ultra-low pricing. There‘s no sports coverage, limited channel count, and infrequent streaming glitches. However, the value overwhelmingly offsets any missing elements for entertainment lovers like myself. Philo keeps costs low through smart specialization—a tactic more alternatives should embrace.
1. Sling TV
Finding the best cable alternative depends hugely on personal viewing preferences and budget. With young kids constantly streaming cartoons and animated films, I wanted an affordable service catering to family and entertainment.
Sling TV not only checks those boxes through cost and channel focus, but also provides unmatched personalization flexibility. Across Orange and Blue base packages starting at $40 monthly, Sling offers genre-focused live TV streaming. Then you supplement with extras like Comedy Plus, Kids Plus, Sports Plus and more to build a fully customized bundle.
No cable alternative can beat Sling TV for price customization and niche channel depth. DVR upgrades, simultaneous streaming bumps, premium network additions…enjoy true a la carte TV tailored around you for way less than cable costs. Sling Orange currently lets me enjoy 50+ family/comedy/lifestyle channels without filler for under $55 monthly. If you value personalization at low prices, Sling can‘t be beat.
Cutting the Cord? How to Choose Your Streaming TV Service
I hope breaking down these 9 top cable alternatives sparked some replacement options fitting your budget, preferences, and viewing needs. Here are final tips for picking the right streaming TV provider:
Consider Must-Have Programming: Compile a list of critical channels and shows you must retain access to first. This step will automatically narrow viable replacements. Don‘t overpay just for extras you won‘t watch.
Compare Features: Do you rely on unlimited Cloud DVR? Do you need 5+ simultaneous streams? Factor integral technical capabilities into your decision making.
Check Device Support: Roku? Fire TV? iOS/Android? Ensure your streaming TV service works across your household devices to avoid future headaches.
Utilize Free Trials: Virtually every service mentioned above offers free previews from 5 days to two weeks. Test options firsthand to gauge performance and channel selection.
Ditching cable for cheaper streaming alternatives sounds complicated, but decision confidence comes through information. Now equipped with everything needed to ‘‘cut the cord" in 2023, why keep paying for channels you dislike? Take control of your TV experience again!
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