The last few years have seen a revolution in TV. It is no longer necessary to be tied to a cable provider with a long contract. There are many live TV streaming services that are as good, or better, than what the cable companies provide. All this for a lot less money.
Watch the NBA playoffs Conference Finals on Sling TV!
In a hurry? There’s lots of information below, but if you just want to start enjoying TV more while spending less money, you can’t go wrong with these services:
- FuboTV: Known for its outstanding sports coverage, Fubo’s 100+ live TV channels provide a broad selection that appeals to most people. FuboTV allows you to try out its service free for 7 days.
- DIRECTV STREAM: The king of RSNs, this is the streaming service for MLB, NBA, and NHL fans. Check out its Choice Plan if you want to watch every game! A 5-day free trial is now available for DIRECTV STREAM.
- Hulu + Live TV: This industry leader in on-demand streaming offers 85+ live channels, covering a broad range of sports, entertainment, and family content.
- Sling TV: Offers 40+ channels, including a couple of local network affiliates, for just $35 per month. Save 50% on your first month of Sling TV.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs are going on now on ESPN, ESPN2, TBS, and TNT. Watch them all with DIRECTV STREAM!
Table Of Contents
We provide simple but detailed information for cord-cutters to get the best possible experience without cable. You will learn where and how to stream different channels, what individual streaming services offer, and how to be cost-effective with your chosen streaming device.
Whether you’re a sports fan, movie buff, parent with curious kids, or just a general TV consumer, we provide you with everything you need to leave your cable contract behind.
What’s Streaming Now?
There is really too much great stuff to stream today. But we’ve collected what we think deserves attention. It’s by no means complete, however!
Sporting Events This Week
- USFL: With so many other things going on, we forgot to highlight the start of the new USFL. This Friday at 8:00 pm will feature the Tampa Bay Bandits at Michigan Panthers (USA). Then on Sunday, Philadelphia Stars vs Birmingham Stallions at 12:00 pm (NBC) and the Houston Gamblers at Pittsburgh Maulers at 4:00 pm (Fox).
- NBA and NHL Playoffs: The NBA Conference Semifinals come to a close this weekend (give or take) with the sixth games on ESPN and the seventh on Turner channels. The NHL First Round is also finishing this weekend with games on TNT and TBS.
- FA Cup Finals: Saturday, May 14th at 11:45 am will see Chelsea battle Liverpool in England’s greatest cup tournament. The event is only on ESPN+, which is great news for Hulu + Live TV subscribers. Others will need to sign up for the service directly but at only $6.99/mo, it’s a great deal!
- PGA Championship: Don’t miss one of golf’s biggest events starting Thursday, May 19th. The first two days will air on ESPN and the weekend coverage will be on CBS. Get all the information in our PGA Championship Guide.
Find out how to watch all the top events in our Tennis Viewer’s Guide. Check it out!
Movies and TV Shows This Week
- Firestarter: Because we are fans of the 1984 Drew Barrymore film, we’re very excited about this remake. It’s opening in theaters and streaming on Peacock starting Friday, May 13th.
- The Time Traveler’s Wife: Steven Moffat’s newest effort combines time travel with romance in this series based on the Audrey Niffenegger novel. Premieres on HBO Sunday, May 15th at 9:00 pm.
- The Ipcress File: This limited-series Cold War spy thriller set in 1963 received universal acclaim when it ran in the UK earlier this year and is now set for release Thursday, May 19th on AMC+. Have we mentioned what an outstanding deal AMC+ is? Just $8.99/mo for Shudder, Sundance Now, IFC Films Unlimited, and, of course, all the AMC content.
NBA Playoffs
The Conference Semifinals are on! Learn how to watch it all in our NBA Playoff Guide!
- Tue May 17 8:30 pm: Boston at Miami (ESPN)
- Wed May 18 9:00 pm: Dallas vs Golden State (TNT)
- Sat May 21 6:45 pm: Preakness Stakes (NBC)
Watch the NBA Playoffs on HULU Live!
Stanley Cup Playoffs
The NHL playoffs head into the Second Round! See our Stanley Cup Playoffs Guide for details but here are the upcoming games:
- Tue May 17 7:00 pm: Tampa Bay at Florida (TNT)
- Tue May 17 9:30 pm: St Louis at Colorado (TNT)
- Wed May 18 7:00 pm: NY Rangers at Carolina (ESPN)
- Wed May 18 9:30 pm: Edmonton at Calgary (ESPN)
Watch the Stanley Cup With DIRECTV STREAM!
All-Star Race
Sunday, May 22nd, the All-Star Race airs at 8:00 pm (EST) on FS1 from Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. See our NASCAR Guide for all the information on the whole season.
French Open
It’s time for the next event in the Tennis Grand Slam! The French Open runs from May 22nd through Jun 5th. Get all the information in our French Open Viewer’s Guide.
PGA Championship
Are you ready for the 104th PGA Championship? The event will be broadcast by ESPN and CBS over a four day period. Get all the information in our PGA Championship Viewer’s Guide.
- Day 1: Thu May 19 2:00 pm – 8:00 pm (ESPN)
- Day 2: Fri May 20 2:00 pm – 8:00 pm (ESPN)
- Day 3: Sat May 21 10:00 am – 1:00 pm (ESPN)
- Day 3: Sat May 21 1:00 pm – 7:00 pm (CBS)
- Day 4: Sun May 22 10:00 am – 1:00 pm (ESPN)
- Day 4: Sun May 22 1:00 pm – 7:00 pm (CBS).
Upcoming Sporting Events
The following events are coming up:
- May 21: Preakness Stakes (Horse Racing Guide)
- May 22: Gran Premio De España (Formula 1 Guide)
- May 27: General Tire 150 (ARCA Menards Guide)
Why Get Rid of Cable TV?
Some reasons for getting rid of cable are obvious. But there are some that may not have occurred to you.
- Time: Too much television is a waste of time. If you cancel cable and only watch your favorite TV shows, you can spend more time with your friends and family.
- Money: A cable or satellite subscription costs many times more than it does to grab a simple on-demand plan with Hulu and Netflix. Cable is also more expensive than online cable replacement services with live TV channels, like FuboTV and Hulu + Live TV.
- Technology: Video streaming is the future of TV. Soon, all video entertainment will be via an online connection. You might as well get on board now, learn the tricks, and save money in the process.
- Information: Be more informed. Rather than be at the mercy of local news anchors, you will revert to more reputable news feeds like PBS, Bloomberg, CBS News, and LinkTV. For example, FuboTV provides 13 news and information channels, along with all the local affiliates in its base plan.
- Freedom: Cable and satellite providers normally tie you into a long contract, only to give you prices that are still higher than comparable streaming services. Getting rid of cable means getting rid of the contract. Go month-to-month and be flexible.
- Dignity: Stop getting ripped off! Calling up the cable company and canceling your cable will simply make you feel good.
Best Streaming Services
Choosing the right streaming service is probably the most important decision that a cord-cutter will make. There is no absolute “best” streaming service. It all depends on what you want with your live TV streaming plan.
Some streaming services are free, like Peacock TV (although they have a premium plan). Sling TV offers value plans that are low-cost but offer a lot. And the full-featured plans of FuboTV, Hulu Live TV, and DIRECTV STREAM) provide what you would expect from a standard cable plan, but with different bonus features designed to appeal to all sorts of viewers’ needs.
Get access to all our detailed and up-to-date reviews of the major streaming services. You will also get links to free trials so you can make sure a service suits you before you buy.
Internet Without Cable?
Most cable TV subscribers also get their internet access from the same place. In many cases, there are other options for the internet. In some cases, cable is literally the only game in town.
We’ve put together everything that cord-cutters need to know about getting internet service. Even if your cable provider is tied in with your internet, you can probably get a reasonably-priced internet-only plan via a downgrade.
Cord-Cutting Wisdom
There are a lot of aspects of cord-cutting that newbies may be faced with. These range from what’s worth watching, to getting access to particular channels, to buying and installing specialized streaming and recording devices.
We discuss it all. Here are some of our most popular articles:
- How to Watch Local News Without Cable
- Setting Up your Streaming Service Parental Controls
- The Best DVR Without Subscription Fees
- The Best Ways to Get Internet Without Cable for Cord Cutters
- Watching Television in Spanish Without Cable.
Stream Major Events
Major TV events are still a big part of our social lives — just look at Facebook and Twitter during the Super Bowl or Academy Awards. Cord cutters have full access to these events.
For those just starting out, we have primers on how to stream the biggest happenings:
Stream Sports
Most major streaming services offer good access to live sports. The standout is FuboTV. But a good low-cost newcomer to the industry is Vidgo. We have articles about everything related to live streaming sports like:
Stream TV Shows
With live TV streaming, you never have to miss your favorite shows, mini-series, and films when they are broadcast live. Here are some of our articles about streaming some recent must-see TV titles:
Get Started Now
We understand that dumping cable is intimidating. So we’ve written a detailed step-by-step guide to the process on How to Watch TV Without Cable.
It also gives you an overview of all the top streaming services, desirable features to look for, and answers to the most frequently asked questions from to-be cord-cutters.
What are you waiting for? Get started now!
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