How to Stream Animal Planet Without Cable

If Animal Planet is essential in your household, it’s still easy to get after cutting the cord. Read on to find out more!

In a hurry? Animal Planet is available on most streaming services — even the smaller ones. Here are our favorites:

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Animal Planet is, first and foremost, a channel that celebrates animals. Whether in the wild or curled up on your couch, this network has got our furry (and scaly, and feathered, and shell-covered, and…) friends covered.

But you don’t need cable to see what the Irwins are up to at the Australian Zoo every week. Check out below how you can continue to watch your Animal Planet favorites without cable.

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How to Stream Animal Planet

Animal Planet is part of the Warner Bros. Discovery network which owns more than 20 channels besides Animal Planet, including:

Several top streaming services offer Animal Planet (and many other Discovery network channels) in their base plan. This includes:

Service	Price	Channels	Reviews
	$79.99/mo	150+	Fubo
	$28/mo	70+	Philo
	$79.99/mo	90+	DIRECTV
	$76.99/mo	95+	Hulu
	$40.00/mo‡	30+	Sling
	$72.99/mo	100+	YouTube TV

All of the above let users stream on multiple screens simultaneously and include a cloud-based DVR (most of which have unlimited storage) so you can record live shows to watch later.

They work with most streaming devices too, including Amazon Fire TV, Android and iOS mobile devices, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, and web browsers. Most services support Android-based smart TVs, plus those from Samsung, LG, VIZIO, and Hisense, as well as gaming consoles such as Xbox and PlayStation.

See the individual streaming reviews for details on which devices are compatible with each service.

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Other Ways to Stream Animal Planet

Animal Planet programming is available on-demand through Discovery+ ($4.99/mo). This mostly provides content from the Discovery channels (including Animal Planet), but also has exclusive rights to BBC Earth series and specials, original content, and some A&E, History, Lifetime, and NBC reality (eg, Real Housewives, Queer Eye, Top Chef, and American Ninja Warrior).

There’s also an Animal Planet GO website/app service. This uses the TV Everywhere platform to provide access to all Discovery channels if you already have a TV subscription for them (you need your TV provider login to access the content).

Our Choice

We recommend getting Animal Planet with FuboTV. Or, if you’re on a budget, check out Philo.

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What Is Animal Planet?

Animal Planet was originally launched in 1996 as a joint venture with BBC Studios. It initially featured daytime family-friendly programming.

It took a darker, edgier turn in 2008 in an effort to rejuvenate their ratings. More focus was put on predators, attacks, and other sensationalized content. There was also a spotlight on humans who investigated, hunted, or otherwise interacted with them. Shows from this period include Escape to Chimp Eden and Whale Wars, and a particularly low point was a 2012 documentary on mermaids.

In 2018, they returned to their family-friendly roots. This included the mission of “keeping the childhood joy and wonder of animals alive by bringing people up close in every way.” They did so with shows like:

• Wolves and Warriors: Documenting a wolf rescue group that employs veterans to work with and care for the rescued animals
• The Zoo: Showcasing the stories of both the animals in the zoo and the people who take care of them.
• The Aquarium: Similar to The Zoo, but about the Georgia Aquarium.

One angle the channel has kept is more of a narrative approach to covering critters. Shows like Meerkat Manor and Orangutan Island followed individual animals or families in their struggles and triumphs in the wild. These sometimes sound more like a soap opera than a nature documentary. But “humanizing” the animals makes for very compelling TV.

If you wanted to watch Animal Planet, you used to need a cable company. Now you can just subscribe month-to-month to a live TV streaming service over the internet. Cheaper and more flexible, there are no contracts or inflated bills, or installation appointments.

Animal Planet Shows

Shows currently trending on Animal Planet include:

FAQ

What other channels are good for animal lovers?

No other channels are completely devoted to animals like Animal Planet. But National Geographic Wild has a nature focus (not just on animals, but plants, space, geology, etc). And Discovery’s Science contains technology, space, and prehistory content in addition to animals, nature, and wilderness survival. Also, the subscription on-demand services CuriosityStream and Magellan TV both have documentaries spanning all subjects, including animals and the natural world.

Are there any channels for animals (instead of just about them)?

Actually, there are channels for animals! DogTV, the self-described first and only TV channel for dogs, is a subscription on-demand channel with programming specifically created for dogs. Intended for owners who like to put the TV on for their dog(s) when they leave their four-legged friends at home, it features visuals calibrated for a dog’s color vision.

The programming is developed with dog behavior specialists and is in 3-6 minute segments designed to relax, stimulate, and desensitize dogs to everyday events like doorbells. Discovery bought a minority stake in the company in 2014.

What’s the Puppy Bowl all about?

The Puppy Bowl is Animal Planet’s annual parody-for-charity of the Super Bowl. The event, which has been running for over fifteen years now, raises money and awareness for dog shelters and pet adoption. It features puppies playing with a variety of toys on a puppy-sized football field. Dragging a toy into the end zone scores a “touchdown.” It’s both adorable and a great cause, and it’s a perennial hit for Animal Planet.

Tune in for the next one on February 13th, 2022 at 2 pm (EST).

How can I watch other family and kids channels?

Here are our guides for watching related channels:

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Alanna Baker

Alanna Baker is Assistant Content Editor at HotDog, where she helps to keep our fingers on the pulse of the streaming world. She has written many articles on a plethora of streaming subjects, from sports to kids shows and how-tos to reviews. She also prepares the weekly entertainment newsletter with new releases, deals, and current events in the streaming world.

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