If you are a fan of reality shows, A&E is probably essential. But due to the channel’s popularity, it is widely provided by live TV streaming services. Read on to learn how you can get it without a cable provider.
In a hurry? Several of the top streaming services offer A&E. These are the best:
- DIRECTV STREAM: Makes it easy to switch from cable to streaming with their 75+ channel Entertainment plan and options for much more. A 5-day free trial is now available for DIRECTV STREAM.
- Sling TV: The top low-cost streaming service provides a great base channel lineup in both its plans. Save 50% your first month with Sling TV.
- Philo: This service gives you 60+ live TV channel for just $25/mo!
If you can’t watch your favorite movies and shows because of your location, try ExpressVPN to get access to the content you deserve.
Table Of Contents
A&E is the flagship cable TV channel of A+E Networks, which also encompasses History, Lifetime, Crime + Investigation, and Spike Jonze’s Vice.
The channel is still trying to recover from the cancellation in 2020 of its biggest hit Live PD, and it has a couple of brand new series starting in early 2022 to help it do that: the reality drama Adults Adopting Adults and documentary serial Secrets of Playboy.
You can stream pay TV channels like A&E through the internet at a fraction of the price of cable or satellite, with no contracts or inconvenient installation appointments. Read on for more details.
What Is A&E
Once the Arts & Entertainment Network, the A&E channel used to be up there with PBS as a source of cultural, academic, intellectual programming — such as its Emmy- and Peabody-award-winning series, Biography and British co-productions and imports.
Over the years, it has succumbed to the same channel drift that claimed its sister channel History and most of the Discovery channels. Now, its content is largely a mixture of reality shows like Storage Wars and true crime documentaries like Killer Cases.
A&E was riding high as the #8 cable channel in ratings in 2020 when George Floyd was killed, prompting the network to put its top-rated show Live PD on indefinite hiatus.
With the controversy around the Austin, TX police department’s handling of Javier Ambler’s death while in custody while filming the show, A&E decided to make the hiatus permanent. Given it was many viewers’ favorite show, half its audience left overnight and the network dropped to #20.
It didn’t help that the show occupied multiple primetime evenings, giving A&E channel a giant hole in its programming schedule that they had to scramble to fill.
It’s not the first time A&E has canceled a show amid political controversy and experienced a viewer backlash. In 2013, after one year on the air, Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson was first put on hiatus, then reinstated, ticking off viewers on both sides of the controversy.
The network announced last year that it was going to focus on “total-audience metrics” versus the traditionally coveted 18-54-year-old group. According to entertainment analysts, this means they’re going to be focusing on the 55-and-over crowd.
However, a recent documentary on Janet Jackson that aired on both A&E and Lifetime did very well across all age groups, so things could be looking up again.
A&E Shows
The top TV shows on A&E include:
- Biography
- Cold Case Files
- Court Cam
- Hoarders
- Intervention
- Secrets of Playboy
- Storage Wars
- Voices Magnified.
Unblock Your Favorite Movies and Shows With a VPN
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Other brands worth checking out include Hotspot Shield and CyberGhost.
How to Stream A&E
A&E’s sister channels at A+E Networks are FYI, History, Military History, Lifetime, LMN (Lifetime Movie Network), and Crime + Investigation. You can watch similar content — unscripted reality and documentaries — on Discovery’s TLC, NBCUniversal’s Bravo, and AMC Networks‘ WE tv.
Most of the major streaming services offer the A&E channel. The two major exceptions are FuboTV and YouTube TV.
Philo
Philo is a huge bargain, especially if you like the A+E channels. For $25/mo, you get over 60 channels, including all the A+E channels (except Military History) plus TLC and WE tv.
It doesn’t carry WarnerMedia, NBCUniversal (no Bravo), or Disney-owned channels. It’s also missing sports and your local networks. But it does come with a great interface, unlimited DVR, and streaming on up to 3 devices at once. And only Frndly is cheaper (see below).
Get all the details in our Philo review.
Sling TV
Sling TV lets you create your own custom package. It’s as close to a la carte cable as you’ll ever get. But you don’t even need that. A&E, Bravo, History, Lifetime, TLC, and Vice are all right there in the Sling Blue base plan for $40.00/mo. (Alternatively, you can get Sling Orange, which comes with fewer channels but does include ESPN and Disney Channel.)
Grab the Lifestyle Extra add-on for $6/mo to get FYI, LMN, WE tv, and more. 50 hours of cloud DVR are included, and you can watch Sling Blue on up to 3 devices at the same time.
Learn everything in our Sling TV review.
DIRECTV STREAM
If it’s in the top 50 cable channels, it’s likely that DIRECTV STREAM (formerly AT&T TV) carries it. So it’s not surprising at all to find A&E, Lifetime, History, TLC, Vice, WE tv, and Bravo all in the base tier, the Entertainment Package, which runs $79.99/mo.
DIRECTV STREAM also gives you all your local stations, as well as unlimited cloud DVR and unlimited devices streaming in your home at the same time.
For more, see our DIRECTV STREAM review.
Get DIRECTV STREAM Free for 5 Days
Hulu + Live TV
Hulu + Live TV offers over 85 live TV channels, and, as the name says, Hulu. That means thousands of on-demand shows and movies. But that’s not all! It also comes with Disney+ and ESPN+.
The base plan is $76.99/mo and includes A&E, Bravo, FYI, History, Lifetime, LMN, TLC, and Vice. If you toss on the Entertainment Add-on, you can get Crime + Investigation and Military History — it’s the only service that carries the latter.
Check out our Hulu + Live TV review for details.
Other Ways to Stream A&E
None of those grab you? Don’t worry, there are more ways to stream The Art of Entertainment:
- Frndly TV: Frndly TV is a skinny bundle of over 30 general information, educational, and family live and on-demand channels starting at $7.99/mo. They recently reached an agreement with A+E to carry all of A&E’s sister networks. Other channels include the Hallmark Channel, Weather Channel, INSP, and BYU TV. (Frndly TV review)
- A&E Crime Central: A&E’s on-demand collection of 900+ true crime and justice system series and specials curated from A&E, History, and Lifetime/LMN. Featured shows include Dog the Bounty Hunter, After the First 48, 60 Days In, and Female Forces.
- Hulu: Hulu’s on-demand library starts at only $6.99/mo and contains over a dozen of A&E’s juiciest true crime and legal documentaries and series, as well as Storage Wars and Duck Dynasty.
- A&E App: Most devices allow you to watch A&E live and on-demand with this app. It requires that you have a TV provider to use it via TV Everywhere. You can similarly watch right on the A&E website.
Superpower Your Live TV Streaming With a VPN
You can’t beat a VPN for privacy, security, and access. We have used them for years as an important part of our streaming toolkit and we recommend ExpressVPN. Other brands worth checking out include Hotspot Shield and CyberGhost.
| i | See our VPN Buyer’s Guide for complete information on how to choose the best VPN for your needs. |
Supported Devices to Stream A&E
Most of the streaming services listed above support the devices in use today. We’ll just go over the most popular devices but you can find complete lists in the streaming reviews.
Android TV-based televisions are not supported by DIRECTV STREAM but they are by the other services. In contrast, DIRECTV STREAM allows you to use its own device, which can make the switch to streaming easier.
You can also cast to your TV from a smartphone, tablet, or web browser using Chromecast that is either built-in or added as an external device. This is supported by all services.
Samsung smart TVs are supported by Hulu, Sling, and DIRECTV. Sling and Hulu also support LG and VIZIO smart TVs.
All the services support the popular TV “stick” devices: Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Roku. They also support mobile devices with iOS (iPhone, iPad) and Android.
The Xbox One gaming system is supported by Sling and Hulu. PlayStation and Nintendo Switch are supported by Hulu. And finally, Sling TV supports the Oculus VR system.
Today’s A&E Schedule
Here is today’s schedule in Eastern Time:
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| David Jeremiah Dr. David Jeremiah's goal is to deliver the unchanging Word of God to an ever-changing world. | |
| Joni: Table Talk Joni and guests tackle a wide range of relevant issues, controversial subjects and hard-hitting news topics with candor and wit. | |
| Parking Wars After losing 70 pounds, Detroit ticket writer Robert feels confident when challenged by an outraged man who parked commercial equipment on a street; Marlene gets insulted in Philadelphia; a man tries to retrieve his impounded car. | |
| Parking Wars Booters Sherry and Jen team up when Garfield is out sick; Sonja goes on a special Detroit detail ticketing violators of handicapped parking; an old-country Italian comes to the impound lot in Philadelphia to bail out his son. | |
| Parking Wars A hit-and-run incident throws Detroit booters off their beat; a son tries to recover a car impounded after his father was caught speeding without a license in Philadelphia; Ponytail tries to enforce a special ordinance on the Fourth of July. | |
| Parking Wars Garfield tests his luck trying to boot two cars on the same block in Philadelphia; irate citizens threaten ticket writer Robert's perfect record in Detroit; a senior citizen tries to get his car out of the impound lot in Philadelphia. | |
| Parking Wars Courtney and Michelle need backup; a broken meter standoff. | |
| Parking Wars Shawn faces off with parking violators as he tries to keep the streets safe for kids; relationships get strained over impounded cars at the lot; tow driver John deals with outraged bystanders as he tries to tow cars. | |
| Court Cam A look at some of the wildest courtroom moments; a cold-blooded killer shares the details of a grisly murder; a neo-Nazi couple show no remorse for their heinous crimes; a new bride blows everyone in the courtroom away with an unforgettable surprise. | |
| Court Cam A look at some of the wildest courtroom moments; a tearful widow faces her late husband's killer; three bailiffs can barely contain an outraged defendant who must be taken out by force; a veteran judge looks into the eyes of pure evil. | |
| Court Cam A look at some of the wildest courtroom moments: A mother confronts the man responsible for her daughter's death and doesn't hold back; a defendant attacks his own lawyer; a killer's outburst is met with extreme force. | |
| Court Cam A teacher pays a shocking price for an affair with an underage student; a murderer must face the parents of his victims in court; a handcuffed defendant resorts to spitting to send a message. | |
| Court Cam A former mayor opens fire on a SWAT team; a grieving mother berates her child's killer; a convicted murderer has a surprise for the court. | |
| Court Cam A father attacks his son's killer in court; a defendant drops an expletive during a virtual hearing; a man convicted of child abuse lashes out at the judge. | |
| Court Cam A look at some of the wildest courtroom moments; a man in custody attempts a daring escape from court; a sovereign citizen argues with a judge about laws; a convicted killer makes a defiant statement at her sentencing. | |
| Court Cam A teen impersonating a cop takes the law into his own hands; family members of a murdered woman seek revenge in the courtroom; a high-speed chase ends with a heated court appearance. | |
| Court Cam A daughter testifies against her father, who is accused of murdering her mother; the mystery of a suburban hate crime caught on camera plays out in court; a defendant attempts to get a judge's attention through any means necessary and more. | |
| Court Cam A look at some of the wildest courtroom moments; a grieving father attacks his 3-year-old son's killer in court; a judge screams expletives at a disruptive member of the gallery; a wheelchair-ridden defendant runs for it before entering court. | |
| The First 48 – Lost and Found A woman's body is discovered in her car on an overgrown lot; Detective Glenn Barton traces her final steps to find out who or what is ultimately responsible for her mysterious death. | |
| The First 48 – Unforgotten: Ray & Blu In Mobile, Ala., when two beloved men from the Mobile Terrace neighborhood are gunned down, detectives need the community's help to get justice for their families. | |
| The First 48 – Chat Trap When a 15-year-old boy is murdered after getting in over his head, detectives hope a Snapchat message can lead them to his killer. | |
| The First 48 – Love Hate; A Soldier's Life A Tulsa, Okla., woman goes on the run after the murder of her boyfriend; an Army veteran gunned down after helping a homeless man in Atlanta. | |
| The First 48 – Child's Play; Bad Intentions A teenager is shot dead in Tulsa, Okla., and detectives must uncover the truth among his roommates' stories; in Mobile, Ala., a young man's murder sets off a retaliatory shooting. | |
| Intervention – Jessica Jessica, a former high school beauty queen, is now just a shadow of her former self; as a teen mom, Jessica went to college and did her best to provide for her children, but a toxic ex introduced her to the drug trade. | |
| Quarter Ton Teen – Amber/Emily Past trauma led Amber and her mom, Emily, to find comfort in food. | |
| The First 48 – Trap House When a man is murdered just before Christmas, his family helps Tulsa, Okla., detectives search for his killers. | |
| Intervention – Jessica Jessica, a former high school beauty queen, is now just a shadow of her former self; as a teen mom, Jessica went to college and did her best to provide for her children, but a toxic ex introduced her to the drug trade. | |
| Quarter Ton Teen – Amber/Emily Past trauma led Amber and her mom, Emily, to find comfort in food. | |
| The First 48 – Trap House When a man is murdered just before Christmas, his family helps Tulsa, Okla., detectives search for his killers. | |
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| Car accident? Free Legal Consultation Legal professionals standing by to answer your questions. | |
| Who Stole My Life? Every 3 seconds an American's identity is stolen. Just how safe is your 401k? Your bank account? Your home? Your credit? Crime Reporter Tom Morris Jr. investigates the identity theft epidemic. Find out how you can help protect yourself with LifeLock. |
Wrapping Up
So don’t miss out on any of your favorite A&E programs. Sign up for one of the services above, and you can go ahead and sweep your cable bill right under the rug without missing any episodes of WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures or Extreme Unboxing.
Our top recommendation to watch A&E is Philo. Try Philo free for 7 days.
FAQs
Are A&E shows available on-demand?
A&E shows certainly are available on-demand! All of the services above except Vidgo have at least some on-demand content, which generally contains at least recent episodes of current shows. In addition, Hulu has a number of A&E series available and Amazon Prime Video has some included as well (and some you have to buy).
You could also subscribe to A&E Crime Central, A+E Networks’ on-demand library of true crime-related programming from across its major channels, either by itself directly through A+E or through Amazon Prime Channels, Apple TV Channels, or Roku Channels.
Is A&E available on FuboTV?
Sadly, FuboTV (and YouTube TV) have not reached an agreement with A+E Networks to carry any of its channels, which is why you won’t see FYI, Crime + Investigation, either of the History channels, either of the Lifetime channels, or Vice on those services either.
What is the cheapest way to get A&E?
That would be Frndly TV at $7.99/mo. It’s a mix of on-demand and live channels including Local Now, UPtv, Outdoor Channel, Game Show Network — basically a lineup of cable TV’s Most Inoffensive Channels, ranging from completely neutral (The Weather Channel) to religious-tinged (Dove Channel, BYU TV) to determinedly wholesome (Hallmark, INSP). They just acquired the A+E Networks channels, including A&E.
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