If Lifetime is one of your favorite channels you probably got started by watching it on cable. This is no longer the best way to watch it. Read on to find out how you can enjoy Lifetime while leaving your cable subscription behind.
In a hurry? If you’ve already decided to ditch cable but want to make sure Lifetime is still available, these services all provide great plans:
- 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 70+ 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
Marketed in the nineties as “Television for Women,” Lifetime is best known for its ubiquitous, overwrought, sensationalistic made-for-tv movies featuring lurid plots — often ripped from the headlines.
While some (okay, many) Lifetime movies do fall into the “guilty pleasures” category, the network received its first of many Emmy nominations in 2006 and continues to receive accolades from the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild, Producers Guild of America Award, the NAACP, and GLAAD, among others.
Lifetime as a network also makes surprisingly good on their “for women” marketing. Between 1994 and 2016, 73% of Lifetime’s original movies were written or directed by women, and today it’s still known as a Hollywood oasis of female solidarity for women in front of and behind the camera.
Whether you enjoy Lifetime’s cringier movies, or you watch for the genuine gems like the 2012 remake of Steel Magnolias (more Emmys), you can say goodbye forever to your cable company and still not miss the October premiere of Switched at Birth.
How to Watch Lifetime Live Without Cable
Lifetime Entertainment encompasses both the original Lifetime channel and the Lifetime Movie Network (LMN), as well as the all-but abandoned Lifetime Real Women (LRW) channel. Its parent company is A+E Television Networks, which, besides A&E, also own Crime + Investigation (C+I), FYI, History Channel, and Vice TV (Viceland).
Channels marketed to women generally fall into three categories, with some overlap. There’s the “lifestyle” programming (home, beauty, family, with maybe a dash of celebrity dish): Bravo, Dabl, TLC, Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), and We TV. There’s the tear-jerker drama/romances of the Hallmark channels. And then there are the police/court procedural and true crime networks: Oxygen, C+I, and Start TV.
Lifetime and LMN are cable channels, meaning you can’t pick them up with an antenna over the air (OTA). You need a subscription with a third-party provider. This is the part where, in the past, you’ve had to order a package of way more channels for way more money than you wanted. No more!
These OTT (over the top) streaming services do everything cable does, for less with no contracts or hidden fees! Read on to see which services carry Lifetime.
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.
Streaming Services with Lifetime
As one of the older basic cable channels, Lifetime is considered a staple network in a pay-TV lineup. So it’s not surprising that nearly all of the streaming services carry it and its companion movie network. Notable exceptions are YouTube TV and FuboTV, which ended its contract with A&E in mid-2021.
Read on to see where you can catch the next episode of Little Women: Atlanta.
Philo
Philo is awesome if all you want is to slice your cable bill down to next to nothing. You get over 65 channels for $25/mo. Try Philo free for 7 days. No local channels and no sports. But you do get up to 3 simultaneous streams and unlimited cloud DVR.
Philo’s lineup includes Lifetime and LMN, A&E, C+I, FYI, History, Viceland, Hallmark channels, OWN, TLC, and We TV. It leaves out Bravo, Dabl, Oxygen, and Start TV. For more information, see our Philo review.
Sling TV
Next up, Sling TV. The Sling Blue plan includes Lifetime, A&E, Bravo, History, TLC, and Viceland in all its packages for just $40.00/mo.
You can upgrade this with the Lifestyle Extra add-on for $6/mo more. This gives you Lifetime Movie Network as well as FYI, all 3 Hallmark channels, Oxygen, and We TV. You can also add the Hollywood Extra for $6/mo and this will give you Start TV as well as 9 other channels including favorites FXX, FXM, and TCM.
Note that Crime + Investigation, Dabl, and OWN are not currently available in any of the packages or add-ons.
Sling Blue comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage and streaming on up to 3 devices at one time. For more details, see our Sling TV review.
DIRECTV STREAM
DIRECTV STREAM (formerly AT&T TV) actually does the best on this list of carrying the most channels that, stereotypes aside, are more popular with the ladies. It is a little more expensive though, especially since you will have to aspire to the second-highest tier to get all the channels.
The first tier, the Entertainment package, has over 75 channels for $79.99/mo, including Lifetime, A&E, Bravo, History, Vice, the Hallmark channels, TLC, and We TV.
If you upgrade to Choice ($108.99/mo), you get all those, plus regional sports networks, plus three months free HBO Max, and OWN is now included. For $10/mo more, the Ultimate package gets you Oxygen, Lifetime Movies, and FYI. Crime + Investigation is available as an add-on. The only ones you can’t get at all are Dabl and Start TV.
All packages come with your local stations, unlimited Cloud DVR storage as long as you sign-up online, and streaming on unlimited devices in your home. See our DIRECTV STREAM review.
Get DIRECTV STREAM Free for 5 Days
Hulu + Live TV
Streaming giant Hulu launched its live-streaming service, Hulu + Live TV, in 2017. Not only do you get over 85 live TV channels, but you also get access to Hulu exclusive series like Castle Rock, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Only Murders in the Building.
You also get unlimited cloud DVR (9 month storage) and you can stream your shows on up to 2 devices at once. They even throw in all your local network affiliates. All for just $76.99/mo.
Besides Lifetime and LMN, they’ve got the rest of the A&E family, TLC, Dabl, and Oxygen. Missing from your girls’ night selection are the channels We TV, OWN, and all three Hallmark channels. But hey, that’s fewer tissues you have to stock up on, right?
Check out our thorough Hulu review for more information.
Try Hulu + Live TV for 3 Days Free!
Vidgo
Let’s start with what Vidgo does have: Lifetime and LMN, plus A&E, FYI, History, Vice, the Hallmark trio, OWN, and TLC, plus over 110 other channels, watchable on up to 3 devices at a time, for $69.99/mo. You also get ABC and Fox depending on your area.
On the downside, Vidgo doesn’t carry Crime + Investigation, Bravo, Dabl, Oxygen, Start TV, or We TV. So, it’s weak on the true-crime/police and court procedural genre, if that’s your thing. Also a bummer: no cloud DVR storage.
But it’s a great price given all the sports, news, and local channels you get.
Read our review for more details.
Other Ways to Stream Lifetime
But the female-centric fun doesn’t stop there! Take a look at these other ways to watch the September premiere of Imperfect High:
- Lifetime App: You can watch BlackLove, Dance Moms, and select episodes of Married at First Sight, The Rap Game, Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition, and Bring It! without even logging in! The same goes for their website. Live Streaming and new episodes require a TV provider account.
- Lifetime Movie Club: Features a curated library of new and classic Lifetime movies to binge commercial-free. You also get some exclusive films. The service is $3.99/mo, with a 7-day free trial. It only has on-demand movies, though, no series, and no live-streaming.
- On-Demand: You can stream some Lifetime programming free with Amazon Prime Video (with Prime account), PlutoTV (free service), or Hoopla (also free, but requires a library card). Some Lifetime series and movies are available for purchase on Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, and other digital video sales platforms.
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. |
Watch Lifetime With Popular Streaming Devices and TVs
Over the past few years, most streaming devices and TVs have gained support from major services. So you will likely be able to watch Lifetime on the hardware you already own unless it is really old or unusual.
Android TV-based devices are supported by all services (except DIRECTV STREAM). This includes a lot of smart TVs. Casting to TVs from smartphones or web browsers is very popular and it is possible to do this with Chromecast — both built-in to TVs and as an external device. All the services support this.
All of the streaming services (except Philo and Vidgo) support Samsung model smart TVs. And Sling TV and Hulu support LG and Vizio smart TVs.
The popular TV stick devices Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Roku are universally supported. So are phones and tablets based on iOS and Android.
Sling TV and Hulu support the Xbox One gaming console. Hulu also supports the PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. And Sling TV supports the Oculus VR system.
There are more supported devices than these. Check our service reviews for Sling TV and Hulu or their websites if you don’t see your device listed here.
Today’s Lifetime Schedule
Here is today’s schedule in Eastern Time:
Theresa Caputo: Raising Spirits – Beyond the Readings: Spirits & Surprises Theresa shares a peek behind the curtain of her gift, being on tour, as well as surprising clients and never-before-seen readings; a mother and daughter duo follow up with Theresa about being reconnected with their dad and husband. |
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Theresa Caputo: Raising Spirits – Beyond the Readings: Restoring Faith Theresa revisits her trip to a winery with a never-before-seen reading; also, shocking validations and positive affirmations from private readings back home. |
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Theresa Caputo: Raising Spirits – More Theresa: This One Hits Home When a tragedy befalls someone close to her, Theresa continues to deliver messages while experiencing her own grief; the victim of the tragedy makes himself known to Theresa in the week after he passes. |
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Theresa Caputo: Raising Spirits – Beyond the Readings: Feeding the Soul Theresa Caputo nourishes her soul through family time, local food, self-care and spirituality; memories of her late father and brothers inspire her during travels and spa visits; she believes connecting souls with loved ones is time well spent. |
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Theresa Caputo: Raising Spirits – Beyond the Readings: Spirits & Surprises Theresa shares a peek behind the curtain of her gift, being on tour, as well as surprising clients and never-before-seen readings; a mother and daughter duo follow up with Theresa about being reconnected with their dad and husband. |
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Theresa Caputo: Raising Spirits – Beyond the Readings: Restoring Faith Theresa revisits her trip to a winery with a never-before-seen reading; also, shocking validations and positive affirmations from private readings back home. |
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Joyce Giraud Ultimate Hair Strength Supplement Achieve healthier & stronger hair and nails from the inside with 2 capsules a day. |
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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. |
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Joseph Prince Joseph Prince is a leading voice in proclaiming the gospel around the world through his ministry. |
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David Jeremiah Dr. David Jeremiah's goal is to deliver the unchanging Word of God to an ever-changing world. |
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Creflo Dollar Dr. Creflo Dollar ministers to people from all backgrounds with hopes for change; Creflo helps viewers find ways to renew their faith, mind, and spirit; Creflo and his wife Taffi share their vision for everyone to understand God's love and promises. |
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Life Today With James Robison James Robison is a former preacher who changed directions in his life several years ago and began hosting this television show alongside his wife, Betty, in order to reach out to help more people. |
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Joyce Meyer Enjoying Everyday Life Author and Bible teacher Joyce Meyer shares encouragement to help people enjoy daily life. |
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Military Makeover – Go From GI to IT in a Few Short Months MyComputerCareer.edu is offering tremendous educational opportunities for Active-Duty Military Personnel and Veterans; training and industry standard certifications are offered so they can quickly become IT Professionals and certified Cyber Warriors. |
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The Closer – Good Housekeeping The Priority Homicide Division's search for a murderer and rapist takes a twist. |
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The Closer – The Butler Did It The butler is the prime suspect in the killing of a stripper, the young widow of a wealthy octogenarian. |
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The Closer – LA Woman The LAPD and the FBI dispute jurisdiction in the assassination of an Iranian businessman and his driver. |
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Major Crimes – Thick as Thieves The team investigates the murder of a fugitive diamond thief whose body was found by his bail bondsman; Marianna's brother discovers Rusty's relationship with Slider. |
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Major Crimes – FindKaylaWeber A professional baseball pitcher's daughter goes missing; Rusty is put in an awkward position as Slider approaches the last phase of his trial. |
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Major Crimes – Penalty Phase The team tracks an unhinged killer who is making his own film with his victims as the stars; a new romance takes wing. |
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Rizzoli & Isles – Foot Loose The squad is called in to identify the victim and track down a killer when a severed human foot washes up on shore; Angela enjoys helping Korsak at the Dirty Robber. |
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Rizzoli & Isles – Gumshoe The squad is forced to work with a private investigator when a clothing designer is found poisoned and his wife reported missing; Jane asks Maura to teach her mother how to handle her finances. |
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Rizzoli & Isles – In Plain View After a man is found bludgeoned to death on the side of the road, the squad teams up with another detective who believes that he is hunting the same roadside killer; Maura discovers that her identity has been stolen. |
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Grey's Anatomy – The Last Supper Jackson creates an uncomfortable situation when he invites his new girlfriend to what he thinks is Richard and Catherine's anniversary celebration; Levi brings Nico on a trip to visit an ailing family member. |
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Grey's Anatomy – Save the Last Dance for Me DeLuca has a seemingly incurable patient and turns to a diagnostics genius for help; Bailey checks in on Joey, a foster kid that Ben brought into Grey Sloan; Amelia is getting the results of her paternity test. |
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Grey's Anatomy – A Diagnosis DeLuca is irritated after Meredith takes over his patient whose symptoms continue to stump the doctors; Jackson, Owen and Jo work on a couple injured in a bear attack; Levi is hurt when Nico doesn't want him to meet his parents. |
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Grey's Anatomy – Snowblind Meredith and Carina question DeLuca's uncharacteristic behavior when he volunteers to perform a life-threatening task during a blizzard; Bailey tries to help Joey with his future; Richard trains a new intern at the hospital. |
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Grey's Anatomy – Leave a Light On Bailey and Ben face a huge, life-altering decision; Meredith and several of the doctors reflect on the past. |
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Grey's Anatomy – Life on Mars? A wealthy inventor arrives at Grey Sloan and asks Koracick for help; Meredith struggles to save a woman with diabetes who has been rationing her insulin; Jo and Link fight to save a young man who fell onto train tracks. |
Wrapping Up
If you’ve been holding on to your cable company because you are hooked on Lifetime movies and you gotta watch Harry & Meghan: Escaping the Palace for the tenth time — honey, it’s time!
Get set up with one of the streaming services above and wave goodbye to cable, and hello to Do You Trust Your Boyfriend?
Ditch “Big Cable” Now – 3 Simple Steps to Cut the Cord
- Pick the right streaming service
- Get the content you deserve with the best VPN.
- Supercharge your internet provider
That’s it — you’ll save money, take back control, and enjoy TV more!
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