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.
NFL Preseason Week 1 starts Thursday. Watch every game with NFL+!
For more information, see our NFL Preseason Viewer’s Guide.
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. Try one month for $69.99.
- Sling TV: Offers 40+ channels, including a couple of local network affiliates, for just $35 per month. Save 50% on Sling TV!
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.
ESPN+ is increasing its price from $6.99/mo to $9.99/mo on August 23rd. Lock in the old price for a year by signing up now!
What’s Streaming Now?
Here’s the stuff we think deserves attention. It’s by no means complete, however!
Sporting Events This Week
- Crystal Palace vs Arsenal: Don’t miss the first match of the 2022-23 English Premier League Friday, August 5th at 3:00 pm (EDT) on USA Network. On Saturday, Chelsea vs Everton will be on USA at 12:30 pm. Five other matches will stream live on Peacock.
- 3ICE: Check out this new professional 3-on-3 ice hockey league on the last day of the regular season, Saturday, August 6th at 5:30 pm on CBS Sports Network and Paramount+.
- Sun vs Sky: Get a preview of the WNBA playoffs when the top two teams in the Eastern Conference battle Sunday, August 7th at 1:00 pm on ABC.
Movies and TV Shows This Week
- Prey (Fri Aug 5): In 1717, a Comanche warrior finds herself hunting an advanced space alien (Hulu).
- Africa’s Wild Year (Sat Aug 6 8:00 pm): Tune in for the first of this four-part documentary that shows a whole year of life in remote Africa (BBC America).
- My Life as a Rolling Stone (Sun Aug 7 9:00 pm): Get an inside look at this iconic band in this 4-part documentary series (EPIX).
Federated Auto Parts 400
Sunday, August 14th, Federated Auto Parts 400 airs at 3:00 pm (EDT) on USA from Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Virginia. See our NASCAR Guide for all the information on the whole season.
Find out how to watch all the top events in our Tennis Viewer’s Guide. Check it out!
Upcoming Sporting Events
The following events are coming up:
- Jul 29 – Aug 28: Athletes Unlimited (Viewer’s Guide)
- Aug 4 – Aug 28: NFL Preseason (Viewer’s Guide)
- Aug 5 – May 28: English Premier League (Viewer’s Guide)
- Aug 8 – Aug 14: Canadian Open (Tennis Viewer’s Guide)
- Aug 9 – Aug 15: Softball Little League World Series (Viewer’s Guide)
- Aug 10: UEFA Super Cup (UEFA Viewer’s Guide)
- Aug 11 – Aug 14: St Jude Championship (Golf Viewer’s Guide)
- Aug 13: Serie A Season Starts (Serie A Viewer’s Guide)
- Aug 14: La Liga Season Starts (La Liga Viewer’s Guide)
- Aug 17 – Aug 28: Little League World Series (Viewer’s Guide)
- Aug 19: Watkins Glen 100 (ARCA Menards Guide)
- Aug 19 РSep 11: Vuelta a Espa̱a (Cycling Guide)
- Aug 28: Belgian Grand Prix (Formula 1 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!
