How to Stream HLN Without Cable

During my travels around the world, I’ve come to rely on HLN as one of my go-to cable channels for getting caught up on current events. When I need to understand what’s happening globally, it’s become my trusted source for information. These days, I particularly enjoy their all-day true crime programming. What makes it even better is that I can now watch without a cable subscription.

In a hurry? The biggest streaming services offer HLN. Here are our top picks:

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If you mainly watch morning news and true crime shows, you should find a way to add HLN to your channel lineup today. In addition to its outstanding morning programming, HLN boasts a quality daytime and primetime lineup that will provide maximum value for your streaming dollar.

Let’s take a closer look at its program lineup, which streaming services have this it, and where you can go to find even more news and true crime programming.

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What Is HLN?

HLN first made it to the airwaves in 1982, and at the time, it was known as CNN2. This station was also known as “CNN Headline News” and just “Headline News” before adopting the HLN moniker. Throughout the 21st century, the station has cycled through a variety of formats in an effort to obtain greater market share.

In 2013, it attempted to become the cable news source for those who typically use social media. Over the next three years, it produced content that amplified viral videos and other content that was making waves online.

In 2016, the format changed to a combination of news during the day and true crime content during the evenings. However, HLN typically covers stories that are deemed to have the most entertainment value for its audience.

Over the last three years, many of the hard news programs that debuted on the channel were either canceled or moved to CNN.

HLN Shows

There is little doubt that Morning Express with Robin Meade is HLN’s flagship news show. It runs weekdays from 6:00 am through 10:00 am (ET). On Saturday and Sunday, Weekend Express is hosted by Susan Hendricks. It airs from 7:00 am to 12:00 pm.

On the true crime side, Forensic Files and Forensic Files II are among the most viewed shows on HLN. If you are interested in historical true crime cases, you’ll want to check out How It Really Happened. Finally, Vengeance: Killer Neighbors and Vengeance: Killer Lovers are shows that you need to watch if you like stories about crimes of rage or passion.

Stream HLN

Being part of its family, HLN is only available from streaming services that offer Turner channels.

Sling TV

HLN is available through the Sling Blue package. It comes with 40+ channels including CNN, Fox, and NBC. The cost is just $40.00/month and you have many options for upgrading, including the News Extra for $6/mo, which contains BBC World News, Weather Nation, the Science Channel, and Newsmax.

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It comes with 50 hours of cloud DVR storage and streaming on up to 3 devices at a time. See our Sling TV review and news overview for more information.

DIRECTV STREAM

HLN is available with the base (Entertainment) DIRECTV STREAM packages. It costs $69.99 per month and comes with roughly 80 channels.

Get DIRECTV STREAM Free Trial

If you subscribe online, you get unlimited cloud DVR. It comes with streaming on 20 devices at once. See our DIRECTV STREAM review for details.

Hulu + Live TV

Hulu + Live TV offers HLN as part of its base package of 85+ channels for $69.99. This also includes the Hulu on-demand library as well as ESPN+ and Disney+.

Get Hulu + Live TV Free

The plan includes unlimited cloud DVR, 9 months of storage, and simultaneous streaming on two devices. Get all the details in our Hulu + Live TV review.

YouTube TV

The YouTube TV base package starts at $64.99 and comes with dozens of channels including HLN and CNN. It includes unlimited cloud DVR storage and streaming on up to 3 devices.

CNN Go

CNN Go is the official Turner news app. It allows users to live stream CNN, CNN International, and HLN. You need a TV provider log to use it. Note that Sling TV does not provide this access but the other streaming services do.

Live Stream Devices for HLN

All the services mentioned above let you watch HLN live on these devices:

• Android devices
• iOS devices (iPhones, iPads)
• Chromecast (built-in and external)
• TV devices (Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku)
• Samsung TVs
• Web browsers.

DIRECTV STREAM has its own (optional) device. You can purchase it directly from them.

The other services support a number of additional devices. These include TVs that are Android TV-powered as well as LG and Vizio TVs and Xbox One gaming devices. Hulu supports the Nintendo Switch. And both Hulu and YouTube support the PlayStation.

Other devices are supported. See our streaming reviews for complete details.

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HLN Alternatives

There are various alternatives to HLN but because of its divided content, you may need two channels.

News

• CNN: A sister station of HLN. Its top shows include Anderson Cooper 360 and CNN Tonight. Other popular programming includes Early Start and New Day.
• BNC: As the name suggests, the Black News Channel delivers news focused on the issues and concerns of the African American community. Its top shows include BNC Live and DC Tonight.
• Fox News: Although known for its nighttime opinion shows, its daytime programming is news-focused. You will find shows such as America’s Newsroom and Cavuto’s World.
• MSNBC: Like Fox News in being known for its nighttime opinion shows, it features straight news throughout the day (after the right-of-center Morning Joe). Shows include Andrea Mitchell Reports and Way too Early.
• Network News: ABC, CBS, and NBC have their own live news feeds. ABC and CBS both offer local news as well. You can watch them free of charge on most streaming platforms.

True Crime

• A&E: Known for its reality and true crime programming, its most popular programs include Cold Case Files and I Survived a Serial Killer. If you are interested in how detectives handle cases as they come in, you may also want to check out The First 48.
• Investigation Discovery: Offers a slew of popular shows such as Crime Scene Confidential and Deadly Women. Other interesting shows that air on this channel include I (Almost) Got Away With It and On the Case.
• Oxygen: Has a lineup that is mostly true crime or programs that feature similar content. These shows include An Unexpected Killer and Buried in the Backyard. Other popular programs include Dateline: Secrets Uncovered and Famous Cases Explained.
• TV One: Fffers a mixture of comedy and true crime programming. Its most prominent true crime shows are Fatal Attraction and Sins of the City.

Finally, HBO Max and Netflix have a significant amount of true crime programming that is available on-demand. You can add HBO Max Hulu + Live TV, DIRECTV STREAM, or YouTube TV.

Wrapping Up

If you have an affinity for network news and true crime programming, HLN has you covered all day and night. Available on a variety of streaming platforms, HLN is relatively easy to get without having to pay more than you want or need to for your favorite shows.

We recommend Sling TV for HLN.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is there no news on HLN?

There is still news during the morning hours on HLN both during the week and on weekends. However, during the day, you will need to watch CNN or one of the other news outlets that we discussed above to get coverage of breaking news and other top stories.

How can I watch other news channel without cable TV?

We have guides on watch most of the important news channels:

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Frank Moraes

I am a Senior Content Editor at Hotdog.com, specializing in sports streaming and regional programming issues. With a PhD in Atmospheric Physics from the Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and extensive experience in remote sensing technology, including early video streaming, I bring a unique technical perspective to the streaming industry.

My expertise in sports coverage, particularly for out-of-market games and regional sports networks, stems from years of hands-on experience as an early adopter of streaming services and my work addressing fans' viewing challenges. As a longtime cord-cutter and subscriber to multiple streaming platforms, I combine my technical knowledge with practical user experience, making me a leading expert in the field of sports streaming and entertainment technology.

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