Disclosure: Hotdog.com is supported by readers. When you click on our links and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Learn more
I can now watch National Geographic, one of the most iconic channels in television history, without needing a cable or satellite subscription.
Seeing “not available in your area” or a blackout? Connect to another US location to unlock regional sports, news, and shows you already pay for. A streaming subscription is still required.
VPNs are also handy when you travel abroad and want to watch your usual US streaming content. New to VPNs? Learn how they work….
In a hurry? National Geographic comes with the base plans of most of the top streaming services. So all you need to do is decide what else you want in your streaming service. Here are our favorites:
All three services carry National Geographic. Pick based on your budget:
Best Overall
185+ channels including National Geographic, all major sports networks, and local channels. 7-day free trial – watch tonight, cancel anytime. Best if you want one service that “just works”, without piecing together bundles.
From $79.99/mo after free trial
Lowest Price
Carries National Geographic from $45.99/mo – roughly half the price of Fubo. Add channel packs if you want more. The lowest-cost route for National Geographic, if you are happy with a smaller bundle.
Most Channels
90+ channels including National Geographic – the closest thing to full cable without a contract. 5-day free trial, then from $59.99/mo.
Away from home? If your content is blocked, a VPN helps you keep streaming. Our top pick is ExpressVPN.
National Geographic is nature at its finest. With this channel, you can feel like you are on a safari without leaving your living room.
Although many people pay gobs of money to cable or satellite providers to watch Nat Geo as part of expensive bundles, there are other ways to view the documentaries that you can’t give up.
In the beginning, National Geographic, formerly known as National Geographic Channel, was owned by Fox Cable Networks and National Geographic Television and Film. It launched on January 7, 2001.
It has developed into a flagship channel that delivers documentaries and other non-fiction shows — mostly revolving around nature. Also, certain shows encompass topics of history and culture.
Since that time, it has branched out to include various sister networks, including Nat Geo Wild. In 2017, the Walt Disney Company bought a majority share in Nat Geo.
Throughout its years on air, National Geographic has made a lasting impact with its programming. Although this is not a channel famous for celebrity-centered sitcoms, it has attracted some big names in the industry.
For example, in 2016, Morgan Freeman hosted The Story of God. This fascinating documentary series drew great praise for the exploration of different religions and cultures.
Also, Rob Lowe brought extremely high ratings for his narration of The 90s: The Last Great Decade. In fact, 1.10 million viewers turned in to watch the show.
The key to the success of National Geographic is its non-fiction programs that range from the ordinary to the bizarre. Whether you want to see the weirdest of the wild or useful information in action, the lineup is sure to please.
Nat Geo Wild first launched in Hong Kong in January 2006. Eventually, it expanded across the world and became the first bilingual wildlife service. Programming is very similar to the wildlife and natural history shows on National Geographic.
Here are some of its popular shows:
Thanks to current technology, National Geographic can be streamed through a number of services. You can ditch your long-term cable and satellite contracts. Choose one of the established streaming services that best fits your needs.
Although FuboTV is geared to the sports enthusiast, its 130+ base channel lineup includes a broad range of channels. For $79.99/month, you get National Geographic as well as FX, HGTV, and the Disney Channel. If you want Nat Geo Wild, you need to upgrade with the Fubo Extra add-on ($7.99/mo), which gives you 46 more channels.
All FuboTV plans come with unlimited cloud DVR and simultaneous streaming on up to ten devices. Our FuboTV review has complete information.
Sling Blue comes with 40+ live TV channels (including National Geographic) for just $45.99/month. If you want Nat Geo Wild, you need to upgrade with the Heartland Extra for $6/mo. It adds a total of 13 channels including Outdoor Channel and Sportsman Channel.
The base plan comes with 50 hours of cloud DVR and streaming on up to three devices at the same time. See our Sling TV review for details.
All DIRECTV plans include National Geographic and they start at $59.99/month. If you want Nat Geo Wild, you need to upgrade to the Ultimate Plan for $89.99/month. It includes 130+ channels including an unmatched selection of regional sports networks and 8 Starz channels.
DIRECTV comes with unlimited cloud DVR as long as you sign-up online and streaming on unlimited devices at home and on the road. Read our review for more.
Hulu + Live TV is originally just that: the outstanding Hulu on-demand service plus 85+ live TV channels. Then they added Disney+. It’s an amazing deal for for $82.99/month. This includes both National Geographic and Nat Geo Wild. You also get all your local channels and a broad selection of sports, news, family, and entertainment channels.
Start Hulu + Live TV Free Trial ↗︎
Its plan comes with unlimited cloud DVR (9 months storage) and streaming on up to 2 devices at once. Find out more in our Hulu + Live TV review.
To experience 100+ top channels, including National Geographic and Nat Geo Wild, YouTube TV is worth a try. This service costs $82.99/month for the base plan and offers a number of add-ons. See our YouTube TV review for more.
You can also watch National Geographic shows and documentaries on-demand from a number of sources.
You can watch National Geographic on a lot more than just TVs these days. The streaming services above support the wide variety of devices in use today.
Let’s start with TV devices. All the services support Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Roku. Mobile devices running Android and iOS are also universally supported. So are all the major web browsers. Finally, you can cast from web browsers and mobile devices to TVs using Chromecast.
Except for DIRECTV, the services support Android TV devices. They all support Samsung smart TVs. Hulu, Fubo, and Sling all support LG and VIZIO smart TVs and Xbox One gaming systems. Hulu supports the PlayStation.
Our streaming reviews contain complete lists of supported devices.
TV Everywhere allows you to use your TV provider (including all of the live TV streaming services) to watch National Geographic using the Nat Geo TV app.
If you’re into National Geographic, Fubo’s the one that really nailed it for me. The channel lineup is solid – Nat Geo’s right there, along with tons of other great options. The streaming quality? Smooth as can be, no annoying buffering. I love how the DVR works too – super easy to record stuff and find it later without a hassle. Plus, it works on just about any device, so you can watch wherever you want. I checked out others like Sling and DIRECTV, but Fubo’s mix of features and value hit the sweet spot. It just makes sense.
This page was revised 9 times between March 2022 and April 2023.
Updated some sub-sections. Updated some section headings. Misc changes.
Added links to streaming services. Added buttons for streaming services. Updated some sub-sections. Image changes. Pricing updates.
Added VPN info. Image changes.
Added buttons for streaming services. Pricing updates. Misc content updates.
Updated some sub-sections. Image changes. Pricing updates.
Added sub-section. Various changes to content.
Added sub-section. Image changes. Additional links. Misc changes.
Pricing updates. Added some links. Reworded some things.
Added links to streaming services. More links. Misc changes to content. Reformatting.