HLN is one of the standard cable channels — known to hotel guests the world over. It really is a great way to get your bearings on the world. And now it airs true crime throughout the day. Best of all: you don’t need cable to watch it.
In a hurry? The biggest streaming services offer HLN. Here are our top picks:
- 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% with Sling TV.
- Hulu + Live TV: This total entertainment streaming service provides a great on-demand selection and all the essential live TV channels.
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
If you mainly watch morning news and true crime shows, you should find a way to add HLN to your channel lineup today. In addition to its outstanding morning programming, HLN boasts a quality daytime and primetime lineup that will provide maximum value for your streaming dollar.
Let’s take a closer look at its program lineup, which streaming services have this it, and where you can go to find even more news and true crime programming.
What Is HLN?
HLN first made it to the airwaves in 1982, and at the time, it was known as CNN2. This station was also known as “CNN Headline News” and just “Headline News” before adopting the HLN moniker. Throughout the 21st century, the station has cycled through a variety of formats in an effort to obtain greater market share.
In 2013, it attempted to become the cable news source for those who typically use social media. Over the next three years, it produced content that amplified viral videos and other content that was making waves online.
In 2016, the format changed to a combination of news during the day and true crime content during the evenings. However, HLN typically covers stories that are deemed to have the most entertainment value for its audience.
Over the last three years, many of the hard news programs that debuted on the channel were either canceled or moved to CNN.
HLN Shows
There is little doubt that Morning Express with Robin Meade is HLN’s flagship news show. It runs weekdays from through (ET). On Saturday and Sunday, Weekend Express is hosted by Susan Hendricks. It airs from to .
On the true crime side, Forensic Files and Forensic Files II are among the most viewed shows on HLN. If you are interested in historical true crime cases, you’ll want to check out How It Really Happened. Finally, Vengeance: Killer Neighbors and Vengeance: Killer Lovers are shows that you need to watch if you like stories about crimes of rage or passion.
Unblock Your Favorite Movies and Shows With a VPN
If you can’t watch your favorite movies and shows because of your location, a VPN will allow you to get the access you are entitled to, plus extra security and unequalled privacy. Check out our VPN Guide for everything you need to know, including our top pick ExpressVPN.
Other brands worth checking out include Hotspot Shield and CyberGhost.
Stream HLN
Being part of its family, HLN is only available from streaming services that offer Turner channels.
Sling TV
HLN is available through the Sling Blue package. It comes with 40+ channels including CNN, Fox, and NBC. The cost is just $40.00/mo and you have many options for upgrading, including the News Extra for $6/mo, which contains BBC World News, Weather Nation, the Science Channel, and Newsmax.
It comes with 50 hours of cloud DVR storage and streaming on up to 3 devices at a time. See our Sling TV review and news overview for more information.
DIRECTV STREAM
HLN is available with the base (Entertainment) DIRECTV STREAM packages. It costs $69.99 per month and comes with roughly 80 channels.
If you subscribe online, you get unlimited cloud DVR. It comes with streaming on 20 devices at once. See our DIRECTV STREAM review for details.
Get DIRECTV STREAM Free for 5 Days
Hulu + Live TV
Hulu + Live TV offers HLN as part of its base package of 85+ channels for $69.99. This also includes the Hulu on-demand library as well as ESPN+ and Disney+.
The plan includes unlimited cloud DVR, 9 months of storage, and simultaneous streaming on two devices. Get all the details in our Hulu + Live TV review.
Try Hulu + Live TV for 3 Days Free!
YouTube TV
The YouTube TV base package starts at $64.99 and comes with dozens of channels including HLN and CNN. It includes unlimited cloud DVR storage and streaming on up to 3 devices.
CNN Go
CNN Go is the official Turner news app. It allows users to live stream CNN, CNN International, and HLN. You need a TV provider log to use it. Note that Sling TV does not provide this access but the other streaming services do.
Live Stream Devices for HLN
All the services mentioned above let you watch HLN live on these devices:
- Android devices
- iOS devices (iPhones, iPads)
- Chromecast (built-in and external)
- TV devices (Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku)
- Samsung TVs
- Web browsers.
DIRECTV STREAM has its own (optional) device. You can purchase it directly from them.
The other services support a number of additional devices. These include TVs that are Android TV-powered as well as LG and Vizio TVs and Xbox One gaming devices. Hulu supports the Nintendo Switch. And both Hulu and YouTube support the PlayStation.
Other devices are supported. See our streaming reviews for complete details.
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. |
HLN Alternatives
There are various alternatives to HLN but because of its divided content, you may need two channels.
News
- CNN: A sister station of HLN. Its top shows include Anderson Cooper 360 and CNN Tonight. Other popular programming includes Early Start and New Day.
- BNC: As the name suggests, the Black News Channel delivers news focused on the issues and concerns of the African American community. Its top shows include BNC Live and DC Tonight.
- Fox News: Although known for its nighttime opinion shows, its daytime programming is news-focused. You will find shows such as America’s Newsroom and Cavuto’s World.
- MSNBC: Like Fox News in being known for its nighttime opinion shows, it features straight news throughout the day (after the right-of-center Morning Joe). Shows include Andrea Mitchell Reports and Way too Early.
- Network News: ABC, CBS, and NBC have their own live news feeds. ABC and CBS both offer local news as well. You can watch them free of charge on most streaming platforms.
True Crime
- A&E: Known for its reality and true crime programming, its most popular programs include Cold Case Files and I Survived a Serial Killer. If you are interested in how detectives handle cases as they come in, you may also want to check out The First 48.
- Investigation Discovery: Offers a slew of popular shows such as Crime Scene Confidential and Deadly Women. Other interesting shows that air on this channel include I (Almost) Got Away With It and On the Case.
- Oxygen: Has a lineup that is mostly true crime or programs that feature similar content. These shows include An Unexpected Killer and Buried in the Backyard. Other popular programs include Dateline: Secrets Uncovered and Famous Cases Explained.
- TV One: Fffers a mixture of comedy and true crime programming. Its most prominent true crime shows are Fatal Attraction and Sins of the City.
Finally, HBO Max and Netflix have a significant amount of true crime programming that is available on-demand. You can add HBO Max Hulu + Live TV, DIRECTV STREAM, or YouTube TV.
Today’s HLN Schedule
Here is today’s schedule in Eastern Time:
| Nightmare Next Door – Killer on South 1200 West Investigators don't have enough evidence for a conviction in the case of a woman strangled to death. | |
| Nightmare Next Door – Co-Ed Confidential A woman disappears and found raped and murdered in a land fill the next morning. | |
| Nightmare Next Door – Sea of Hate Woman's murder takes years to clean up and ends in a shocking outcome. | |
| Nightmare Next Door – Death in Santa Barbara The community fears there is an assassin on the loose when a man is gunned down. | |
| Nightmare Next Door – Murderer in the Midst A Korean-American business owner and his family are brutally attacked. | |
| Nightmare Next Door – Murder on Main Street Monica Massaro is found stabbed to death in her Bloomsbury, N.J., home, rocking the residents of the quintessential small town to their core. | |
| Nightmare Next Door – No Safe Harbor After Nikki Halpin is beaten to death in her Safety Harbor, Fla., home, a mysterious voice on a 911 recording leads detectives to an unlikely suspect. | |
| Nightmare Next Door – Skeletons in the Closet When Brittany Loritts is murdered, the investigators find that the family home is built on buried secrets. | |
| Forensic Files – Social Circle Four young adults are murdered in an affluent Texas neighborhood, with little evidence but two people walking by dressed in black. | |
| Forensic Files – Low Maintenance A young college student is found dead in her apartment and the autopsy rules the death a homicide by an unknown male suspect. | |
| Forensic Files – Fate Date The killer removed the computer that links him to the murder of a woman and her soon-to-be ex-husband that he had met online. | |
| Forensic Files – Trail of a Killer A community is shocked when police discover a woman raped and murdered in broad daylight on a public trail. | |
| Forensic Files – Gone Ballistic A real estate developer is shot and his wife becomes the prime suspect, until the bullet is linked to a weapon reported missing 20 years ago. | |
| Forensic Files – Seeing Red A body is found stuffed into a suitcase forcing the police to search though the landfill for another missing victim. | |
| Forensic Files – Skeleton Key A woman goes missing for a month with the only clues being a set of keys, a fingerprint and a code. | |
| Forensic Files – Funeral Services Police discover a mask near the crime scene and hope that it leads to the killer of a funeral director. | |
| Forensic Files – Expert Witness A killer assaults a young mother in her home, but despite meticulous washing of the crime scene, a single hair remains to lead authorities to the culprit. | |
| Forensic Files – The Disappearance of Helle Crafts The investigation into the disappearance of flight attendant Helle Crafts leads to the murder conviction of her pilot husband. | |
| Forensic Files – The Footpath Murders Scientists and detectives use DNA to solve a string of rapes and murders. | |
| Forensic Files – Planted Evidence Police use DNA profiles of seed pods from a truck to catch a killer. | |
| Forensic Files – Social Circle Four young adults are murdered in an affluent Texas neighborhood, with little evidence but two people walking by dressed in black. | |
| Forensic Files – Low Maintenance A young college student is found dead in her apartment and the autopsy rules the death a homicide by an unknown male suspect. | |
| Forensic Files – Fate Date The killer removed the computer that links him to the murder of a woman and her soon-to-be ex-husband that he had met online. | |
| Forensic Files – Trail of a Killer A community is shocked when police discover a woman raped and murdered in broad daylight on a public trail. | |
| Forensic Files – Gone Ballistic A real estate developer is shot and his wife becomes the prime suspect, until the bullet is linked to a weapon reported missing 20 years ago. | |
| Forensic Files – Seeing Red A body is found stuffed into a suitcase forcing the police to search though the landfill for another missing victim. | |
| Forensic Files – Skeleton Key A woman goes missing for a month with the only clues being a set of keys, a fingerprint and a code. | |
| Forensic Files – Funeral Services Police discover a mask near the crime scene and hope that it leads to the killer of a funeral director. | |
| Forensic Files – Expert Witness A killer assaults a young mother in her home, but despite meticulous washing of the crime scene, a single hair remains to lead authorities to the culprit. | |
| Forensic Files – The Disappearance of Helle Crafts The investigation into the disappearance of flight attendant Helle Crafts leads to the murder conviction of her pilot husband. | |
| Forensic Files – The Footpath Murders Scientists and detectives use DNA to solve a string of rapes and murders. | |
| Forensic Files – Planted Evidence Police use DNA profiles of seed pods from a truck to catch a killer. | |
| Forensic Files II – Grave Justice A young woman is found murdered on the side of a rural driveway; the victim had been out with friends; the investigation would remain unsolved; until three decades later, when forensics from an unrelated crime helps break the case. | |
| Forensic Files II – Smoking Gun A hearing impaired 77-year-old on a road trip is shot to death because the man cannot hear his assailant's demands; random murders are among the hardest crimes to solve, but investigators are determined to bring this case to justice. | |
| CNN News Central (HLN) The anchors share the latest stories about significant events that take place across the world and interview prominent figures. | |
| CNN News Central (HLN) The anchors share the latest stories about significant events that take place across the world and interview prominent figures. | |
| CNN News Central (HLN) The anchors share the latest stories about significant events that take place across the world and interview prominent figures. | |
| Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry? – Justice Served Valerie Justice joyfully accepts boyfriend Laurence Lovejoy's marriage proposal, then her world is shattered when her teenage daughter, Erin, accuses her new stepfather of rape. | |
| Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry? – Family Man After six years of marriage, Krystal Kunkel discovers her husband, Tommy Garcia, may be the devil in disguise. |
Wrapping Up
If you have an affinity for network news and true crime programming, HLN has you covered all day and night. Available on a variety of streaming platforms, HLN is relatively easy to get without having to pay more than you want or need to for your favorite shows.
We recommend Sling TV for HLN.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is there no news on HLN?
There is still news during the morning hours on HLN both during the week and on weekends. However, during the day, you will need to watch CNN or one of the other news outlets that we discussed above to get coverage of breaking news and other top stories.
How can I watch other news channel without cable TV?
We have guides on watch most of the important news channels:
- Fox
- Fox Business
- Fox News
- HLN
- MSNBC
- NBC
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