Sundance TV is a bit of a mixed bag these days. But it’s still a good place to go to see interesting independent films from around the world. And it’s easy to get without cable.
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Table Of Contents
Sundance TV is yet another victim of channel drift, the wandering away of a once-niche TV network from its original wheelhouse. In this case, indie documentaries, short films, and world cinema.
But while Sundance these days does carry NCIS reruns, it also still has some international independent films. Read on for a closer look.
What Is Sundance TV
Sundance TV is indeed named for the famed Sundance Film Festival founded by Robert Redford. Of course, the festival was named for his breakout role in the classic 1969 George Roy Hill western, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
It was first launched as The Sundance Channel in 1996 by Redford, Showtime (which would become part of Paramount Global), and PolyGram (which ended up part of NBCUniversal). In 2008, it was purchased by what is now AMC Networks, which also owned Sundance’s main rival, the Independent Film Channel (IFC).
Sundance TV is joined by its AMC sister-channels IFC in showcasing independent film, AMC for prestige drama series, ShortsTV for exclusively short-form productions, BBC American and BBC World News for Anglophiles, and WE tv for women-centered family and lifestyle reality.
AMC also offers the subscription-based streaming services Shudder (horror movies), Allblk (targeting viewers of color), Acorn TV (British and other English-speaking, non-American film and TV), AMC+, WE tv+, Sundance Now (more on this below), IFC Films Unlimited, and AMC Premiere.
Other non-AMC channels that cover international or independent films or film festivals are Fandor, Cinefest, Magnolia Selects, and Warriors & Gangsters.
Sundance TV Shows
Sundance TV still has some stuff to interest fans of films from the festival circuit, more artistic or avant-garde fare, British film and TV, and high(er)-brow reality shows. Its independent films from around the world include some that appeared at the Sundance Film Festival.
But you won’t find those on the schedule most weeks. Instead, there are classic TV shows from just about every decade going back to the fifties and sixties.
And there are a few movies on the weekends like Young Guns starring Emilio Estevez, Man on Fire and Training Day with Denzel Washington, and Casino and Heat with Robert de Niro. These are all more what you would expect on AMC.
Featured shows on the Sundance TV website (available on-demand with TV provider credentials):
- State of the Union†
- NCIS
- Columbo
- JAG
- Law & Order: Criminal Intent
- This Close†
- Back (British)
- Green Porno
- Mammas
- Seduce Me
† Sundance TV Original
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Stream Sundance TV
Sundance TV isn’t hard to find. Most streaming services carry it. Channel lineups, prices, and additional features vary widely. But that means you can find a package that fits your viewing style and not pay for extras you don’t want (like with cable or satellite).
Let’s get down to some details.
Philo
Philo is your go-to service for saving money. For $25/mo, you get over 60 channels, a few of them being Sundance TV, AMC, BBC America, BBC World News, IFC, and WE tv.
You also get unlimited cloud DVR and you can stream on up to 3 devices. The trade-off is no NBCUniversal (Bravo, Syfy, USA), WarnerMedia (TBS, CNN, Cartoon Network), Disney (Disney Channel, ESPN, Freeform), local stations (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox), or any sports or news channels (except BBC World News).
For everything you need to know, see our Philo review.
Sling TV
Sling TV is a smorgasbord of channel options. You pick a base package ($40.00/mo), and then customize it with extras and add-ons. The result is a custom package that’s cheaper if you like a few niche channels, but can get more expensive if you really enjoy the options of flipping through 80-140 networks.
Sundance TV fans will have to make a few choices: go for Sundance TV in the Hollywood Extra ($6/mo) or get AMC+ Extra ($7/mo), which includes on-demand access to content from AMC, BBC America, IFC, and Sundance TV as well as full access to IFC Films Unlimited, Shudder, and Sundance Now.
Sling also contains the most robust selection of premium add-on channels, and many feature indie and international movies and TV: Acorn TV, Cinefest, IFC Films Unlimited, Magnolia Selects, Shudder, and Warriors & Gangsters.
All Sling plans come with 50 hours of cloud DVR. The Sling Blue plan comes with streaming on up to 3 devices but the Sling Orange is limited to one. See our Sling TV review.
DIRECTV STREAM
DIRECTV STREAM is the closest you get to traditional cable. If you liked everything about cable except the bill, the contract, and installation appointment, sign up! But it’s better than even that.
Its Entertainment Package ($79.99/mo) has the biggest percentage of the most popular cable channels, including Sundance TV, AMC, BBC America, and WE tv. If you want ShortsTV and IFC, you’ll have to upgrade to the Choice Package ($108.99/mo).
All plans come with unlimited cloud DVR (online sign-up) and streaming on unlimited devices at once. For more details, see our DIRECTV STREAM review.
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YouTube TV
YouTubeTV offers over 85 channels for $72.99/mo, including Sundance TV, AMC, BBC America, BBC World News, IFC, and WE tv. They also have an expansive collection of a la carte premium channels (not as good as Sling TV, however) to choose from: Acorn TV, AMC+, Fandor, IFC Films Unlimited, Shudder, Sundance Now, and WE tv+ are just a few.
Sundance Now
Sundance Now is Sundance’s subscription-based on-demand streaming service. It’s got all the independent, international, original stuff that used to be the focus of Sundance TV.
New content is added every week. Current popular items are Jonestown: Terror in the Jungle (a Sundance Now Exclusive), season 2 of The Split, The Little Drummer Girl, and A Discovery of Witches (a Sundance Now/Shudder Original).
Membership starts at $6.99/mo, or $59.99/yr, and you can subscribe through Sling TV or YouTubeTV or just go to the Sundance Now website and sign up through them.
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TVs and Devices to Watch Sundance TV
Pretty much any smart TV or other streaming device that you’ve purchased in the last few years should be supported by the streaming services we’ve discussed above. These include:
- Amazon Fire TV
- Apple TV
- Android mobile
- Chromecast
- iOS devices
- Roku
- Web browsers
Philo doesn’t support Samsung smart TVs, but the others do. And DIRECTV STREAM doesn’t support Android TV-based devices but the others do. Sling and YouTube both support LG and VIZIO smart TVs as well as Xbox gaming systems.
Don’t see your device listed here? See our streaming service reviews for complete details.
Today’s Sundance TV Schedule
Here is today’s schedule in Eastern Time:
| Blue Bloods – The Fog of War Danny and Baez work with Texas Ranger Waylon Gates when they are put on a case to find the Lone Star Killer; after Eddie's partner mistakenly shoots an undercover cop, Internal Affairs accuses Jamie of not supervising properly. | |
| Blue Bloods – Vested Interests Jamie is under investigation after his police vest is found on a perpetrator; Frank debates whether to help an old friend whose home was invaded; Danny and Baez investigate the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of a hotel employee. | |
| Blue Bloods – The First 100 Days Frank and Garrett try to convince Mayor Chase to work better with others to properly run the city; Danny and Baez try to track down the person who vandalized several NYPD vehicles with anti-cop graffiti; Erin is shaken after a car accident. | |
| Blue Bloods – The Puzzle Palace Erin and Anthony must trust a sociopath who claims he has evidence to convict a murderer; Frank faces backlash from his department when he suspends an officer for violent behavior; Danny and Baez try to arrest a notorious gangster. | |
| Blue Bloods – Hide in Plain Sight Danny and Baez are faced with tracking down a drug dealer after two young models are found dead from overdoses; Eddie and Jamie team up to determine who the mastermind is behind a robbery. | |
| Columbo – Murder by the Book A blackmailer interferes with a mystery writer's scheme to kill his former partner in a perfect crime. | |
| Columbo – Death Lends a Hand Columbo investigates the case of an unfaithful wife who was murdered when she refused to be blackmailed. | |
| Gilligan's Island – Gilligan Meets the Jungle Boy Gilligan meets a jungle boy and the castaways try to teach him English. | |
| Gilligan's Island – St. Gilligan and the Dragon Angry because the men haven't kept their promise to build them private houses, the women move away. | |
| Gilligan's Island – Big Man on a Little Stick The castaways have an unexpected visitor: a surfer from Hawaii who came in on a tsunami. | |
| Gilligan's Island – Diamonds Are an Ape's Best Friend A gorilla is enchanted by Mrs. Howell's perfume and kidnaps her. | |
| Gilligan's Island – How to Be a Hero Gilligan is embarrassed when has to be rescued while he tries to save a drowning Mary Ann, so the other castaways devise ways to try to make him feel like a hero; he gets the chance to be a real hero when a headhunter arrives on the island. | |
| Gilligan's Island – The Return of Wrongway Feldman Wrongway Feldman returns to sample the island life and he decides to live on the island forever. | |
| Gilligan's Island – The Matchmaker Mrs. Howell engineers a romance between Gilligan and Mary Ann. | |
| Gilligan's Island – Music Hath Charm The castaways form a band, but Gilligan's drumming is mistaken by local natives as a sign of war. | |
| Gilligan's Island – New Neighbor Sam The castaways overhear the voices of gangsters threatening their lives. | |
| S.W.A.T. – Funny Money Members of the team bump heads with Lt. Lynch when she signs them up for an off-book, undercover operation to take down a local gang that is printing counterfeit money. | |
| S.W.A.T. – Immunity Deacon's family gets caught in the crosshairs of a drug cartel when the team aims to bring down its leader; Hondo receives troubling news regarding his father; Tan is forced to go before an internal review board due to his girlfriend's indiscretion. | |
| S.W.A.T. – The LBC Criminals steal a mass arsenal of LAPD assault rifles; Hondo finds himself at odds with his father over the elder man's declining health; Luca is overwhelmed when the entire team reconsiders becoming investors in his food truck. | |
| S.W.A.T. – Kingdom The Harrelsons engage in a tense family reunion when Hondo's older sister begrudgingly arrives to see their sick father for the first time in decades; the team searches for an abducted human rights activist; Luca's food truck business hits a snag. | |
| S.W.A.T. – Track Thieves are on the run with a high-tech thermal lance that can cut through almost anything; to find the thieves, the team works to identify their target; Chris confronts an imbalance in her relationship with Kira and Ty. | |
| S.W.A.T. – Lion's Den A family takes a local officer hostage when they're evicted from their home; Hondo reflects on his personal life choices as he helps his father through a medical crisis; Chris' relationship with Kira and Ty reaches a critical juncture. | |
| S.W.A.T. – Sea Legs The team searches for an officer who is abducted during a failed undercover operation; Chris struggles with how to comfort the kidnapped officer's parents when she is restricted from giving them certain details of the investigation. | |
| NCIS – Probie The team bands together to clear McGee's name when he kills an undercover police officer while on assignment. | |
| NCIS – Model Behavior The death of a supermodel filming a reality show on a military base first appears to be suicide, but Gibbs and his team uncover a twisted love triangle and hunt for her killer. | |
| NCIS – Boxed In Tony and Ziva become trapped in a container while investigating the possibility of weapons smuggling at a shipyard. | |
| NCIS – Deception The commander in charge of a shipment of nuclear weapons seems to have been abducted, and Gibbs and his team work quickly to find her and protect the classified location of the armaments. | |
| NCIS – Light Sleeper When the wives of two Marines are murdered, the team fears the murders are racially motivated and works together to find the killer. |
Wrapping Up
Where can you tune in to see Isabella Rossallini dressing up as a male snail to show mollusk mating habits in a 2 minute short? You know the answer!
Just sign up for one of the services listed above and you can join Colman Domingo and guests for Bottomless Brunch at Colman’s every Sunday morning — and the cable company isn’t invited.
We recommend Sling TV for fans of Sundance TV.
FAQs
Can I watch Sundance TV with AMC+?
The Sundance TV channel is not included with AMC+. Sundance TV is a linear channel — that’s a traditional live TV channel with a schedule. AMC+ is AMC Network’s uber-streaming service, which combines all their other single-channel niche streaming services’ content and adds the best of AMC itself and the entire Walking Dead Universe.
In many ways, AMC+ (or Sundance Now described above) may be much more what you’re looking for. It has the prestige drama series, international selections, and psychological thrillers that used to be on Sundance TV, AMC, and the other channels.
And you can watch episodes a full week before they air on their live channel to everyone else. Subscriptions start at $8.99/mo. It’s cheaper to get it with Sling TV.
Why don’t Hulu + Live TV or FuboTV offer Sundance TV?
Neither Hulu + Live TV nor FuboTV carry any channels from AMC Networks, which owns Sundance TV and AMC among others. Content providers charge a carriage fee per channel per subscriber. Even the larger TV providers have to make hard choices about which channels to carry in order to keep subscription costs down for customers. Fubo also doesn’t carry WarnerMedia or A&E, YouTube TV doesn’t carry A&E, and Fubo and Hulu, for whatever reason, decided not to go for AMC.
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